Lifeboat car? In late September when driving from Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle, I passed a Triumph saloon car towing a caravan, the car bearing the registration RNL 1 which was condensed to read RNLI. The car also bore an RNLI flag on the windscreen and a Shoreline car badge.

The driver of the car noticed my own RNLI flag on the screen and Shoreline car badge, but as I was in a line of traffic I was unable to stop.

The car obviously belongs to a loyal supporter of the Institution, and it would be interesting to learn whose car it is and how many other RNLI supporters have noticed this cherished number plate.—DAVID J. HILL, station honorary secretary, Peel, Aeg Cronk, Peel, Isle of Man.

Lifeboat wives Five years ago I wrote a letter telling how two lifeboat crew wives had sat on the sea wall and dreamed up how they could raise money for Selsey branch.

That year our little group of wives was formed, and I think we raised our first £150, starting with attaining first prize for our float in the local carnival.

Much water has run under the bridge since then, but our group is not much larger and we feel quite triumphant that, although there are only about 18 working members, we realised our target for 1980, raising £1,500.

We still consist virtually of the same group of people. There have been one or two changes. We have acquired two little mascots, lifeboat babies, both girls, born to two of our members, and they usually accompany their mums when they help at our various functions.

We have also become quite a closely knit bunch of people, sharing troubles as well as joys among ourselves.

As secretary, I would like to say a large thank you to the RNLI staff at Poole and at Tunbridge Wells, and to our local residents for all their support and help. Last but not least, thank you fellow members for all your hard work!—JEAN WARWICK, Mrs, 47 Manor Road, Selsey, Sussex.

HMS Captain My grandfather was a young sailor on HMS Captain when she was wrecked off Finisterre in the 1870s. He was one of the few saved out of the crew of 500.

Only those of the watch just gone on deck made landfall. When I was a child my grandmother had a framed scroll depicting Captain, with photographs or etchings on it of her captain, Cowper Phipps Coles, and, I believe, Gunner May. Unfortunately this is not still in the family, and I would much like to trace a copy of it. It was not, I have ascertained, issued by the Royal Navy.

It occurred to me that as so" many lifeboatmen have a tradition of seafaring, and service with the Royal Navy, that one of them might remember hearing in his own family about the tragedy, and might even have knowledge of this scroll. If so, I should welcome any information.—EMMELINE HARDY, Mrs, Pollards, 9 Durlston Road, Swanage, Dorset.

Dinghy capsized For the past three years while visiting the coast with my young family, it has become part of the outing to look in on the local lifeboat station.

On Saturday September 6 last year, while on such a trip, we arrived at Littlestone-on-Sea in time to witness the entire launch and return of the lifeboat rescue described in the winter issue of THE LIFEBOAT. I am an ex- retained fireman and my son has acquired an unusual 'service' vocabulary and on seeing the lifeboat return successfully he cried: 'Gosh, Dad, what a shout! Persons reported and now boat secured and drill complete!' I am sure the expression in his young eyes must reflect the feelings of everyone who witnesses the lifeboat service in action. Needless to say, a subsequent visit to Dungeness station and we are now a family group member of Shoreline.—DAVID HUNTER, 133 Knights Road, Hoo, Rochester, Kent.

On September 6, Littlestone-on-Sea Atlantic 21 rescued two young boys whose dinghy had capsized, following rigging failure, in a moderate southwesterly breeze.—EDITOR.

• Lifeboat enthusiast Jeff Morris has written and printed another of his excellent station histories, this latest about Thurso lifeboats. These histories require considerable research and it is interesting to compare the early work of the Thurso lifeboats, which were called to the aid of trawlers from other ports, with that of the Redcar lifeboats, told in David Phillipson's Come Along Brave Boys which were paid for, manned by and for the aid of local coble fishermen. Thurso's lifeboats have always been provided by the RNLI but Redcar's first, Zetland, was bought in 1802 by the fishermen and is the oldest surviving lifeboat in the world. The RNLI took over Redcar station in 1858, established Thurso station in 1860 and since then both have gained distinguished records.

The Story of the Thurso Lifeboats is available, price 75p plus 25p p. and p., from Mr R. Cardosi, Central Hotel, Traill Street, Thurso, Caithness. Come Along Brave Boys is available, price £1.95 plus 40p p. and p., from David Phillipson, 43 Stanley Grove, Redcar, Cleveland TS10 3LN.—R.K..