I was a Lighthouse Keeper from 1974 to 1997. During the final years of the Lighthouse Keeper, I visited as many Lighthouses as possible before they were automated. The idea being to record for posterity, the passing way of life of the "Keeper". My videos involves walk through tours of the Lighthouses and where possible videos of Keepers at work. I also did several Lighthouse Keeper interviews. Other videos on this channel are of my slow attempt at walking the Wales Coastal Path. A great deal of my videos would not have been possible without the help of Trinity House and Bond Helicopters, and of course my Wife Isla for putting up with my obsession. Anybody that has an interest in the Lighthouses that I've visited and more, might like to check out the Association of Lighthouse Keepers at the following... alk.org.uk/ P.S. you don't have to be a Lighthouse Keeper if you want to join.
Great video, yes we have always had the yobs with nothing better to do than wanting to destroy something. Apparently the Tannoy Horns here are still wired up which is unusual since they are often cut or completely removed. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much. Yes, some people are just beyond description. I was in Florida earlier this year and did a tiny bit of Lighthouse visiting and was witness to how they seem to love and cherish their Lighthouse History, a real eye opener to me. Sorry, that sounded a bit random, but with even all the money and obvious love thrown at their lights, they also get the random vandals. Anyway, mustn't dwell on the negatives, there are far more positives in life. Cheers, take care and stay safe.
Hi and thank you very much. Sorry that you missed out on a wonderful job. The only possibles in this Country now are as Technicians going out to service Lighthouses. Cheers and stay safe.
Brilliant video thank you. Where I live in British Columbia, Canada, we still have staffed lighthouses. Sadly two have been lost recently to automation. Carmanah Point (1891) and Pachena Point (1907) will have keepers withdrawn as the 'land beneath is unsafe'. Both are land based stations. It is considered too cost prohibitive to relocate the buildings. The union is not happy. Very short notice was given. The keepers will be moved to ther stations or Coast Guard positions. Many hikers pass these lighthouses, sometimes needing help, and as in the UK, machines do not replace human eyes and ears. Thankfully we still have 25 other staffed ones.
Thank you very much and Hello Canada. So glad you still have some manned Lighthouses. I hope somebody up there will try and record their memories before they too are all gone forever. Thank you for the information, cheers and stay safe.
Hi Peter, I have a devoloped a real interest in lighthouses through watching your stuff and would just like to Thank You for your videos that i have really enjoyed, my favourite being Needles Lighthouse at Christmas 1992🙂
Thank you ever so much. Yes, I enjoyed making the Needles at Christmas, and recording it too. Now the place will never see the likes of us on the inside again. I watch that video at Christmas time just to remind me what it was like. Cheers and stay safe.
Hi peter, The Helwick is still moored at Swansea Marina although in need of tlc and a few gallons of paint. Also point of interest if you wicki " Whiteford point Lighthouse" it says there was a cast iron light at Swansea 1803 it goes on to say about the Maryport plus other cast iron lights. Whiteford is still there & i went over to Burryport harbour ( where Amelia Earhart landed 1929) to se it have a light put in it on the occasion of the Queens Jubillee the R.N.L.I. inshore did the honours it was a nice jesture. Thanks for the Videos all are Great 👍 🏴🏴😎
Thank you very much Barrie, much appreciated. I'm not sure of the whereabouts of the Helwick that I filmed in Maryport, so many seem to fall by the wayside and are either ripped apart to become something else or are sadly scrapped. Anyway thanks a bunch, take care and stay safe.
Hi Peter, yes I always wanted to be a keeper, sadly I never got the chance but your films make me feel connected in some way, you have probably documented life on board a lighthouse better than anyone else, I love your channel and I love how it keeps this subject alive, keep up the great work my friend 👍👍
Thank you very much, much appreciated. My efforts started off slowly and got ever more frantic as the end was quickly approaching. I wish I could have done more, but it wasn't to be. Still, all these years later I've recorded a few Lights during a Florida trip. Hopefully they will be out before the end of the year. Cheers and stay safe.
Apart from the few that I managed to get, a "Civvy" was given permission to go and record the fog horns at the lighthouses. You will have to try and contact Trinity House for his name and what happened to the recordings, Cheers.
@@PeterHalil I've heard it could be heard up to twenty miles out to sea when it sounded it's good to see it's still in place even though it doesn't sound anymore
I love the calm, collected professionalism of these gentlemen, and having been born and raised on the Island, used to dream of being a lighthouse keeper at the Needles (might have had something to do with my obsession with the children's book "Tim to the lighthouse").
Thank you very much for your kind comments and your memories. Yes it was a great job/way of life, while it lasted, now gone forever. There are lots of days when I really miss it. Cheers and stay safe.
Yes, that would have been a feat in itself. There is an old book called, The red rocks of the Eddystone by a Fred Majdalany, which goes into some details of the constructions of the Eddystone Lighthouses. I know this isn't about the Hanois, but gives a great detail on the dangerous job of the building processes. Cheers and stay safe.
@@PeterHalil that’d be good. I’ve looked online and found safes with the hand, but no info on them. Maybe it was a style used in metalwork rather than a specific product. Did you say all lighthouses had them in the past?
Thank you very much. Yes indeed, a brilliant Lady. I was very much impressed just by the fact that she and her sister painted the Lighthouse, whilst lowering themselves down the outside on a bosuns chair! Cheers and stay safe mate.
@@PeterHalil unfortunately yes haha. Mid 90s. Nothing nasty. Young and foolish. You could hear the foghorn from there, I remember that. I ended up getting a trustee job on the works (helping the maintenance officers) while the Parkhurst museum was being built. I got to see a lot of the prison usually out of bounds. The old cells for the people being deported to Australia springs to mind. That place has a lot of history.
My dad was in trinaty house from 48 to 51 longships ,wolf. pendeen, and St antony in the roseland also his 2 other brothers were both keepers too. He had some great stories
Absolutely fascinating! I've been to Penmon Head many times back in the day (1970s and 80s) while camping at Kingsbridge Caravan Site near Beaumaris. I always wondered what went on at the Trwyn Du lighthouse. What a magical place, with Puffin Island over yonder. Thanks for this guide to this life-saving lighthouse.
Me too, perhaps I should do a video of all of the fog horn sounds that I have? I even have a recording of the San Francisco Bay bridge in fog with lots of ships/fog horns plus traffic in the mix, quite atmospheric. No idea of the author so don't know if I could ever upload it. I think it was done in the 60's era? Cheers and stay safe.
Really enjoy watching your videos from the 90's... really was the end of an era 😢 One question... why does everyone always carry a milk jug with them getting on / off the boat? 😂
Thank you very much, Hola Espania. The jug was only the Needles and it was full of hot tea for the boatman. One full jug swapped with his empty one on each of his journeys. Cheers and take care.
@@PeterHalil Thanks / gracias for your prompt reply 😄 Another question, what happened once all the lights were automated? Was it the end of your career with Trinity House, or did you continue working for them? After watching many of your videos from the 90's, I imagine the job of lighthouse keeper is more a way of life than just a career. As a farmer, I can relate to that and can only imagine how hard it must be to adjust to work in another trade. I left the UK 16 years ago, but have still been drawn back into farming here in Spain! 😅
@@LocalmotionSpain Thank you for that. I believe that all the Keepers once made redundant, then that was it for us, no jobs offered in Trinity House as far as I know. I eventually got a job on a Military base, near where I live, as a driver. My main job that I liked the most was refueling the jets and helicopters, it being a RAF base. Cheers and stay safe.
Yes the dunes have really suffered over the years with erosion, the Lighthouse is now quite a distance from the dunes. It could do with one of those American teams that can move buildings to a safer spot maybe, or somebody doing some serious work on saving the dunes. cheers and stay safe.
Thank you very much. I had some great help from Stephen Pickles from Bidston Lighthouse, as it is a minefield of misinformation out there. Cheers and stay safe Mate.
Great video.My parents had a caravan in Talacre from the mid 60's to mid 80's.We spent most of our weekends and a couple of weeks there every year..Got great memories of it,spent many hours as a kid playing on the beach and on the dunes.
Thanks for the video Peter. One of my earliest memories is on holiday at a caravan site here circa 1975. I remember my Dad showing me this lighthouse which fascinated me. It was totally derelict at the time - I remember the door being missing and seeing an old rusty washing machine inside. My Dad told me there was treasure inside hahahah.
Thank you for your memories, much apprecited. Not sure if the Lighthouse is in better shape now. I will have to pick a nice day and try and get over to it to get some more up to date pictures, (and search for treasure:). Cheers and take care.
You can't as a Keeper any more. But, technicians/labourers etc have to go around these Lighthouses to maintain them, so that is the only way now. Contact Trinity House London or Harwich to see if there are any openings. Cheers, stay safe.
Thank you very much, much appreciated. As for the hat, that got accidently (or so I was told) thrown in the bin! Mind you, the replacement is only a tad better. Cheers and stay safe.
Thank you for that. I haven't been back here for a few years now, so no idea if the Lighthouse has had any TLC yet. I agree, one very big lovely beach to wander along. Cheers and stay safe.
Thank you very much. No, I didn't get to go inside, the internal pics were from the internet when the Lighthouse was up for sale. Cheers and take care.
I was there in 77 I think. painting the gantry at the experimental station . working for the inspector of works , harwich, we stayed in a little b and b in lidd on sea. after that we painted the outside of south foreland . there we stayed at the seaman's mission.
Hi Raymond, I had left Dungeness by then so don't know if our paths ever crossed somewhere? I also remember the experimental station, lots of stuff going on there. Thanks for your input. Cheers and stay safe.
@@PeterHalil you might have met my workmates. Jackie hardy from amble and Allan from harwich/dovercourt. they worked on the lighthouses for years. mainly painting. both mid/late 50s then. there was a keeper at south foreland bill or could have been bob. big guy. lived there on his time off when he wasn't offshore. lovely guy. som great stories. as a 22 year old it was unreal. thanks for the videos.
Just discovered your channel. Really interesting videos, thank you! It looks like there was only one bulb in the light, what happened if it went out (post automation)?
Hi and welcome to my channel. Yes when I visited it was only one bulb, so a standby light would probly have been on the roof or gallery. The lighthouse will also more likely to be solar powered LED's now. When I served on this station, I can't honestly remember the setup, but it would normally have a lamp changer mechanism with a main, standby and battery bulb as final failsafe. All alarmed to give the Keepers warnings. Cheers and stay safe.
