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Whilst home on leave in West Sussex during April 1962, I got notice that I was transferred to the Eddystone Lighthouse, recalled lighthouse keeper Harold Taylor. I cannot off hand say exactly how things worked out, but I gained extra leave to fall into the right relief pattern.
I had to report to the same place as usual, and the relief was carried out on time with no delays due to weather. I went off by myself, and Stan Emerson came ashore. On station was Alf and Graham Edwards, Alf lived with his wife and brother-in-law on the outskirts of Plymouth, and Graham, lived somewhere near Kingsbridge.
We got on amicably until about three weeks had passed. I had become aware that my usual stocks of food were not lasting as long as usual, and I was doubtful if I would have enough to last the month out, whereas there should be a surplus. I saw this most particularly with my potatoes, so weighed them and calculated that I would just have enough to last me out based on 1 lb per day.
The next time I was cook I went to get my potatoes and they were considerably diminished. After weighing them I found that a about three days supply had gone. I remarked about how rapidly they were being used up, but got no comment. That night on the middle watch I positioned all my jars, tea, coffee, sugar etc. so that I would know if they had been moved, and lo and behold, after I had been woken and came to the kitchen, on going to the cupboard to get my jars out all had been moved.
I accused the morning watchman of using my goods, which he denied, and I told the P.K. that I was going to report the matter, and I wanted him to do so in the report book. Later that morning he came to me in some distress, about not reporting it, and I told him that I would report it myself, both he and Graham, were virtually in tears and I was livid.
It transpired later that both had been using my stock, and was why the P.K. did not want to report it.
Alf was a heavy smoker, but his wife would not allow him to include tobacco on his food list, or perhaps only a limited amount. He had an arrangement with the Ships Chandler, to remove food stuff on his list and replace it with tobacco, therefore he was always short of food.
With Graham, ever since there had been mechanics on station, a period of about two years, he had volunteered to cook for them, as had others of the crew, but with Graham; I had it on the best authority, he had ceased putting in a food order and had used the mechanics. There being at least three at a time none had noticed, or were not concerned as long as they were fed. He had not resumed placing much of an order, I suppose hoping that the mechanics would be back as there were still parts to complete.
I only did a month on station for my first turn off, so as to get in the right rota of reliefs. As I went ashore Stan came back. I am not too certain but when I returned after my leave I think I had a few days kicking around Plymouth because the weather was not right. When I eventually went off I went with an S.A.K. I would be in the turn that this happened.
I have forgotten who it was but I believe it was either Bob Kett or Clive Hearn. They both came out in my early days there, Graham did not return although he was on the strength for another eighteen months. He went sick with a back injury, caused whilst working for a local farmer; which he did whilst on leave. Whilst claiming it had happened using the winch during a visit of the ship when I was ashore. This all came out later, when Stan was asked to fill in a report, about something he was unaware of.
Stan and I got on very well, both knowing what we were doing, and he left me to get on and do my job in my own way. He used to fall foul of the equipment sometimes, because when he was trying to instruct new commers, he would follow the instruction sheet, which should not have been taken to literally. If you did, you stopped the whole sequence of starting. Several times he had to call upon me because he could not start the lighting plant, I had to tell people to ignore the first instruction on the sheet, then everything went smoothly.
Stan had a reputation of being a homosexual, although it was not referred to in that manner in those days. Personally I think that this was totally unfounded, yes, he was effeminate, it you call anyone who likes nice things, curtains at the windows and such like, a poofter. The only grounds I know that anyone adopted that attitude towards him.
He was a man of 50, who lived alone and was unmarried. He liked his beer and he liked his food. He did tell me once that when he was a C.P.O Steward in the navy they called him Rosie, because of his rosy cheeks? Prior to his joining the Lighthouse Service, he had worked in a night club in London where he had caused a bit of a problem, when he got drunk and had gone to sleep in the toilet, preventing anyone else from using it.
Thereby getting the sack.
He had in his youth trained as a baker in Hammersmith, where he had lived next door to one of the eventual stars of the 'Carry On' films; Charles Hawtry, who he could not abide, neither now or as a kid.
During this first month with him we learned that Alf had got the sack. Whilst I had been with him the previous turn he had received notice that he was to remove to Lynmouth Foreland.
This was a very isolated shore station on the North Devon coast. Rumour had it that it was going to be turned into a Rock Station, due to the difficulty to get furniture removers to carry out the job, and other difficulties. He had asked my advise what to do, as his wife refused point blank to accompany him.
I suggested that he took the bare necessities, such as a table, bed and chair, and awaited the outcome. However, he had to go to London argue out his reasons for appealing against the transfer, his wife went with him and put in her four penn'orth, and he came away without a job.
Alf had been twenty three years vacillating between Plymouth Breakwater and the Eddystone moving around as his seniority advanced
We learnt that our new P.K. was to be Ron Smith, senior hand at Hartland Point, next on turn for appointment. I had never met him, but Stan was not very keen, one because he was older and two because he was next on turn for P.K.
I am not quite sure of the sequence of events, but I think The next turn I went off with Roy Metcalf an S.A.K and Yorkshire farm lad from Driffield. We did our month with Stan, then he went ashore and Ron joined us. It was a sad day for me, for it altered the whole routine of my life. Until that point I had never followed the usual habit of the man who had been on morning watch, going to bed during the afternoon.
When Ron came on station, and when he was not morning watch, he made it a habit of going through the station with a fine tooth comb, not only to find where everything was , but to put it where he wanted it. Checking stores etc, was another exercise he was intent on.
This resulted in me working practically every hour I was awake. I therefore started going to bed in the afternoon to get a bit of peace.
Ron was one of these Service Mad people, not because they are really that way inclined, but because they have never lived in the real world. I experienced this with similar people in the Police. Leave school, join the forces, and leave the forces join an Institutional profession. Never having mixed with the world as a whole.
Ron was such a one, believing that the sun shone out of Trinity's arse. As it turned out after he had left the station, he had made alterations to one part which was detrimental to the stations working. In general Ron was a pain in the arse, fortunately the pain did not last long. I also believe him to have been a Free Mason.
It would be quite a palaver every month. Ron would put everything where he thought they should go, Stan would come back and put the stuff where it had always been kept. But it kept them busy and out of the way, so that we in the side lines could carry on undisturbed.
I cannot recall when exactly work recommenced on the tower alteration, but there were few months that we did not have mechanics or electricians on station. If not to do work initially, to re-do work that had not been done correctly. One instance of this was to do with the Electrification of the Low Light.
First of all MacDonald-Jones the newly appointed and local Clerk of the Works came along and measured up where the pillar for the light would stand. Then a Mason came along with a labourer to carry out the work. A very noisy and protracted exercise.
When I saw what they had to do I suggested that they drilled the floor and used 'rag bolts'. This idea was rejected as being un- substantial. After about a week of hammering and water dripping through into the kitchen, they eventually completed the work and placed the bolts in position and cemented them in.
The work completed, the report was sent in and then the engineer, electrician and mechanic came out to fit the new standard for the light. The engineer decided that the bolts were in the wrong position. The job had to be completed quickly as there was not enough accommodation for so large a number of people.
There was on station at the time another mason, Jack Hoskins and his mate, Fred Rosewall re-pointing the outside of the tower. They were resident whilst the others were only on a day visit. What to do. I again made my suggestion about rag bolts, which had been rejected before.
They asked if we had any on station. Amongst a lot of accumulated rubbish there were some, but the threads were not long enough. Whilst the mason went to drill new holes through the slate floor into the granite, I got out the dies and lengthened the threads on the bolts. The fixing of the new light base was satisfactorily carried out by improvisation, which could have saved thousands of pounds in the first place.
With the installation of the new light near the window, it meant that the old Argand light could now be removed, giving us more floor space to use. This light was set on the far side of the room, so at night we could not use the room for fear of obscuring the light. Unfortunately I was not on station when this light was actually removed, thereby depriving me of the opportunity of collecting a souvenir, as some did.
There are numerous stories to be told of my four and a half year stay on this station, alas, although I can remember them, perhaps I will not get them in chronological order, nor remember the names of those involved. This is because, during my sojourn, and the absence through sickness of Graham for 18 months, we had at least 23 S.A.K's, numerous new appointments and a considerable number of Blackwall staff.
Continued in part 2.
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