Anniversaries are big news this year! It's the Diamond Jubilee of our Patron, a century since the Titanic sank (page 48) and the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, a passionate supporter of the RNLI.

I'm writing 160 years after the very first issue of the Lifeboat magazine, or the Journal of the Society for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck as it was in 1852.

Today we continue our tradition of reporting innovation in lifesaving, whether that's lifeboat design (page 5), international development (8), crew kit (30) or casualty care (39). And we celebrate that timeless quality gallantry, with news of Medals and Vellums (page 2) and our showcase of the work of our volunteers around our coasts and waterways (14–23). To paraphrase comedian Jo Brand (36), I can't say enough good things about them!

Liz Cook, Editor