Mayor of Poole picks the winners Councillor Bill Wratham, the Mayor of Poole, (pictured left with David Brann, RNLI Marketing Manager) dropped by RNLI Headquarters in April to draw the winning tickets of the 89th national lifeboat lottery.

The draw raised nearly £238,000 in ticket sales and first prize - a trip for two to New England, USA plus £500 spending money - was won by Mr S J Burgess of Cambridge.

The cash prize winners were: • £1,000 - Miss J Atkin, Anglesey •£500-Mr&MrsJFKnopp, BFP012 • £250 - Mr G P Craig, Canterbury • £100 - T Bromley, Templecombe; Mrs J Wellington, Scarborough; Miss J Atkin, Anglesey; P Newman, Clifton; Ms A Finn, Canterbury Model lifeboatrnan Across the waves Tynemouth crew member, John Martin, recently unveiled a hidden talent when he posed as a model, alongside his wife Janet, for the new Royal Quays Marina Yearbook.

John and Janet (left), who are both keen sailors, took part in the photoshoot and, in the process, helped to raise funds for the Tynemouth Lifeboat Appeal Fund.

'We did it as a favour really, but we were really pleased when the marina said that it would give a donation to the lifeboat appeal fund,' said John. ' We really enjoyed taking part, but I don't think either of us will be taking up modelling as a career. Personally, I'm much happier on the lifeboat!' Tribute to Thurso heroes The people of Caithness paid tribute to the Thurso lifeboat crew at a civic reception in January in the Pentland hotel, Thurso.

Coxswain Farquhar and his crew were honoured for saving the skipper of the burning chemical tanker Multitank Ascania and for preventing an ecological disaster in the Pentland Firth.

At the civic reception there were representatives from all the emergency services, council employees, who manned the emergency control rooms during the incident, and local voluntary groups such as the WRVS.

Following a splendid four course meal, guests were shown video footage of the rescue and Convener of Caithness, Councillor John Rosie, gave a speech and presented Coxswain Farquhar with a framed certificate.

A Frenchman found a surprise from the RNLI in his garden-a 175th anniversary balloon that had blown across the sea to Brittany. Joseph Lanoe, a radio amateur from the seaside town of Erquy, took the trouble to contact a British radio ham for the Institution's address and wrote with a report of his discovery.

Frances Aldridge, public relations campaigns manager, replied that they had received several calls from people in the UK and Ireland who had found balloons but his was the first reported overseas landing.

n The following lifeboats have taken up duty: ALL WEATHER Relief fleet - Trent 14-29 (ON 1245) Inner Wheel on 3 April 2000 INSHORE Atlantic College - B763 Colin James Daniel on 1 March 2000.