THE DUKE OF KENT, President of the Institution, visited the RNLI headquarters and depot at Poole on Tuesday morning, October 7, attended by his Private Secretary, Lt-Cdr Richard Buckley, and accompanied by HM Lieutenant for Dorset, Col Sir Joseph Weld, and the Chief Constable, Mr D.

Owen. After the Royal Party had been welcomed by Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Compston, a deputy chairman of the Institution, and by Rear Admiral W. J.

Graham, the director, the Duke was first taken on a tour of the depot, meeting and talking with staff employed in the various workshops and stores which provide the back-up service to the Institution's fleet of lifeboats.

Moving across the road to headquarters, the opening ceremony of which he had performed in May, 1976, the Dukecalled in at every department, taking great interest in the work of each.

Then, before he and his party left to fulfil other engagements in Poole, they were entertained to an informal buffet lunch in the committee room prepared by members of the staff and attended by representatives from each department.

At this gathering, which brought to an end what had been a happy and much enjoyed visit by the 'head of the family', the Duke of Kent was presented with a small brass scale model of a propeller for the new Brede class lifeboat, still on evaluation trials, made by Michael Randall, a fitter in the depot.

Mountbatten lifeboat appeal The Mountbatten lifeboat appeal was officially closed on September 30, having raised over £200,000. The appeal, details of which Earl Mountbatten had agreed shortly before he was killed, was originally intended as a district one, proposed by Romsey branch, with the target of providing £100,000 to fund the prototype RNLI Medina class lifeboat. However, the response was so great that two lifeboats of this class will be bought and named Mountbatten of Burma and Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Contributions came in not only from all over the country but from all over the world. Numerous fund-raising events were arranged in support of the appeal and the stream of individual donations quickly became a torrent.

Many of these gifts, greatly appreciated, came from men who had served with Lord Mountbatten at sea or in Burma.The appeal chairman, Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Compston, wrote to the national newspapers to thank everybody who had contributed and said: 'I feel sure this will be a fitting tribute to a great man. I know it is one which his family warmly welcomes.'Medal presented to teenage boy The minimum age for joining a lifeboat crew is 17, but of course lifeboatmen do not claim a monopoly on saving life at sea. So, when 16- year-old Simon Hall, of Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire, put out in an eight foot dinghy in June, 1979 to rescue another teenager from a home-made raft, the courage and seamanship he displayed were recognised by the award of the RNLI's bronze medal. Simon could not attend the annual presentation of awards last May as he was sitting an O level examination (which, incidentally, he passed). So, he and his parents were invited to Poole to witness the naming of the new relief 52ft Arun class lifeboat Edith Emilie.

Following the ceremony, Michael Vernon, a deputy chairman of the Institution, presented Simon with his medal. In the evening Simon was taken to the Paul Daniels Show at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth, and magician Paul Daniels interrupted his show to read out the details of the rescue and he asked Simon to stand to the warm applause from the audience.

Old year, new year Although the audited accounts for 1980 will not be available for some time, early indications are that the gross target of £12 million will have been reached, and everyone who has helped to make this fine result possible is to be congratulated. However, expenditure for 1981, taking into account necessary capital work on the fleet, is expected to be nearer £14 million.

So, there is much hard work ahead; but, while there can be no room for complacency, after such stalwart support in 1980 the Institution can enter the new year confident that the continued efforts of all who have the wellbeing of the lifeboat service at heart will carry it through into a successful 1981.Second lifeboat A cheque for £300,000 was presented to the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the Institution, by Mrs Marie Winstone at her home in Sheffield on Thursday October 30. Mrs Winstone had already given more than £300,000 to the RNLI to provide a new Arun and station works at Holy head, and the Arun was named Hyman Winstone in memory of her late husband by the Duke of Kent last July. The latest £300,000 gift will provide another Arun which will be named after Mrs Winstone herself and which will be stationed at Fishguard.

Among those present at the ceremony was Superintendent Coxswain Brian Bevan of Humber, the only man to have been presented with the gold, silver and bronze medals for gallantry at the same time. It was his appearance on a television news programme at the time these awards were made that inspired Mrs Winstone to donate the money to pay for the first lifeboat, Hyman Winstone. Also at the ceremony were Coxswain William Jones of Holy head, who has himself been awarded the silver and two bronze medals, the Bishop of Sheffield, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Mrs Hattersley, and representatives of Sheffield branch.

AGM The 1981 annual general meeting of governors and the annual presentation of awards will take place at the RoyalFestival Hall, London, on Tuesday May 12, when the guest speaker at the afternoon meeting will be Lt-Cdr J. T.

Fetherston-Dilke, RN (Retd), Chief Coastguard.

St Paul's Cathedral Seven Essex lifeboatmen attended the annual national service for seafarers at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday October 22, at which the Prince of Wales, Honorary Commodore of HM Coastguard, was also present. Coxswain Frank Bloom of Walton and Frinton was the RNLI's colour bearer at the service, accompanied by Motor Mechanic James Berry and Crew Member Brian Oxley. Other members of the party were Crew Members Peter Brand and Robert Ramplin from Harwich and Crew Members Philip Sherman and David Mantripp from Clacton-on-Sea.

Fastnet storm Among awards for bravery for rescues made during the Fastnet Race of August 1979, the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air was awarded to eight Royal Navy helicopter crew members last spring: Lt Cdr John Wingate, Lt Robert Simpson, Midshipman Stephen Lapthorn, LtJeremy Gray son, Acting Petty Officer Aircrewmen Julian Grinney, Lt Albert Fox, Lt-Cdr Bernard Brock and Leading Aircrewman Richard Burnett.

In October six crew members of the French yacht Lorelei, which had herself been sailing in the Fastnet Race, were presented with 'Awards of Plate' by the British Department of Trade for the rescue of the crew of seven of the British yacht Griffin.

In the violent Fastnet storm, the crew of Griffin were forced to abandon their yacht and take to a liferaft. It took Lorelei, attracted by flares, an hour and a half to reach the liferaft, against winds gusting at over 60 knots and enormous seas. For another 40 minutes the five men and a woman on board Lorelei tried to get heaving lines on board the liferaft while their own yacht was constantly being laid over on her beam ends. Twenty minutes later Griffin's crew were safely on Lorelei, although the yacht had to ride out the storm for another nine hours before she could set sail for Plymouth.

An inscribed barometer was given to each of Lorelei's crew: Alain Catherinau, Thiery Rannou, Gerard Laurent, Jacqueline Delorge, Marc Lauras and Philippe Renault.

Men of the Year Coxswain Kenneth Voice of Shoreham Harbour, awarded the silver medal for the service toAthina B in January 1980, was one of the guests at the 'Men of the Year' luncheon, held at the Savoy Hotel, London, last November. Afterwards, in a letter, he wrote: '/ was given a most warm welcome .. .

The citation for the Athina B service followed that of The Right Honourable Lord Soames, boxer Alan Minter and Sir Alec Guinness and I cannot deny that it was a very proud moment for me ... I am pleased to say that everyone that I spoke to that day had the highest regard for those connected in any way with the RNLI.'.