Lt Cdr Brian Miles, the Director of the RNLI, was awarded a CBE in the New Year's honours list in recognition of his service to the Institution.

Cdr Miles joined the RNLI in 1964 as Assistant Inspector of Lifeboats in Scotland following 10 years with the P&O Shipping Company- initially as a Cadet and then as a deck officer, mainly in passenger liners.

In 1967 he was appointed Inspector of Lifeboats in Scotland and then, from 1970 to 1973, in Ireland.

Moving to RNLI headquarters in 1973 he was appointed Executive Assistant to the Director and became Staff Officer Operations in 1978.

Cdr Miles became Deputy Director in 1982 and was then appointed Director in 1988 - the first Director to be appointed from within the Institution.

• Cdr Miles was made a Freeman of the City of London in a ceremony on 16 December 1993.NEWSPOINT It is unfortunate that an historic milestone in saving life at sea - the completion of the fast lifeboat programme - should have been soured by press reports which gave the impression that seamanship was now of less value than technical ability.

An article in the Daily Telegraph of 31 January caused the biggest stir among RNLI supporters as itgave an impression, wholly falsely, that the RNLI now spurns good sea-going experience in favour of technical know-how.

In the past two years 15 stations have received newgeneration boats, and 14 of their coxswains and crews have embraced wholeheartedly the need to build on their traditional, and irreplaceable, skills by adapting to new equipment which further enhances the ability of a lifeboat to save lives.

At the 15th station, Aldeburgh, just three members - from a crew-list of 20 - declined to join the new boat. Yet the events at this single station are being held in some way to illustrate that supreme seamanship and boat-handling are secondary to being able to operate modern electronics.

In case there should be the slightest doubt in any one's mind we reiterate: that view is utter nonsense.

A coxswain's ability at sea, and that of his crew, is the prime requirement. That they should be adaptable enough to make full use of equipment provided to save even more lives ever more efficiently is also important, as it has been since sails and oars gave way to diesel engines.

Such seamanship and adaptability seems to be innate in all crews, and it is all the more regrettable that impressions should be given to the contrary.

j*"New Station, more ILBs The Institution is to open a new inshore lifeboat station at Rock, on the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, for evaluation during the summer season.

The station will operate a D class inflatable lifeboat within the estuary in response to an increasing number of incidents in the area.

The all-weather lifeboat station at Padstow is close geographically but is outside the Doom Bar at the entrance to the shallow River Camel.

D class inflatables are also to be introduced at two more stations which previously operated only an all-weather lifeboat.

One will join Sennen Cove's Mersey class at the Cornish slipway-launched station and the other will complement the slipway-launched Tyne class at Angle in Dyfed. Both will be evaluated over the 1994 summer season.

In addition the D class lifeboats at Sunderland and Looe (Cornwall) will now have their seasons extended to become operational all-year-round.

Winter accommodation has been found for the Looe lifeboat for 1993/1994 but operation next winter will depend upon the availabilty of suitable accommodation at that time.

Whisky Galore Once again the generosity of an American benefactor has enabled a wee dram to be dispensed at selected lifeboat stations.

To be scrupulously fair the stations which benefit are chosen in round-the-coast fashion and this year it is the turn of 29 lifeboat stations in Scotland and the North of England.

Each year for the past few years Mr J.P. Young of San Francisco has made funds available for the purpose, and five bottles have been despatched to each of the 29 stations to keep away the chill.First Atlantic 75s on station The first of the Institution's new Atlantic 75 rigid inflatable lifeboats to enter service, B702 Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, arrived at Sheringham on 29 January, with Flamborough's new boat, B703 Jason Logg, following shortly after on 16 February.

Two new appeals Two major appeals have been announced, to fund new allweather lifeboats at Humber and Dover.

The North East appeal, which began on 10 February, will last two years and involve branches and guilds throughout the whole region from Berwick on Tweed to Nottingham.

It aims to raise the cost of a new £1.35m Severn class for Humber lifeboat station.

The City of London appeal was launched by the Duke of Kent on 8 February who announced that the City of London branch aimed to raise the whole cost of a Severn for Dover, to be called City of London II.Lifeboat adds to Buckie attractions The former Anstruther lifeboat - the Oakley class The Doctors - will become the centrepiece of a heritage centre at Buckie called the Buckie Drifter.

The lifeboat was due to have been displayed beside the entrance, but changes to the building meant that this was impossible - so she will now be the centrepiece, on ground alongside the centre.

The Buckie Drifter Heritage Centre turns back the clock to the town's days as a flourishing herring port and will be opened by Magnus Magnusson - chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage - on 16 June.Service The annual commemorative service for Sir William Hillary, the Institution's founder, was held at St George's Church, Douglas, Isle of Man on 9 January 1994.

Award Following refurbishment carried out by the RNLI, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat house has won the 1993 Heritage Award from Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust.

The judges were impressed by 'the quality of both the internal and external work' at the Riverside Road site in Gorleston.

Contribution Duckhams Oils are continuing their support for the RNLI, which goes back many years.

The company will credit the Institution's oil account with £16,000 in 1994.Massive response to 'Blue Peter' appealBBC TV's 'Blue Peter' programme has been a stalwart supporter of the RNLI for nearly 30 years and few readers - especially those with children - will have failed to notice their recent 'Pieces of Eight' appeal to replace the six Blue Peter lifeboats.

The 'booty' was sent via a Freepost address (courtesy of the Post Off ice) to a warehouse in Ringwood where volunteers sorted it into various categories for sale at auction.

The first auction, on 22 January, raised nearly £34,000 and the second, on 26 February, raised another £65,000.

Auctions will continue to be held in Ringwood until the vast stock is cleared and the dates planned so far are: 8 April, 15 April (specialist sale, mostly gold/silver), 30 April, 21 May. Another auction will be held at Phillips, Bond Streeton 27 May.

More than 1.5m parcels have been received so far, with the largest daily delivery nearly 9,500! The flow has subsided since Freepost ended, but around 500 parcelsa week are still arriving.

Sorting continues with help from Phillips consultant Christopher Hawkings, several of Phillips expert staff, Roy Norgrove (until recently organiser of the jewellery appeal) and Jack Murray a retired jeweller who lives locally.

The appeal far surpassed the target of six inshore lifeboats and was extended to include a Trent!Scottish theme at London Boat ShowThe RNLI's stand at the London Boat Show at Earls Court in January was a resounding success - due to hard work by many volunteers and staff and to the excellent pool-side position.

The stand was part of the Scottish theme in the central area around the pool, and echoed Tobermory lifeboat house with an alongside berth for an Atlantic 75. The lifeboat gave regular righting demonstrations for the benefit of the visitors, which attracted large crowds.

Attendance at the show was down slightly on previous years, but the RNLI's receipts were up substantially.

Collecting boxes - many in the hands of the stalwart Chelsea Pensioners - took more than £15,700 (up 11 % on 1993), souvenir sales were up 30% at almost £21,000 and membership receipts were also up, by nearly 75% at more than £16,600. Only receipts from lottery tickets showed aslight fall on 1993, down just over 3% at £11,785.

Several distinguished vistors called at the stand, including Princess Anne.

Once again the show provided an ideal opportunity to present the Institution's Public Relations awards, to honour individuals and companies which had helped spread awareness of the RNLI in 1993.

Salcombe lifeboat station received the special effort by an individual or group award, for its inestimable help in the filming of Central TV's documentary 'Lifeboat'; Central TV received the broadside media award for the same series and The Daily Star received the print media award for its publicity during the prebudget VAT campaign..