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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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RNLI
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(Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Poole, Dorset) One of Britain's oldest and most popular charities, founded in 1824 for the purpose of maintaining boats round the coast to save people from shipwreck. Some government money was used in the early years, but since 1869 the costs have been entirely met by donations; and from the start the tradition has been that those manning a lifeboat are volunteers (nowadays with one full-time mechanic). On average three people have been rescued every day in recent years, with an estimated total of more than 120,000 lives saved since 1824.
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