Where is your hat?! I have been an RNLI Shoreline member for around 24 years.

I joined after chatting to a lifeboat crew member whilst on holiday in North Wales. He told me of an incident where a young boy had got into difficulty while in a small dinghy. The lifeboat was launched and the boy was brought back to safety. His mother was desperately waiting for his safe return and her first words to him were: 'Where is your hat?!' and she walked off without even thanking the crew. We decided that she was probably in a state of shock.

For a couple of years my wife and I did door-to-door collections for the Croydon fundraising guild, but now prefer to support by purchasing Lifeboat Lottery tickets and browsing around RNLI shops at various lifeboat stations around the country.

I must be one of many thousands who would like to be able to give more support to the RNLI as it is such a worthwhile cause. I feel that the RNLI does deserve my continued support for it is seen to be an active charity in providing a real service for those in need and I hope to be able to continue to support the RNLI for many years to come.

Peter Cibbs Croydon Surrey Shoreline Starting them young I am sending you this photo of my grandson Liam and the members of the Craster lifeboat hoping you can print it in the magazine, as Liam is a member of Storm Force (the RNLI's club for children). Liam's daddy, Ben, had a collection for charity at his place of work (Norwich Union) in York and raised £175 which was handed over to the RNLI treasurer at Craster whilst we were up there at Easter. I would [ike to say a big'thank you' to all at Craster for making us feel very welcome and for making a young boy feet very special.

Mr A Potter Aspull WiganMore Mull memories I was most interested to read Mrs McBeth's tetter in the summer 2004 edition of the Lifeboat.

In August 1997 my wife and I were on holiday on Mull and of course were aware from the local publicity of the special service rendered by the lifeboat regarding the birth of Mrs McBeth's granddaughter. Not only that, a day or two later, after a day out in Oban, we had the pleasure of being on the same ferry as mother and daughter returning to Mull, accompanied by a paramedic.

Happy memories.

Congratulations and ongoing thanks to all the RNLI's brave crews.

Richard Elliott By email All letters in the Lifeboat represent the personal opinions of the writer and do not reflect the views of the RNLI, nor are they endorsed by the RNLI in any way.

To contact the Lifeboat write to: The Editor.the Lifeboat, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ or email: [email protected] William lived on It was with great interest that I read MrTite's letter in the summer 2004 issue recounting his experiences on a lifeboat in the Second World War.

My late father-in-law, Wilbur M Muirhead, purchased the Sir William Hillary shortly after the war and fitted her out to a high standard as a family cruiser with a large and comfortable saloon, 10 berths and a new wheelhouse. He also fitted two Gardener diesel engines with a speed of 10-12 knots. She was re-named Isle of Cotonsay and was used by my father-in-law and his family for 30 years, sailing around the west coast of Scotland with the occasional trip to Ireland and Wales.

The boat was sold to a Mr J Sim in 1976, who in turn sold her in 1984 to another party unknown to me. The new owners decided to take the Isle of Cotonsay to the Mediterranean and whilst doing so went to the rescue of another boat in the Bay of Biscay and towed it to Lisbon. After leaving Lisbon, the Isle of Cotonsay was struck in darkness by a large tanker. No lives were lost but she sank off Cape St Vincent never to be seen again.

Recently I had a holiday in Northumberland. I saw a young girl and her father walking towards the Grace Darling Museum. The man said to his daughter: 'We are going to visit the Grace Darling Museum.' The little girt said: 'Daddy, what is a grey starling?' Her father explained what he had said. I had to smile.

Miss Hilary Fowler Hulla A piece of heaven In 1995 I bought a disused RNLI boathouse at Greencastle, Co. Donegal, on the shore of Lough Foyle. It had last been used by the RNLI in 1928 and had since been a store for cattle fodder and farm machinery.

Disregarding the negative comments of some of my family, who predicted that it would have no proper foundations and would be riddled with woodworm and damp, I went ahead and bought what was just four walls and a roof. A survey showed that all was well. I drew a sketch of a possible internal layout and was fortunate to know an architect who drew up a plan that, while reflecting my ideas, retained wherever possible the original features of the building. These included the high ceiling, the pine rafters, the original-sized door and all the original-sized windows.

There followed a search for a builder. Again I was lucky: in less than six months, on 23 December, he had finished the work and on the 24th I descended with mops, buckets, dusters and polish.

With the help of family and some donations of furniture we were able to have our Christmas dinner there on the 25th. We had no curtains on the windows but we did not care - neither did the seabirds or the seals, then our only neighbours.

It has been hard work but is now what many have called 'a little piece of heaven'. There is an air of peace and calm within the house on which all who have visited have remarked. I feel this is like a scent, almost sacred, of the dedication of the many generous and courageous men who gave their time in the service of those in danger.

Margaret Duffy 11 Greencastle, Co; Don Republic of Ireland.