Thousands of people attended Hoylake open day last August which had as its peak of entertainment a display by the RAF's world famous Red Arrows, seen here just as they pass over Hovlake lifeboat. Royal Marines dropped by parachute from a Hercules aircraft and after the lifeboat had launched an RAF Wessex helicopter arrived to demonstrate a winching exercise with the lifeboat crew. Crew members' wives, the ladies' guild, the Coastguard. Police and many others all helped Hoylake branch to make the day a success with about £4,000 going to the RNLI. Every one of the brochures printed for the open day was sold, bringing a profit of £500.

photograph by courtesy of Bob Bird.