tHen AnD nOw Capital gains In 1927, London ‘life-boat’ day was a huge operation, supported by the Lord Mayor of London and many of the borough mayors. Four thousand collectors, mainly women, worked from 150 temporary depots.

Lifeboats were stationed at Southwark Town Hall, and in Lambeth and Finchley, in an attempt to bring the coast to the streets of London and provide prominent landmarks for collectors.

In a fascinating account of the day, the Life-boat journal tells of: ‘a collector in Central London, who was most touched to see an apparently homeless old man come up to put a penny in her box, and it was with the greatest pleasure that she fastened a paper Life-boat in his tattered coat.’ Another was shocked to receive more from a chauffeur than from the lady whose Rolls he was driving! Generous-spirited Londoners and hardworking collectors combined to raise over £4,300. Today, the RNLI is even more visible to residents of, and visitors to, the capital. Four lifeboat stations are located on the tidal stretches of the River Thames and one, Tower, is the busiest of all 232 RNLI stations.

Its new home at Lifeboat Pier on the Embankment has certainly raised public awareness.

London lifeboat day remains an important activity for the RNLI, as Regional Manager for London Stuart Willson points out: ‘London lifeboat day is the biggest single collection for the RNLI. This May, we had 1,900 collectors.’ Volunteers were to be seen at all major train stations in time to catch early morning commuters (raising £33,000) and at other key sites in the metropolis throughout the day. Stuart continues: ‘We don’t yet know the total for the whole of London lifeboat week but are hoping we can beat last year’s total of £240,000.’ .