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Harold Taylor continues his memoirs:-
We had some pleasant occurrences at the light, for instance, a destroyer D106 Decoy always saluted us as they went past, and at night, over the loud hailer always wished us 'Good night keepers'. Several fishermen, or perhaps I should call them anglers would come on the breakwater during the appropriate season to catch Mullet. They also had an arrangement where they would collect stale loaves from the bakery and leave stocks for us to bait the animals.
Just before Xmas '61, I had gone sick, for what purpose, I now forget, but when I was fit again, instead of rejoining the Breakwater, I was instructed to go to Plymouth, to go on the Eddystone Relief. The Eddystone at the time was coming to the end of an Electrification programme which had been going on for about two years. When I reported for duty I found that the keeper going off with me was Peter Shepherd, an S.A.K. He had been with me before on the Breakwater.
The weather was bad and the relief delayed. We were lodging with a Mr & Mrs Williams, he was Steward of the local Masonic Hall. He asked if we were prepared to help him decorate the hall for Christmas, and we agreed, I do not think we were paid, but received several free drinks, we also made it our home in the evenings. This lasted for three days. I never played the fruit machines but they were a source of controversy, as one paid out far too frequently, and there was not always enough money to cover the projected winnings, so of course this got more play than the other less generous machine.
The morning of the relief arrived and we set out in the Alexander, I think the tug had only three crew, the skipper, engineer and seaman. The weather was still dirty and we had aboard a B.B.C and an I.T.V. camera man to record the relief. Smith and Ross, both were terribly sea sick, and when we got to the anchorage they were so incapacitated they could not film us getting into the boat, which would have been better action than what they did eventually film.
The small boat that we were to row the half mile to the lighthouse was carried on deck. We launched this and it was tethered to the side of the tug for loading, but before we had chance to, the sea picked it up and threw it on the gunwales, where it hovered momentarily before dropping back into the sea. As it did so a wave forced it backward and tore the metal fastenings of the painter from the bow and the boat started to drift away.
I happened to be on that side of things and looked around and found a boat hook with which I was just able to gain a purchase on the gunwales of the boat and haul it back. The tug boat crew, were disappointed, saying that I should have let it go and call off the relief. Having got the boat alongside and some gear stowed in it, it floated lower in the water and became more stable.
By the time the boat was loaded there was virtually nowhere to sit. Peter and I were balanced on the load while the skipper of the tug and the seaman rowed us in, leaving the engineer to guide the tug around in circles till the crew came back. It was a long row in and particularly tricky, as there was only one point through the rocks to make an approach to the tower.
This having been achieved, we waited for the crew aboard the lighthouse to throw the mooring ropes ready for the winch line. We had dropped a kedge anchor out side the rocks, to hold us steady, once the winch was hauling a man out the of boat and the boats crew were holding back on another rope to prevent him from either dropping into the water or crashing into the stonework of the tower.
The relief was eventually completed, and besides the crew going ashore, were an Electrician, a Mechanic and his mate. This would mean that this was the first time since the Electrification programme that the tower was left without technical staff. I found that the P.K. Alfie Duplain was very unhappy with the change over and was not only incompetent with the machinery, but was also scared of it. He was unable to tell Peter or I how to start up the equipment, but fortunately there was a few sheaths of instructions and with a bit of common sense it was reasonably straight forward.
Peter was a good lad despite the fact that he had done a period at Borstal for, I understand, a knife attack. He liked to boast of friendship with Helen Shapiro, who lived near him in the same street. We both became aware that when we unpacked our food, Alfie smuggled numerous brown paper parcels away.
We had seen them in the Chandlers store and they had all been addressed to Alfie's home. We also noted that he had practically no food to unpack. Subsequently he came down with two seven pound biscuit tins, which were loaded with chocolate and tobacco goods. These were payment by the T.V. Company's for the filming of the relief.
Alf's idea was that we should split the goods equally among the permanent and temporary crew. We did not object as there was plenty there, and not having been used to Xmas gifts, did not know the practice. However, it became apparent to us during the month that Alfie was bartering some of the put aside stuff for our smokes, because neither of us was indulging much. I used a few cigars.
Presently, stuff that had not come in these tins started to appear, which he also bartered. Because of later events I now believe that there were quite a number of schools and organisations which contributed to Xmas at the Eddystone, and somehow Alfie had all the stuff posted to his address, and he was keeping the stuff to himself.
Our month passed by quite comfortably, with Alf being the only one to make cock ups, and having to seek our advice to get the machinery running as it should, although fundamentally it was fool proof. Only a month before we went out there the keepers had been 21 days over due, and they had what they called a 'lost relief. This was why we two novices to the station had been sent out, it was a process to even up the leave system. They could not have two complete crews absent at the same time.
Our relief was done on time and we all three came ashore. Some of those who had gone ashore returned as did some who had had a double turn ashore. I was dropped off at the breakwater to serve out my two month stint, whilst Alf and Peter went home.
Alf had asked me if I would transfer to the Eddystone, I told him that I would not ask for the transfer, as I did not believe in asking for stations that might seem all right. They might not prove to be once one had settled in and it would then be more difficult to ask for a transfer away again.
Dave Mapp was still on station, so I suppose it was Vince who went first, as Brian was there. On one occasion Brian had come to me, and told me that Reg did not like me calling him Reg, and thought I ought to address him as Principle Keeper or Mr. Simon. I gathered that Reg had ideas above his station, and retorted to Brian, which I hoped he would report back to Reg.
I did not consider it important by which terms I addressed him, provided that I acknowledged that he was 'in charge'. Subsequently I never addressed him at all, other than to speak at him, in a manner that would invite a reply. Reg was a great knitter, and came 'off' with the intention of knitting a lacy bed jacket, which I think he intended for a competition.
He was having problems with the raglan tops of the sleeves which were going completely out of shape. He unpicked and repeated his work several times before inviting assistance. I got a piece of paper which I drew up into a graph and copied out his pattern which seemed to work satisfactorily. Having convinced him on this score I then followed him as he was knitting.
When we could see he was still making a mess of things I worked out what he was doing wrong and we solved the problem. You might ask,'Why ask me?'
I had had a slight difference of opinion with Reg earlier over an entirely different matter. I think he was a Free Mason, a clan of people I have never had much time for. We were discussing the war one day, when it got round to the fact that some of his pals at the 'club' had been in command of Landing Craft during the war.
I was my usual critical self and remarked that they were the most useless load of people ever to have responsibility. They were always lost, and would 'bump' into any passing ship to ask where they were and where they should head to get where they were bound. Because they were friends of his I suppose he felt duty bound to stick up for them and acknowledge their worth, whether justified or not. But then, he was not there, and did not know.
I have read some books that make them out to be fully qualified navigational officers, I have read elsewhere that they were newly recruited, untrained mid-shipmen, who were quickly given commissions to fill the requirements, where in fact the handling of the ships was really up to two or three serving ratings, in whom it could be said that the success of landings was really due.
There is one sequence I have left out. When I got to the lighthouse, I found that there was absolutely nothing to do. No one was over keen to play cards, there was extremely limited use of the wireless for the usual reasons, of only having one low tension accumulator per month, and use was virtually limited to listening for the weather forecast or the local ships plans of action.
It was also impossible to get outside at high water. The only good thing was that we had the post daily if required. Dave was busy doing marquetry and Vince was studying a correspondence course on various subjects around the basic course of Forestry. I therefore sent home to my wife and asked her to send me something to do, naming several things including knitting, with the proviso that if she sent me knitting she would have to cast on for me.
Years ago I had tried knitting when we were courting. It was a bathing costume, when I found I had one leg wider than the other, my knitting ceased. I got on fine with the knitting, despite my lack of knowledge. Having to find out through trial and error how to do a purl stitch. I managed to cast on for my second sock of the pair, and turn the heel, without too much swearing. Hence my advice was counselled.
I did carry on with my interest in birds on the breakwater, Dave was also a birdy man, and we used to get an abundance of waders round the tower as the tide rose, and the birds were driven off the salt flats. We would have hundreds of Knots, Redshanks Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers, Curlew and Whimbrel, walking round our front door until the water became too deep and the would go up the other end of the breakwater.
Whilst I was there my Ringing Licence came through, so I devised ways in which I could catch birds to ring. I used to go out at night after the tide had receded and drop a small net over Turnstone, Dunlin, and Purple Sandpipers. I ringed something like 48 of the latter, which increased the British Isles total amount of these birds ringed by 100% since ringing had commenced about 80 years before.
I have mentioned that the tower here was very short, therefore the wind up for the lens clock was also of short running duration. I seem to recall that it was 40 minutes. There was also a Fog Bell, which was driven by a coupling into the lens clockwork. The disadvantage of this was that it cut down the clock running time to twenty minutes, which made it hardly worth leaving the lantern.
During one period, we had an S.A.K. join us, his name was Long, It transpired he had been in the job before, but left because he did not like it and because there was not enough money, he had either 4 or 6 children. Since he had left the job, a period of several years had elapsed when he had not officially worked. I do not believe he was ever without work.
During our conversations I discovered that he had been leading the life of Riley, holidays to Spain etc., purchasing televisions, Hi-Fi equipment and all the modern luxuries. Then one day all was revealed. Apparently being unemployed, every six months he could apply to the DHSS and be granted £26 for each child to purchase clothing. This money he used to take the family abroad. A thing I could not afford though working. Then another story came out where he had just spent three months holiday in Yorkshire, where he had come from originally, having been a miner. I suddenly twigged and suggested that he had requested to be sent back to Yorkshire to look for work, and had been transported at government expense to look for work, not having looked or found any he had then requested to be sent back again. He agreed I was right.
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