Steadfast indeed I hope my comments will not throw your administration into a whirl, but being an ex-member of the Boys' Brigade and a Governor of the RNLI for many years, I was surprised to see in the latest Lifeboat that the new Boys' Brigade lifeboat has been named Sure and Steadfast, when traditionally it is 'Sure and Stedfast'. If that has been changed, I apologise but I think the Boys' Brigade should have picked it up.

On a different tack, I recount the incident that held me in awe of RNLI crew members and the reason for my lifelong support.

During 1954-5 I was serving aboard HMS Romola, an ocean-going minesweeper. We called in at Harwich, after three months at sea, and tied up at a buoy in the harbour. Half the ship's company had already gone ashore when the ship received a signal to proceed immediately to the South Goodwin Sands. The South Goodwin Lightship had been swept from her moorings, so we stood by to assist the rescue craft in the attempts to recover her crew.

I came off watch at 0800 and went up on deck just as a lifeboat - presumably Dover - came alongside and the coxswain said: 'My God, you haven't been out here all night in that have you?' He meant our 900-ton Naval ship. Of course, he too had been out all night in his lifeboat. What confidence he had in his boat! How can one fail to admire the courage and spirit of RNLI crews? More power to your elbow.

Mr KLC Miller Abbey mead, Gloucester Editor's reply: This was not the only query on this subject. We checked with the Boys'Brigade and, sure enough, their motto has been updated to reflect the modern spelling.On a recent trip to the Orkney Islands, my wife and I visited Longhope on Hoy.

Looking across the windswept bay, I was instantly transported back to the summer of 1964 when I had a university holiday job with the Ordnance Survey and was staying in digs in Longhope for a few days. While we were there, a film was made depicting one of the many rescues carried out by the crew of theflat calm that day, the lifeboat was racing back and forth to make the sea look choppy. Through our binoculars we could see a further touch of authenticity being added as someone threw buckets of water over the lifeboatmen as they worked on deck.

As I stood there, nearly 40 years later, I clearly remembered everyone laughing at the antics on the lifeboat.

We were not to know that a few short months later, that same brave crew would perish in yet another rescue attempt. The waters around the Pentland Firth are some of the most dangerous in the world, but when sailors were in danger, the lifeboat went out.

Jack Orr Ellon, AberdeenshireCollectors please! 'Britannia OVfatcR Limited HUM M K t f cS (It 4)1 PICTURES r* HnrM: .NU MATVII I.IMIII n HRl'INMdVhl M.

OHPIMCTON 71056113997 |S Royal National Lifeboat Institution 1st series no. 7 The Govelly lifeboat is a 70 fl Clyde class, the largest type of Itfeboat in the R. N. L. I. Fleet. There are only two ofihese lifeboats in operation, the other one being at Kirkwall in the Orkneys.

The R.N.LI, b supported eniircly hy voluntary coniributkms.

A donation from the safe of this box iMnadeia LI ik-adqudrter.. Poole. Dorset.

In addition to being an RNLI supporter, I am a phillumenist - a collector of matchbox labels. Some years ago the Britannia Match Company produced a series of matchboxes illustrating lifeboats, crews and stations.

These were manufactured in West Germany and Belgium with average contents of 40 and 45 matches. I am trying to complete the sets and would like to ask if, through the Lifeboat, readers and supporters can help me in my quest.

Mr GJ Corps, Withington, Manchester Editor's note: If any reader can help Mr Corps, please write c/o the Lifeboat__Solihull-by-the- On receiving my autumn issue of the Lifeboat, I thought to myself: 'I can never remember having read anything about the Walmer lifeboat', so I was absolutely delighted to see the article about the three-man crew who rescued two yachtsmen.

My grandfather was a member when oars were a means of propulsion. In my teens in the 1930s I helped launch the lifeboat by putting greased planks under the hull. In those days there were three stations: Deal, Kingsdown and Watmer. Deal and Kingsdown were dispensed with and my father's brother, Joe Mercer, followed a Mr Pearson as coxswain. I also believe another brother, Dick, was also a member.

I now live in Solihull, which is as far from the sea as you can get in England, but my memories of living only a short distance from the lifeboat station can never be erased.

Fred Mercer {of Fred Mercer Orchestras) Solihull, West Midlands Walmer lifeboat with modern-day launching equipmentTower comes top Reading the autumn 2003 edition of the Lifeboat, I am amazed to see how many shouts there have been for the River Thames stations and, in particular, Tower. I can't help wondering how so many people manage to get themselves into difficulties: do they fall in off boats or from the embankment? I would find it very interesting if you could at some time include an article on this subject, which goes to prove how very important this new branch of the RNLI is proving to be.

Whilst writing I would like to say that I find the magazine extremely interesting and read it from cover to cover.

S Harding Brixham, Devon Editor's reply: Look out for just such an article in a future issue and meanwhile see the centre Listings section for details of shouts in the last quarter too. The tetter on page 20 may also be of interest...Seaham-the personal side The autumn 2003 edition of the Lifeboat included a mention of the commemoration of the lifeboat George Elmy, whose crew were lost off the coast of County Durham with five local fishermen in 1962.

In response, we had a call from a Mrs Matthews, the daughter of Oliver Smith, who was joint owner of a fishing boat with the father of sole survivor Donald 'Donny' Burrell.

She told us that her father was a coal miner but, like many others in the community, was also a part-time fisherman.

Mrs Matthews remembers going out in her and Donny's fathers' boat frequently as a child, from as young as two or three years old, wrapped up warmly and placed in a sheltered position in the bow.

As she got older, she quickly learnt that the harbour entrance was particularly difficult to negotiate if ever conditions at sea were unfavourable. On the odd occasion when sea and weather caught them out, local fishermen would choose instead the easier approach into the next town further down the coast, and take the bus home from there. She remembers they relied heavily on advice from the Coastguard as to whether it was safe enough to go out to sea and kept them informed of boat movements - much in the spirit of the RNLI's fish safely campaign today (see page 13).

Having been born and bred in Seaham, our member met her husband in the RAF during the Second World War and moved southwards to join him at Letchworth.

In 1962 they were both shocked to see the news of the loss of life at Seaharn when it was reported on national television.

Mrs Matthews was upset to discover that she knew all of the lifeboat crew and fishermen who had died from her schooldays.

Indeed, everyone in the small town would have known someone lost that night.

Her father saw the lifeboat capsize from the quayside and ran to where he guessed she would be washed in. It was there that he found that his friend's son Donny was the sole survivor.

This sad history has contributed to Mrs Matthews' lifelong commitment to the RNLI. We wish her many more years of reading the Lifeboat.

EditorAirlift from Abigail Two of us were making a passage to deliver our recently purchased yacht Abigail from Gillingham to her new home in Chichester in late June 2003. We were sailing in uncomfortable seas, against the wind and, after eight hours' sailing, the tide had just turned against us, in a sea area we didn't know, in the dark and rain. We had the notorious Margate sands to our starboard and the big shipping and Thames estuary to our port side. From the charts we knew we couldn't sail any closer to the land and our first port of call was to be Ramsgate, a further two hours away.

I had unfortunately been vomiting for the previous few hours. After one session I got a pain in my chest and felt dizzy and faint. I took an aspirin but the pain got stronger and I started to pass out.

We placed a VHP pan medico call with Dover Coastguard, who patched us through to a medical guy. The Coastguard decided that the best course of action would be to scramble the helicopter and Margate lifeboat and get me to the coronary care ward at Margate hospital.

After being administered various drugs and oxygen by the paramedic, I was expertly winched off the stern of the yacht. The oxygen woke me enough to see that my pulse was racing at over 180 beats per minute, my blood pressure was low, but the good news was I had not suffered a heart attack, I was diagnosed as having atrial fibrillation, possibly brought about by the retching (apparently the stomach muscles and heart can affect each other).

I must admit I felt a bit of a fraud at the time: the lifeboat and helicopter should only be used in emergencies, for people in imminent danger of losing their life. Surely I wasn't that ill? However, the medical staff told me that the decision to get me to hospital was absolutely correct. Without immediate, effective treatment, my condition would have been more serious.

Three days later I was discharged.

In 20 years of part-time sailing, although I have seen the Solent helicopter fly over a few times, I have never seen a real live rescue. I never, ever thought that I would be involved in one, particularly as the casualty.

So, I offer my sincere thanks to all that responded to the VHP call. I understand that the helicopter crewman that administered the initial medical aid may have injured himself when he was landed on the lifeboat. I hope that he is fine now. Also the lifeboatman who was seasick during the crossing of the sandbanks en route to Margate. Everybody was very professional and a credit to the service. On behalf of all sailors, the majority of whom will never require the RNLI's aid, may I say that if things go horribly wrong and we can't save ourselves, then knowing there is someone there who can and will is something that we really appreciate.Improving reception Congratulations on the excellent 'Quality training' article in the autumn 2003 edition. How different from the day in the 1970s when a collection of coxswains and divisional inspectors attended the RNR Training Centre in South Wales for the first VHP radio course - pre-cursor to the VHP mobile training units - under the tutelage of the late Lieutenant Commander Peter Fulton and Lieutenant Commander {now Commodore) George Cooper.

I recall that we listened, with some amusement and embarrassment, to a taped fictional example of blatantly poor radio procedure, the simulated background 'static' having been provided by Mrs Cooper's vacuum cleaner. During the subsequent exercises, anyone trying to score points with his knowledge was brought down to size by Peter injecting 'faults' into the pupil's radio and being told to carry on with the scenario.

The concept was far sighted, although some of us were sceptical that lifeboatmen would take to formal training. Thankfully, we were so very wrong! Mike Pennell Chief Staff Officer {long retired) Truro, Cornwall_J"humbing a lif I have always been a supporter of the RNLI in general and at Exmouth in particular. I really enjoy 'doing my bit' when I can. However, little did I think that I would ever become one of your 'clients'.

At approximately 4.30pm on Wednesday, 15 October 2003 I fell into the water whilst I changed [water] taxis. I knew I was in trouble as I don't swim very well and the tide was running fairly strongly. After failing to get to the Warren, I fetched up at the Sara jane's moorings and held on tight. I shouted for a long time, not knowing whether I had been heard. I looked at my watch at 5.10pm and wondered if I could, or should, keep hanging on. Soon after I saw the most wonderful sight in the world: that lovely orange D class inshore lifeboat coming my way! My grateful thanks to launcher Pete Thomas and a very special thanks to crew members Carey, Karl and Roy.

Eddie Treeby Exmouth, Devon &Thames RNLI to the rescue Having been a Governor for many years I never thought I would have to call on the RNLI. When we did need a lifeboat it was where we least expected.

We'd just bought a boat from Penton Hook {a Tremlett 46 Offshore), and now had to bring her down the Thames and home to Ramsgate. All went well to begin with: the boat behaved impeccably and we went through all the locks without a problem. We had done all our height calculations and planned to arrive in Hammersmith in daylight. Unfortunately Richmond lock was broken and we waited 17.- hours for the weir.so now we were in the dark.

Then came Hammersmith bridge, the one we were most worried about getting under. Having had our calculations wrecked by the hold up at Richmond we approached gingerly and passed with about 18 inches of air space.

Then it happened: the port engine stalled. I started it again, put it in reverse to clear whatever it was, but it stalled again.

'No matter,' we thought, 'we'll continue on one.' No chance! Whatever we had picked up was acting like a rudder and we had no steerage, even with the bow thruster.

I dialled 999 and was put through to the central Coastguard control in Inverness. The lifeboat was with us within 5 minutes! It was one of the new Thames jet boats. They came alongside, put a short tow on us and took us down to Chelsea Harbour Pier, where they dropped us off. The Coastguard called us back to ensure we were OK. What service! Next day a friend came down, with snorkel and mask, and at slack water went under and within 15 minutes had unravelled a barge hawser, which had knotted itself around the propeller.

So a big 'thank you!' to the Thames RNLI service. After 14 years of Hazel and I as Governors with both children Storm Force members too, I never expected to cash in on the membership! Dom Watson Ramsgate, by email.