Tony left secondary modern school at 16 and started working in the local F W Woolworth store where he met and subsequently married his wife. Promotion within this organisation had the family moving to different locations, and he eventually ended up at St Ives with his own store management. His four children grew up and attended grammar school, and he was immensely proud of their achievements. When he was asked to move again, it was an easy decision to make, and having settled happily, he left Woolworth and joined Trinity House. The best move he ever made as he really enjoyed the life, and a month on duty and a month at home was sheer bliss. When redundancy happened through the automation of Lighthouses, Tony was devastated but he picked himself up and joined Torbay Hospital as a technician in the sterilisation department, autoclaving surgical instruments. This took him up to retirement age at 65, and he has enjoyed his retirement immensely. Green bowling now occupies most of his time. He still misses the excitement of lighthouses, but that time is now well past.
The very nature of lighthouses captures the imagination. Being marooned on different lighthouses throughout my career has produced many memorable incidents and humorous stories. Diverse locations like Lundy, Alderney, Wolf, Sark, all have something unique to offer. Rock tower lighthouses, land light...
Lighthouses remain a fascination to most people. The light beam still flashes a warning to all shipping and acts as a guide to safe harbour in rough weather, but unfortunately the lighthouse keepers are now a thing of the past. Modern technology has meant that satellite navigation where signals can ...
