Anstruther - Mersey class Kingdom of Fife The picturesque Fife harbour of Anstruther basked in glorious sunshine on 29 May 1992 for the launch of the station's new lifeboat Kingdom of Fife by HRH The Duchess of Kent.

Several thousand people packed into the small port overlooking the Firth of Forth, which was colourfully decorated with flags and bunting for the special occasion of the launch of the new craft.

This ceremony was the culmination of almost five years of hard fundraising in the East Neuk of Fife.

The fund had been further boosted by bequests, legacies and other gifts.

The Duchess, who paid tribute to the courage and dedication of the Anstruther crew, was met at the harbour by a guard of honour of scout cubs, guides and brownies.

Before taking her place on the platform, the Duchess was presented with a bouquet by Kayleigh Lewis, 6, from Cellardyke Primary School.

Mr Brian Minto, chairman of the Anstruther station branch welcomed the Royal guest, and Dr Chris Brittain, chairman of the Anstruther Lifeboat Appeal and honorary medical adviser to the Anstruther station, revealed that the appeal had doubled its original target.

He handed over the new lifeboat to the RNLI Chairman, Mr Michael Vernon, who passed it into the care of Mr William Moir, honorary secretary of the Anstruther station.

A service of dedication followed, conducted by the station's honorary chaplain, the Reverend Alex Watson.

The Duchess said it was clear from the size of the gathering that 'itwas an important day for Anstruther and the people of Fife', and she described it as 'a milestone in the history of the station'.

After the naming ceremony, the Duchess was piped on board the new lifeboat by local vet Arthur Timperley. She met the vessel's coxswain, Peter Murray, and his crew before being taken on a trip around the harbour, during which she took the wheel for a short spell.

At the reception in Anstruther Town Hall, she was joined by the coxswain's wife, Mrs Ruth Murray, in cutting the RNLI celebration cake.

She was also presented with a commemorative programme of the day's events by 17-year-old Sarah Murray, a pupil of Waid Academy, Anstruther.Minehead - D class Leslie D The annual lifeboat service at the boathouse, Minehead Harbour on Sunday 12 July was the ideal setting for the naming of the town's new 16ft inshore lifeboat, Leslie D.

Supporters were welcomed to the ceremony by the Reverend Alan Mair, minister of the Minehead baptist church, and the RNLI's Anthony Oliver handed the lifeboat into the care of Mr Kevin Escott, honorary secretary of the Minehead station.

Following the service and dedication, Mrs Christine Oliver named the lifeboat Leslie D in memory of the husband of the donor Mrs Helen Colam of Falmouth.

Minehead D class lifeboats have been launched on service over 200 times, saving 100 lives.

Relief - D class Marjorie Marjorie - a new relief D class lifeboat - was named and dedicated at the Institution's Poole depot on Tuesday 16 June at 12 noon.

The lifeboat has been funded from the bequest of Mr Roger May of Weybridge, a dedicated admirer of the lifeboat service.

Marjorie was the name of his wife and also of a friend of his and his wife's who looked after Mr May following his wife's death.

The lifeboat was handed into the care of the RNLI by Mr Michael Dawes, nephew of Mr May, and a short service of dedication was led by the Reverend Stanley Holbrooke-Jones, rector of Poole.

Mr May's younger sister, Mrs John Smallwood from Chichester, named the new lifeboat Marjorie.Little and Broad Haven - new boathouse Little and Broadhaven station's new boathouse was officially opened on Saturday 25 July when Mr Raymond Cory, RNLI deputy chairman, handed over the keys into the care of the Little and Broad Haven lifeboat station and the ladies lifeboat guild.

The new boathouse, built at a cost of some £48,000, will house the station's D class inshore lifeboat, crew room and souvenir shop.

Mr Raymond Cory handed over the keys to the new lifeboat house to the station honorary secretary Mr Malcolm Phillips, and the keys to the souvenir shop were passed to the chairman oftheladies guild, Mrs Val Phillips.

Following a service of dedication, the station president Mr Peter Howells invited Mrs Betty Cory to cut the ribbon to open the boathouse.

Mrs Christine Llewellin, president of the ladies guild, was then invited to open the new souvenir shop.

The station, originally known as Littlehaven, was first established in 1882, and a lifeboat house and slipway were constructed in 1903 at a cost of £1,600. The station closed in 1921, to reopen as Little and Broad Haven station in May 1967.Relief - D class Table 32 In the glorious sunshine of 1 August, the second of the Inshore Lifeboat Centre's Open Days at Cowes, a group of friends were present to witness the naming of the new relief D class inflatable Table 32, generously funded by themselves and named after their club.

The lifeboat was officially presented into the RNLI's care by Table 32's Keith Benham. RNLI staff officer Dick Perks described the lifeboat and its future role and Reverend Jenny Evans, parish deacon of Whippingham and East Cowes, conducted the dedication service. Mrs Keith Benham named the new lifeboat.

The Table 32 friends had attended the Lifeboat and Mermaid Ball organised by the Central London committee at the London Hilton last December. Last year the ball raised over £96,000.

During the ceremony, the superintendent of the ILC, Alan Tate, said, 'It was fitting that the naming and dedication of a new inshore lifeboat should bring the Open Days at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre to a close'.

Clacton-on-Sea - D class Veronica Fine weather welcomed guests to the naming of Clacton-on-Sea's new D class lifeboat Veronica on 18 July.

Station branch chairman Peter Edwards made the introductions and Mrs L. Baldwin, a close friend of the donor Miss Doris Tudor-Williams, handed the D class into the care of the RNLI. It was accepted by Mr Robert Stokes on behalf of the committee of management, then Mr R. Smith, honorary secretary of Clacton branch, accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the station.

The service of dedication was conducted by the Reverend Ivor Paget, after which Mrs Baldwin named the lifeboat Veronica and unveiled the plaque.

Following the ceremony, the lifeboa t gave a display of its capabilities and a reception was held at The Royal Hotel.Relief - Mersey class Bingo Lifeline The new Mersey class lifeboat Bingo Lifeline was named by TV personality Lynn Faulds Wood at East Cowes Marina on 31 July 1992 in a ceremony which took place during the first of the two Open Days at the RNLI's Inshore Lifeboat Centre on the Isle of Wight.

The lifeboat, which will now join the Institution's relief fleet, had been funded primarily by bingo players around the country during a charity week in 1990.

Throughout the week, games of bingo had been played for prizes - including the cuddly penguin 'Bertie Bingo' - and all proceeds were donated by the Bingo Association of Great Britain (the trade body of Bingo Clubs) to the appeal. Other f undraising activities and collections took place in the clubs to boost the total income to almost £250,000.

Representing the nation's bingo players at the ceremony was Mrs Edna Mulhearn who had been the inspiration for the name of the lifeboat through her comment 'Bingo is a lifeline to me.' Mrs Mulhearn had been flown down from her home in Stockton-on-Tees by the Bingo Association of Great Britain especially for the occasion.

By 2pm, the sun was beating down hard on Mrs Mulhearn and the 150 invited guests who had taken their seats in the specially erected grandstand. All were glad of the shade afforded by the stand's canopy as they admired the new Merseyclass lifeboat at her mooring in the River Medina.

Mr Ray Kipling, the Institution's Deputy Director, was on hand to formally open the proceedings and to introduce Mr Mike Gilligan, chairman of the Bingo Association of Great Britain during the RNLI appeal. Mr Gilligan spoke of the tremendous support given to the charity by bingo players nationwide before officially handing over the lifeboat to Vice Admiral 'Tubby' Squires of the RNLI committee of management.

The Reverend Stuart Cleaver, accompanied by the local Methodist and Evangelical Ministers of East Cowes, then conducted the service of dedication which culminated in moving rendition of 'Eternal Father, Strong to Save'. As the music played and the words rang out, the eyes of the congregation fell upon the lifeboatmen standing aboard the lifeboat as it rose and fell in the strong tidal waters of the Medina.

Miss Faulds Wood, accompanied throughout the day by husband and 'Watchdog' co-presenter John Stapleton and son Nicholas, was then joined at the naming podium by Mrs Mulhearn. Miss Faulds Wood spoke of her admiration for the lifeboat service before pronouncing the vessel to be called Bingo Lifeline.

Assisted by Mrs Mulhearn, she then pulled the podium switch, causing a bottle of champagne to crash dramatically upon the deck of the lifeboat.

An enthusiastic three cheers rang around the marina for this latest addition to the RNLI fleet.Relief - D class Ordnance Survey Bosun On Wednesday 24 June at 12.15, the new relief D class lifeboat Ordnance Survey Bosun was named and dedicated at Ordnance Survey Headquarters in Southampton.

The cost of the lifeboat, some £10,000, was met - and exceeded - by the fundraising efforts of Ordnance Survey staff in Southampton and at various other offices throughout the country in support of their bicentenary appeal 1991.

Professor David Rhind, director general of Ordnance Survey, opened the ceremony and Mr John Leonard, director of marketing, handed the lifeboat into the RNLI's care.

The Right Reverend John Perry, bishop of Southampton, conducted a short service of dedication and Mrs Wendy Fellingham, Ordnance Survey press officer, named the lifeboat.New Quay - Mersey Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge New Quay's new 12m Mersey class lifeboat was named Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge in a special ceremony that took place on the Beach, New Quay, Dyfed on Thursday 25 June 1992.

The new lifeboat, which cost £455,000 to build and equip, was substantially funded from a legacy to the RNLI from the late Frank Clifford of Worcestershire, together with other legacies and gifts.

After the National Anthems, Anna Hartley, daughter of crew member Steve Hartley, presentedflowers to Mrs Pam Grice, social secretary of the Stourbridge branch.

Captain David Bowen, chairman of New Quay lifeboat station, welcomed all those present and Mr George Rawlinson, deputy inspector of lifeboats for the western division, described the lifeboat.

On behalf of the executors of the estate of the late Frank Clifford, Mr Aubrey Grice presented the lifeboat to Mr Raymond Cory, RNLI deputy chairman. In turn, Mr Cory passed the lifeboat, together with the keys to the new lifeboat house, into the care of Mr Dennis Leworthy, honorary secretary for New Quay station.

A service of dedication followed led by the Right Reverend J. Ivor Rees, bishop of St Davids, assisted by the Reverend David Richard from New Quay parish church and Reverend Dilwyn O. Jones, minister of Tabernacle Welsh Presbyterian church. At the close of the service Mrs Pam Grice named the lifeboat.

The reasons for supporters making a bequest often remain unknown, but this is not so in Mr Clifford's case. A number of years ago, he was invited to attend a special dinner organised by the Stourbridge branch, as a guest of Mr and Mrs Grice. The speaker was the then coxswain of the Hoylake lifeboat Harry Jones. So impressed was Mr Clifford by Coxswain Jones' accounts of his lifeboat work that he altered his will to the benefit of the RNLI.

It was Mr Clifford's wish that the lifeboat be named in memory of both his wife Lena and himself..