Naval Architect dies Naval Architect Jack Tyrrell of Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland died suddenly on 29 July 1988 at the age of 83.

Jack Tyrrell was one of Ireland's most imaginative naval architects, and in 1964 won the design competition which led to the building of the three 70ft Clyde class lifeboats. Ironically the last of the Clydes was withdrawn from service a little over two weeks after his death.

Jack Tyrrell was the secretary of the Arklow lifeboat station for 26 years, from 1951 until 1977, before becoming Branch Chairman, a position which he held until his death.Committee of Management The following members were appointed or elected at a meeting of the Committee of Management held on 29 June 1988.

Appointed Life Vice President: Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Grandy GCB GCVO KBE DSO.

Professor Sir George Smart BSC MD FRCP Elected Vice President: Captain T. A. C. Keay VRD** RNR Lieutenant Commander C. S. Sandeman VRD RNVR Elected as new members: Major General M. J. H. Walsh CB DSO DL Captain Sir Miles Wingate KCVO FNI Fishy business in Mudeford The helmsman of Mudeford's C class inflatable, John Batchelor knows a thing or two about the sea, and also about its inhabitants - he is a fish merchant based near the station.

Two years ago he produced a colour booklet called 'All about fish, the healthy dish' and he donates 25p from every £1 which the booklet costs towards a local appeal for an Atlantic 21 that the station has set its heart on.

John has sold 17,000 copies of the booklet so far, and the appeal stands at £28,000.

He is due to retire at the end of 1989, and his ambition is to have the cost of an Atlantic raised by that time. 'If I can sell another 17,000 books we will have paid for our boat before it is delivered...' says John.

Anyone who wants to help him realise his ambition, help the RNLI, and enjoy the tips and recipes in the 30 full-colour pages of the booklet need only send £1, plus 20p post and packing, to J. M. Batchelor, Fresh Fish Stall, Mudeford Quay, Christchurch.

Invergordon Century Founder member of the Invergordon ladies' guild, Mrs Elizabeth Ross, celebrated her 100th birthday in June. Mrs Ross was vice president of the branch from 1934 to 1938, president from 1938 to 1952 and became its patroness in 1952, when she received a record of thanks.

Mrs Ross still shows a great interest in the activities of the guild.42nd lottery raises more than £60,000 In recognition of his long-term support for the lottery draw, Mr John Jellett of Parkstone, near Poole, Dorset was given the honour of picking the winning tickets for the 42nd RNLI lottery on 31 July.

Mr Jellett has been present at practically all the draws since the lotteries began, and has watched a succession of showbusiness and sports celebrities and VIPs pull out the winning tickets.

Unfortunately, he still did not manage to turn up his own ticket among the thousands in the drum! One of the lucky £50 winners was the mother of Becky Hester, a junior member of staff at the Poole HQ. Becky's grandmother bought the ticket and put her daughter's name on the counterfoil! Becky's grandmother lives in Eastbourne, and generously donated the money to the local branch.

The 42nd lottery raised a total of £60,547. The prizewinners were: £2,000 - Mrs Brown, Maidstone, Kent.

£1,000 - Mrs C. Silmore, Ballachurry Onchan, Isle of Man.

£500 - Mrs M. Jackson, Leicester.

£250 - D. Wallace, Weston-Super-Mare, Avon.

£100- A. Waters, Old Hatfield, Herts; Mrs Menzies, Ullapool, Scotland; Mrs J.

Taylor, Cropston, Leicester; M. Devine, Repton, Derby; H. Marshall, Harrogate, Yorkshire; Mrs E. F. Edwards, North Baddesley, Southampton; B. Carroll, Orpington, Kent; Mrs D. F. Pritchard, Sevenoaks, Kent.

£50 -1. Hunter, Belfast; S. E. Messer, Warley, West Midlands; S. Godfrey- Phillips, Sevenoaks, Kent; Miss E. M.

Clarke, Leicester; Mrs N. M. Fenton, Poole, Dorset; S. North, Mevagissey, Cornwall; Mrs J. M. Wood, Eastbourne, East Sussex; Mrs J. Sweetenham, Woolton, Isle of Wight.

Fire away...

Southend-on-Sea's lifeboat crew tackled a different kind of emergency on 2 July when they were called in to help fight a fire on Southend Pier.

The lifeboat station is at the end of the pier, and visitors watched the lifeboatmen hurl buckets of water on the flames to prevent a repeat of the 1976 disaster, when the pier was almost destroyed by fire.

The fire was believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette, and was extinguished by the time the fire brigade arrived.Lifeboat trip brings back memories Pensioner Joseph Ibbitson, now 72 and living in Hull, returned home from a Cornish holiday with unforgettable memories of a trip on the Padstow lifeboat.

The Tyne class lifeboat James Burrough took Mr Ibbitson to see rocks that wrecked his ship and almost cost him his life 49 years ago.

On 23 January 1939 Mr Ibbitson was one of the crew of the minelayer Medea which was being towed from Portsmouth to a breakers yard in South Wales.

Off the North Cornwall coast the tow parted in a NW gale and the Medea was blown towards the Camel estuary and on to the Greenaway Rocks, a reef in the mouth of the estuary.

Flares and rockets brought out the old Padstow lifeboat, The Princess Mary, but she took several big seas aboard and was unable to assist the Medea.

Mr Ibbitson and his two surviving shipmates were rescued by breeches buoy rigged by a coastguard team, and three members of that team were also aboard James Burrough to see the Greenaway Rocks again. End of an era in Holland A link with lifeboats of the past came to an end in Holland this summer when the launching horses at Ameland in the West Frisian Islands were retired. A new jet-powered lifeboat capable of four times the speed has taken over from the traditional clinker-built Adriaan de Bruine.

A team of 12 horses had been used to launch the Ameland lifeboat for 160 years, and a trust has been formed to keep the team of men and horses together and to preserve the old lifeboat.On station The following lifeboats have taken up station and relief fleet duties: OVER 10 METRES: Appledore - Tyne 47-027 (ON 1140) George Gibson on 19 June 1988.

Kirkwall - Arun 52-39 (ON 1135) Mickie Salvesen on 5 July 1988.

Barra Island - Arun 52-41 (ON 1143) Ann Lewis Fraser on 22 July 1988.

The Lizard - Tyne 47-030 (ON 1145) David Robinson on 17 August 1988.

UNDER 10 METRES: Port Isaac - D366 on 15 June 1988.

Arran (Lamlash) - C521 on 19 June 1988.

Trearddur Bay - D367 on 22 June 1988..