New hand at the helm Andrew Freemantle, MBE has been appointed the new Director of the RNLI. He will succeed Lieutenant Commander Brian Miles, CBE, who retires at the end of the year after 34 years with the lifeboat service.

Andrew joined the RNLI in October 1998, to enable a suitable handover, before he takes up the appointment on 1 January 1999.

Andrew Freemantle is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Science, the Army Staff College and, as a Brigadier, was a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies. He took over the Scottish Ambulance Service in 1991. It is the largest and busiest ambulance service in the UK. In addition, through his membership of the Council of St. Andrew's Ambulance Association, he has dealt with issues facing the voluntary sector, including fundraising.

Speaking of his appointment, he says, 'I have long admired the courage and reputation of the RNLI. I am immensely proud to be joining the Institution, to which I very much look forward to being of service.'Speaking of Brian Miles, David Acland, Chairman, says, 'Director Brian Miles retires at the end of this year having spent 11 years at the helm, a period which has seen calls on lifeboats double, the number of stations increase from 202 to 222, four new classes of lifeboat introduced, (the Mersey, the Severn, the Trent and the Atlantic 75). annual income nearly trebling and, above all, 16,000 lives saved. With those achievements, he will also be remembered as the man who understood that the RNLI is only great because of the people within it.' N E W S P O I NT This is the last issue of The Lifeboat which will appear during 1998 - the next will be published in the first days of 1999, which is not just another new year but the one in which the RNLI celebrates its 175th anniversary and prepares to move into a new century.

Many things must change in the course of 175 years, but throughout massive changes in society, the march of technology and the vast increase in the number of calls on the lifeboat service the underlying principles of the RNLI have remained intact.

In a world which could hardly have been envisaged by Sir William Hillary the RNLI's lifeboats are still manned by volunteers, and its 222 lifeboat stations are still funded by voluntary contributions raised by an army of volunteer fundraisers.

Not a penny of its income comes directly from the governments of the coasts it covers and, although there are those who might see this as a disgrace, it is a situation which the lifeboat service, those who work on its behalf and those who find themselves in need of its services find entirely satisfactory.

The RNLI has but one aim in life, saving life at sea, and its independence enables it to concentrate on that aim, free from political considerations.

As it prepares for the new millennium the RNLI will also have a new hand at the helm, as described in the news item above, and although a new hand will undoubtedly steer a slightly different course to its predecessor the RNLI will equally certainly retain its character. One-andthree- quarter centuries of devotion, heroism and sheer hard work have left an indelible imprint on the lifeboat service - and the more it changes the more it stays the same.

Lot rtv ' The main events are now in place for the RNLI's 175th anniversary celebrations which begin with a bang next year.

Flags and flares at all 222 lifeboat stations on 4 March - the RNLI's actual birthday - will signal the start of the birthday bashes for branches and guilds who will be holding special anniversary events in all the regions.

The formal launch of the anniversary campaign will take place at the London Boat Show in January when a really spectacular stand is sure to draw the crowds, and watch out for the first ever floral lifeboat on our stand at the Chelsea Flower Show in May produced in partnership with Gateshead Borough Council.

Some events were previewed at this year's Southampton Boat Show - including the launch of the anniversary book - and the anniversary beer is now brewed and is ready for drinking following the launch at the Ipswich Beer Festival in September.

The calendar of events - correct at the time of going to press - appears right. A calendar of regional events will appear in the next issue.

Celebration book The RNLI's official 175th anniversary publication. 'Rain Later, Good- Illustrating the Shipping Forecast', is a new book by painter and writer Peter Collyer which takes some of the mystique out of the regular broadcasts.

The evocative names 'Dogger, Fisher, German Bight-..' have been illustrated by a series of delightful miniature paintings and idiosyncratic text which gives Peter's impressions and many other little known facts collected from his travels around the 31 sea areas and 13 coastal stations - which covered more than 16,000 miles in two years.

Rain Later, Good, priced at £27.50, is available from RNLI(Sales) on (01202) 669777, Thomas Reed Publications on (0181) 941 7878 and all good book shops, quoting ISBN 0 901281 75 1. For each copy sold, £2.50 goes to the RNLI.

The RNLI has also secured an agreement for a special limited edition of 100 copies. Each copy will be signed and dated by the author and bound in dark blue gold embossed leather and contained in a slip case. The first copy will be presented to our Patron Her Majesty The Queen.

Most of these special editions have already been sold but there are a few copies left. The Institution is asking for a minimum payment of £100 per copy (of which £50 is a donation) including p&p. To order a copy, please send your cheque (made payable to RNLI 175th Anniversary Book) to: Nigel French, Corporate Relations Officer, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole. Dorset BH15 1HZ.

Celebration Ale The RNLI Celebration Ale was officially launched in September, when a lifeboat from Harwich sailed up the River Orwell to deliver a case to the Ipswich Beer Festival. The theme of the festival was the RNLI and the sea, and all profits from the sale of this special beer were donated to the lifeboats.

The Celebration Ale is now on sale nationally from Co-op, Tesco, Threshers and also from various pub groups including Greenalls, Pubrnaster, Century Inns and Allied Domecq Inns.

The Ale is also available from Unwins off licence chain, Le Riche stores in the Channel Islands and by mail order via Waitrose BeerDirect.

The photograph left shows (L to R) Aldeburgh lifeboat crew, Frances Aldridge, anniversary project manager; Paul Evans, marketing manager Co-op retail; Brian Cowie, Tolly Cobboid MD; Coxswain Ian Firman and Stella Dubbin, area organiser East toasting the prelaunch of the anniversary beer at Aldeburgh.

175th Anniversary Calendar of main events 1998_ 11 September Launch of anniversary book at Southampton Boat Show.

22 September Launch of the anniversary beer at the Ipswich Beer Festival, Corn Exchange, Ipswich.

14 November Lord Mayor's Show and parade, London - featuring the anniversary roadshow wagon, the RNLI's london taxi and Stormy Stan, the junior membership mascot.

1399: 1 January Participation m the New Year's Day parade through London.

7 January Press day and formal launch of anniversary at London Boat Show 8-17 January Visit us on our special stand at the London Boat Show.

1 March Mansion House banquet, London. Special celebrity guest (to be announced) 4 March RNLI is 175 years old today ! Anniversary flag to be flown and maroons fired from all 222 lifeboat stations. Lifeboats launched from selected stations, birthday bashes (special events for branches and guilds) begin all over the country.

April (Easter weekend) Launch of spectacular lifeboat flume ride at theme park in the Midlands.

17-21 May Chelsea Flower Show, London. First ever floral lifeboat on a slipway! Designed and planted by Gateshead Borough Council.

26 May AGM photocell and press conference.

London 27 May AGM and Presentation of Awards at the Barbican, London.

4-6 June Lifeboat Challenge - visit as many lifeboat stations as possible in 48 hours, win prizes and raise money.

20-26 June Flotilla of UK and overseas lifeboat g/0 and new, on Poole Quay, 18th International Lifeboat Federation conference at Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth (delegates from over 30 countries attending) 22 July Two 10 minute displays at the Royal Tournament, Earls Court, London.

6-28 August 25 Apearances in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo 10-19 September Southampton Boat Show (provisional) For further information contact Frances Aldridge.

Anniversary Project Manager, on (01202) 663323.

Cruise away with the Winter Lottery! Fred Oisen Cruise Lines have donated a fantastic first prize for the Winter Lifeboat Lottery - a two-week luxury Caribbean Cruise for two, plus £500 spending money.

The winner can select a Caribbean cruise from the 1999 Fred Olsen brochure. The most difficult decision facing the winner is choosing whether to explore the less known hideaway islands, or the better known favourites such as Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts. Whatever the choice, the winner will experience the Caribbean's brilliant blue sky, shimmering white sands and crystal clear waters.

The winner will also savour the elegance and indulgence of cruising - from sampling the cuisine in the many restaurants and bars, to the use of leisure facilities that range from swimming pools, a beauty salon, theatre, casino and a nightclub on board The Black Watch.

If you would like the opportunity to win this great prize, remember to return your tickets to Rebekah Rose at RNLI HQ before the 15th January 1999. If you would like more tickets, or do not presently receive tickets, please ring Rebekah on (01202) 663219.

Baltic's limited edition Salcombe lifeboat's medal-winning service to the coaster Janet C, has been remembered in a dramatic painting entitled 'Our word our bond' by marine artist Christopher Southcombe.

A limited edition of 500 prints of this new painting, commissioned by The Baltic Exchange, is available for sale to help raise funds for a new Baltic lifeboat at Salcombe.

Salcombe lifeboat, Bailie Exchange II, took the 1,200 ton coaster in tow and held her off rocks for three hours in heavy seas and gale force winds in March 1992 - Coxswain Frank Smith was awarded the Bronze Medal for the service.

The signed prints are available in several framed or unframed versions - for further information contact; Jennifer Nicholas at The Baltic Exchange on (0171)369 1621.

Redcar's new D The pouring rain did not stop the enjoyment of everyone attending the naming ceremony and dedication of Redcar's D class lifeboat, Peterborough Beer Festival 1 on 13 June.

Fortunately Redcar's boathouse was large enough to hold the ceremony inside. The acoustics were superb, both for the Cleveland Constabulary Band and the Marske Fishermen's Choir who both helped to make the occasion memorable.

Trevor Walker, Redcar station chairman, opened proceedings and Tom Field, Peterborough branch chairman, handed the lifeboat over to lain Bryce. representing the RNLI Committee of Management. The lifeboat, funded as a result of an appeal by Peterborough branch and CAMRA, who organised the Beer Festival, was then passed into the care of Ian Headman, station honorary secretary, before a service of dedication was conducted by the Reverend Stephen Fisher.

Mike Lane, Beer Festival organiser, named the lifeboat - and in keeping with her name, he christened her with half a pint of real ale! Dover ceremony Despite the anguish over the 'English Summer' the weather was kind for the naming of the Dover Severn class lifeboat City of London II at the end of May.

His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent performed the ceremony at the Port of Dover watched by the crew's families, friends and many local fundraisers. Coxswain Tony Hawkins and the crew were joined by civic officials, representatives of the City of London Appeal and the crew of the Boulogne lifeboat, in a happy but moving ceremony.

The funding of this excellent boat was due to the City of London Appeal which celebrated the centenary of the City of London branch and was raised by gifts and donations from the 'Square Mile' and City institutions. Two legacies were also used - from Mrs Edna Horsfield of Dover and Mrs Gertrude Ross, a lifelong supporter of the RNLI.

Fowey's triple Last October over 400 guests and a targe crowd assembled for a unique triple ceremony at Fowey lifeboat station - the opening of the new boathouse and the naming of the station's new Trent and D class lifeboats.

The boathouse was funded by a bequest from Marie and George Higginson, the Trent from a gift and bequest of £1m from Maurice Hardy and the D class by a gift from the Olive Herbert Charitable Trust.

Brian Willis, former Fowey lifeboat coxswain, officially opened the new lifeboat house. Mr D S Cattell, a friend of the Hardy family, handed over the Trent and Richard Gilman, a trustee of the Trust, handed over the D class. RNLI Chairman David Acland accepted the lifeboats and delivered them into the care of Fowey station officials.

Stefla Welford, a trustee, then named the D class Olive Herbert and Joyce Hardy named the Trent lifeboat, Maurice and Joyce Hardy. Following a service of dedication, there was a fly-past by 771 RNAS Culdrose and the lifeboats slipped their moorings to take a number of guests afloat.

Lerwick thanks RNLI Chairman David Acland presented Captain Norman Leask, pilot of the Coastguard helicopter which rescued 10 men from the freighter Green L/'/ylast November, with a collective Thanks of the Institution on Vellum on 23 August. Capt Leask accepted the vellum on behalf of co-pilot David Gribben and winch operator Paul Mansell.

A special posthumous vellum was presented to a representative of Mrs Deacon, widow of Bill Deacon, who was lost during the service.

Sir Michael Vernon, ex-chairman and after whom (and his late wife) Lerwick's lifeboat is named, presented service certificates to the Lerwick lifeboat crew.

Art awards Students who took part in the recent British Design and Art Direction annual Student Awards went overboard for the poster category, which this year featured the RNLI.

For the entries in the category, depicting the RNLI's 175th anniversary, were the second highest out of all 19 categories in this prestigious competition.

First prize went to Chris Thompson and Paul Campbell of West Thames College, Isleworth, for their spectacular monochrome rough sea with a distress flare in the distance and the caption, 'We'll be celebrating our 175th birthday in the usual way'.

Barmouth's lifeboat named The dedication and naming ceremony of Barmouth's new D class took place at Barmouth Quay on 16 May attended by a good crowd of local people and visitors.

The warm and sunny morning began with singing from pupils of local school, Ysgol y Traeth, followed by music from Harlech Town Band.

Barmouth president, Lt Cdr R. M. Richards, opened proceedings and Anne Williams, regional manager, described how the money was raised to buy the lifeboat. A sponsored walk by area managers, Richard Polden and James Bradbury, along Offa's Dyke raised the bulk of the cash but a sponsored walk by the children of Barmouth crew raised around £700.

Anne then handed the boat into the care of Col Colin Walker, the station honorary secretary. Glenda Williams, an RNLI honorary life governor and lifelong fundraiser, named the lifeboat Pilgrim using the traditional bottle of champagne.

Model fleet RNLI Chairman David Acland presented a detailed model of a Trent class lifeboat to William O'Neil, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, during a recent visit.

The model of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston's lifeboat, Samarbeta, has been put in the display on the ground floor of the IMO offices along with the other boats in the 'model fleet' and has already received many admiring comments.

The collection is now becoming quite large and represents many types of craft that have appeared over the last 50 years. The recent addition will ensure that RNLI lifeboats are well represented.

Photo competition The RNLI is keen to acquire exciting images of lifeboats in action - and more particularly, the casualties they rescue - to display on its stand at the London Boat Show in January 1999.

The PR department has decided to hold a photograph competition which is open to any crew member, station official, branch member or supporter who would like to enter. The first prize will be C250 of photographic equipment to your station - or station of your choice if you are a supporter. In addition, any individual entrant whose photograph is used on the stand will be sent two free tickets for the London International Boat Show at Earls Court. When the photographs have been used as stand graphics, they will be provided for display at the station.

The competition has five category prizes: Those in peril' - people shots of survivors, The volunteers' - crew members in action, The foaming deep' - rough and stormy seas, 'Camera, action' - action shots of lifeboats at sea and The shout' - shots of casualty craft.

Send your entries to: Photo Competition, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ by Friday 30 October 1998.

Entries should be in the form of a copy print, placed in a envelope with your name, address, phone number and the category you wish to enter.

This print will not be returned. The original negative or transparency will be required if the photograph is selected. For full terms and conditions of entry please contact the RNLI PR department on (01202) 663000.

New card deal To support the re-launch of the Lifeboats MasterCard, with no fee and an APR of only 19.9%, The Royal Bank is promising to double initial donations from £5 to £10 for the next 2,000 cards issued.

Also, the Royal Bank has announced its wish to use a large proportion of the funds raised over the last eighteen months to support the Crew training appeal, in particular the funding of a mobile training unit for three years.

Applying for a card is easy, you don't need to be an account holder with The Royal Bank of Scotland or an RNLI member. Full details can be found on page 41.

S i m ulated shouts at Sennen One of the most frequent requests to the RNLI's PR department is 'Can you arrange a trip on a lifeboat?' Sadly, the answer has to be 'no', since lifeboats are emergency vessels and need to be in constant readiness to launch.

But now there is an opportunity for everyone to experience a 'shout' with Sennen Cove lifeboats. The station's Mersey and D class have worked with Land's End in the making of 'Air Sea Rescue Alert1, a simulated rescue attraction.

Authentic in detail, this simulation is no mere fairground ride but an excellent way of allowing the public to experience at close hand what is involved in being a member of a lifeboat crew.

Sennen coxswain, Terry George, officially opened 'Air Sea Rescue Alert' in June (pictured above left) and in the audience for the 'premiere' were crew members.

coastguards and Royal Navy helicopter crew who star in it.

From the moment the doors open, there is a feeling of being inside an RNLI boathouse - even the crew's kit hangs in a locker. In the pre-show area, television screens show the lifeboat crew going about their every day jobs. Then, a fisherman is taken ill on board his small boat. He manages to alert the Coastguard before collapsing. The Coastguard alerts the lifeboat and helicopter crews, and they all drop what they are doing to race into action - the lifeboat station doors swing open, and the audience is invited to 'proceed to the boathouse'.

Once the audience is seated within the 50-seater 'lifeboat' capsule (pictured right), the doors of the boathouse swing open to reveal the sea and the slipway and the virtual lifeboat launches into the Atlantic.

All the right sounds and movements are there as the audience heads, with Terry and his crew, towards the casualty. Sennen's D class is keeping pace alongside and overhead, the RNAS Culdrose helicopter is making its way to the scene.

During the seven minute sequence, the audience is on scene as the fishing vessel is located and first-aid rendered to the fishermen. He is then strapped into a stretcher and winched on board the helicopter.

The closing sequence reminds the audience that the RNLI has saved another life, and appeals to them for support.

Land's End has been a great friend to the RNLI through the years. The Oakley lifeboat, James & Catherine, and a D class are already on display there, and RNLI collecting boxes alongside have been yielding around £7,000 a year.

Half a million visitors are expected to pass through Land's End this year, and with new collecting boxes lining the exit route from 'Air Sea Rescue Alert', the Land's End & John O'Groats Company is confident it will be boosting future donations considerably.

Land's End is open from 10am daily except Christmas Day. Sennen Cove lifeboat station is just a few miles away and is also open daily.

Jeremy Paxman eat your heart out! As part of the RNLI's programme to improve its coverage in the media, a new one day training course for station honorary press officers, station honorary secretaries and publicity officers from branches and guilds has been trialed this year.

In March Georgette Purches, deputy head of PR, invited volunteers from Avon, Somerset, Cornwall and Devon to two venues, to complete a one day workshop with media consultant Chris Kelly, a former journalist, news editor and owner of 2CR radio in Bournemouth.

In June, Chris and Georgette toured Scotland, inviting volunteers to three venues in Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow. A total of 72 people attended, with 32 being given intensive interview training.

Georgette says. 'Not only were the press and publicity officers given thorough and entertaining lectures on the tricks of the trade of putting out information, but they were then given tips on how to handle media enquiries - both friendly and hostile! They were then given practical interview training, with their efforts being recorded and replayed to the assembled company. Chris Kelly, although charming off camera and a far kindlier version of Jeremy Paxman, has learnt a great deal about the 'wrinkles' of the RNLI and did not pull his punches, giving the interviewees a very tough test. Although the participants found this nerve-racking, their performances were superb! I would have no qualms in putting any of them forward for interviews.

The training was organised to help volunteers understand the need for increased media coverage and how to achieve it.

The RNLI will not be able to compete for attention in the media unless its volunteers help - getting the attention of local journalists when a lifeboat launches, for instance, can only be done at a local level. This sort of publicity obviously has the knock-on effect of helping branches and guilds when they want to raise money, otherwise the public begin to say 'well what do you do?'. Lets face it, to most people, if it wasn't on the TV last night, it didn't happen! 'What does the future hold? The training is certainly a winner and discussions are now taking place about it future.

The first coxswain to take part, John Stewart from Campbeltown, told me that it was high time that coxswains, who often face the media, were given training. John himself, after training, which he completed most successfully, said that although he'd much rather be a sea in a gale, he felt much more confident about handling interviews.

Lifeboat Stations Open Day Thanks to all the crew members, shorehelpers, branches and guilds and supporters who helped make the RNLI's national lifeboat stations open day a success.

The event, held on Saturday 27 June, gave the public a special opportunity to visit most of Institution's 222 lifeboat stations throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, talk to the crews, look over the boats, and watch crew members put the lifeboats through their paces.

Arctic Cycle Challenge Completed Competitors who took part in the 1998 Artie Cycle Challenge have returned home safely from their gruelling cycle ride which started from Tromso in Norway and finished up in the northenmost part of Europe, Nordkapp.

Between 18 and 16 July the challengers covered over 450km of Arctic Highway, riding through stunning scenery in stages of some 90km a day and then camping out at night.

In spite of pouring rain, strong headwinds and worst of all, hordes of moquitoes, competitors enjoyed each other's company and felt a wonderful sense of achievement of eventually arriving at their destination.

The journey also included a visit to one of Norway's lifeboat stations which everyone found very interesting.

The object of the event was to raise money for the RNLI and all competitors had undertaken to raise at least £2,000 each. The total money raised so far is over £50,000, with more due in over the next few months.

One thing remains clear for all the participants, the Arctic Challenge 98 was a challenge - coming to terms with personal limitations in strength, endurance, character or personality and enabling lasting memories to those who came, who saw and who conquered..