Lifeboat exhibition: West Mersea Primary School is a loyal supporter of the lifeboat service, having contributed more than £1,000 during the past few years. For its latest project individual children wrote to 150 lifeboat stations asking for photographs of lifeboats and crew; with each letter £1 postage was sent from school funds. So much information was forthcoming that an exhibition was mounted at Mersea Island Community Centre on July 18; more than 200 people attended the exhibition, which was opened by Lady Norton, a life vice-president of the Institution, seen (left) with two of the children.

photograph by courtesy of Essex County Newspapers.