Newspoint Top of the bill The November announcement by the Charities Aid Foundation that the RNLI was number one in the 1987 charities' 'top ten' is fitting recognition of the hard work put in by fund raisers throughout the country, and of the generosity of the Institution's supporters and benefactors.

However, the Charities Aid Foundation's top ten position reflects only the money raised during the year, while what really counts is simply whether that money was sufficient to carry out the job the RNLI is required to do.

The cost of the service during 1987 was high, as it was in 1988 and will be in the future while the Institution presses ahead with its expensive, and very necessary, fast lifeboat programme. All our fund raising efforts have been geared to that need.

Thanks to everyone's efforts the RNLI did have enough to meet its needs for 1987, and for 1988 - but that need is a recurring one, and 1989 brings the same pressures to run the existing service and provide for an efficient one in the future.

The efforts of the RNLI's fund raisers are deserving of the recognition, but comparisons with other charities can be invidious. Although the RNLI can take pride in its obvious high standing in the public eye it is the job in hand which counts, and the funds to carry it out.The Institution's 1989 AGM The 1989 annual meetings of the RNLI will be held on Tuesday, May 16 at the South Bank, London.

The governors' annual general meeting will take place in the Queen Elizabeth Hall at 1130, and the annual presentation of awards to lifeboatmen and honorary workers will be held at 1430 in the Royal Festival Hall.

All governors of the RNLI should find an application form for both meetings enclosed with this issue of THE LIFEBOAT.

Should any governor who wishes to attend the meetings not receive a form please write to The Director, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.

There is no need to return the form if you will not be attending the meeting or do not wish to receive the annual report and accounts.

Branches and guilds will receive details of how to apply for tickets to the presentation of awards from their regional offices, and other supporters who wish to attend the presentation should write to The Director at the above address.

Duke of Northumberland The Treasurer of the RNLI, Lord Hugh Algernon Percy KG GCVO PC TD FRS, the 10th Duke of Northumberland died at his London home on Tuesday 11 November at the age of 74.

Memorial services were held at Westminster Abbey on 18 November and at the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, Newcastle upon Tyne, and St Michael's Church, Alnwick on 22 November.

The Duke had been Treasurer of the Institution since 1953, having first been coopted on to the Committee of Management in 1949 and becoming Vice President in 1953.

Dukes of Northumberland have played an important role in the Institution's affairs for more than 130 years, Algernon, the Fourth Duke, was the Institution's second President from 1852 to 1865, Algernon George, the Sixth Duke, was the third president from 1866 to 1899 and Henry George, the Seventh Duke, the fifth President from 1911 to 1918.

The Eighth Duke, Alan, was a member of the Committee of Management and a Vice President.

Top honours for crews Lifeboat crews took two top awards at the annual Silk Cut Nautical Awards when the winners were announced at the Dorchester Hotel, London on 24 November 1988.

The national Rescue Award went to the crew of the Dover lifeboat for the Silver Medal service to the cargo vessel Sumnia in the October 1987 hurricane, and the Seamanship Award was presented to the coxswain and helmsman of Whitby's two lifeboats, Peter Thomson and Nicholas Botham, for their Bronze Medal services to a yacht on 9 April 1988.

The helmsmen of Blackpool's two Dclass inflatables were also on the short-list for the Seamanship Award.

On show in Bristol The Daily Express West of England Boat Show at Bristol in March 1989 has provided the RNLI with space afloat and ashore.

The organisers, who include Vice Admiral Sir Robert Gerken, president of the Plymouth station, and Fred Jackson, a member of the Plymouth lifeboat crew, have invited all lifeboat crew members to visit the show - with free entry on proof of identity.Ferry plans tested Dover's 50ft Thames class lifeboat Rotary Service and the latest Mersey class fast carriage boat, which was undergoing station evaluation trials at Dungeness, took part in major Anglo-French evacuation exercise on 4 October 1988.

The exercise, Manchex '88, involved the practice evacuation of 300 people - French servicemen and British police officers -from the French cross-Channel ferry Champs Elysees, which was in the inshore traffic zone off Calais.

Coastguard, helicopters, a hovercraft, police, fire, ambulance personnel and local authorities were involved in the evacuation, which, although based on existing emergency maritime emergency procedures, tested new post-Zeebrugge disaster plans for the first time in a real-life situation.

The RNLI organised the first, large-scale practice evacuation in 1986, from the Sally line ferry Viking.

Lifetime Funds The 'Bardic Brooch', which has links with the lifeboat service going back almost 65 years, was auctioned in Cornwall recently to benefit the Lizard lifeboat - and will now returning to the station at some time in the future to continue its link with the service.

The brooch takes its name from an incident in August 1924, when the steamship Bardic went ashore in thick fog on the Menheere Rock, and the Lizard lifeboat Frederick H.

Pilley rescued the 93 people on board.

Eight of the survivors were cared for by Ethel Tiddy at nearby Pentreath, and when they returned to their native Liverpool they sent Mrs Tiddy a gold, opal and diamond brooch to show their gratitude.

Last year Mrs Tiddy' s granddaughter, Joyce Holmwood, presented the £200 brooch to the Lizard station branch, so that it could be sold to raise funds for the lifeboat.

It was auctioned in Penzance during July last year, and was knocked down to a lady from Trevellas in Cornwall for £320.

A few weeks later the branch received letter from the buyer, Mrs George, who told them that she is also a lifeboat supporter.

Mrs George assured the branch that the Bardic Brooch would be returned to The Lizard station on her death, so that it could be auctioned once again and perhaps become perpetual source of income.Lifeboat Saturdays The 100th anniversary of the first 'Lifeboat Saturday', the forerunner of Lifeboat Days and all charity flag days, falls in 1991, and the RNLI is planning several events to commemorate the occasion.

If anyone has copies of a publication entitled 'Lifeboat Saturday, Illustrated', first published in 1894, the Institution would be most grateful to receive them to add to its archives.Icelandic visitors Five young visitors from Slysavarnafelag Islands (top row) with five members of Storm Force aboard a Tyne class lifeboat ready for their trip afloat. (Photo Bournemouth Evening Echo) A party from Slysavarnafelag Islands, the national lifesaving association of Iceland, headed by its director Captain Hannes Hafstein, visited RNLI headquarters at Poole on 25 and 26 August 1988.

Included in the party were five children aged between 11 and 14, winners of an essay competition held as part of last year's celebrations of Slysavarnafelag Islands 60th anniversary.

The prizewinners, members of the lifesaving association's children's club, met five of their British counterparts, local members of Storm Force, the RNLI's club for the under 16s.

The young visitors' programme included a full tour of the RNLI's headquarters and depot, a trip on a new Tyne class lifeboat, a visit to Swanage lifeboat station with local Storm Force members and a visit to the RNLI's inflatable lifeboat base at East Cowes, Isle of Wight.Royal escort Torbay's two lifeboats, the Arun Edward Bridges (Civil Service No. 37) and the D class inflatable Alfred George Martin, played a large part in the celebrations to welcome Her Majesty the Queen and HRH Prince Philip when they visited the area on 20 and 21 July. The Queen and Prince Philip's visit was part of the tercentenary celebrations of the landing of Prince William of Orange at Brixham in 1688.

The Royal Yacht Britannia anchored off Torquay on the afternoon of 20 July, and the Arun escorted the royal barge through the hundreds of welcoming boats as the royal party was ferried to and from the shore.

The following day Britannia moved to an anchorage off Brixham, and both the Arun and inflatable stood by as more than 300 boats of all kinds sailed past with the royal party taking the salute.

Later in the morning Edward Bridges once again escorted the royal barge ashore, this time to Brixham where the Queen and Prince Philip watched a re-enactment of the historic landing of 1688.

Later the royal party took part in a walkabout ashore, accompanied by the current Prince Willem of Holland, and spoke to the station honorary secretary, Tony Smith and members of the lifeboat crews and their wives before being escorted back aboard Britannia by both lifeboats.

After a lunch on board the royal yacht Prince Philip asked Tony Smith to convey to the crews 'how impressed he was with the smartness, seamanship and efficiency of the Torbay lifeboats while escorting the royal barge' and to thank them for attending.

Pride of place Mr Charles Gill, president of Douglas Branch, together with other senior officials of the branch and Douglas Ladies 'Guild, presented the Mayor of Douglas, Councillor Mike Shimmin with an RNLI plaque to thank the town for its continued help since the first lifeboat station was established in the town in 1802.

It was in 1824 that one of the crew, Sir William Hillary, founded the RNLI, and at the presentation the Mayor commented on the town's pride in its long connection with the lifeboat service.

The plaque, inscribed with the words' with grateful thanks', will be placed in a position of honour above the original drawing of the Douglas town crest hanging in the Mayor's Parlour.

More Merseys on order Following the introduction and successful trials of the first two Mersey class fast, carriage-launched lifeboats eight further boats have been ordered by the Institution.Grace Darling memorial RNLI president, the Duke of Kent, accompanied by the chairman, the Duke of Atholl, and deputy director Ray Kipling visited the Northumbria coast on 7 September - the 150th anniversary of Grace Darling's epic rescue - to take part in a special memorial service and lay a wreath at sea.

On the Duke's arrival at North Sunderland the Lord Lieutenant, Viscount Ridley introduced civic officials, and the Duke of Atholl introduced officials of the lifeboat station, Ladies Guild and the local Grace Darling Appeal.

Coxswain Robert Douglas invited the president to accompany them to sea on the Oakley class Edward and Mary Lester to lay a wreath near the Big Harcar, where the rescue took place. A large flotilla of boats sailed in company with the lifeboat, shepherded by the Northumbrian police launch.

The royal party took part in a memorial service at Bamburgh parish church attended by 300 supporters which was joined by the Duke of Northumberland, sadly his last official duty on behalf of the RNLI.

Anniversary visit One of the RNLI's newest lifeboats, the Tyne class Voluntary Worker was on show in Ostend from 26 to 30 October when shevisited Belgium for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Belgian Sea Rescue Service.

Lifeboats from othermembers of the International Lifeboat Federation were also on display during the celebrations, and to mark the occasion the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the RNLI, presented the Belgian service with one of the Institution's gold medals.

The presentation was made at a celebration dinner attended by representatives of 11 of the ILF's member countries.RNLI president goes to sea on his namesake The Duke of Kent (centre) watches as the Rother class Duke of Kent is brought ashore after his trip in fresh conditions. He was accompanied by the RNLI's director, Lt Cdr Brian Miles (centre left) and the chief of operations Capt George Cooper (far left). (Picture Brighton Evening Argus) His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, the president of the RNLI, visited Eastbourne lifeboat station on Monday 26 September, where he was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, the Marquis of Abergavenny and the RNLI's director Lt Cdr Brian Miles and chief of operations Capt George Cooper.

The Duke was later able to take a trip on board the Rother class Duke of Kent, which he had named in 1979 but had been unable to visit since, in Force 6 winds and a sizeable sea. Coxswain Graham Cole said later 'There were pretty rough seas today so he had quite a ride, but the Duke is a good seaman.'Seafarers' service Three lifeboatmen from Aberdovey represented the Institution's 3,000 volunteer crew members at the annual National Service for Seafarers at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday 19 October 1988.

Paul Edwards was the colour bearer, escorted by David Williams and Charles Bartlett, and the service was also attended by deputy chairman Michael Vernon, the director Lt Cdr Brian Miles and deputy director Ray Kipling.

Lease of life Penzance's third lifeboat station, which was built in 1885 and closed in 1917 after the station had been moved to Newlyn and then Penlee, is having a new lease of life serving the RNLI.

Penlee and Penzance branch has rented the listed granite building from Penwith District Council as a base from which to sell souvenirs during the tourist season.

The building has a small belfry which was used to call the crew.High and dry Visitors to Land's End, Cornwall, will be able to see the famous landmark's own lifeboat - and there is no chance that she will be out on service when they arrive.

The 48ft 6in Oakley James and Catherine Macfarlane will be high and dry as a static exhibit, following an agreement between Land's End's owner Peter de Savary and the RNLI for the boat to be loaned for exhibition at the new £3m leisure centre there.

Buy a Voluntary Worker Westcliff Gallery, the company which offered to paint your own boat in the Autumn issue of THE LIFEBOAT, has painted a 24in by 36in portrait of the Tyne class Voluntary Worker 'on spec', which is available to readers. Full details and price from the gallery at the address in their advertisement.Ringing the changes on the Humber A colour photograph of Humber's Arun class Kenneth Thelwall will be sent to most households in the Scarborough, Bridlington and Holderness area next year - on the cover of the area's phone book.

The photograph will be a further boost to public awareness of the RNLI in the area, and Phone Book manager, John Slather says the picture was obtained thanks to the 'tremendous co-operation' of the Spurn Point crew. He plans to present each of them with a copy of the photograph.

The photograph of Number's Arun Kenneth Thelwall which will illustrate the phone book cover in full colour.