THE FRESHLY PAINTED and polished 37ft 6in Rother lifeboat to be named Princess of Wales sparkled against a backdrop of gentle mountains, their tops dusted with a light covering of snow.

The low winter sun's reflection in the estuary showed a quay packed with people, a platform party ready to receive honoured guests, and a neatly dressed crew aboard the lifeboat. Everything seemed perfect and indeed everything was, now that the cold, sharp showers of the morning, which had threatened one of the RNLI's most outstanding ceremonies of 1982 - the naming of the new Barmouth lifeboat by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales - had passed.

The Prince and Princess of Wales paid a two-day visit to areas around Barmouth on November 25 and 26, one of the main engagements being the naming of the lifeboat on the first day.

The Royal couple started with a visit to Aberdovey and during the now traditional walkabout inspected the lifeboat station and met members of the crew who gave a short display with their Atlantic 21 lifeboat. While this was going on, people a few miles up the coast in Barmouth had already started to take up positions to see the Prince and Princess even though they were not due until after lunch. Weeks of planning by the station committee, divisional inspector, regional organiser and town police authorities had covered every eventuality, including rain, and even the wiping dry of some 400 seats did nothing to dampen spirits. Then, with less than an hour to go, a shaft of sunlight pierced the clouds and spread to brighten the whole town. The procession of cars arrived and the moment had come: the Prince and Princess were in Barmouth.

After formal introductions, the Princess, looking radiant even on a cold November day, was presented with a bouquet by Debbie Jones, daughter of Crew Member Victor Jones, and with a souvenir programme by Rachel Probert, daughter of Crew Member Kenneth Probert. Victoria Haworth, daughter of Dr Robert Haworth, honorary medical adviser and also a crew member, presented a souvenir programme to the Prince. The Princess delighted the girls by pausing for a few words with each of them before the ceremony began.

Lt-Cdr R. M. Richards, president of Barmouth station branch, opened the proceedings, welcoming everyone and telling the Princess: 'Your presence here today, to bestow your name on our lifeboat, proves that Barmouth is the place where all our happiest dreams have come true.' Raymond Cory, chairman of the Welsh lifeboat appeal which raised over £60,000 towards the cost of the lifeboat, handed the boat to the RNLI and Vice- Admiral Sir Peter Compston, a deputy chairman of the Institution, delivered her into the care of Barmouth station.

In accepting the lifeboat the station honorary secretary, loan Jones, in his bilingual speech, said: 'We are immensely proud of our new lifeboat and I can assure you that she will receive from the crew all the love, care and attention due to a Princess of Wales. She will be maintained by the Institution in pristine condition to serve this area for manv years to come. This does not mean, however, thai the RM.B Princess of Wales it' / be pampered. She will not be spared in any way when she is called out on a service, however onerous the conditions may be. You can be assured that Princess of Wales will not shirk to perform her allotted function at an v time.' After the service of dedication, during which the Princess showed a grasp of Welsh by joining in the hymns in both languages, Mr L. G. Williams, station branch chairman, invited her to name the lifeboat. Stepping forward, the Princess said: 'I name this lifeboat Princess of Wales.

May God bless her and all who sail in her.' She pressed the button to send the bottle of champagne crashing over the bows and was clearly thrilled with the effect. To the loud cheers of the crowd, the Prince and Princess then moved across the quay to inspect the lifeboat and her equipment. Once in the cabin with Coxswain George Jeffs they were able to relax for a few minutes and here was the chance for an informal chat and a joke from the Prince.

Stepping off the lifeboat, the Royal couple met members of the crew and signed the visitors book before being whisked away to complete their busy programme elsewhere. Within minutes, the sun, too, was gone, as though it had shone on the crowded town as some kind of blessing. Such was the excitement of the day that many people went away believing just that.—R.K..