An amazing and undoubtedly unique history. There will come a day in future decades when there is no one left alive who has been a lighthouse keeper in the UK. Academics will try their best to imagine how it was and get it sadly wrong as they usually do. Thankfully you have compiled this history for future generations.
Wow! thank you Liam, thank you very much, I'm just glad that we as Lighthouse Keepers wont be forgotten and able to share some of our stories. Thanks again and stay safe
As a kid back in the '60's I lived in Sandgate, Kent, and my bedroom window had a great view out into the Strait of Dover. I used to watch the Varne Lightship flashing its red light as well as numerous other buoys flashing away on clear nights. On stormy nights when the house was buffeted by the wind and salt spray from the surf crashing onto the beach (and the A259) I often wondered how rough it must have been for the crew on board - it always sounded so exciting to a primary school kid. Then most summers my Grandparents would take me for a day trip to Dungeness (on the RHDR) and we'd get to climb to the top of the old lighthouse there. Years later while serving in the Royal Navy at sea in some rough weather I found out it wasn't always so exciting being in rough weather! (But it did give me a newfound respect for lightship crew!) Another fascinating video - great to see inside these wonderful navigational beacons when they are working.
Thank you David for that, glad you like the videos and glad they triggered some memories from your past too. It's been a big nostalgic trip for me too doing all the editing which has taken me back to some happy times when I was a Keeper. Stay safe and take care, cheers.
Thanks for posting this Peter, it brought back memories of my visit to Trywn du and South Stack exactly 12 months ago just before the world went mad. Cant wait to get back there.
Hi Peter, I love your videos - so many other long lost ways of life were never documented, especially in the detail you managed to capture. At 11:58 an object goes by on the lens, which looks like another lens for focus or alignment perhaps. Any idea what it is?
@@ianrankin5686 With an engine running 24 hours a day the lighthouses weren't too bad but I soon got into the habit of a hot water bottle in bed for the Winter months as the cold really was bad at times for me, cheers.
@@PeterHalil Hi Peter when it is that cold that's when you want a Mermaid in bed with you, I fell in love with a Mermaid once she had a lovely figure 36. 24. and 7/6 a pound. Cheers
Thanks for another informative video. I assume since the Trwyn Du Lighthouse was automated in the 1920s, this actively has been routine for a century. How often are the lenses on automated station cleaned? Are the husbandry visits always day-trips?
Hi, when we still had keepers we visited about once a Month. We only did overnighters at Bardsey and the Skerries, the others were just day visits. This was from the Holyhead Control Centre other Lighthouses that monitored other Lights did their own routines. I have no idea now on how often the lenses get cleaned as us ex Lighthouse Keepers are totally out of it now.Cheers.
These are wonderful pieces of history, thanks for posting these Peter. That last lighthouse, is it still gas lite, or has it been converted to electric?
Thank you Paul, I'm assuming that they removed the gas bottles and put one of those tiny LED type bulbs in as there are now a bank of solar panels up on the gallery, but I don't know for sure, sorry.
An amazing and undoubtedly unique history. There will come a day in future decades when there is no one left alive who has been a lighthouse keeper in the UK. Academics will try their best to imagine how it was and get it sadly wrong as they usually do. Thankfully you have compiled this history for future generations.
Wow! thank you Liam, thank you very much, I'm just glad that we as Lighthouse Keepers wont be forgotten and able to share some of our stories. Thanks again and stay safe
As a kid back in the '60's I lived in Sandgate, Kent, and my bedroom window had a great view out into the Strait of Dover. I used to watch the Varne Lightship flashing its red light as well as numerous other buoys flashing away on clear nights. On stormy nights when the house was buffeted by the wind and salt spray from the surf crashing onto the beach (and the A259) I often wondered how rough it must have been for the crew on board - it always sounded so exciting to a primary school kid.
Then most summers my Grandparents would take me for a day trip to Dungeness (on the RHDR) and we'd get to climb to the top of the old lighthouse there.
Years later while serving in the Royal Navy at sea in some rough weather I found out it wasn't always so exciting being in rough weather! (But it did give me a newfound respect for lightship crew!)
Another fascinating video - great to see inside these wonderful navigational beacons when they are working.
Thank you David for that, glad you like the videos and glad they triggered some memories from your past too. It's been a big nostalgic trip for me too doing all the editing which has taken me back to some happy times when I was a Keeper. Stay safe and take care, cheers.
Excellent vlog Peter,thanks 😁👍👏👏👏
Thank you David, appreciated, stay safe👍.
Another great video Peter, very interesting. Thank you
Thank you Paul, glad you liked it, cheers, take care
Thanks for posting this Peter, it brought back memories of my visit to Trywn du and South Stack exactly 12 months ago just before the world went mad. Cant wait to get back there.
Cheers Peter, yes I would like to get back to normality and get out there myself, stay safe.
Great video. Seeing you clean the Skerries lense, really appreciate the size of it.
Yes some of those beasties were huge!, I have my doubts how clean they would look now though, cheers.
Brilliant video mate really cool don 🤠🇬🇧👍👍👍👍
Cheers Mate hope you are still keeping safe, take care.
Hi Peter, I love your videos - so many other long lost ways of life were never documented, especially in the detail you managed to capture. At 11:58 an object goes by on the lens, which looks like another lens for focus or alignment perhaps. Any idea what it is?
Hi Chris, Thanks for that, If my memory serves me well I believe it is to do with the alignment. Stay safe and cheers.
Was it all cleaning with dry cloths? Did you ever apply solvents or glass cleaner?
Warm water with some Methylated spirits and a wrung out chamois leather for the lens.
Hello good morning, yes I did subscribe to your channel good few months ago,my question is ? The glass lenses, how thick is the glass?,
Hi Ian, I would reckon about 2 inches or 5cm approx. Cheers
@@PeterHalil good afternoon Peter, I take it the lighthouses could be very cold places to work even in summer?
@@ianrankin5686 With an engine running 24 hours a day the lighthouses weren't too bad but I soon got into the habit of a hot water bottle in bed for the Winter months as the cold really was bad at times for me, cheers.
@@PeterHalil Hi Peter when it is that cold that's when you want a Mermaid in bed with you, I fell in love with a Mermaid once she had a lovely figure 36. 24. and 7/6 a pound. Cheers
@@ramseybarber8312 😂👍
Thanks for another informative video. I assume since the Trwyn Du Lighthouse was automated in the 1920s, this actively has been routine for a century. How often are the lenses on automated station cleaned? Are the husbandry visits always day-trips?
Hi, when we still had keepers we visited about once a Month. We only did overnighters at Bardsey and the Skerries, the others were just day visits. This was from the Holyhead Control Centre other Lighthouses that monitored other Lights did their own routines.
I have no idea now on how often the lenses get cleaned as us ex Lighthouse Keepers are totally out of it now.Cheers.
These are wonderful pieces of history, thanks for posting these Peter. That last lighthouse, is it still gas lite, or has it been converted to electric?
Thank you Paul, I'm assuming that they removed the gas bottles and put one of those tiny LED type bulbs in as there are now a bank of solar panels up on the gallery, but I don't know for sure, sorry.
What did you do after you were made redundant
Hi, I drove for the Military on an RAF base, mainly delivering fuel to the aircraft, cheers.