Fishguard - Trent class Blue Peter VII On 17 June 1995 Fishguard's brand new Elm Trent class lifeboat Blue Peter VII was officially named - and, to judge by the number of young people gathered on the foreshore for the ceremony, it was clear that 'Blue Peter' viewers were out in force. They had come to witness, come rain or shine (and there was both in quick succession), the crowning moment of the BBC programme's phenomenally successful appeal which had transformed over a million packages of bric-a-brac into cash for a fleet of six inshore lifeboats and the new Trent for Fishguard.

Lewis Bronze, 'Blue Peter's' editor, left no one in any doubt about how proud he and his team felt in handing over the lifeboat on behalf of his viewers to RNLI chairman, Sir Michael Vernon. It was a gift, he said, from a community of the air to a community of the sea.

Sir Michael paid tribute to 'Blue Peter' for allowing such an extraordinary relationship to develop between its millions of young and not so young followers and the RNLI over many years. He also reminded the gathering that the Royal Mail had been instrumental in the success of the appeal by delivering all the packages free of charge.

The bilingual service of dedication was led by The Right Reverend Ivor Rees, Bishop of St Davids, with music provided by the Good wick Brass Band and the Fishguard High School Choir.

The moment for which so many had been waiting came when all three 'Blue Peter' presenters, Diane-Louise Jordan, Tim Vincent and Stuart Miles stood, poised to release the bottle and give the lifeboat her name.

As the bottle crashed and the champagne fizzed, eyes moved from the three television stars to the foredeck of Blue Peter VII, moored a few feet from the waterfront, her orange and blue gleaming in the intermittent sunlight. The ceremony was complete, an RAF Sea King arrived flying the traditional salute from the winch wire and everyone watched as the platform party was ferried out to the new lifeboat.Blyth - D class Wren Saturday 8 July 1995 dawned warm and sunny for the naming of Blyth's new D class lifeboat - the first of two to be funded by Messrs Sinclair, Roche and Temperley from the proceeds of a concert held to mark the 60th anniversary of the company and the centenary of the City of London branch.Mr E. Dalby, chairman of the station branch, opened the proceedings before Mr Harvey Williams, senior partner of Sinclair, Roche and Temperley, handed the lifeboat into the care of the Institution on whose behalf she was accepted by Colonel Iain Bryce, a member of the RNLI's committee of management.

Doctor R. Carr, the honorary secretary, then accepted the boat on behalf of the station.

The service of dedication was conducted by Father John O'Connor, vicar of St Cuthbert's Church and chaplain to Blyth lifeboat. Mrs Rae Williams, was then invited to name the lifeboat Wren, - the name chosen by the company because D class lifeboats are the smallest lifeboats, a wren is the smallest bird and the concert was held in St Paul's, which was designed by Wren!Burry Port - D class and new lifeboat house Saturday 3 June 1995 saw the handing over of Burry Port's new D class lifeboat and also the official opening of the lifeboat house.

The ceremony began with Tom Francis, chairman of the station, introducing Jeff Mankertz, divisional inspector of lifeboats for the west, who described the lifeboat before Mrs Shirley, niece of the donor, the late Miss May Lloyd, handed the lifeboat over to the RNLI. Commodore Hastie USE, member of thecommitteeof management, then passed the lifeboat and the keys of the new lifeboat house into the care of Les Williams, station honorary secretary.

Following a service of dedication led by Reverend Harries, vicar of Burry Port, assisted by local clergy, Tom Francis invited Mrs Olwen Phillips, president of Burry Port ladies' guild to cut the ribbon to officially open the lifeboat house.Representatives of other lifeboat stations, RAF Search and Rescue, emergency services and lifeboat guilds formed part of a large gathering in front of Minehead lifeboat house for the dedication and naming of the station's new Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboat on 11 June 1995.

In his introduction station branch chairman Bill McNab spoke of the long service to Minehead lifeboat station which had led to the recent award of a silver badge to Reg Woodley. Mr Woodley then received his award from Captain Antony McCrum RN (Rtd), a life vice-president of the RNLI.

After briefly describing the background to the gift of a lifeboat by a lady who had requested anonymity, Richard Powles, a trustee of her estate, formally handed over the Atlantic 75 to Captain McCrum, who gave her into the care of Kevin Escott, station honorary secretary.

The development and characteristics of the Atlantic 75 were described by Jeff Mankertz, divisional inspector of lifeboats (west).

The vicar of Minehead, the Reverend Geoffrey Wrayford, then led the gathering in a service of dedication, following which Mrs Anne Powles named the lifeboat Bessie.

The lifeboat was then launched and exercised off the boathouse in company with the Barry Dock relief Arun class lifeboat which had crossed the Bristol Channel for the occasion.Montrose - D class Holme Team 3 The handing over ceremony of the new D class lifeboat stationed at Montrose took place at the harbour on 21 July 1995.

The lifeboat has been provided by a donation from staff and customers of The Fleece Inn at Holme in Yorkshire, who have also funded the D class lifeboat stationed at Filey. Their many fundraising ventures on behalf of the RNLI have raised almost £50,000 to date.

Noel Smart, chairman of Montrose station branch opened proceedings and Archie MacKenzie, chairman of the executive committee of the Scottish Lifeboat Council accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the Institution from Geoff Atkinson, proprietor of The Fleece Inn. He in turn handed her into the care of Captain Niall McNab, the station honorary secretary at Montrose.

Following the service of dedication led by the Reverend Tom Long of Montrose, assisted by Reverend L. Greenwood of Holmf irth, Mrs Ann Atkinson named the lifeboat Holme Team 3.Newcastle, Co Down - D class Aldergrove On 10 June 1995 the chairman of Newcastle station branch, Will Wilson, welcomed guests, particularly representatives from the RAF based at Aldergrove whose personnel had raised £11,000 to pay for the lifeboat.

Wing Cdr Mark Codgebrook, who initiated the appeal, handed the lifeboat to the station. Vincent Murphy, deputy launching authority, accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the station and Group Captain R.E.

Wedge, senior RAF officer, Northern Ireland, was then invited to name the lifeboat Aldergrove.

Music for the occasion was provided by Kilkeel Silver Band.Poole - Atlantic 75 Friendly Forester II Poole's busy new Atlantic 75 took a short breather on 15 August 1995 for her official naming ceremony, but even before the champagne was dry on her bow she was off on another shout! The lifeboat was donated by the Ancient Order of Foresters and handed over by High Chief Ranger John Oliver. The High Chief Ranger's lady, Beryl Oliver, named the lifeboat Friendly Forester II, watched by dozens of Foresters, RNLI supporters and holidaymakers who had packed the cramped quayside for the ceremony.

Friendly Fores ter II has been called out on service 70 times and has saved three lives in the period between 26 April, when she went on station, and the naming ceremony.

At 1900, while the guests were still nibbling the celebration cake, the call came from the Coastguard that a yacht was aground on the Oyster Bank. The Atlantic 75 and the Brede launched within minutes and by 1930 another rescue had been completed by the RNLI's busiest crew.On Friday 28 July 1995, the first of the two Open Days at RNLI headquarters and depot, two new D class lifeboats destined for the relief fleet were handed over and named.

Lt Cdr Brian Miles, director, opened the proceedings and welcomed the special guests attending the pint ceremony and also the many hundreds of visitors on site at the time.

Mr Tom McMillan, treasurer of The Craft Club, donors of D480, handed over the lifeboat explaining that the 10,000- member club sprang from a 19th hole conversation between three members of the Rye Golf Club on April Fools Day 1991. Having agreed that they 'Can't Remember A Flipping Thing' they decided to celebrate the comforting fact by forming a club, open to young and old of both sexes, with the sole object of raising funds for their three favourite charities.

Members now come from 45 countries across the world. Later in the proceedings Jim Marsham, founder member and secretary of the club, named the lifeboat The Craft Club.

The second lifeboat D483 was handed over by Adrian Keeble, appeal coordinator, the Worked All Britain Awards. This group of amateur radio enthusiasts raised the money for the lifeboat to mark the 25th anniversary of thegroup and it was named C John Morris DFM by the widow of the founder of the group, Mrs Veda Morris, in his memory.

Both lifeboats were accepted by Mrs Richard Saunders, chairman of the RNLI's fundraising committee and a member of the committee of management.

The lifeboats were dedicated by the Reverend Stanley Holbrooke-Jones, Rector of Poole.West Kirby - D class Thomas Jefferson On a gloriously sunny day the service of dedication for the new D class lifeboat Thomas Jefferson took place at West Kirby Marine Lake on 26 April 1995.

Mr A.S. Frith MBE, chairman of Hoylake and West Kirby station branch welcomed everyone to the proceedings. George Rawlinson, deputy divisional inspector of lifeboats (west) described the history of the D class lifeboat and outlined its performance and importance within the RNLI fleet.

Mrs Marion Jefferson, honorary secretary of High town ladies' guild, who provided the funds to purchase the lifeboat in memory of her husband Thomas, a former member of the merchant navy, recounted his love of the sea and his desire for his ashes to be scattered at sea. It would give her great satisfaction to know that her husband's name would live on in this special way. She handed the lifeboat over to the Institution's director, Lt Cmdr Brian Miles CBE who accepted her on behalf of the RNLI and delivered her into the safe hands of Lt Cdr R.H. Jones MBE, station honorary secretary, who accepted her on behalf of the station.

The service of dedication was led by the Reverend J. Ball, lifeboat chaplain, and was followed by Mrs Marion Jefferson naming the lifeboat Thomas Jefferson. A short demonstration by the crew was appreciated by everyone, including the large crowd who had come to West Kirby to enjoy the sunshine..