Newhaven, May 27, 1986 When Mrs Esme Anderson presented the 52ft Arun class lifeboat Keith Anderson to Newhaven on the afternoon of Tuesday May 27, she wanted everyone at the ceremony to know a little about her late husband, whose name she was soon to give the lifeboat.

He was a man, she said . . .

'. . . who believed always in being helpful to others and a lifeboat could be no better illustration of such a creed.' It can only be a coincidence that Newhaven's very first lifeboat stationed there in 1852 was named Friend in Need.

Plenty of Mrs Anderson's friends had come down to Newhaven to join the friends and supporters of Newhaven lifeboat on the quayside on what was a blustery but sunny May afternoon. The station branch president, The Viscount Hampden extended a warm welcome to all the guests who were then given a description by John Caldwell, deputy divisional inspector for the south east, of the 52ft Arun class lifeboat, her equipment and her impressive capabilities.

In officially presenting the lifeboat to the RNLI, Mrs Anderson said that the occasion made her feel ten feet tall. She had a lot to be grateful for, she said, and thanked her friend Lady Milner of the Central London ladies lifeboat committee for suggesting that she might like to commemorate her husband by donatinga lifeboat. She also thanked the lifeboat crew for all that they were doing.

The Duke of Atholl, chairman of the RNLI, in accepting the lifeboat and delivering it to the care of Newhaven, assured Mrs Anderson of exactly how much everyone in the RNLI appreciated her generous gift. Mr G. W.

Sargeant, branch chairman, accepted the lifeboat with pleasure, describing her as the finest in the RNLI fleet. Since she had arrived in 1985 she had already launched 33 times on service and saved four lives.

The Vicar of Staplefield, the Reverend A. E. T. Hobbs, led the service of dedication which followed and then Mrs Anderson was invited to christenKeith Anderson. Champagne showered the foredeck, and the crew and guests gave three cheers as Mrs Anderson led the official party down to the quayside to the lifeboat where she was welcomed aboard by Coxswain Len Patten. He showed her to the upper steering position and then headed out into the harbour for a brief demonstration of the new lifeboat's prowess.—E.W-W.

Donaghadee, May 24, 1986 Donaghadee was in festive mood with yachts and fishing vessels crowding the harbour for the naming ceremony of the Arun class lifeboat City of Belfast.

The chairman of Donaghadee RNLI branch, Mr Eric Reynolds, welcomed the guests. Mr Charles Neill QBE, a Belfast harbour commissioner, then presented City of Belfast to the RNLI on behalf of the patrons of the special appeal and its many subscribers. Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet, a vice-president of the Institution, accepted the lifeboat and handed her into the care of Donaghadee station branch. Mr Bill Sherrard, honorary secretary of Donaghadee accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the station.

The Salvation Army Band and the choir of Donaghadee Primary School provided the musical accompanimentand a thousand voices joined in the service of dedication conducted by the ministers of the town. Then, amid great excitement, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman John Carson CBE, sent the champagne bottle crashing on to the lifeboat's bow and named her City of Belfast. On the deck of Ulster's newest lifeboat proudly stood her crew, including Ruth Lennon, daughter of Coxswain Willie Lennon, preserving a family tradition of lifeboat service going back four generations.

The ladies' guild of Donaghadee provided a super afternoon tea party for some 600 guests, many of whom had travelled long distances to share in this memorable occasion.

This Arun class is the first lifeboat to bear the name City of Belfast. The £390,000 lifeboat was provided by an appeal to the people and business community of Northern Ireland, which hasraised over £200,000, half the cost of the boat, with the remainder coming from RNLI headquarters. Since Donaghadee lifeboat station was established in 1910, 419 services have been carried out and 269 lives saved.—M.E.D.

Holyhead, April 26, 1986 The sun shone brilliantly on the morning of Saturday April 26 and the cool breeze fluttered the flags and bunting at the naming ceremony of Holyhead's new 47ft Tyne class lifeboat St Cybi II (Civil Service No 40). Guests of honour at the ceremony were Sir Robert Armstrong, head of the civil service, and Lady Armstrong.

At the opening of the ceremony, Nia Drinkwater, Adrienne Owen and Neil Thomson presented Lady Armstrong with a bouquet of flowers and Sir Robert and Lady Armstrong each with a commemorative programme.

The Right Honourable the Lord Stanley of Alderley, president of Holyhead lifeboat station and a member of the RNLI's committee of management, opened the proceedings and welcomed guests and visitors. The lifeboat, a gift of the Civil Service, Post Office and British Telecom fund was then delivered to the RNLI by Sir Robert Armstrong. The chairman of the RNLI, The Duke of Atholl, accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI and handed it to the care of Holyhead lifeboat station. In accepting the lifeboat, the station honorary secretary, Mr Mac Burnell, said how delighted the lifeboat crew were to have a new Tyne class and how much they appreciated having a lifeboat which could be kept in the boathouse.

A service of dedication followed, conducted by the Bishop of Bangor, The Right Reverend John Mears, assisted by the Reverend Canon HywynJones and the Reverend Henry James. In conclusion, the chairman of Holyhead lifeboat station, Dr Tudor Lloyd invited Lady Armstrong to name the lifeboat St Cybi II (Civil Service No 40). Sir Robert and Lady Armstrong and other representatives of CISPOTEL then boarded the lifeboat for a short trip around the harbour while a helicopter from RAF Valley flew overhead carrying an RNLI flag.

After the ceremony, invited guests retired to the Trinity House adjacent to the naming ceremony site where Holyhead ladies' guild and Rhosneigr branch provided guests with a superbArran, Lamlash, April 19, 1986 Sir Charles McGrigor, Bt, Convener of the Scottish Lifeboat Council and Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the RNLI, were present for the official opening of the lifeboathouse and dedication of the station's D class lifeboat.

Mrs Anne Spiers, who had provided the land for the building in memory of her husband Harold, opened the boathouse.

The cost of the building itself was met by a legacy from the late Mrs Mary Currie, in memory of the crew of the steamship Ceramic. The lifeboat has been on station since January 1984 and was paid for by an appeal run by Lamlash station branch..