LIFEBOAT MEMORIES: IT was clearly a great disappointment to the crew and supporters of the Teesmouth lifeboat when told of the station's closure.

A recent picture of the station and the boat brought back memories. In the late Seventies, I was director of the three shipyards of Fairey Marine, near Southampton, and on the Isle of Wight. The RNLI approached us to advise on a proposed new design of fast slip lifeboat.

All stations with a slipway had been surveyed and the weakest could carry no more than a 25-ton boat, but they wanted a faster boat, at 18 knots. There was no money to alter the station buildings so it had to fit the existing doors. Hence the oddly squat profile.

The hull-makers could not guarantee the weight of a glass reinforced plastic build and the RNLI was not ready for aluminium. A little to their surprise we recommended a steel hull - and she came in at just under 25 tons.

Named the Tyne Class, the early ones have had 25 years' service. There are not many craft afloat that have as hard a life or get as well maintained as lifeboats, but they do age.

The Teesmouth loss is sad for the crews, but they step aside with the admiration and thanks of everybody. - Ian Sutherland, Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire.

UKIP'S COMING

WARM thanks to the 237 voters of Rossmere ward who gave me their support on May 4 in the Hartlepool Borough Council elections - a very credible 20 per cent of the (very low) poll of 1,208.

Collectively, in the ten Hartlepool wards that UKIP contested, our candidates recorded 2,311 votes, an overall percentage of 18 per cent of the 12,866 votes cast in those ten wards.

I must also thank my rivals for the professional, courteous and honest manner in which they conducted the campaign.

Congratulations go to Shaun Cook, the successful Labour candidate. Rest assured, I will be monitoring his every move to ensure he serves the interests of Rossmere residents over and above the Labour Party.

The evening of May 4 was capped by the election of my colleague, Stephen Allison, in St Hilda ward - the first UKIP councillor in Hartlepool (and indeed in the North-East). The first of many I confidently predict.

Stephen's previous experience as an Independent councillor, together with his strength of principle, patriotism and belief in real democracy will, I'm sure, disturb the cosy, but often wasteful, meaningless and often constitutionally dangerous world the "old gang" of politicians currently enjoy. - Dave Pascoe, Press Secretary, Hartlepool Branch, UK Independence Party.

HYPOCRITICAL VIEW

TORY Jim Tague (HAS, May 9) continues his attacks on me and Councillor Olive Brown for standing up for our beliefs. As elected members of the EU Committee of the Regions, we will continue to be "completely independent" in our views while seeking the best interests of the region as North-East representatives.

I applaud Coun Brown's initiative in bringing EU officials to the region to see what is needed here. Where better to host them than in one of Bishop Auckland's finest jewels, the Bishop's Palace?

Mr Tague is a hypocrite. He attacks Labour and LibDem representatives on EU bodies, but says nothing about his Tory colleagues who also have expenses paid by the EU.

He exaggerates the cost of EU membership - one per cent of our GNP, a penny in the pound, most of which we get back. Many North-East developments depend on EU funding.

As long as we remain in the EU, it makes sense for us to maximise the benefits to the region. In recent elections, 80 to 90 per cent of people have voted for parties committed to us remaining in the EU, including the Tories.

Perhaps Mr Tague would be better off in UKIP - at least they are honest in campaigning for us to leave the EU. - Councillor Chris Foote Wood, North-East LibDem member, EU Committee of the Regions.

CHECK THEM OUT

THE Territorial Army is undertaking a recruiting campaign which runs until June 3.

There has long been a need for the country to depend on the availability of highly-trained reservists to meet part of the challenge posed by the uncertain security environment in which we live. This is as applicable to operations overseas as it is to meeting any incident at home.

Over the years, the North-East has been represented with distinction by many of its members serving in locally-based TA units. They have brought many skills that have proved invaluable to their regular counterparts.

In turn, they too have learnt from the training and experience military service has afforded. This has not only benefited them as individuals but, just as importantly, their employers too.

During the campaign, the TA will be seen in towns and villages across the region, culminating in TA Day, on Saturday, June 3. I would urge everyone to use the opportunity of learning more about our reservists.

For some, it will only be of interest, but for others this could be the chance to join an exceptional group of volunteers and "Be the Best". - Colonel J P P Anderson, Chairman, Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for the North of England.

RESHUFFLE IDEAS

WE do not need a cabinet reshuffle primarily. What we do need is a reshuffle of ideas and morals, which I don't think we will get from Labour.

They have sought office without being ready to take responsibility - only really interested in the money/perks that go with the jobs, all the while forgetting that they owe a debt to those less fortunate than themselves who, incidentally, put them in power.

It is because the Labour elite have abdicated in this selfish way and turned their backs on the real people of Britain that so many of the less fortunate in society have turned to the BNP for help. - Joan McTigue, Independent Councillor, Middlesbrough.

NOTEWORTHY BAND

IN your reports of the reopening of South Park, Darlington, (Echo, May 5 and 8) there was no mention of the Durham County Big Band who played twice on Sunday.

The band members are pupils from schools and colleges in the area who put in a lot of hard work in their spare time. This was apparent in the excellent performance they gave on Sunday. I'm sure they would all like to know their hard work is appreciated. - M and J Green, Darlington.

EU PRINCIPLES

THE so-called EU principles set out by Councillor Chris Foote Wood (HAS, May 5) are all very fine and upstanding.

But can he tell us of any country within the EU which actually recognises, accepts and practices any one of them in the spirit in which they are intended unless it suits their own ends? - J Routledge, Witton Gilbert, Durham.

WHY SO MANY?

DO we need so many civil servants to run our country? The cost of their high overheads, expenses, perks and pensions could be saved to benefit people. Cutting out all the red tape which is not needed would also help to keep costs down for taxpayers. - N Tate, Darlington.