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When I came back after leave, I met a sorry sight, and I think I rejoined with two S.A.K's. The place seemed to be covered in dried lime powder, which took devils own job to clean off. I also found that the toilet flange was leaking because it was cracked and no attempt seemed to have been made to repair it, nor report the defect. The toilet was also blocked beyond a point that could be reached by me with any equipment to hand.
On reporting the situation, I specifically requested a double length of the usual drain rods, but of course they arrived with only one and had to send for a further set. Taffy Kemp had come with Eric Elsworth, who was the foreman of the area D.L.F. ( Direct Labour Force)
Eventually the fault was cleared, but it had meant approaching it from outside which was my conclusion from the start. I asked for the rods to be left on station, but they only condescended to leave one set, which was useless.
There had been another incident concerning water, but of a different nature. I cannot remember that Gardner 1 L2 engines had water cooling, but I suppose they must, for there was a system here, whereby the water pipes went outside the building into a large tank on the set off, or landing.
This tank had a raised top with heavy metal gratings over. It was swept by the sea every time it came over the landing, so it was always kept full. Therefore the engine water was cooled by cold sea water. It had become noticeable that the engines were not getting as cool as they were supposed to.
This was reported and Clem Leggat came off to sort the problem out
On opening up the tank it was discovered that the engines cooling pipes were under about 18 inches of sand, which had settled over the period of time.
There was considerable water in the tank to clear out which was very laborious by hand. So Clem decided to utilise our toilet pump for the job. This meant that he diverted the pick up end into the tank, then the water was pumped into the tank at the top of the building, which was allowed to overflow.
A reasonable scheme, but with disastrous results, in that the pump never worked the same again. The sand that was mixed with water as it passed through must have caused some scouring of the pump drum. Despite renewing valves, the pump had to be overhauled almost every time of pumping there after.
There came another complaint from a different source once Williams arrived on station. It came from the Coast Guards, which by now had also been given V.H.F. radio. The G.P.O. in their wisdom allocated them the same frequency as our telephone ( this later became the International Distress Frequency ).
As they were using it for ship to shore communication, and had greater power than us they drowned out our communication, but ours was sufficient to interrupt them. The result was they would often ask him to cease transmission. It appears that Williams was on the set most afternoons talking to his bookmaker and the CG did not reckon much to this.
He was also into purchasing Guinea coins I later learnt. There was one occasion that was later related to me in which they; that is Pascoe and Williams, went ashore via the local boatman and landed at Alum Bay on relief. This was not uncommon during the summer. They apparently got tanked up before arriving at the depot to draw their pay, and were so drunk I am surprised that they were paid out.
There was some form of Government Inspector on hand and it seems that Pascoe dropped his money and this fellow stuffed it in his pocket for him. He did not arrive home for several days though he lived in the depot town.
I was told that his wife later left him. It seems she had a good job before this bum met her, and put her in the family way, being manageress of a hotel at the Lizard.
I got back one relief to discover that Mike was being regarded as the local hero, for one morning when he was on watch, whilst he was putting up the curtains he noticed a yacht aground in Scratchells Bay, which seemed peculiar.
He contacted the C.G., who called out Vic Stallard to investigate. On his way, the tide was right for calling at the lighthouse, which he did and Mike accompanied him to the yacht, where they found a Frenchman with a broken arm and ribs, who had been sailing single handed and whilst asleep had gone aground. Mike sailed the yacht into Yarmouth, accompanied by Vic, for which Vic had promised him half the salvage money.
Mike was returned to the station without anyone knowing he had been absent. For this he was praised, but anyone else doing the same no doubt, would have received a reprimand for leaving his station without permission, and putting the station and personnel in jeopardy.
Quite a few circumstances took place whilst I was at the Needles, which are worthy of comment.
It was about this time that the cost of living started its ever increasing spiral. I think Heath's Government was in power, when it was decided that for every so much percentage rise on the cost of living, so ones wages would increase accordingly. There was another thing that effected me.
Family Allowance was increased, but made taxable, which brought me now into the range of paying income tax for the first time since joining Trinity, so you can guess how poor the wages were.
I am not sure exactly when it was, but there had been a recent tour of inspection by the Elder Brethren and I was in the Stores Clerks office when some of the gear from these expensive holidays were being returned.
The Stores Officer, by name of Howell, was checking things in, when he remarked to me how stupid it was to return paltry items when they had used so much. He was referring to the fact that two packets of cigarettes, one containing 13 cigarettes and another containing 2 were booked in, as well as spirit bottles with no more than dregs. He had to log these returns for expense requirements.
I suppose I may have made remarks about ridiculous situations, the upshot of it was that he told me that the stores assistant was retiring and asked if I was interested in applying for the job. The assistant had been a P.K. and was one of the jobs open to staff before the end of the war. This man Hibbert was a nuisance, and the cause of us often not getting stores we required.
His attitude was, 'they never had it in my day, why should they have it now' forgetting that times had changed. I considered the situation carefully, before deciding not to apply. It would have meant me moving house, and being very little better off, if at all. At the same time there was the Prices and Incomes Enquiry in being. We were one of the subjects, although they had not got round to us yet, but we were hopeful of better things.
The man who took the job, struck gold, would I have done the same? or might not the same situation have arisen. He was an ex Policeman like me, from Southampton, by name of Bill Goodley The event that changed his life took place either just after he started work, or just prior to it. Howell, got the sack for either interfering with, or pestering his office secretary.
The result being that they gave Bill the job of Stores Officer, and re-advertised his job, which then went to Dave Brewer. About 10 years on the District Clerk retired sick and as no other qualified persons were prepared to transfer to East Cowes, the job was offered to Bill. Brewer moved up the ladder.
In about another five years when they were cutting down on depots and staffing, Bill was retired early with a handsome lump sum and corresponding pension. Dave Brewer later became District Clerk and is now Director of Administration at the House. I know I am older, but might that have been my lot had I taken the stores job.
During this period also I had a letter from Trinity, pointing out that they had been ill advised in accepting my past Police Service towards my pension and that the concession was cancelled. I therefore then approached them as to whether my service as a Merchant Navy Officer was applicable.
The reply was that to have counted it I would have had to join the service before a date in 1954, two years before I did. However all was not lost, as I mentioned Bill was an ex-policeman, and he approached me one day to enquire if I knew that since the Fire Service had recently been accepted as pensionable so also had the police.
I therefore re-applied and I was again accepted, but I am sure that I would never have been told through official channels.
I am not too certain about the date, but eventually the Prices and Income Panel came to our station, I recall that Ken Monk and John Watts were there. There were about twelve of them and Mr Henry the Head of the Lights Dept accompanied them.
He did not enter the building. They interviewed us all together in the kitchen, then we each took a group round the building and told our story. Subsequently returning to the kitchen where we supplied them with tea. Later when I was not required I went down to the landing, I believe to take Mr. Henry some tea.
I got into conversation with him on the subject of the interest free loan for house purchase. He told me that it was not confined to only being available when a keeper was on transfer, and advised me to make an application, which I did, but it got no further than the Superintendent, who rejected it. There will be a sequel to that later.
Later just one member of the Panel returned to the station and interviewed each of us in turn and took a statement. On this occasion however, there was only myself who was a regular member available. I think the others were S.A.K's.
The outcome of this was that we were awarded a substantial increase averaging out about 25%, although for me personally at the time it amounted to about 35%. All the silly little penny allowances were amalgamated into the wage, and there were three categorise of station, Towers, Islands and Shore Rocks, of which the towers got the highest award. Periods of duty were to be reduced, although this took four years to implement.
Continued in part 5.
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