FOR THE PAST YEAR members of the staff of HM Prison Dartmoor and a number of the inmates have combined in a voluntary stamp scheme to help the RNLI. Used British and foreign postage stamps have been collected, sorted, graded, made up into packets, priced and then made available, through the South West Regional Office, to branches and guilds for selling at fundraising events. The joint founders of the scheme were Senior Officer Les Blakeand John Maclaren, and they have been helped by the hard work of many other volunteers.

One of the people who gave the Dartmoor stamp scheme unstinted support was the late Captain C. C. Lowry, RN, the past chairman of Appledore station branch. On one visit to Dartmoor he had suggested that a collection might be made of all the stamps of the world issued to honour lifeboats.

Senior Officer Blake and John Maclaren took up the challenge with enthusiasm.

After a long search through catalogues they identified the stamps and, helped by a number of individuals as well as by overseas Embassies and lifeboat societies, they finally achieved a complete collection. The stamps were mounted in a glass topped table, made by Dartmoor's hobbies department under the direction of Assistant Governor Richard Yeomans and Auxiliary Officer Ian Bickle, and, in memory of Captain Lowry, the table was then presented to the RNLI, together with a magnificent cheque for £1,250. The display table, seen below, was received on behalf of the Institution by Captain A. G. McCrum, RN, a member of the Committee of Management, and it now has an honoured place at the headquarters in Poole.ONE OF THE RNLI'S most long-standing and dedicated helpers in the work of collecting, sorting, grading and disposing of used postage stamps is Mr B. Smale, honorary organiser of the RNLI stamp appeal. Mr Smale, who over the years has raised many thousands of pounds for the lifeboat service by his untiring efforts and who also gives his support to the Dartmoor stamp scheme, is always happy to receive whatever used stamps lifeboat people are able to send him. He has recently moved away from Okehampton, so stamps should now be sent to: Mr B. Smale, honorary organiser RNLI stamp appeal, 69 The Grove, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcester DY13 9ND. {historic content only - please do not send to this address. Used stamps can be sent to RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ}

They will be put to very good use.

Pilgrim Covers of Canterbury, Philatelic Agents to the RNLI, have been producing covers and special handstamps to commemorate naming ceremonies and other outstanding lifeboat events for so many years that they have an impressive historic record in stamps.

Any collector wishing to complete his or her set can obtain a list of what is available by sending a stamped addressed envelope to Pilgrim Covers Ltd, 33 St George's Place, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2XX..