FOR LIFEBOAT PEOPLE 1982 was a very full year. The Institution's lifeboats were called out more than 3,000 times and the number of lives rescued was the highest in the past seven years: 1,244.

These figures are provisional as more service returns have still to be added.

Fund raising reached new heights and £16 million was raised during the year.

It seems that a slightly increased surplus was achieved but this must be balanced anainst future commitments such as the building programme of the new 47ft Tyne class lifeboats which, at current prices, cost £430,000 each.

Thanks from Danish Prince Last January HRH Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark made private visits to the lifeboat stations at Barra and Islay to present plaques to crews in recognition of their efforts in 1979 to rescue the crew of the Danish ship Lone Dania. Both lifeboats, a 52ft Barnett and 50ft Thames, were capsized by huge seas in winds gusting up to hurricane force; both righted successfully without any serious injuries to the crew and returned safely to station. Return to Mablethorpe When HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visited Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea on February 4 to examine the coastal defences it was a renewal of an acquaintance which had begun when he had come to these resorts with Her Majesty The Queen a few days after the East Coast floods of 1953. While at Mablethorpe this February His Royal Highness called briefly at the lifeboat station where he met branch officials and members of the crew.

Twentieth anniversary The opening of this year's summer season marks the twentieth anniversary of the introduction in 1963 of the D class inflatable lifeboat, the first of the fast, modern lifeboats under 10 metres in length to enter the RNLI fleet.

During the summer months of 1963, starting in May, D class inflatables were placed at Aberystwyth. Gorleston.

Redcar, Wells, Mudeford. Southwold, West Mersea and Whitstable, and a new page had been turned in the history of lifesaving at sea. These little lifeboats, the smallest in the Institution's fleet, can be launched quickly off the beach and are particularly fitted to respond to 'holiday incidents'; their numbers grew fast and in summertime there are now 92 of them on station round the coast, doing excellent work— of these, 25 remain on station all the year round. Since 1963 lifeboats under 10 metres, including the Atlantic 21 rigid inflatables, the 18ft 6in McLachlans. the D class inflatables and the Dell Quay Dories, have launched on service more than 26.000 times and have rescued nearly 12,0(K) people.

Inspector's lifeboat Girvan's new 33ft Brede class lifeboat has been provided by a legacy from Mrs Elizabeth Vaux in memory of her husband Cdr Philip Vaux, DSC RN, who served as chief inspector of the RNLI from 1939-1951; the legacy is also in memory of their son Lt-Cdr M. P.

Vaux. DSC RN. Present and past lifeboat inspectors were invited to make donations to provide a piece of equipment for the lifeboat and have funded the compass, also paying for its fitting and first adjustment.

Three great supporters The winter months have unhappily seen the death of three men who, between them, have given very many years of much valued service to the Institution as members of the Committee of Management.

Captain the Hon V. M. Wyndham- Quin, RN, who died on February 27, joined the Committee of Management in 1939 and served on it for 44 years, right up to the time of his death at the age of 92. He was deputy chairman of the Committee of Management from 1956 to 1964 and chairman from 1964 to 1968. Captain Wyndham-Quin, who was elected a vice-president in 1956, served at one time or another on all the standing committees and was chairman of the Operations Committee from 1954 to 1964. His daughter, Pamela, Lady Egremont, is President of the Ladies' Lifeboat Guild.

Captain Valentine Wyndham-Quin served at sea in the Royal Navy in both the first and second world wars and was four times mentioned in despatches; from 1944 to 1947 he was naval attache at Buenos Aires. After joining the RNLI's Committee of Management, Captain Wyndham-Quin always took great interest in the well-being of crew members; he made it his personal concern to find out about their problems at first hand and frequently took passage in lifeboats on delivery trips round different parts of the coast.

Towards the end of 1982, on December 3, the death occured of Rear- Admiral K. St B. Collins. Rear-Admiral Collins joined the Committee of Management in 1955 and served until 1960, ex-officio as Hydrographer of the Navy.

He rejoined the Committee of Management in 1964 as a co-opted member and continued until his resignation in 1972. He served on several of the RNLI standing committees and was at one time chairman of the General Purposes and Publicity Committee.

Also at the end of last year, on December 23, the death occurred of Commodore J. G. Young, RNR. Commodore Young was co-opted to the Committee of Management in 1978 and was a serving member. He was currently a member of the Executive and the Finance Committees.

Penlee investigation The Department of Trade's formal investigation into the loss of the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne and MV Union Star began in Penzance on March 14. A report on the investigation will be given in the next issue of THE LIFEBOAT, in the summer.

New Year Honours Among the awards announced in the New Year Honours list were: QBE Donald George Eric Kent, General Manager, Blyth Harbour Commission.

Mr Kent has been chairman of Blyth station branch since 1969, after serving on the committee from the early 1960s.

MBE Denis William Lupton Leslie, chairman, Penlee station branch. Dr Leslie has been a member of Penlee station branch committee and also honorary medical adviser since 1950; he became vice-chairman in 1969 and chairman in 1973. Dr Leslie was awarded the RNLI's silver badge in 1972 and the gold badge in 1982.

Mrs Marion Trewhella Richards Pearce. For service to the community of St Ives. Among her services to the community Mrs Pearce was honorary secretary of St Ives ladies' lifeboat guild from 1932 to 1937 and again from 1945 until 1967 when she became chairman.

Mrs Pearce was awarded the RNLI's gold badge in 1958 and a bar to the gold badge in 1970; she became an honorary life governor of the Institution in 1982.

Loyal friends The Civil Service and Post Office Lifeboat Fund, the RNLI's oldest and most loyal contributor, raised a splendid £124,867 for the lifeboats in 1982; and it is not the first time it has reached, and passed, £100,000.

The Fund came into being as long ago as 1866. In the intervening years it has provided no less than 41 lifeboats ranging from pulling and sailing boats in the early days to the 70ft Clyde Charles H.

Barrett (Civil Service No 35), which was provided in the Fund's hundredth anniversary year, 1966. In addition to the original cost of the lifeboats, the Fund contributes towards their maintenance and towards the rewards to their crews. The latest Civil Service lifeboat is stationed at Portrush; she is a 52ft Arun named after Richard Evans, former coxswain of Moelfre lifeboat, who was twice awarded the gold medal for gallantry.

Variety Club On December 9, 1982, HRH The Duke of Kent, President of the RNLI, attended a lunch given by the Variety Club of Great Britain and received a cheque for £6,000. The Variety Club, which always supports children with its charitable activities, has for a number of years contributed to the RNLI's fund for children of lifeboatmen lost on service. In his speech the Duke thanked the Variety Club who, in spite of their lighthearted approach, took the task of helping others very seriously.

Your journal THE LIFEBOAT is the oldest house journal in Britain, having been established in 1852 when the cover price was a penny-halfpenny. It has been in continual production ever since and now has a circulation of over 100,000. Your journal brings you news of all aspects of the lifeboat service and also carries souvenir and Christmas card brochures, lottery tickets and special notices. By careful management, increases in the production costs of the journal have been kept to a minimum, but postage charges have increased considerably.

The subscription is therefore being raised to £3 a year. This is a commercial rate designed to make a profit and the actual costs of producing and distributing the journal of Shoreline members, branches, guilds and stations are lower.

The cover price of the journal is also being increased, to 30p, again to make profit on individual sales. Meanwhile, the traditional standards will be maintained and we hope you will continue to enjoy THE LIFEBOAT.

Postcode change The post code of the RNLI's Scottish office has been changed. The full address is now 26 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, EH1 2RL. Telephone number: 031-229 2206..