RNLI

As an occasional sailor Fantasy Bob approves wholeheartedly the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He is very relieved never to have been in the position of calling for its services while at sea, but he has heard he radio traffic of the lifeboat being summoned.  High drama.

Founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the charity now operates from 235 stations around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. In 2009 RNLI lifeboats launched 9,223 times and rescued an average of 22 people a day from the perils of the deep. It is funded exclusively through donations and legacies and all its crews are volunteers.  Long may it continue to prosper.

FB is therefore well pleased that the executive authorities at go ahead cricket club Carlton have decided to install a lifeboat station at their Grange Loan Headquarters. A spokesman for the club's prestigious future planning committee told FB.

A practice run at Grange Loan -
 on the way to help deep fine leg

'The ground has been underwater for most of the year. There is a real risk that fielders could get in trouble in deeper water as the currents can be unpredictable, particularly when FB is bowling. It is better to be safe than sorry.'

RNLI station 236 will be placed at the bottom end of the ground adjacent to the nets.The club will also be taking the imaginative step of replacing its current stock of plastic flags with a series of life belt stations to mark the boundary.

Sponsors will be approached to assist the funding of these essential initiatives.