The 40th Porthleven and District RNLI's Lifeboat Day takes place on Sunday, August 9, when the emphasis will, as usual, be on providing a great day out for the family.

The fun takes place at Porthleven Harbour from 10am and will continue until 5pm when the raffle will be drawn. Children's activities during the day will include games, crab catching, Punch and Judy and bouncy castle. Penlee Lifeboats will be in attendance and a helicopter too (it is hoped).

In addition to RNLI and market stalls Porthleven Town Band will play, there's to be a water polo match, Working Boats and a demonstration by the Lugger Happy Return. In the afternoon there is to be a rededication of the Happy Return, an original 40ft Cornish Lugger built at Kitto's Yard in Porthleven in 1904.

It was the oldest registered fishing boat when the owner decided to decommission her in 1998. The Mounts Bay Lugger Association saved her from being broken up and she was brought back to Penzance harbour under her own power on May 4, 1998 to undergo total restoration. She had previously been called Britannia.

This year's Lifeboat Day has been extended by including the evenings of both Saturday and Sunday. A

marquee will be put up on the Harbour Head where there will be a bar. with Spingo Real Ales among others on sale.

On Saturday evening the Black Rock Jazz Band will be in there to entertain and on the Sunday evening Sea Shanty Singers will do their share of the entertainment. Also on the Sunday evening we will have an auction, one in which there will be some high value items.

"Due to adverse weather, amid great disappointment we had to cancel Lifeboat Day last year and are therefore hoping for no such recurrence," said Jean Howard, press officer for Porthleven & District RNLI. "However we raised over £3,150. It has been said that only in Porthleven could this be achieved."

Fundraising has already been taking place in Porthleven where £543 has been raised so far by staff and customers at Roland's Happy Plaice and a further £400 has been handed over by staff at The Hideaway.