a r o u n d and a b o u t t h e RNLI A fifty-first occasion for lottery draw To mark the RNLI's 51st national lottery, Brigadier Mike Wingate-Gray QBE MC and Bar, who served with the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch in the 51st Highland Division, was asked to draw the winning tickets.

The draw, which took place on 31 October and raised over £70,000, was supervised by Anthony Oliver, deputy head of fund raising and marketing.

Since their launch in 1987 the quarterly lotteries have raised more than £2m and are an important source of RNLI income.

The prize winners were: £2,000 - Mrs L.A. Dye, Norwich, Norfolk.

£1,000 - Mr & Mrs D.W.J. Brownhill, Edinburgh, Scotland. £500 - Mr & Mrs N. Wilson, Denton, Nr Manchester.

£250 - N. Johnston, Milnthorpe, Cumbria.

£100 - S. Ellison, Llanfairfechan, Gwynedd; J. Halifax, Eastbourne, Sussex; A.D.G. Lloyd, Sketty, Swansea; P.

Pottinger, Penrith, Cumbria; Mrs M.

Davis, Northwood, Middx; Mr & Mrs Dacombe, Maidenhead, Berkshire; D.

Birks, Ledbury, Herefordshire; Mr & Mrs K.M. Heywood, Thaxsted, Essex.

£50 - Mrs K.M. Seager, Louth, Lines; Mrs R. Slater, Harrow, Middx; Mrs B.

Bevan, Cannock, Staffs; W.J. Lane, Cholsey, Oxon; A. Wildash, Wareham, Dorset; H.V. Cockburn, Camberley, Surrey; I.M.F. Porch, Trowbridge, Wiltshire; H. Burton, Forest Hill, London. Plymouth coxswain is put in the picture Plymouth lifeboat coxswain John Dare was reminded of one of the memorable rescues during his 31 year service with the Institution when he retired on 10 November 1990.

Among the many gifts he received at a surprise party thrown by some 400 people from the south west was a painting of the Arun class City of Plymouth, with a Sea King helicopter, during the rescue of the crew of a yacht at Wembury Rocks.

During the service the Arun's inflatable Y boat was capsized in appalling conditions and its crew thrown on to the rocks.

The painting was presented to John by the Rame Peninsula Branch and had been painted by marine artist Chris Southcombe, who is the branch Treasurer.

Local marine modeller Brian Williams had been commissioned by friends and colleagues to produce a miniature of the Barnet class lifeboat previously at Plymouth and in addition there were many other gifts including a watch, and a video and CD player from his friends and colleagues in the lifeboat crew. Maiden's voyages Yachtswoman of the Year, Tracey Edwards, dropped in on Selsey during the station's lifeboat week during the summer.

Arriving by helicopter, after the station's Tyne class Sam and Joan Woods and the D class inflatable had demonstrated their prowess at rescuing a variety of 'casualties', Tracey was lowered first on to the Tyne and then on to the inshore lifeboat in a demonstration of manoeuvrability and co-ordination.

To complete the pageant for the watching crowds Bowman Martin Rudwick then took a lead from a wellknown television commercial and impersonated the famous man-in-black to deliver a box of chocolates to Tracey! Cadburys had entered into the spirit of the day by donating the chocolates specially for the occasion.

Tracey was made a member of Selsey's 'family' when she was presented with a station plaque, and has since agreed to become a vice president of the branch to seal her links with the town's lifeboats. Long Service Awards The Long Service Badge for crew members and shore helpers who have given active service for 20 years or more has been awarded to: Angle - Shore Helper B.J. Brown Bridlington- Crew Member P.A. Staveley Filey - Crew Member D.F. Cammish (posthumous) Flint - Crew Member D.L. Roberts Mudeford - Crew Member J. Garton Porthcawl - Shore Helper A. St John Redmond Redcar - Tractor Driver R.J. O'Neill, Crew Member E.F. Bennett St Helier - Coxswain M.E. Berry, Shore Helper F.A. Lawrence Swanage - Crew Member D.G. Corben Teesmouth - Shore Helper H. Aspland Wells - Crew Member A. Smith, Head Launcher E.G. Scoles For that very special occasion...

A safe at the RNLI now holds a particularly valuable item, and one which will have to stay there for the next 24 years! The will of the late Mr Jeoffrey Burr from Cornwall stipulated that a bottle of 1914 brandy, held by Mr Burr in trust for the RNLI and the WWF from the estate of Mary Sennett, should be retained until the year 2014.

The 100-year-old bottle is then to be sold, and the proceeds distributed between the two charities. Birthday Honours Bob McLoughlin BEM vice president of Whitehaven branch, has been awarded the British Empire Medal in Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his services as Auxiliary Coastguard.

He was a founder crew member of the St Bees lifeboat when the station was opened in 1970 and served as honorary secretary of Whitehaven branch from 1978 to 1982, being elected vice president of the branch in October 1990. On Station The following lifeboats have taken up station and relief fleet duties: ALL-WEATHER North Sunderland - Oakley 37-15 (ON 982) Ernest Tom Neathercoat on 15 August 1990 as temporary station lifeboat.

Ballyglass - Arun 52-45 (ON 1159) Mabel Williams on 29 August 1990.

Workington - Solent 48-016 (ON 1021) Douglas Currie on 23 September 1990.

Shoreham - Tyne 47-040 (ON 1158) Hermione Ladv Colwyn on 30 September 1990.

Sheringham - Oakley 37-19 (ON 986) Lloyds II on 8 October 1990 as temporary station lifeboat.

Hoy lake - Mersey 12-005 (ON 1163) Lady ofHilhre on 12 October 1990.

St Ives - Mersey 12-009 (ON 1167) The Princess Royal on 23 October 1990.

Llandudno - Mersey 12-006 (ON 1164) And Pearce on 23 November 1990.

INSHORE Relief- D408 on 22 August 1990.

Relief- D409 on 29 August 1990.

St Catherine - B539 on 20 October 1990.

Teignmouth - B538 on 3 November 1990. RNLI represented in Battle of Britain Parade Coxswain Robert Kemp of Walton and Frinton lifeboat, Tony Evans, helmsman of Walmer's Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboat and Coxswain/Mechanic Graham Cole of Eastbourne lifeboat were the three lifeboatmen who represented the RNLI in the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Parade in front of Buckingham Palace on 15 September 1990.

Lifeboat crews from stations as far apart as Weymouth in Dorset and Skegness in Lincolnshire were kept busy during the Battle of Britain, launching to downed airmen of both the RAF and the Luftwaffe as well as the many shipping casualties.

The three lifeboatmen who formed the RNLI party were representing all the lifeboat stations who during the Battle of Britain in 1940 launched 100 times and saved the lives of 18 airmen.

During the Battle of Britain Margate lifeboat launched after a parachute was spotted coming down into the sea. The airman was badly burned and near collapse but lived to tell the tale of his rescue. He was Pilot Officer Richard Hope Hillary, great-great-great-great nephew of the RNLI's founder, Sir William Hillary..