Appledore, June 21, 1986: Mrs Trevor Thomas demonstrates the only way to christen an Atlantic 21. In this case it was Manchester and District No XXXII, funded by an appeal inspired by a former Lord Mayor of Manchester, Mr Trevor Thomas. The ceremony took place at Appledore Quay where Cdr Peter Gladwin, superintendent of the RNLI Cowes base where the lifeboat was fitted out, accepted the lifeboat from the ex-Lord Mayor and handed her into the care of station honorary secretary Dave Garrett. Afterwards Mr Thomas and his wife went afloat in the new Atlantic 21 while a helicopter from RAF Chivenor flew the RNLI flag overhead. An unusual bonus from the day came when guests at a nearby wedding reception spotted the display and the newlyweds decided to pass the hat around and took the £30 proceeds down to the beach where it was collected by the crew and civic guests aboard the lifeboat..