For the enthusiast Lifeboats and Lifeboat Stations in the United Kingdom and Ireland ISBN 0902792 156 by Nicholas Leach Published by The Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society at £4.50 Nicholas Leach has prepared a most useful volume for the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society, adding to the late Grahame Farr's earlier works to produce a comprehensive guide not only to the Official Numbersof lifeboats backto 1884 but also adding a list of lifeboat stations and a list of ex-lifeboats and their later history so far as it is known.

Altogether an excellent reference book - with a great cast, even if the plot is a little thin! Available from Tony Denton, Dawn, Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury SY4 4AA. Cheques payable to RNLI Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society.

For the yachtsman Marinecall Met Book Plus year 2000 Tide Tables Published by Marine call • free! We had already decided that this was a most useful little publication, even before discovering that it was free, compliments of Marinecall - providers of phone and fax weather forecasts.

This pocket-size, 112-page booklet contains a very valuable guide to the basics of the weather (depressions, land and sea breezes and so on) together with sources of telephone forecasts and set of tide tables for five major ports.

As a paid-for booklet we'd recommend this volume - as a freebie we reckon you'd better phone Marinecall on (08705) 800 220 as soon as possible and hope they have some left! General IWAVtirofCtMntna 175 i etirt.

1999 A Year of Celebration Published by the RNLI at £8 inc P&P 1999 wasa momentousyearforeveryone involved with the RNLI as they celebrated 175 years of saving life at sea. This video, produced in-house by the Institution, makes a fine memento of the many events which took place.

Here you will find a boat-by-boat look at the participants in the spectacular flotilla w in June; a record of the re-enactment of the overland launch at Whitby; the Royal Tournament participation and many other events during the year.

Copies are available at £8 (including P&P) from The Video Factory, Grove House, Milburn Road, Bournemouth BH4 9HJ. Please make cheques payable to 'RNLI (Enterprises) Ltd'.