Rosslare Harbour ROSSLARE HARBOUR in County Wexford is, according to the tourist brochures, the heart of the Sunny South East.

Unfortunately, on Friday June 28,1985, it failed to live up to its name. With the naming ceremony of the 52ft Arun class lifeboat, due to start at 2 pm, the soft Irish rain turned into a downpour half an hour before the ceremony was due to start. In view of the weather conditions the large crowd of guests and onlookers was most pleasing to see.

Before the arrival of the official guests, musical entertainment was provided by the Loc Garman Brass Band and this, combined with the colourful bunting and summer dresses of the ladies present, kept the mood buoyant and jolly.

The guest of honour Mrs Patricia Mitchell, on arriving with her husband Mr Jim Mitchell, TD, Minister for Communications, was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Margaret Wickham, daughter of the lifeboat's mechanic Matt Wickham.

The chairman of the branch, Mr Cecil Miller, opened the proceedings by welcoming the guests and well-wishers to Rosslare Harbour. He then called on Mr Jim Mitchell officially to open the new mooring pen of the lifeboat. The pen was constructed with the aid of a grant from the Irish Government, for the shore facilities of the RNLI in Ireland. In his remarks Mr Mitchell said: 'Nice words are always spoken on occasions like this. Bui nice words are sometimes platitudes devoid of relevance.

Yet no words can express adequately the value of the work carried out by the lifeboat service in Ireland and the UK.' Mr Clayton Love Jnr, a vice-president of the RNLI, then came forward to deliver the lifeboat to the care of the branch. Mr Bryan Miller, honorary secretary of Rosslare Harbour branch,accepted the lifeboat with grateful thanks.

The Right Reverend Noel Willoughby, Bishop of Cashel, Ossory and Ferns, and the Most Reverend Brendan Comiskey, Bishop of Ferns, conducted the service of dedication and blessing ceremony. The Wexford Male Voice Choir joined the Loc Garman Band to lead the singing of the hymns.

Prior to asking Mrs Mitchell to name the lifeboat, a vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs Mona McCormack, chairperson of the Rosslare Harbour ladies guild, and wife of the second coxswain.

Mrs Mitchell then spoke the time honoured words: 7 name this lifeboat St Brendan, God bless her and all who sail in her.' With the champagne bottle broken, St Brendan slipped her moorings to loud cheers, a triumphant fanfare and a salute from the B&I car ferry Innisfalien.

The official guests were invited on board the St Brendan by Coxswain WilfStafford, who even e an opportunity Arun class lifeboat enjoyed.

The ladies' guild Rosslare Harbour tea, which quickly hundred dampened allowed Mrs Mitchto drive the 485 HP :—a task she greatly from Wexford and provided afternoon revived the many guests.—j.o'c.

The Mumbles SUMMER CAME to South Wales on Wednesday, July 3, 1985, as though it had been specially ordered for the naming ceremony of the new Mumbles lifeboat, Ethel Anne Measures. The superb weather enhanced the celebrations which brought together the RNLI's President, The Duke of Kent, the trustees of a Birmingham charitable trust, fund raisers from the Midlands and West Glamorgan, lifeboatmen from Wales and Devon and two lifeboats from The Mumbles—the brand new Tyne and the station's former Watson class lifeboat, William Gammon—Manchester and District XXX, now an exhibit of the Swansea Maritime Museum and moored afloat in the docks where the ceremony took place.

The Ethel Anne Measures was partly funded by a generous donation from the J. F. & E. A. Measures Trust and was named in memory of Mrs Measures, who was born in the Mumbles but left the area to live in Birmingham before the First World War. An appeal was launched in West Glamorgan to help meet the balance and raised £180,000 and this was further enhanced by appeals by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and BBC Birmingham's Pebble Mill Appeal. The cost of the alterations to the boathouse and slipway were met by part of a legacy from Mrs Marie Schultz, who was a great supporter of the RNLI's Birmingham branch.

So fund raisers from the heart of the country met those from a coastal county and all were warmly thanked by Councillor T. J. Jones, chairman of The Mumbles Lifeboat Appeal, who handed over the lifeboat to the Duke of Atholl,chairman of the RNLI. The Duke not only presented the lifeboat to the station but also a vellum certificate to mark its 150th anniversary. Captain Ken Carstens, station honorary secretary, in accepting the lifeboat noted that 100 years ago the lifeboat, Wolverhampton, when stationed at The Mumbles, cost £363. In contrast the new Tyne lifeboat cost £430,000.

Following a service of dedication, which was conducted by The Right Reverend B. N. Y. Vaughan, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, came the moment for which the crowds, crammed against the barriers and the cameramen on the upper deck of a lightship in the dock,were waiting. The Duke of Kent thanked the station for the warm welcome and said that it encapsulated all aspects of the RNLI. He outlined the bravery record of the crews (including the present coxswain, Derek Scott) the Mumbles lifeboat disasters of 1883, 1903 and 1947 and the station's excellent reputation for fund raising and welcoming visitors. Stepping forward, he named the new lifeboat and pressed the button which sent a bottle of champagne crashing over her bows. The Duke then inspected the lifeboat and met lifeboat-men from present and former crews.

After a brief chat with the fund raisers, he left for another engagement having opened a new chapter in the long history of the station.—R.K.

Calshot ON WHAT WAS to turn out to be a fairly typical summer's day for 1985, the new Calshot lifeboat was named. Rain reigned supreme in the surrounding countryside, but fortunately Calshot escaped with just one short shower during the mid morning of Friday July 5, but by 2.30 pm the weather had cleared with only a slight south westerly breeze blowing.

The 33ft Brede class lifeboat, Safeway, was funded by Safeway Foodstores Ltd, whose supermarkets around the country had organised a whole host of fund raising events, in which customers and staff alike had taken part. The lifeboat was to have been named by Mrs Frances Spratt, wife of the chairman and managing director of Safeways.

Sadly, due to illness, Mrs Spratt was unable to attend the ceremony, but her eldest daughter, Mrs Janis Wood, kindly took her place. It was to Mrs Wood that Susan Stole, daughter of Calshot and District branch joint souvenir secretaries, presented a bouquet.

Maldwin Drummond DL JP, a vicepresident of the RNLI and also Calshot and District branch president, opened the proceedings by introducing Alderman G. Ranger, Mayor and Admiral of the Port of Southampton, who gave the welcoming address.

Michael Pennell, divisional inspector of lifeboats for the south east, then described the lifeboat before Mr Terry Spratt, chairman of Safeways, formally handed Safeway into the care of the RNLI. She was accepted on behalf of the Institution by Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Compston, a vice-president of the RNLI who, in turn, handed the lifeboat into the care of Calshot lifeboat station.

Lt Cdr G. J. Watkins, RNR, honorary secretary of the station, expressed thestation's thanks to Safeways for providing their new lifeboat, as he accepted her on behalf of the crew and station officials.

A short service of dedication was then conducted by the Reverend C.

Rich, Rector of the Parish of Fawley with music provided by the Royal Navy Volunteer Band from HMS Collingwood, Fareham, under the direction of Lt Cdr P. Mills RN. After the service, Air Vice Marshal D. C. McKinley, CB CBE DFC AFC RAF (Ret'd), chairman of Calshot branch, proposed a vote of thanks.

Mr Maldwin Drummond then invited Mrs Spratt to name the lifeboat, which she duly did, and champagne showered over Safeway's bow. The platform party were then given a trip in the lifeboat to draw the afternoon's ceremony to a close. - S.J.G.

Relief Brede THE 33ft Brede is a sprightly lifeboat and the twelfth of her kind to be built, soon to be named Amateur Swimming Associations, bobbed in a lively dance beside the quay of the RNLI's Poole depot, waiting like a two-year-old filly for the off. It was the blustery afternoon of Wednesday July 17, 1985 and bunting aboard the well groomed lifeboat flipphotgraph ped and flapped vigorously as the rich sound of brass music (kindly provided by the Ensemble from St Michael's Church of England Middle School, Colehill) added pomp to the occasion.

For a few years the Amateur Swimming Associations of England, Wales and Scotland have, through sponsored swimming events, been raising funds for the RNLI. This day was the culmination of their efforts when Mrs Pat Garforth, wife of the president of the Amateur Swimming Association was to name the lifeboat they had paid for.

Lt Cdr Brian Miles, deputy director of the RNLI, welcomed guests from the world of swimming to the ceremony and then invited Mr John Perry, chairman of the Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain, officially to hand the lifeboat over.

This Mr Perry did, to Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Compston, a vice-president of the RNLI. Admiral Compston was delighted with the gift, commenting that it was the second lifeboat he had received in a month, following his attendance at the Calshot naming ceremony on July 5. He warmly thanked all swimmers for their contribution towards the lifeboat and pointed out that Mr Norman Crumbie, an honorary life governor of the Institu-tion, had been a driving force behind the swimmers' appeal.

The lifeboat, which is to be used in the relief fleet of the RNLI, standing in at stations all round the country when their boat is away on survey, was handed by the Admiral into the care of the chief of operations, Cdr Bruce Cairns. He proceeded to describe Brede class lifeboats and to explain their considerable capabilities and the future role of Amateur Swimming Associations.

The assembled company then stood to sing the opening hymn to the traditional service of dedication which was led by The Reverend Canon John Potter, Rector and Rural Dean of Poole. After the final blessing, Mrs Garforth ceremoniously named the lifeboat with the customary flourish of champagne.

Almost as customary has become the spectacular fly-past by (on this occasion) a Royal Navy helicopter streaming the RNLI flag at the end of the winch wire.

All the dignitaries then hopped aboard Amateur Swimming Associations, her crew cast off, and the lifeboat was put through her paces to the admiration of those who had helped to finance her. - E.W-W.Rye Harbour The handing over and opening of Rye Harbour's new lifeboathouse took place on Saturday July 6, 1985. The building costs were raised by Rye, Winchelsea and District branch with donations coming from many individuals, companies and organisations in the area. Dr G.

Hale, a life vice-president of the RNLI, officially accepted the lifeboathouse from Commander C. H. Marsh, chairman of the branch, and placed it in the care of the station committee. Mrs Mary Lestocq, widow of former station honorary secretary, Humphrey Lestocq, unveiled the donor's plaque.

Flint Saturday August 3, 1985, saw the opening of the new lifeboathouse at Flint. The Rt. Hon. The Lord Stanley of Alderley, a member of the RNLI committee of management, was present to declare the boathouse open and to hand the keys over to Mr Gary Jones, station honorary secretary. Lord Stanley also thanked the station and crew for having raised the money locally and expressed gratitude to all the local businesses who contributed in kind towards the building of the boathouse.

A short service of dedication followed the opening ceremony.

On station THE FOLLOWING lifeboats have taken up station duties: The Mumbles: 47ft Tyne class lifeboat ON 1096 (47-005), Ethel Ann Measures, July 31.

Beaumaris: Atlantic 21 class lifeboat B563, Blue Peter II, August 5.

Newhaven: 52ft Arun class lifeboat ON 1106 (52-32), Keith Anderson, August 9.

Troon: 44ft Waveney class lifeboat ON 1029 (44-011), Augustine Courtauld, August 25..