SHORELINE HAS NOW COMPLETED one of the most exciting periods in its history, for late last summer the first lifeboat to be funded by Shoreline members made her delivery trip to her station, Blyth, on the north-east coast of England, and on Saturday October 20 she was named by our first member, Sir Alec Rose.

The new 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat, which would be RNLB Shoreline, left Littlehampton on Saturday August 25 under the command of the divisional inspector for the North East, Lt Alan Tate. With him sailed Edward Irwin, district engineer, and four members of Blyth crew, Coxswain George Turner, Motor Mechanic John Scott and Crew Members Tom Moss and Les Fay. On the first part of the passage they called in at Newhaven, Ramsgate, Harwich and Gorleston.

I had the pleasure of joining the boat on her arrival at Spurn Point on August 29. It was the first time that I had met members of Blyth crew but although a stranger to them I was made very, very welcome.

We set sail on a bright, sunny morning on August 30, and the sea was to remain flat calm for the whole of our trip—which could be said to be a good thing or a bad thing depending on which way you look at it! We were escorted out from Spurn Point by Humber's Arun lifeboat with, at the helm, Superintendent Coxswain Brian Bevan who, as you all know, received the gold, silver and bronze medals for gallantry at last May's annual presentation of awards. He showed us a short cut across the sandbanks, using the Decca Navigator, and so saved about an hour on our scheduled trip to Whitby.

During the day a rendezvous had been arranged with an RAF helicopter for combined air/sea exercises, and I had the dubious pleasure of being used as one of the casualties to be lifted off the lifeboat and later returned to her.

On our arrival at Whitby we were given a very warm reception by everyone from the lifeboat station and from the crowd that had gathered on the quay, many of them Shoreline members who were keen to have a look at the boat they had worked so hard to provide. Also, thanks to the North East office and Whitby branch, a fundraising caravan had been set up at the dockside and several new Shoreline members were signed on then and there.

In the evening we were welcomed officially to Whitby by the Mayor and entertained at Whitby Yacht Club. It was while we were there that we were told that the BBC 'Look North' team wanted to do a television spot about the new Shoreline lifeboat—and they would like to start, please, at about half past seven the next morning. We were, I am afraid, a little bleary eyed when we forgathered at 0700 to get the lifeboat ready for sea.

Unfortunately the weather had changed to very, very thick fog. The BBC was not, however, to be deterred and the new Shoreline Rother set off from Whitby accompanied by Whitby's 44ft Waveney The White Rose of York-shire with the television crew on board.

After taking several shots the TV team transferred to the Shoreline lifeboat while I went aboard the Waveney to take some still photographs. This was when the trouble started. Off went the Shoreline boat with the camera crew on board, while Whitby lifeboat merrily sailed around the buoy just outside the harbour. It was not until about half an hour had elapsed that we realised that the Shoreline boat was not coming back. There followed on impromptu exercise in radar tracking while the Waveney caught up the Rother, put me aboard and took off the television crew. It was a good opportunity for both crews to test their equipment and they used it to great advantage.

The fog did not lift all day, so that our passage to Tynemouth was an eerie one and for me, I admit, a rather frightening experience. We heard fog horns in the distance but we did not see a single ship passing. I was up in the bows on lookout with two of the others when, suddenly to my great surprise, Tynemouth piers loomed out of the wall of fog. We were exactly on course and exactly on time, even if tired from straining our eyes in the fog.

Saturday, September 1. The fog had lifted and, on a reasonably bright morning, we were all busy getting the Shoreline lifeboat ready for her arrival at her new station. Dressed overall, she left Tynemouth for the short passage to Blyth in company with Tynemouth lifeboat. On the way we were met by Blyth inshore lifeboat and also by Winston Churchill (Civil Service No. 8), a 46ft 9in Watson lifeboat that has given great service at Blyth for many years and on board which were a number of retired ex-crew members. As the three lifeboats approached Blyth we were joined by an enormous fleet of yachts and motorboats, all sounding their horns in welcome. It was a most moving experience.

Then we entered harbour to come alongside a quay crowded with local people and Shoreline members who had all come to greet their new lifeboat.

She was officially welcomed by the Mayor and, as the ceremony was broadcast live by Radio Newcastle, many more people joined us over the air. The Shoreline lifeboat had come home, and for the crew that had sailed her she had already become a trusted friend.

And so, on to October and the naming ceremony.Back once again at Blyth on Friday October 19 I found myself in the midst of a hive of activity. Crew members, their families and friends together with members of the ladies' guild were working flat out to prepare Dun Cow Quay for the naming ceremony to take place the following day. It is not easy to plan an event of this nature for which people are expected from all parts of the country. A great deal of hard work by very many people had gone into the organisation.

That evening we all went to the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club, where Sir Alec Rose was presented with new Shoreline membership enrolments to the value of £1,000—a splendid and timely gesture from the yachting fraternity.

Saturday October 20 dawned bright and sunny and everyone was down at Dun Cow Quay early, helping to build the rostrum, lay out chairs, put up flags and bunting and prepare refreshments in the adjoining Guildhall. It never seems possible that everything will be ready in time, but by three o'clock, with the co-operation of very many people including the Police and St John Ambulance, the scene was set and everyone had assembled on the quay.

Seldom can there have been a more representative gathering of lifeboat people at a naming ceremony because, as well as the people from Blyth itself and representatives from neighbouring lifeboat stations, branches and guilds, there were Shoreline members from all parts of the country.

Some members had travelled all the way from Penzance and a whole coach party had come from London to witness what was for us an historic event.

Among the honoured guests were a former Blyth coxswain, 77-year-old Thomas Fawcus, who had first gone out in a pulling lifeboat at the age of 17 and who had been awarded the silver medal for gallantry in 1962; and a vice-president and former chairman of the Institution, Cdr Ralph Swann, who was a founder member of the membership scheme and who had given it great help and encouragement in its early days.

We were all happy to be together for such a memorable occasion.

After the proceedings had been opened by Mr D. G. E. Kent, chairmanof Blyth branch, the Rother lifeboat was presented to the RNLI by Sir Alec Rose on behalf of Shoreline members.

She was received by Mr P. Denham Christie, a vice-president of the Institution and himself a former coxswain of Tynemouth lifeboat, who in turn delivered her into the care of Blyth branch.

She was accepted on behalf of the branch by Dr Reginald Carr, the station honorary secretary.

Then followed a service of dedication conducted by the Reverend John Stanley Monks, Vicar of St Cuthbert's Church, Blyth, assisted by the Reverend John H. Latham, Minister of Blyth United Reformed Church.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs E. Mather, chairman of Blyth ladies' guild, and then Sir Alec Rose, single-handed circumnavigator and Shoreline Member No. 1, stepped forward . . .'May God bless her and all who sail in her' . . . champagne cascaded over her bow . . . and the 37ft Gin Rother class lifeboat to which so many Shoreline members have contributed, and whose building we have watched since the day her keel was laid, was named RNLB Shoreline..