‘HER MAJESTY ENJOYED A VERY HAPPY DAY’
Our article on Her Majesty The Queen’s relationship with the RNLI stirred a few memories – here’s just one of them …
In 1992, whilst serving with the Thames Valley Police, I had the enviable task of being the secretary of the National Offshore Sailing Championships, in which 20 Forces competed in that week’s event. The flotilla started and finished in the Hamble with races to Cherbourg and along the south coast. At the conclusion, the formal race dinner was held at the Hampshire Police HQ during which monies were raised and donated to the RNLI. This occasion coincided with the separate National Police Lifeboat Appeal which aimed to raise the sum £250,000. The appeal was highly successful and resulted in the acquisition of a Mersey class lifeboat gifted from the Police Service to the RNLI. In fact the target was not only reached, but culminated in a cheque being presented in excess of £300,000! Her Majesty the Queen in 1993 was celebrating her 40th anniversary of Accession to the Throne and she consented that the lifeboat be named after herself.
Photo: RNLI/Nigel Millard
On 16 July 1993 the official Naming Ceremony and Service of Dedication of the lifeboat took place at Ramsgate Harbour, in the presence of Her Majesty accompanied by His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. It was a memorable occasion and Her Majesty enjoyed a very happy day in Kent.
John Hayward, Detective Inspector (Rtd)

‘TORBAY LIFEBOAT AT REST’

Our Summer edition’s Give it a Go piece encouraged readers to try their hand at coastal photography – and this is one of the excellent snaps sent our way Torbay lifeboat at rest in Brixham harbour on glorious day this year. New pontoon access will make getting out on a shout more efficient than days gone by. We used to get shouted at for swinging off the looped ropes on the sides of the lifeboat as we swam in the harbour back in the mid 60s! Quite right too – we really would have been in the way if the maroons went up. Rosemary Springfield Lambert (nee Young)

'THERE WASN'T A DRY EYE'

Did you see Saving Lives at Sea – the BBC1 documentary following our lifeboat volunteers? Many supporters took to Facebook and Twitter to praise the show …

YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS
Great show. I donate to RNLI every year. Thank goodness for people like yourselves.. You all deserve a medal. May you stay safe at sea.
Sarah Emery

Just watching Ep4 of Saving Lives at Sea. All these volunteers are amazing people. They may not see themselves as someone special but they should know the public know they are.
Thank you.
David Neve

Another brilliant programme, the little girl stuck in the rocks! Wasn't she so brave and calm? Well done to the lad on his first shout. Bless you all.. Thank you.
Ruth Richardson

After watching tonight programme, there wasn't a dry eye in my household. Thinking differently about what the RNLI do. Thank you, stay safe.
Alan Brown

YOUR TWEETS
No idea there was an RNLI station on the Thames until I saw #SavingLivesAtSea - such an eclectic mix of people :)
@KerryHowells

15 mins left of #SavingLivesAtSea and we get called to a male wrong side railings Blackfriars Bridge
@TowerRNLI

Shout out to all the wives, husbands & partners of the @RNLI crew. We often forget about the ones sat at home worrying. #SavingLivesAtSea
@MattRnli9

In France at the moment, thank God for catch up TV, would hate to miss @BBCOne tonight 9pm #SavingLivesAtSea @RNLI
@Rick_Stein
Watching the #SavingLivesAtSea @RNLI documentary with my dad, a pager goes off on the TV and my dad jumps up thinking

‘WHY WERE THEY PUT ON THE STORM GLASS?’
Last issue we shared an enquiry from Lewis Hobbs – what was the marking on his storm glass (pictured)?

You should be inundated with responses to the question given our maritime heritage. I hope this from the Chairman is the first. The symbols together ARE the Plimsoll line marks. They represent the maximum safe loading lines dependent on variable factors such as the salinity of the water. There are fuller definitions and pictures online. The more difficult question is why were they put on a storm glass other than for simple decoration? Charles Hunter-Pease Lifeboat Issue 616 contained an item in ‘Special Delivery’ about markings on a stormglass. The circle with line through it is the actual Plimsoll mark, with the line indicating the sea/water
level when the vessel is loaded to its normal state, in normal sea states. The ‘gridiron’ marking on the right is the load level for different sea states. The top line (ie the ship’s deck is low in the water) represents the loading level for ships in calm, inland waters such as rivers or lakes. The bottom mark (ie the ship’s deck is high out of the water) represents the loading level for winter, oceanic seas. The mark is named after Samuel Plimsoll who campaigned in the 1870s to prevent the loss of ships through overloading. I presume that the markings on the stormglass were simply an indication that the stormglass was designed to be used on a boat.
Mike Den, Andover