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I am not at all sure of the dates for these transfers, but I seem to think that it was summerish and at a time that the children were home from school, probably May 1967, when I set off for this new location, wrote Harold Taylor, a retired lighthouse keeper.
There was by now a new tender, which was the Winston Churchill, it was alongside at East Cowes Depot on my arrival when I set about sorting out and ordering my groceries from a local shop. Being the only keeper going off I had to draw various stores and see that they were put aboard.
That day I kicked about the place and I think in the evening went to a cinema in Newport, arriving back in time to go to a local pub, which I found was run by the family of one of the seamen going off on one of the lightships, and that another of the seamen was married to a daughter of the same establishment.
I forget what the muster time was, but it was usually somewhere about mid-night. The ship by then would be anchored out in the roads, and we would have to make our way and board the launch to get to it. Very often we also had to take all our gear at the same time, as perhaps the ship had been out on a job that day.
We would board and go into the sleeping quarters provided which were not very homely, just adequate. These vessels, like the Britannia ( in theory) were built on a Government Grant so that they could be used as hospital ships in the event of war.
I recall that following some of the convoys I had been in, had been the Patricia as a rescue vessel. There was therefore bunk capacity for around 40 persons. The crew had their quarters elsewhere. There was no telling which station would be done first, so there were people aboard for the Shambles Lightship as well. I think they only carried us on this relief, known as the west relief. I do not remember when I got aboard the first time, but I seem to recall that I relieved the P.K.
I do not remember the name of the senior keeper, although I think his first name was Dennis, I think the next relief he was transferred to the Casquets Lighthouse, where he later resigned. He was no loss to me as he proved to be an awkward character, and difficult to feed as well.
He wanted nothing to do with any green vegetables or salt. He was also lazy. The other chap was quite likeable and intelligent. Les Dennison was a graduate, he had qualifications in Art and spent most of his time doing lithographs, which he hoped to built up a repertoire to print himself.
The job was a means to an end, in which he hoped to save up enough money for plant to produce his very talented work.
I found the station far from clean, and although there was a rota of work to be done, it was not, and my suggestion to do it was taken in very poor heart and I was told that I would not find that Ken the P.K. doing it when he got back. Which was so.
All around the building on practically every ledge were models of paper and cardboard in various stages of development and painting. One could hardly move for knocking the damned things over, let alone clean around them.
This it appears was the P.K.'s hobby and commercial empire
I soon learned that there seemed to be a peculiar set up with the P.K. Ken Chapman, who was a Cornishman and characteristically as thick as their cream.
I recall that I had not actually relieved him, but a lightship man because Ken had gone ashore early. This happened several times while I was there. I do not know what the mental state of his wife was, but periodically his eldest child; and there were many of them, would ring up and discuss things and he would be given the instructions for the week.
She was supposed to have good connections, her father being mentioned as Director of Newcastle United. It seemed that at times of stress he was allowed home.
I seem to remember finding him absent another time because there had been a fire at his home. I do not know how these special favours come about, but he is the only keeper I ever knew to be able to take such liberties.
Many years later I heard that she had died, and that he was on a shore station and had set up a woman in the accommodation. I believe he was moved because he would not apply for permission for her to reside, nor marry her, nor expel her.
Some people seemed to be able to run rough shod over situations, because he later was moved to another shore station, where it is rumoured that a lot of museum type material disappeared. He is now still in the job at a station that is not likely to close under the present cuts and is still quite young in comparison. He was when I was with him the youngest P.K. and still has a year to go for his pension.
He is of course the senior in service. But I have diverted from my incensed objection to the man.
We did not get a replacement for the departing keeper immediately and had several S.A.K's. one of whom was a skilled artist from Dungeness. The surname was Arthur. He and Ken got on reasonably well as they were equally artistic, and Ken having mounds of water paints was able to supply him with the material to carry out his skills, although there was limited paper or the like to apply it.
I still have one painting which was done on hardboard.
The next Super we had, was a nice lad by the name of Les Banham. The new replacement joined us whilst Banham was already on station. He was late joining, for I remember having a Lightship man by the name of Best for three days.
Anyhow the day of arrival for the new man dawned, I had been told he was an odd fish, and he looked it as the launch arrived. I saw this immobile Yeti type object in the middle of the launch approaching.
When the launch came along side, they virtually threw Chris out of the boat, and he just stood there thoroughly useless. He was a strange fellow, son of an eminent Swansea Doctor, who must have got him into the job, as a favour. He was an emotional mess. A mixture of religion and family fidelity.
Before he arrived on board, I had received some information that he was a nervous person. I think it was from the ships officers. He helped in no way with the relief, nor seemed to have the wit to move when asked to help clear the ropes and put everything away afterwards.
This bearded heavy weight just stood there arms akimbo like a Yeti of Praying Mantis. Worse was to follow, for on opening the mail there was a copy of a report from the Keeper in Charge at the Casquets where Chris had been 6 months before.
This belated report was from the said keeper upon reflection as to whether he should have given him an adverse report when Chris was still an S.A.K. I was charged under the circumstances to put in a special report. My feeling at the time was that I should put in a special report on Tony Marsh, the keeper who had made this belated report.
Chris was a slow learner and pathetically nervous, he also had had a very bad time with practically every other keeper he had been with. I had to rely upon the S.A.K. for everything, and it was only his first Rock Station.
He was one of the better type of recruits, once told he was o.k.
About a fortnight after coming aboard Chris was on watch and out of the kitchen, Les and I were playing Scrabble after lunch. Suddenly we heard a ships siren, as I got up I saw the Winston Churchill and there was a launch in the water.
When I opened the kitchen door there was Chris in his traditional pose, who said,' There's a ship outside hooting.' I replied, 'Yes, it's the bloody Churchill, get your life jacket on and come on down.' Single handed I had got all the ropes rigged by the time the launch reached the landing, but they did not bother to use them and the Superintendent stepped aboard.
As Uncle Tom came up the steps so Chris appeared out of the door, minus life jacket. At this Tom turned to me and said,' Mr. Taylor, see that the keepers wear their life jackets on the landing.' The visit went off o.k. with no reference to the lack of readiness, although I had been asked who was on watch.
When I put in my special report, I quoted Chris's nervousness and lack of ability to grasp things immediately, but with care and consideration saw no reason why he would not make an average keeper. My opinion of an average keeper, is one who lacks responsibility and would have difficulty in holding down the position of road sweeper or dustman.
Continued in part 2.
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