ON WEDNESDAY November 21, 1979, 22 months after January storms dramatically isolated Margate's lifeboathouse by destroying the town's pier on which it stood, the 37ft 6in Rother lifeboat Silver Jubilee (Civil Service No. 38) was named by HRH The Princess Margaret outside the new boathouse on the sea-front. Princess Margaret had honoured the Institution by undertaking this her first RNLI engagement at very short notice because a minor indisposition had prevented HRH Princess Alexandra from coming to Margate On the day of the ceremony the weather once again was in contrarymood, a chill blanket of fog delaying the arrival of the Princess; however, thanks to foot-tapping music from the Kent County Constabulary police band the large crowd of spectators remained warm and expectantly happy.

They watched as the lifeboat coxswain and crew were presented to Princess Margaret on her way towards the rostrum where the naming ceremony and service of dedication was to be conducted. After the greeting by Frederick Howland, chairman of Margate branch, Mr D. E. Roberts, Managing Director, Posts, addressed the assembly on behalf of the Civil Service and Post Office Lifeboat Fund, which had provided the money for the new Rother lifeboat. He then handed her over to the RNLI with encouraging promises of continuing support from the Civil Service and Post Office, whose members are numbered among the lifeboat service's most loyal friends.

His Grace The Duke of Atholl, chairman of the Institution, in accepting the lifeboat thanked Mr Roberts for the 'magnificent gift' and then formally delivered her to Margate lifeboat station.

The honorary secretary, Alan Wear, in his speech of acceptance, spoke of his pride in receiving the boat on behalf of Margate and mentioned that already she had been launched on service ten times rescuing 18 people and one dog.

The service of dedication was led by the Reverend Norman Baldock, vicar of St John's Church, with the assistance of Father Corcoran, the priest at Margate Roman Catholic Church and Major R. W. Bait of the Salvation Army.

Princess Margaret was then invited to name the boat; she began by conveying Princess Alexandra's disappointment that she had been prevented from naming the lifeboat herself and said that her cousin sent her good wishes to the crew, together with their wives and families. She reminded the crowd that it had been Princess Marina who had named the previous Margate lifeboat, North Foreland (Civil Service No. I I ) , 28 years earlier.

Her Royal Highness then named the boat Silver Jubilee (Civil Service No.

38) with the traditional explosion of champagne. The crew led three cheers to the Princess and the boat from that moment on became unquestionably a part of Margate.

After being shown round Silver Jubilee by Mr Wear and Commander Cairns, chief of operations RNLI, Princess Margaret was entertained to a tea for which Bert Addington, a Margate master baker and also a lifeboat crew member, had made a superbly decorated cake. The Princess's final duty was to unveil a plaque to commemorate her visit before her car bore her away into the rapidly thickening fog. E.W.-W..