Birthday Honours The following have been honoured by Her Majesty The Queen in the recent Birthday Honours: For services to the RNLI QBE Dr Bill Guild - Life Vice President of the Committee of Management and an Honorary Life Governor (former member of the Medical and Survial Committee) MBE David Dodd - Hoylake lifeboat coxswain Tony Hawkins - Dover lifeboat coxswain/ assistant mechanic Philip Missen - Porthcawl lifeboat crew member Other awards Knight Bachelor Alderman Richard Nichols - The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London for service to the City of London (ex-officio member of the Committee of Management) DCB Valerie Strachan - Chairman, HM Board of Customs and Excise (member of the Committee of Management and the Establishment Committee) KCE Andrew Turnbull - Permanent Secretary, Department of the Environment. Transport and Regions Eric Shawyer - Chairman, The Baltic Exchange for service to the shipping industry (ex-officio member of the Committee of Management) MBE Dr Tony Tricket - General Medical Practitioner for services to medicine and the community in Orkney (Longhope station honorary secretary) On Statioi The following lifeboats have taken up duty: ALL WEATHER Port St Mary - Trent 14-26 (ON 1234) Gough Ritchie I'I on 21 May 1998 Barra Island - Severn 17-12 (ON1230) Edna Windsor on 13 June Tobermory - Arun 52-41 (ON1143) Ann Lewis Fraseron 5 July INSHORE Clovelly-Atlantic 21 B531 on 14 May 1998 (temporary station duty) Weymouth - Atlantic 75 B746 Phyl Clare 3 on 18 May Clifden-D525on 19 May Selsey - D533 on 26 May Moelfre - D532 on 10 June Penarth - D534 on 22 June Skerries - Atlantic 75 B747 on 22 June Weston-Super-Mare - D537 on 20 July Aberdeen - D536 on 22 July Newbiggin - B745 on 5 August Lifeboat catches a Mermaid! Exmouth lifeboat station caught the attention of a Westcountry Television cameraman when they landed a mermaid on lifeboat station open day.

Me-Shell (otherwise known as hairdresser Michelle Conneeley) sportily posed on Coxswain Keith Graham's lap for this memorable photocall on the Exmouth Trent, Forward Birmingham.

Dressed in thigh-length wig and cling-film fish garb, Me-Shell certainly grabbed the attention of the crowds on the dockside as she sang 'Sailor' and several other nautical songs from the lifeboat deck.

Picked by the Captain In July Commandant Dheret, Captain of the Barfleur, drew the winning tickets of the RNLI's 82nd lifeboat lottery from the Brittany Ferry dockside in Poole.

Mr A. McFarlane of Perth won first prize - a fantastic French gite holiday including ferry crossings and spending money, which was generously donated by Brittany Ferries.

This lottery raised £199,720 and the cash prize winners were: £1,000- Miss J. M.

Cooper, London £500-Mrs J.

Grippin, East Molesey £250-Mr M.

Ginesi, Brighton £100 - Mr W. Dempster, Shetland Islands; Mr L. Cory, Basingstoke; Mr F. Telfer, Wokington; Miss C. Fogg, Bolton; Mrs Y. Turner, Colchester.

Sheerness bless During the Summer, a wedding blessing was held for the first time aboard the Sheerness lifeboat, George and Ivy Swanson.

Second emergency mechanic, Eamonn French and his wife Jill, together with friends and family, gathered for the blessing following their 'civil' wedding. But as the ceremony began the unthinkable happened - the crew pagers bleeped and it was action stations! Luckily it was a call for the inshore lifeboat to go to the aid of a speedboat and, after a breath of relief, the ceremony went without a hitch.

Later the happy couple held a reception at their home but the bleepers went off again and the groom and other crew members present, had to race back to the station.

Obituaries With regret we report the following deaths: Jan 1998 Howard Williams. Cardigan helmsman and mechanic from 1979 until his death.

Feb 1998 Vernon Evans, Cardigan helmsman from 1971 to 1986, station honorary secretary from 1986 to 1991 and DLAfrom 1991 to 1998. He was also chairman of the station management committee from 1996 until his death. Vernon has been previously awarded Thanks on Vellum twice and the silver statuette.

March 1998 lolene Foxley MBE. Elected chairman in 1975 of the then Edgbaston and Harbourne ladies guild and remained an active committee member up to her death. In 1993 she was awarded with a certificate in recognition for her work.

April 1998 Bob Vowles, St Peter Port lifeboat station mechanic. He also served at the station as assistant mechanic and a crew member May 1998 Frank Hayes, full time mechanic of Poole lifeboat. He became assistant mechanic in 1946 with promotion to part time mechanic in 1952 and was full time between 1962 and 1974. Frank was previously awarded a certificate of service and letter of thanks.

Mrs Ann Banner MBE, founder chairman of Billingham ladies guild.

Appointed chairman in 1980, she took over the dual role of chairman/treasurer in 1990. When the guild closed in 1996 Mrs Banner supported the Tees Endeavour branch.

June 1998 Mr R. M. Addison QBE, RNLI Life Vice President. Mr Addison joined the Committee of Management m 1983 and was appointed a vice president in 1996 and life vice president in 1997. In addition, he also served on the Fundraising Committee from 1971 to 1988 Mrs B. Yager, president of Scunthorpe ladies guild. Mrs Yager supported the RNLI for many years prior to be made president of the guild in 1975. She was awarded the silver badge in 1997.

July 1998 Peter Squires, chairman of Christchurch branch. He was founder member of the branch in 1975 and during the past 23 years has held most offices within it. He retired in May 1997 due to ill health but still remained a member and gave help and support up until his death.

Mrs Anne Harrison. For ten years she organised the team of collectors in St Mary's Bay. Kent. In 1969 she was awarded the silver statuette.

Lt Cdr Reg Coombe RN (RTD), Hayle branch's first chairman when it was reformed in 1972. He continued as chairman for 10 years until retirement in 1982.

Mrs Jenny Taylor, chairman of St Agnes guild. She joined the committee in 1988, becoming vice chairman in 1990 and chairman in 1992..