Fore! Over 100 members and guests of Sundridge Park Golf Club faced real lifeboating weather when they took part in a sponsored charity tournament in April, the idea of the men's and ladies' captains of the club, Vic and Bridie Sturdee. In spite of the unfavourable weather the day raised £1,124.37 for Bromley branch, well over par for the course. Before the tournament began, professional golfer Noel Hunt gave an exhibition of trick shots and another celebrity, Pat Jennings, the Northern Ireland goalkeeper, helped the Mayor and Mayoress of Bromley present prizes at the end. Everyone was very grateful to Robin Lawrence for organising the event so efficiently.

Promised pounds Banbury branch secured promises of goods and services from many local businesses and people for their auction of promises held in the pedigree sale ring at Banbury Stockyard by kind permission of Midlands Marts Ltd. Lots included a bottle of House of Commons champagne, three hours of babysitting, a flight in a light aircraft and, one of the more smelly lots, five bags of manure which eventually sold for £3. Mr John Minshall, an auctioneer for Midland Marts Ltd gave his services free and his expertise helped to push the evening's takings to £1,100.

£10,000 in one night Cork and Crosshaven branches joined forces recently to raise a massive £10,000 at a Gala Race Night held in the Royal Cork Yacht Club, Crosshaven.

The proceeds were handed over to James Kavanagh, national organiser of the RNLI in Ireland, in January after a champagne and jazz brunch in the RCYC. Also present were Coxswain Tom McLeod and the crew of Ballycotton lifeboat who brought RNLB Hyman Winstone alongside the yacht club marina. Local RNLI supporters enjoyed the opportunity of seeing over this Arun class lifeboat and her presence added greatly to the significance of the occasion.

Drowning the shamrock Hot whiskey is the only way to celebrate St Patrick's Day, or at the Malahide yacht club, Co Dublin, it is.

The club has been host to the local lifeboat guild for the last few years for the annual celebration. The steaming spirit is a welcome sight on a cold day, particularly to those who have sailed from Howth sailing club to join in the festivities. Smoked salmon sandwiches and hot dogs are available to keep hunger at bay. The sponsors of the event are Irish Distillers, and it is very much a fun day, and a fund day too, raising £784 this year.

Records and rabbits Mrs Marjory Merry, a member of Wolverhampton branch, who recently attended her 30th consecutive branch AGM is obviously a staunch branch member. She keeps a collecting box in her home which, when it was emptied recently, was found to contain £74. Is this, she wonders, a record amount? Mrs Merry also knits rabbits which she sells for the branch funds, 2,073 in total so far, which, although there is no official record of how much has been raised, is thought to run into hundreds of pounds.

Inn the money Filey station benefited twice in one week from pubs outside North Yorkshire.

The first surprise was a visit by publicans Ron and Julia Pearson fromthe Foresters Arms at Adwich Le Street, near Doncaster. They arrived complete with a coachload of regular customers and over £100 that they had raised. The second windfall came after an invitation to the Swan Inn at Seaton near Hornsea, when the crew and committee were guests of licensee George Dearing and his wife. Mr Dearing and his helpers had organised a sponsored pram push which, with thehelp of the Filey Fisherman's Harmony Group who provided the entertainment, had raised over £1,300.

The Camber Castle public house was the setting for Dungeness branch's Irish evening in February. Over 100 people came and they were treated to the very best of Irish music by the Blarney Lads, five very talented musicians from the band of the 2nd Battalion Irish Rangers who appeared by kind permission of their bandmaster, Mr John Winterflood.

During the evening a ploughman's supper was served and a raffle held. The entire evening raised £134 for station funds. The same pub was the venue for another RNLI event, this time an invitation darts tournament sponsored by the Gillingham based construction company M. F. Tally and Associates. Sixty-four local darts players were invited to play for singles and doubles trophies and after 5Vi hours of careful aim, Alec Stec of Rye emerged as the singles champion and Dave Bourne and Dave Robertson, also of Rye, won the doubles. In the event, Dungeness lifeboat was by far the most outstanding winner with over £200 raised for the branch.

Where there's muck . . .

Chelmsford and District Young Farmers turned the normally rather antisocial task of muck spreading into a profitable exercise for the Institution.

Having been loaned a telescopic loaderby Messrs Blythe and Pawsey and seven spreaders by a local farmer, 300 tons of natural manure was loaded and spread by relays of drivers working all day. A team of 30 back-up workers kept them supplied with manure, tea and sandwiches! At the end of an exhausting day over 40 acres of Charles Green's Elam Farm had been covered and he gladly paid over the contract price for the job, £200, to the Young Farmers who then donated it to the RNLI.

Ice breakers The 19 members of the A64 Citizen's Band Breakers Club organised a Caribbean evening at the Riley Smith Hall in Tadcaster in November last year where 400 local 'breakers' got together. It was a great success with over £570 being raised. Over and above this amount, £203 had been raised at smaller events run by club members Glenda Rutherford, Janet Toes and Beryle Pinkney.

The money bought breathing apparatus for the St John Ambulance Brigade and a transceiver for use in the launching tractor at Flamborough lifeboat station.

Coxswain Bob Major and Crew Member Dave Freeman were at the Caribbean evening to receive the equipment.

Widow's mite Small though the Reigate and Redhill branch may be, their fund raising activities are certainly 'big league'. Duringthe 1985 financial year this inland branch raised £10,000 which included £2,000 collected from local schools and pubs visited by the branch chairman, Carl Seager, MBE. At a meeting of the branch held early in 1986 Mr Seager was able to tell the members that a resident of the village of Buckland had left £16,000 to the Institution in her will.

The lady in question had worked hard in domestic service and lived frugally; after her death her home was sold and the proceeds went to benefit the causes she held dear.

Marathon man Christopher Mackinnon from Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye took part in the 1985 Glasgow marathon and raised £300 in sponsorship money which he was able to present to Paul Hogarth of the Isle of Skye and Lochalsh RNLI branch.

Down to the sea again Having safely negotiated the Atlantic from Canada to Ireland in August 1985 in a 16ft inflatable boat, the first ever crossing in such a boat, Enda O'Coineen was well qualified to make the crossing from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire, once again in the same 16ft inflatable, The Kilcullen. The crossing was made to raise funds for a new inflatable lifeboat for Dun Laoghaire, and Enda was accompanied by MonicaI Lee, a trainee member of the Dun Laoghaire crew, and Kevin O'Neill, assistant harbour master. The trip took over four hours; the first few miles under the escort of Holyhead's lifeboat, and close to the Irish coast The Kilcullen was met by the D class lifeboat stationed at Dun Laoghaire. The crossing was a great success and a good fund raiser with £1,358 to show for it at the end.

All our yesterdays Wrea Green branch, Lancashire, held an evening of 'Village Memories' recently.

Old slides of the village were shown and various residents gave their reminiscences. These were interspersed with songs and poetry, and the evening ended with some rousing community singing. Displays of old photographs, a local family tree and documents relating to the village were also on show, and branch committee members were all dressed in old fashioned costumes to add colour. A supper was served by Victorian clad members of the branch and by the end of a very enjoyable evening, £430 had been raised.

Going to town To walk 110 miles from Bath to London was the target eight schoolboys from Marlborough College set themselves to raise money for the Institution.

In three days they reached their destination and were met at the Royal Thames Yacht Club, Knightsbridge by Edward Twinberrow, chairman of Chelsea and Fulham branch. The walk has raised at least £2,000 with money being pledged by individuals and major companies. Avery satisfactory result for the walkers and particularly Angus Graham who organised and planned the event.

Luck of the draw Topsurfer Ltd recently ran a competition to win a 'Spiderman Sail' autographed by record-breaking windsurfer Peter Bridgman. Details of the competition were circulated through the windsurfing press and a £1 fee to enter the competion was donated to the Institution.

Many people entered at the Wind and Surf Show in London and £100 was raised.

A lotta bottle Since he began collecting cash in giant size bottles, Brian Barnes, landlord of the Old Drum Inn, Petersfield, has accounted for £1,454 for the RNLI.

He and his wife Pam recently celebrated his 50th birthday by presenting to the local branch two further bottles-full containing a remarkable £461 between them.

Trigger happy An extremely successful clay pigeon shoot was organised by Odiham branch in April. 270 people tried their skill on an enjoyable but difficult shoot set in a wood. First prize was £75, unless you count the far greater resulting prize to the RNLI of £1,000.

Two for tea Tim (aged 8) and Anna (6), the two children of Judith Munro, Wollaton branch's hard working secretary, planned a cup of tea afternoon (Mum pouring, of course), and a raffle. Tim drew the prize winning ticket and Anna presented the prize. Then cartoon time on TV took priority which left Mum to usher out the grown-ups. The children raised £2.31 and have yet more ambitious plans for 1987.

Bon apetit Who could resist such a menu? Coxswain's steak and kidney pie, Atlantic leeks, 16ft inflatable carrots and Waveney roast potatoes, followed by self-righting mince pies and cream or Arun fruit salad and cream—all washed down with Solent coffee. This was the mouth-watering selection on offer to everyone who went to the Seaview/St Helens branch RNLI luncheon held at the Sea View Yacht Club, Isle of Wight, last December. The luncheon, together with souvenir sales, made a satisfying £216.05.

The RAC Country Club, Woodcote Park in Epsom was the setting for a splendid dinner dance to raise funds for Epsom and district branch. The evening was organised by Mr and Mrs W.

Steinwehe who have been keen supporters of the branch for many years. The dance itself raised £1,831 and a raffle added a further £1,753 to the proceeds.

Members of Old Windsor branch danced the night away to the sound of Page One band during their annual New Year dance which brought in a record £350. During the evening a cold buffet supper was served and there was a grand raffle with 25 prizes ranging from wines and spirits, chocolates and fruit, to RNLI souvenirs.

Canvey Island branch organised a supper dance on the RNLI's 162nd anniversary day, March 4. The evening also provided an opportunity to present certificates of thanks to four stalwart branch members: Terry and Gerry Burtonshaw, joint box secretaries, John Chant, treasurer and Donald Maclean, a loyal member of the committee for many years. The evening was very successful and raised £284.

Good show The Midlands Boat Show, held at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham in February was an outstanding success for the RNLI. Over £9,344 was raised during the week-long show, a 10 per cent increase on last year. £1,174 worth of lottery tickets were sold and 138 new Shoreline members were enrolled, four of them life governors and four governors. Several new Storm Force members were also joined up. During the show the Lower Birmingham Region 18 Plus Group presented a cheque for £150 to Kay Stone, Midlands area organiser, the money coming from a charity fancy dress pub crawl.

A rum due Bob Watson, who is a committee member of Gosport branch, is in the Royal Navy serving on HMS Hydra in the sick bay. He imposes a fine for every hangover cure dispensed, the proceeds going to the RNLI. His latest cheque was for £31.41; does this mean many hangovers or just a crippling fine? Reliable sources The ladies section of Horton and Port Eynon station branch organised a coffee evening, which raised a remarkable £770, and that did not include the prize draw, which made a further £280, and the souvenir stall's sales totalling £69.90.

Members of Kirkintilloch Rotaract club had a wonderful time raising £500 for the Institution. Their Christmas dance was a great success and much enjoyed by all who attended.

For the last five years Gordon Mortimer, president of the Starcross Fishing and Cruising Club, has organised anannual ball in aid of the RNLI, in which 15 clubs around the River Exe participate.

The clubs are involved in all aspects of water activities, sailing, deep sea fishing, water skiing and canoeing to name but some. The 1986 ball was held in January and as a result over £3,000 was raised, bringing the total amount made since the first ball to just over £15,000.

A la mode Adlington Hall in Cheshire was the beautiful setting for a fashion show and lunch organised by Adlington ladies' guild. The outfits were supplied by Jackarew and £500 for the RNLI resulted from this fine effort.

Teenage help Having been inspired to help the RNLI after reading the book 'All at Sea', Clare Hall-Craggs aged 13 of Brightwalton in Berkshire, organised a coffee morning in the village hall last December. Clare worked hard on the preparations and spent two days baking eleven different types of cake! With the help of her younger brother and sister and two school friends, Clare also ran a bring and buy sale and a souvenir stall. All the hard work was well rewarded as the morning made £204 for Newbury branch.

Lifeboat express Rhyl and District guild's chartered train to London in early January was full to the gunwales with boating enthusiasts travelling to the Earls Court Boat Show. Over 300 tickets for the show itself were sold during the journey from Holyhead to Euston, but there were also people wanting to visit the Model Engineer exhibition, the January sales and matinee performances of some of the West End shows. Bruce Herbert, coxswain of Rhyl lifeboat was also on board and it was he who drew the raffle and presented the prizes. It was an enjoyable day for all concerned and successful fund raising too as the RNLI had benefited to the tune of over £2,400 by the return journey's end.

Seafood delight The King's Head Pub in Diss High Street does not command a sea view but it does overlook the Mere, a large lake where a sponsored raft race is held each year by the Diss and District branch which raises over £1,000 each time it is run. The pub serves an excellent bar snack the year round called 'Lifeboat'; it consists of a long crusty roll, partly scooped out and overflowing with crab meat and prawns in a tangy mayonnaise and sitting on a sea of salad. In the words of another Norfolk son, they are 'bootiful!'.

Station support In celebration of Selsey lifeboat station's 125th anniversary Don Gaff worked hard for several months organising a lottery draw. On January 6 at the Lifeboat Inn the lottery was drawn by Miss Lindsay Nugent, a horticultural instructor for mentally handicapped adults at the Adlingbourne Country Centre. The £695 profit from the draw gave the anniversary year a flying fund raising start. January also saw a dance for members of Selsey lifeboat association, which brought in a further £430 on the night.

Poole lifeboat crew member Peter Benson squelched off at the end of the day clutching the trophy for the annual greasy pole contest, run in aid of Poole station funds. The event in which contestants have to dispose of their opponents from a slippery perch, suspended over Poole Harbour is organised each year by landlord of the Lord Nelson pub Jim Kellaway. Peter Benson actually regained the trophy having won it first in 1985. It is a highly popular event, held each year in March, and this year raised over £200.

Members of Bangor branch have raised £2,500 from a variety of events which is to go towards the City of Belfast lifeboat appeal to supply Donaghadee (Bangor's neighbour) with a new Arun class lifeboat.

Open day The P&O ferry St Clair held an open day in March when members of the public could look around the vessel which plies between Aberdeen and Shetland. Ticket sales amounted to £1,300 which was generously shared out by the company between Aberdeen and Lerwick ladies' guilds.

North country and western Norwest Hoist workers at Sellafield held a country and western evening in the Drigg Parish Hall in aid of the Institution which, together with several raffles held during the year, produced £300 for Whitehaven branch.

Close shave 'Pewsey Zixex club have long been supporters of the RNLI and have, over the years, raised thousands of pounds for the Institution. The latest fund raising venture was masterminded and carried out by vice-chairman, Dave Owen, who first grew a beard and then had half shaved off. After living with his split personality for a few days the second half disappeared too; all the embarrassment was not in vain, however, as it raised £150 in sponsorship..