Elizabeth Ann, Falmouth EXACTLY AT 2.30 pm on Tuesday June 10, two RNAS Culdrose helicopters streaming RNLI flags flew past the Customs House Quay, Falmouth, thus raising the curtain on the first of the 1980 lifeboat naming ceremonies.

Guests met together on the quay were welcomed by Mr Philip Fox, president of Falmouth station branch, and then the station's new 52ft Arun was presented to the RNLI by the Right Honourable the Viscount Falmouth, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, who represented her donors. The lifeboat, which had been provided by gifts from the John Slater Foundation, the Sir Kirby Laing Foundation, the Cornish lifeboat appeal and other legacies and gifts including the proceeds of special efforts by Falmouth branch, was accepted by Surgeon Captain F. W. Baskerville, a vice-president of the RNLI, who gave her into the care of Falmouth station branch; she was received by the honorary secretary Captain D. G. Banks.

There followed a service of dedication conducted by the Right Reverend Graham D. Leonard, Lord Bishop of Truro, who was assisted by the Reverend Peter Boyd, Rector of Falmouth, and the Reverend DavidRoberts, Port Chaplain, with Falmouth Parish Church choir and the volunteer band of HMS Seahawk, Culdrose, to lead the hymns.

Mrs M. Berry, chairman of Falmouth ladies' lifeboat guild, proposed a vote of thanks and then, at the invitation of Mr K. H. Williams, chairman of Falmouth branch, Mrs Joyce Hulme, a relative of Mrs Elizabeth Ann Slater after whom the boat is named, performed the naming ceremony, breaking the traditional bottle of champagne over the bows of Elizabeth Ann. Incommand for the last time before his retirement, Coxswain Arthur 'Toby' West, demonstrated the fine manoeuvring qualities of the new Arun in the narrow confines of the inner harbour before the principal guests boarded for a short trip in Elizabeth Ann.

George and Olive Turner, Tynemouth Bonds between past and future were strong when Tynemouth's new 52ft Arun lifeboat was named at the Fish Quay, North Shields, on Saturday June 28. Here was one of the RNLI's most modern fast afloat boats taking her place on the river by which the earliest pulling lifeboats had been built almost 200 years ago, and as the ceremony progressed, one name after another recalled outstanding milestones in the intervening years.

Henry Greathead had built the first 'Original' lifeboat at South Shields in 1789: one of the clergy taking part in George and Olive Turner's service of dedication was the Reverend E. B.

Greathead, and another descendant, Mrs Greathead who is honorary secretary of Conisborough ladies guild, was present with members of her family.

The fourth, sixth and seventh Dukes of Northumberland had all served as President of the RNLI in their time, the fourth Duke being particularly remembered for the lifeboat design competition he initiated in 1851: back to 1980, and the present Duke of Northumberland, Treasurer of the Institution and a vice-president, was at the Fish Quay to accept the new Arun lifeboat and deliver her into the care of Tynemouth lifeboat station, while the naming ceremony itself was performed by the Duchess of Northumberland.

When the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland arrived at the FishQuay, they inspected a guard of honour provided by 216 (Tyne Tees) Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport (V); thus was recalled the association with the station of Captain H. E. Burton and his men of the Royal Engineers who helped to prove the RNLI's first petrol engined lifeboat, which was stationed at Tynemouth in 1905. Captain Burton went on to be awarded the gold medal for his part in the rescue of survivors from the hospital ship Rohilla, which ran aground off Whitby in 1914, and one of his descendants was at Tynemouth for the naming ceremony last June.

All the guests were welcomed by Mr P. Denham Christie, chairman of Tynemouth branch and a vicepresident of the Institution who had himself at one time been coxswain of Tynemouth lifeboat, and George and Olive Turner was accepted on behalf of Tynemouth branch by Mr K. Middlemiss, station honorary secretary.

A service of dedication was conducted by the Reverend Richard A.

Ferguson, Vicar of Christ Church, assisted by the Reverend Alan J.

Spivey of St Columba United Reformed Church and the Reverend E. B. Greathead of Frodingham. Then the vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs S. B. Whatley, chairman of Tynemouth ladies' guild.

Almost half the cost of the new lifeboat was provided by a legacy from Mrs O. B. Turner and four other legacies. The remainder is being raised by the Tyneside lifeboat appeal, which has been greatly helped by a generous donation from the Sir James Knott Trust. The lifeboat was presented to the RNLI on behalf of the donors by Mr P. R. Easton and Mr J. Briggs, a nephew of the late Mr and Mrs Turner.

The ceremony over, George and Olive Turner took the principal guests for a short trip on the River Tyne, where she was greeted by an RAF helicopter streaming an RNLI flag and by a strong contingent of Shoreline members from the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club, Blyth, in their yachts.Walter and Margaret Couper, Campbeltown It seemed as though the whole town had come down to Campbeltown's inner harbour for the naming on Saturday July 12 of the station's new 52ft Arun lifeboat, and before the ceremony began they heard Campbeltown Pipe Band play a tune composed specially for the occasion by local piper Archie Duncan.

The service of dedication with which the ceremony began was conducted by the Reverend J. R. H. Cormack, Minister of the Lowland Church, with singing led by the Salvation Army Band and Campbeltown Gaelic Choir.

After a bouquet and souvenir programme had been presented to Lady Cunninghame Graham by Lesley Gilchrist, daughter of the coxswain, there was a welcome for everyone from Rear Admiral R. W. Mayo, chairman of the branch, who also introduced the principal guests among whom was Sir Charles McGrigor, Convener of the Scottish Lifeboat Council.Admiral Sir Angus Cunninghame Graham, a vice-president of the RNLI, accepted the new lifeboat on behalf of the Institution from Mrs Thomas Couper. The lifeboat was almost entirely a bequest from the late Miss M. G. Couper and Sir Angus thanked the Couper family for this generous gift which is dedicated to their parents, Walter and Margaret. He then handed the lifeboat over to Mr J. P. McWhirter, station honorary secretary, who accepted her on behalf of Campbeltown branch. A vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs A. D. Wallace, president of Campbeltown ladies' guild, before Lady Cunninghame Graham stepped forward to name the new Arun lifeboat Walter and Margaret Couper.

While the platform party embarked in the newly named life-boat the pipe band played ' Rowan Tree' , changing to 'Mull of Kintyre' as she set out for a short demonstration trip in the loch under the command of Coxswain Alistair Gilchrist.

Hyinan Winstone. Holyhead One of the most rewarding aspects of the naming of a new lifeboat is that it is an occasion when the whole community can show its allegiance to the local station and on the sunny afternoon of Wednesday July 16 the town of Holyhead was bedecked with RNLI flags and at the Lower Promenade it seemed that every inhabitant had come to witness the naming of the new 52ft Arun Hyman Winstone.

Lord Stanley of Alderley, president of the station, began proceedings by welcoming HRH The Duke of Kent, President of the Institution, to Holy-head and by thanking Mrs M. Winstone, the donor of the new lifeboat, for her generosity; as well as providing the lifeboat, Mrs Winstone is also funding the shore establishment and paid all the expenses of the naming ceremony. Her only reward could be, Lord Stanley said, that she and her husband, in whose memory the lifeboat was named, would always be remembered by the people of Holyhead and by those rescued by Hyman Winstone.

Mrs Winstone then stood to say how happy she was to see everyone at the ceremony and to thank those who had arranged the day. After this she formally delivered the boat to the RNLI.

In reply, the Duke of Atholl, the Institution's Chairman, warmly thanked Mrs Winstone before he handed the lifeboat into the care of Holyhead station.

In his speech of acceptance Mr G. M. Burnell, the station honorary secretary, looked back over the 152 years' history of the town's lifeboats and pointed out that the station was accustomed to innovation: in 1892 the first steam driven lifeboat. The Duke of Northumberland, had been placed at Holyhead. He paid tribute to the 52ft Barnett St Cybi (Civil Service No. 9) for the faithful service she had given during the past 30 years and announcedthat the station was proud to accept Hyman Winstone which would give a 'new dimension of lifesaving in the Holyhead area'.

The service of dedication that followed was, in its different parts, in three different languages: Welsh, English and Hebrew. It was conducted by the Very Reverend J. Ivor Rees, Dean of Bangor, Rabbi Robert Silverman, the Reverend Father Patrick McDonnel, the Reverend Henry James and the Reverend R. J. Hughes. Holyhead Sea Cadets provided the music.

At the invitation of the station chairman, Dr E. T. Lloyd, the Duke of Kent then rose to perform the naming.

He spoke of the importance of Holyhead lifeboat station and he saw Mrs Winstone's gift as a tribute to the'incomparable crewmen' who during Holyhead's history had rescued more than 1,200 people and who had been awarded no less than 49 medals for gallantry.

Then, with the help of a shattering bottle of champagne, Hyman Winstone was officially and royally named.

Together the Duke of Kent and Mrs Winstone were taken aboard the lifeboat to be presented to her crew and to be shown her performance under way. On this return to shore the Duke was able to meet the wives of the crew and their children. Before he departed he returned to Mrs Winstone to thank her once again for her gift to the RNLI.

John Fison, Harwich Harwich and Dovercourt station branch's new 44ft Waveney lifeboat was named at the Trinity House Pier on Saturday morning, July 26, in bright sunshine, and among the guests welcomed by Mr T. M. F. Bernard, president of the branch, were the Mayor and Mayoress of Harwich, Mr and Mrs Lindsey Glenn, Harwich MP and his wife, Mr and Mrs Julian Ridsdale, the High Steward of Harwich and his wife, Mr and Mrs William Bleakley, and Tendring Council chairman, Mr F.

Good.

The new Waveney was handed over to the RNLI on behalf of Mrs Dorothy E. Fison, by Mr A. A. D. Phillips. The lifeboat had been funded by gifts from Mrs Fison in memory of her husband, John, after whom the boat is named, and from Mrs D. Knowles Franks, Fisons Ltd, the John Jarrold Trust and the bequest of Mrs Annie Sutcliffe.

The lifeboat was received by Captain J. B. Leworthy, a member of the Committee of Management, who in turn delivered her into the care of Captain R. A. Coolen, honorary secretary of Harwich and Dovercourt lifeboat station, on behalf of the branch.

The service of dedication which followed was led by the Reverend J. H.

Chelton, Vicar of St Nicholas' Church Harwich and Chaplain of the lifeboat station, assisted by Captain R. Dare of the Salvation Army and Father J.

Lindburgh of the Roman Catholic Church, Harwich.

After a vote of thanks by Dr B. E.

Lovely, president of Harwich and Dovercourt ladies' guild. Shelly Moll, daughter of the lifeboat's assistant mechanic, presented a bouquet to Mrs Fison, who then moved forward to name the lifeboat John Fison. The breaking of the bottle of champagne was greeted with a vast chorus of hooting from Trinity House ships, British Rail ferries, the harbour tugs and yachts representing all the neighbouring clubs which had attended the ceremony dressed overall..