Poole HQ and Depot JULY 19 TO 21 FOR THREE DAYS IN JULY, the Poole head office and depot buildings opened their doors wide to show RNLI supporters and the public at large exactly how the lifeboat service is run. This was the second time open days have been organised and, just as on the first occasion, people descended in coachloads and carloads to take up the invitation to examine the lifeboat service at close quarters.

Visitors came from far and wide to be guided round the operational, appeals and design offices, to gaze at the fundraising stores, to see the depot with itsworkshop and lifeboat spare parts and to witness the lifeboat demonstrations on the depot quay. There was the launch and recovery of an Atlantic 21 lifeboat to be watched and Poole's 33ft Brede class lifeboat, Inner Wheel, with a Royal Navy helicopter from Lee-on- Solent gave an impressive exhibition of winching. It must be the first time that every class of lifeboat still in production for the RNLI has been on public displayin one place. Apart from the Atlantic 21 and Brede, there was the 52ft Arun Hyman Winstone on show together with the 47ft Tyne class Sam and Joan Woods and a 16ft D class inflatable lifeboat.

The crowds at the depot quay, presented an ideal opportunity to stage the naming ceremony of the Brede class Foresters Future (see report on page 86) and over the period three cheques were officially presented from Fred Olsen Travel, Salcombe station branch and the grocery chain Wavy Line.

At the end it was felt that all visitors got something out of open days. The lifeboat enthusiasts could study their favourite subject in detail; the voluntary fund raisers and supporters were able to see that head office had a human face and that money was being spent to good effect; and the general public, even a party of French students to whom the finer points of the rescue records departments might still remain a little mysterious, could appreciate that the RNLI is a far reaching and efficient rescue service.-E. w-w..