Some old photos can lead charmed lives - and these were some of the lucky ones which survived by pure chance, or rather by a chain of coincidences.

How did they arrive here? Well: if you treat your dustbin men nicely they get to know you; if they get to know you they learn you're interested in lifeboats; if they know you're interested in lifeboats they give you some pics from an old discarded photo album; if you're the Aunt and Uncle of the deputy head of fundraising and marketing's wife then the photos eventually find their way into the RNLI archives! There is nothing to identify the boat or the location and the name cannot be made out on the small and slightly faded prints. Although they were found in Sussex many people who have seen them think there is a West CountryCountry 'feel' to the quayside stonework and headlands in the background, and the best guess as to date comes from the 'twenties look of the clothing.

Can anyone identify the lifeboat, or even the location or date?LifeboatmarTs Cape Horn Capers Bill Mew, a crew member of the Littlestone inshore lifeboat, took part in the British Steel Challenge - in which ten identical 67ft yachts raced around the world the 'wrong way', east to west against the prevailing winds.

Writing after completing the Rio de Janeiro to Hobart, Tasmania leg of the race Bill said: 'I was very fortunate to be selected by my company Nuclear Electric, who are one of the yacht sponsors, to crew on the second leg of this once-in-alifetime epic voyage. I gained my placing as crew, I am sure, because of my seatime and training as a crew member of Littlestone inshore lifeboat.

My sailing experience was only windsurfing so I had no bad habits and was trained over the last year ready to sail this all-steel, 40-ton yacht on the 8,900-mile leg - rounding the notorious Cape Horn and taking on the might of the South Pacific and 'The Roaring Forties'.

Nuclear Electric set off from the start at Rio flying a protest flag after one of the yachts collided with her, putting a 6ft long 2in deep gouge in her hull.

Over the next 2,500 miles to the Falkland Islands Nuclear Electric slowly gained a lead over the other nine yachts in some superb sailing, half of which was downwind under the spinnaker despite the 'wrong way' nature of the race! The weather was getting cooler as we travelled south and we were bracing ourselves for Cape Horn.However when Nuclear Electric rounded - picking up a trophy for 'First around the Horn' it was in sea conditions normally seen on duck ponds! Light airs and flat calm. However two days later Mother Nature made up for the easy rounding by producing near 60-knot winds.

Huge seas, strong winds, icebergs and more moderate weather helped the yacht over the international date line on Christmas Day and she maintained her lead to cross the finish line at Hobart on 4 January, 80 miles and 12 hours ahead of the next yacht.

The leg took 52 days, but when Nuclear Electric finally crossed the finishing line in the Solent in late May - to win the race overall - she had clocked up 151 days at sea.RAF Anniversary Swaffham branch represented the RNLI at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Air Force at RAF Marham on 1 April.

The branch has a mobile show unit and a half-scale model of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston's Waveney Barham which formed the centre point of the RNLI stand at the celebrations.

Her Majesty the Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and members of the Royal family, including the Queen Mother attended the event, but due to atrocious weather conditions the flypast had to be cancelled. As luck would have it the branch honorary treasurer, Arthur Rackham, took a video of the fly-past during the dress rehearsal and was able to show this on the day on the video screen used to show RNLI films on the stand. Needless to say this attracted a good audience and plenty of visitors to the stand.

Long Service Badges The Long Service Badge for crew members and shore helpers who have given active service for 20 years or more has been awarded to: Aberystwyth - Crew member R.L.

Griffiths Holyhead - Winchman A.P. Hicks Port Talbot - Shore helper P.E. Walker Pwllheli - Second coxswain/mechanic J.G. JonesOn Station RNLI the The following lifeboats have taken up station and relief fleet duties: ALL-WEATHER Relief - Mersey 12-33 (ON 1192) Fishermans Friend on 13 April 1993.

INSHORE Port Erin - B594 Herbert and Edith on 16 March 1993.

Campbeltown - D403 on 3 April 1993 for one season's operation evaluation during the 1993 summer season.

Swanage - D406 on 3 April 1993 for one season's operation evaluation during the 1993 summer season.

Tenby - D438 The Stanley Taylor on 27 April 1993.

Barrow - D443 Modeller II on 29 April 1993.

Dunlaoghaire - D442 Irish Diver on 20 May 1993.

A family affair In 1977 Mrs Anne Wall OBE, a member of the Central London Committee, generously decided to provide a dinner for the medallists and their families who were in London to attend the Annual Presentation of Awards and receive medals in recognition of their bravery.

Mrs Wall also wished to recognise the families' unfailing support of their service to the cause of saving life at sea.

The first such occasion was held in 1978.

Since that time 148 medallists and members of their families have enjoyed Mrs Wall's hospitality and she has asked that her thanks be conveyed to all those who have sent such kind messages of thanks over the past sixteen years.Drawing the crowdsJudi Spiers, presenter of the BBC's daily programme 'Pebble Mill', drew the winning tickets of the 61st national lottery at RNLI headquarters in Poole on 30 April 1993.

Ray Kipling deputy director and Anthony Oliver, deputy head of fundraising and marketing were in charge of proceedings.

The Institution has been holding lotteries for over 15 years and they have raised over £3m for lifeboat funds in that time.

The prize winners were: £2,000 - Miss M. Barnaby, Sutton, Surrey.

£1,000 - Mr & Mrs S.A. Daniels, Martock, Somerset. £750 - Mrs D.

Hunter, Tayport, Fife; B.J. Robins, St Andrews, Fife. £500 - Mrs P. Kingwell, Catford, London. £250 - Mrs E.G.

Digby, Chelmsford, Essex. £100 - W.

Coles, Bromley, Kent; P. Hosford, Helston, Cornwall; Mrs A. Cooper, Southall, Middx; S. Evans, Beddau, Glamorgan; K.G. Hills, Walton-on- Thames, Surrey. £50 - Captain I.T.

Blackley, Harpenden, Herts; Mrs B.C.

O'Grady, Swindon, Wilts; I. Moodey, Abingdon, Oxon; T.J. Greaves, Leeds, West Yorkshire; R.J. Pearce, Formby, Merseyside..