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Other people staying on the island included a church group, recounted Former lighthouse keeper Harold Taylor. Another was Douglas Hague. now an authority on Lighthouses. When I had first met him around 1959 he was professor of Archaeology at Aberystwyth University. He had no leaning towards lighthouses then as far as I am aware.
I befriended this bedraggled specimen in search of Bench marks and post hole dwellings. Perhaps his interest developed from there. In all, that summer there were 108 persons on the island at one time, perhaps the most since the turn of the century. During this stay, Douglas gave a lantern lecture on lighthouses of the world in the church one night. Not all the people could get in.
It was a wonderful experience, then I found he had written a book on the subject. On reading the book I discovered that he had encompassed the whole book in those two and a half hours. What a wonderful person he was.
There was also an attempt by the church to have a presence on the island, as the result a Sister in Holy Orders was leading a solitary and pitiful existence throughout the year there. Sister Helen tended the church daily.
There was also an underlying reason for my decision to retire. I had been getting a lot of trouble from my left knee when climbing stairs, and it was becoming painful and difficult as I had to support the knee in the process. I could not see any circumstances in which I could avoid a lot of stair climbing within the service.
There had also been an incident in which I had collapsed in the bathroom for no apparent reason. When I went ashore and consulted the doctor he could find no fundamental reason, but supposed that it might be caused by the spondylosis in the neck and advised me to permanently wear a surgical collar. I did not reckon much of this idea.
I started consulting T&GW Union with a view to compensation if the situation became too difficult for me to work. By the time I was given an appointment I had moved my accommodation down south and was sent to see a Solicitor in Eastbourne.
He stated from the outset that the time factor for a claim had expired and the Union were just not interested in pursuing a claim that they might not win. No consideration was given to the fact that difficulties had only manifested themselves after the period and could not have been contemplated before because they did not exist. It almost seemed to suggest, have an accident, claim and take your chance that it will be granted in case some problem occurs later.
Before I leave Bardsey for retirement, let me describe two incidents which happened later. The first of these must have happened about October 1985, as it was the relief before my last which was December.
In the early hours of the morning I was on watch when I picked up a May Day message. The caller stated that he was on a small boat heading south having left Pwllheli or somewhere near there bound for a south coast fishing port, his engine had failed.
It was a rough night. I heard no shore station acknowledge him so I replied. He stated he did not know where he was but could see lights on the shore to his left. After this Holyhead C.G. came up and asked what the incident was, having heard nothing other than what I had said.
However, Swansea C.G. came up and indicated that they had picked up the May Day and the reply made to me. They had taken a bearing on the signal and put the distress as in my direction. Holyhead not having picked up the signal, could not give a cross reference.
It was decided to launch air and sea rescue, and two helicopters combed the sea all night as did two life boats. At daylight shore patrols were organised to search the coast. Although they found half a boat on the beach near Harlech with a V.H.F. transmitter affixed they were not convinced that this was the vessel, as there were reports that this wreck had been seen before.
The search was carried out for two days and I never knew the outcome. I did enquire at the C.G. station when I was coming back for my next turn, but they could not or would not discuss it.
The other incident was almost as bizarre, but before I go into it I have a little explanation to make. On the land above the beach at Bardsey was a huge stack of sacks of various colour, which contained shingle and ballast of various grades. The landing apron made by the Americans was breaking up and it was intended to renew it. For this purpose a fishing boat from Criccieth, had the contract to deliver the material when it was convenient.
This boat also brought visitors to the island. In the middle of the night during January of my last turn I picked up a May Day from this boat, stating that it was sinking and giving a position. I went out side to have a look round as Holyhead C.G. were dealing with the call.
I observed a boats lights in a very different position to that which the distress had given, and so informed the C.G. of this. When the Pwllheli lifeboat appeared on the scene in the position the boat had given and found nothing I gave then the position of the lights of a boat I could see which had drifted southward.
It turned out to be the casualty. This was another of the occasions which I have found you can never trust the opinions of people in a panic. It subsequently transpired that being a calm period this local boatman had decided to bring over another load of shingle.
Nearing the island he discovered that the boat was taking in water and sent out the May Day then commenced to tip his cargo over the side to lighten the boat. We also wondered if they had been celebrating the New Year. Les was always convinced that the first incident was a hoax, but he did not hear the distress in the voice of the caller.
We had a good Xmas on the lighthouse that relief. Two good mates, and the farmer and his wife were invited for the day. I had also decided to retire. There had over the past few months been visits from the technical boys from the House, and despite several stops and starts, it was intended to start 'automation' in the New Year.
I had made up my mind I wanted none of the turmoil. As far as we knew anyhow, it was going to mean the reduction of staff while it took place. Work started in January 1986 when I was on my final leave. The place became un-manned in August. Work also started on Skerries in March.
It was early in the previous year that I had taken steps towards retirement. I had had several quick changes over the past few years and I did not relish any more. I suppose it was about February 1985 we received notice that Trinity intended putting Withernsea Lighthouse on the market.
I did not wish to reside in the town although I knew I could get some good property for the money I had, but it was too far away from my family. I decided to look for somewhere down south in what I called my home town. I started getting local papers sent up so that I could see what was available. Every time I sent off about a property I found it was under offer or sold.
On the spur of the moment we set out to visit some estate agents and travelled south one Saturday. Looked at the local papers Sunday and visited several properties on the Monday. The second house we saw seemed our best prospect.
The following day we went for an interview with a Building Society, and came out knowing we had a 25 year Mortgage all for the sake of signing. We completed through the post in May. In August, Trinity moved us down south and I got the full disbursement including transaction fees. So I considered that we had not done bad out of the deal. I think henceforth except for my last relief I travelled by train. I would not be too confident about that though because I certainly took Les through to Manchester a few times and Ivor Pritchard P.K. of the Skerries to his home in Llandudno.
I also visited a wartime friend at Wilmslow when I was going across to Hull Of course all but one of these would have been before the retirement, because I recall I made one return rail trip after our move south.
I have not recorded anything about Withernsea Lighthouse. It was a very tall tower, 95 feet to the gallery and set some 4 or 500 yards back from the sea. It was completed and manned in 1895. There were two cottages plus the Supernumerary quarters in the garden. In 1929 it was made electric and turned into the first 'Man & Wife station. I believe this was the first such establishment.
The tower was entirely hollow and the lens was driven by the usual clock mechanism. So that the system could be managed by one keeper the weigh for the clock fell the entire length of the tower. There was no weight tube just the naked wires and the weights visible. The keeper would wind up at night and was then able to go to bed. If the light failed a bell would ring.
There was a stand by electric generator in the entrance hall to the tower for emergency supply of power. There were signs that there had been a large battery stand in the tower base. One of the jobs carried out whilst I was resident there; and alterations were taking place to the kitchen, was the removal of the oil storage tanks.
They had been installed originally for the central heating which was now converted to gas. According to the books there was no fuel on station, and when enquiries were made, that is what I replied. When they came to disconnect them it was discovered there was around 1800 gallons of diesel. Had I known, perhaps I could have profited from this instead of the D.L.F. lads.
Amongst some of the friends of the past P.K. to that station was a family Barnes, who told me that their grandfather had been engaged in building the tower. There might be a slight connection with that occasion from my next tale. There was a ladder shed down at the bottom of the garden, in which some modern and old ladders were stored. Capt. Edge, E.B. during his visit left word with my wife, I was to get rid of all the wooden ladders.
I had not taken a lot of notice of them, as the only ladders that any visiting workmen used were aluminium. When I got these ladders out I realised that one was an ex-gallery ladder almost too heavy for one person to handle. When sizing this up I thought that it would come in handy for my new home down south as two short ladders to reach the guttering of a bungalow.
I cut the ladder in half for shipment. Then I looked at two heavier type ladders, apart from realising there was some good timber in them I did not exercise much thought to what use they had been put. For convenience of transport I cut these two ladders in half and confirmed my opinion on the quality of the wood.
When I got down south and found a use for them I realised that they were totally useless as ladders or steps. When placed at an angle to use the treads, the rise per step was only about 4 inches. I came to the conclusion that they were probably ladders used for the construction of the tower before the turn of the century.
Each ladder about 18 feet long only rose about 6 feet. I formed the opinion the timber was pitch pine. I have since seen two photo's of different lighthouse construction where similar ladders were used to reach the first stage of scaffolding during the construction. For several years I used these timbers boxed together to create a base for a green house. They are now gone with the green house.
And so ended my affair with the sea, concluded Harold Taylor.
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