Naming and Dedication AT ST MARY'S, ISLES OF SCILLY, SHOREHAM HARBOUR AND FISHGUARD St Mary's, Isles of Scilly THE ISLES OF scii.i.v's new 52ft Arun class lifeboat, donated by Mrs Esme Edgar and her son, Mr Anthony Edgar, was named Robert Edgar by Mrs Edgar in memory of her late husband at a very quiet ceremony at Poole on June 15, 1981.

The formal handing over ceremony and dedication service were held on St Mary's Quay, Isles of Scilly, on Tuesday September 15 in the presence of HRH The Duchess of Kent, who was presented on her arrival with a bouquet by Armorel Duncan, daughter of Crew Member Roy Duncan, and a souvenir programme by Philip Woodcock, son of Shore Helper Peter Woodcock.

The weather was fine and the setting ideal with the islands' launches crammed with visitors extending the ring of spectators from the quay seating enclosures out to both sides of Robert Edgar, moored facing the quay and platform.

The president of the station, Mr W. C. T. Mumford, welcomed Her Royal Highness and everyone to the ceremony and then the lifeboat was handed over to the Institution by Mr Edgar. He said how sorry his mother was not to be there and spoke of their joint pride and pleasure in presenting the lifeboat in memory of his father.

In accepting Robert Edgar on behalf of the Institution Lt-Cdr J. D. Tetley, a vice-president of the RNLI, referred to 'the extraordinary generosity of the Edgar family', and to 'our unbelievable luck in having Your Royal Highness with us on this happy occasion', adding, 'Who better than Coxswain Matt Lethbridge, with his family's legendary lifeboat traditions, to command this lifeboat?'.

Robert Edgar was accepted into the care of the station by Captain T. A.

Buckley and the service of dedication which followed was conducted by the Reverend Donald N. Heap, Superintendent Methodist Minister, assisted by the Reverend J. Trevor McCabe, chaplain of the Isles, and the Reverend George Waddington, honorary chaplain RNLI and formerly chaplain to St Mary's lifeboat crew.

In her address the Duchess of Kent said how much she had enjoyed her August holiday in St Mary's, and how she had jumped at the opportunity of returning for today's special occasion when she had heard about it from Coxswain Matt Lethbridge and his crew during a trip on their lifeboat. Her Royal Highness said her husband, President of the RNLI, was sorry he could not be present and that he and the Institution were particularly grateful to Mrs Edgar and Mr Anthony Edgar for the gift of the lifeboat. She then spoke of her admiration for the St Mary's and all lifeboat crews, for their courageous and dedicated service, not forgetting the devoted support and encouragement of their families and the essential fund-raising carried out by all branches and guilds.

The station chairman, Mr Rodney Ward, called for three cheers for Her Royal Highness and then for Robert Edgar and her crew. Before leaving the quay the Duchess of Kent went to congratulate Mrs Julia Mackenzie and her Isle of Scilly School Wind Band on their excellent performance. The lifeboat came alongside to take the distinguished guests for a short trip and then she was opened to inspection by the public.—P.D.S.

Shoreham Harbour THE POPULARITY of HRH Princess Alexandra and the dedication of Shoreham people to their lifeboat were made very clear on the morning of Friday October 16, 1981, when a large crowd arrived at the waterfront to witness the naming of The Davys Family, Shoreham Harbour's new 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat.

The hum of activity and the flags, decorations and ladies hats created an oasis of warmth and colour amid the austere surroundings of Shoreham Harbour on this bright but cold October day.

On her way to the boathouse Princess Alexandra stopped to speak to some of the Brownies who lined her route from the road and among the many people presented to Her Royal Highness on her arrival was Mrs A. Mason, donor of the new lifeboat. Following the presentations the chairman of the station branch, Mr A. G. T. Davies, addressed the assembly from the dais, welcoming everyone to the ceremony, especially those who had travelled a long way including some lifeboat crew members from Boulogne. He pointed out that it had been Princess Alexandra's mother, Princess Marina, who had named Shoreham's previous lifeboat, Dorothy and Philip Constant, in 1963 and her uncle, the then Prince George, who in 1933 had named the station's boat before that, and he thanked Princess Alexandra for coming to perpetuate the tradition.

Mrs Mason expressed her pleasure in presenting her gift to the RNLI and Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Compston, a deputy chairman of the Institution, gratefully accepted the lifeboat and delivered her into the care of Shoreham Harbour branch saying, 'She could not be in better hands'. In accepting The Davys Family Mr R. Curtis, the station's honorary secretary, said that although Shoreham now had a new coxswain in Ken Everard, a new honorary secretary in himself and a new lifeboat, they would continue to carry out the good work of their predecessors.The service of dedication which followed was conducted by the Venerable K. Hobbs, Archdeacon of Chichester, assisted by the Reverend Canon E. Gillies, Rural Dean of Hove, the Reverend K. Grace, Priest in Charge, Kingston Buci, and the Reverend J. Sinton, Missions to Seamen chaplain in the Port of Shoreham. Brighton Congress Hall Salvation Army Band provided stirring music throughout.

Once the service was over Princess Alexandra was invited to name the lifeboat; before she did so she mentioned the admiration in which she held not only the lifeboat crews and their wives and families but also the people who worked for the guilds and branches around the country. She was sure that Mrs Mason would be proud of the work of her lifeboat and her crew. She then gave the lifeboat her name The Davys Family and loud applause and cheers sprang up as the champagne bottle crashed down on to the foredeck of the lifeboat.

The Royal party's next invitation was to board the lifeboat which was ready to launch at the top of the slipway. With Princess Alexandra waving to the crowd from the wheelhouse, the pin was knocked out and the lifeboat launched into the harbour where both the Princess and Mrs Mason were shown the new boat's capabilities. The party then disembarked at Sussex Yacht Club where a buffet lunch was provided and where members of local guilds were presented to the Princess.—E.W.-W.

Fishguard IF HRH THE DUKE OF KENT and Mrs Marie Winstone, donor of Arun 52-19, were to remember only two things about the naming of Fishguard's new lifeboat on Tuesday October 27, 1981, they would surely be the music and the friendliness they encountered in that corner of Dyfed. The occasion was not so much a ceremony, more a festival with flags and bunting festooning practically every static object within sight of the areakindly set aside by British Rail for the crowd to forgather.

Dr P. J. Croxford, chairman of Fishguard lifeboat station, in his opening remarks referred to the RNLI as a 'great family' and welcomed its head, the Duke of Kent. He also mentioned how delighted Fishguard was to meet 'the legendary lady', Mrs Winstone, and pointed out that anchored in the bay was not only the lifeboat to be named that day, but another visitor, the Holyhead lifeboat Hyman Winstone, which was also a gift from Mrs Winstone.

Mrs Winstone then rose to say how much she had been looking forward to this day and thanked everyone who had contributed to the special occasion. The RNLFs chairman, the Duke of Atholl, receiving the lifeboat, thanked Mrs Winstone for yet another boat, pointing out that her two gifts guard both corners of Wales. He then handed the lifeboat into the care of Fishguard station branch and its honorary secretary, Mr D. R. E. Williams. Mr Williams's lyrical speech of acceptance was sometimes closer to poetry than prose; passages of Welsh punctuated his address which covered Fishguard's station's notable history and the possible reasons why a lifeboatman puts to sea. ' you ask these men "Why? Why do you do it: Why do you risk yourselves?" they say: "It's a job that needs doing", and I say as their very proud secretary: It's a job they do well. Perhaps you will forgive me if I take this opportunity of saying to Coxswain Hughes and his crew, thank you. We appreciate you'.

The service of dedication which followed was conducted by the Very Reverend Lawrence Bowen, Dean of St David's, assisted by the Reverend Canon Lynn Griffiths, Vicar of Goodwick, the Reverend Father J. Jackson and the Reverend Emlyn Jones. The girls of the Mary Immaculate Band from Haverfordwest performed perfectly and Fishguard School Choir sang as continued on page 26.