Trinity House

So the whole thing had to be rebuilt.

So it was around about that time that Trinity House took over.

I've only ever seen the lighthouse from a boat.

Mel, have you visited the island?

It has, yes.

Yep.

One thing I'd really like to know is your relationship, the Flat Oak Society's relationship with Trinity House.

Do you look after the lighthouse itself these days or does Trinity House do that?

Absolutely.

But I was fortunate enough to get taken on by Trinity house.

So, um, I really landed on my feet.

I had a much better connection than I would have otherwise because Trinity house put you on a variety of different vessels, which sets you up best for your career.

Then afterwards, because I went on a, I went on a tanker with them and I went on ferries.

I went like passenger ferries, whereas I'd been on a Roro, a cargo Roro beforehand.

Because some companies will give you a job straight after, like Maersk, they often give people jobs straight out.

And BP and Shell and the cruise companies, if you do a cadetship with them, you're sort of guaranteed a job after it.

In all those situations, lighthouses can provide a recognisable landmark to let a seafarer know where they are.

The charities Trinity House and the Northern Lighthouse Board are responsible for looking after the UK's lighthouses.

And there are a number that you can visit.

From Longstone Lighthouse in Northumberland to Southstack Lighthouse in Wales, Trinity House alone keeps six different lighthouses open to the public at different times of the year.

There you can learn about the histories of the men who used to man them, and the stories of the boats they helped when they were a major part of the Coast Guard service.

So lighthouses may have largely been replaced by modern technology, but their beauty on a coastline is still nothing to scoff at.