Exploring Lighthouse Legends: An Interview with Jeremy D'Entremont

1
00:00:21,925 --> 00:00:26,730
Welcome to season three of Keeping
Watch a Fortnightly podcast.
2
00:00:26,775 --> 00:00:32,205
For Lighthouse and Light Vessel
enthusiasts, brought to you by the A LK,
3
00:00:32,445 --> 00:00:34,935
the Association of Lighthouse Keepers.
4
00:00:36,015 --> 00:00:40,964
I'm Ed Peppi and together with my co-host,
Melanie Charles, we'll be talking with
5
00:00:40,964 --> 00:00:46,185
former Lighthouse Keepers, a keeper's
wife, a television presenter, a museum
6
00:00:46,185 --> 00:00:50,655
curator, and the host of another
Lighthouse podcast, and plenty more
7
00:00:50,655 --> 00:00:53,355
besides, so take a little time out.
8
00:00:53,865 --> 00:00:57,705
And enjoy this packed
season of Keeping Watch.
9
00:01:05,114 --> 00:01:10,065
Our guest this week is the author of more
than 20 books and hundreds of articles
10
00:01:10,275 --> 00:01:12,675
about lighthouses and maritime history.
11
00:01:13,605 --> 00:01:17,085
He's a former president of the
American Lighthouse Foundation.
12
00:01:17,895 --> 00:01:22,785
He's a historian and he's a podcast
host for the US Lighthouse Society.
13
00:01:23,490 --> 00:01:27,509
And if you haven't ever listened to
the podcast lighthearted, then you
14
00:01:27,509 --> 00:01:29,520
really should add it to your list.
15
00:01:30,030 --> 00:01:34,440
He is, of course, Jeremy Remont,
who I was lucky enough to chat
16
00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,630
with online a few weeks ago.
17
00:01:38,070 --> 00:01:41,940
Before we meet Jeremy, though, I
caught up with Mel for a roundup
18
00:01:42,090 --> 00:01:44,250
of recent lighthouse related news.
19
00:01:49,425 --> 00:01:50,865
So Mel, it's been a while.
20
00:01:51,255 --> 00:01:53,835
What's been happening in
the world of lighthouses?
21
00:01:54,615 --> 00:02:00,015
Well, I wanna start the episode with some
fantastic news that was posted recently
22
00:02:00,075 --> 00:02:05,055
on our lighthouse keepers page, friend
of the podcast, Kelly Head attendant.
23
00:02:05,730 --> 00:02:06,630
Amazing.
24
00:02:06,690 --> 00:02:10,800
All round guy Gerald Butler
is getting married this month.
25
00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,110
That is such a lovely story.
26
00:02:13,110 --> 00:02:15,120
I must be honest.
27
00:02:15,180 --> 00:02:19,290
Having met them both so many
times now, it never crossed my
28
00:02:19,290 --> 00:02:20,730
mind that they weren't married.
29
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,390
I, I'd always just assumed they
were, they're just so lovely together
30
00:02:24,390 --> 00:02:25,260
and you can tell that there's.
31
00:02:25,460 --> 00:02:26,600
So happy.
32
00:02:27,110 --> 00:02:31,790
But the, the photo that they
posted was of them at Fastnet.
33
00:02:34,370 --> 00:02:35,540
I don't think I've seen that.
34
00:02:36,050 --> 00:02:36,830
Did they post it?
35
00:02:36,830 --> 00:02:37,640
Where did they post it?
36
00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:40,190
Oh, it's on the, it's on the,
uh, association of Lighthouse
37
00:02:40,190 --> 00:02:41,570
Keeper's Facebook page.
38
00:02:41,630 --> 00:02:41,870
Right.
39
00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:47,810
And I, I also, um, loving some of the
comments, go on, share a few with us.
40
00:02:49,130 --> 00:02:53,030
My favorite one is, uh, Maria,
you always said he was a keeper.
41
00:02:53,489 --> 00:02:54,030
Very good.
42
00:02:54,660 --> 00:02:57,660
And, uh, Patrick Tubby
says, where's the honeymoon?
43
00:02:57,660 --> 00:02:58,890
Galley head or fastnet?
44
00:03:00,239 --> 00:03:04,410
It would be quite something to have
a honeymoon of fastnet, wouldn't it?
45
00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:05,820
Can you imagine?
46
00:03:05,910 --> 00:03:09,239
Well, I, I, I would totally be up
for it, but I think I'm probably,
47
00:03:09,239 --> 00:03:13,739
uh, one of the few outside of the
a LKI think there'd be more though.
48
00:03:15,060 --> 00:03:15,510
Yeah.
49
00:03:15,510 --> 00:03:18,540
I mean, as you know, I, I had my
honeymoon on Lundy, and at least
50
00:03:18,540 --> 00:03:19,890
you could get out and walk about.
51
00:03:20,865 --> 00:03:24,435
It's a beautiful island, but
fasten net most of the day you, you
52
00:03:24,435 --> 00:03:25,695
can't even open your front door.
53
00:03:26,805 --> 00:03:27,585
That's true.
54
00:03:27,675 --> 00:03:33,015
I was really excited to see the
article in the latest edition of LAMP
55
00:03:33,105 --> 00:03:38,235
about those lighthouses in Norway
and Finland that you can stay in.
56
00:03:38,565 --> 00:03:42,825
One of them has a hotel, uh, and
a sauna, and you, you stay in the
57
00:03:42,825 --> 00:03:46,575
tower overnight, but it's almost like
a rock station, so you have to be.
58
00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,590
Dropped off by boat and everything.
59
00:03:48,590 --> 00:03:50,989
I'm just like, that's,
that's now on my bucket list.
60
00:03:51,230 --> 00:03:52,489
That, that's on your bucket list.
61
00:03:52,489 --> 00:03:53,000
Absolutely.
62
00:03:53,209 --> 00:03:56,030
And how, how many of these
items on your bucket list does,
63
00:03:56,030 --> 00:04:00,859
does Michael share and would be
prepared to put on his bucket list?
64
00:04:01,489 --> 00:04:06,950
Uh, I think it's very much a
case of we have to share the.
65
00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:08,489
The trip.
66
00:04:08,489 --> 00:04:12,989
So I'll get so like the, the,
like the Scandinavian ones.
67
00:04:12,989 --> 00:04:16,860
I'll get to do the lighthouse and then
we'll go to like the Viking Center
68
00:04:16,860 --> 00:04:20,370
or museum or something, add a bit of
history in a castle and he'll be happy.
69
00:04:20,670 --> 00:04:21,120
Yes.
70
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:21,570
Okay.
71
00:04:21,959 --> 00:04:22,979
Yeah, fair enough.
72
00:04:22,979 --> 00:04:24,870
And I was just contemplating whether.
73
00:04:25,380 --> 00:04:30,180
If the choice was a honeymoon at
Fastnet, but Michael didn't come a lot,
74
00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:33,840
would you still be up for it?
75
00:04:36,060 --> 00:04:39,900
I, I, I think we could both be
happy as long as he had a good book.
76
00:04:40,590 --> 00:04:41,310
Very good.
77
00:04:41,370 --> 00:04:44,640
So, yes, JI mean, Gerald's
News is fantastic and we wish
78
00:04:44,820 --> 00:04:46,289
Gilda Maria all the best.
79
00:04:46,289 --> 00:04:49,229
As I say, it never crossed my mind that
they weren't already married there.
80
00:04:49,515 --> 00:04:50,595
Brilliant couple.
81
00:04:50,595 --> 00:04:55,245
They looked after me, so well, when I
went down to galley head last year, uh,
82
00:04:55,245 --> 00:04:56,715
do we know when the wedding actually is?
83
00:04:57,105 --> 00:04:58,785
We just know it's in May.
84
00:04:59,865 --> 00:05:03,645
Well, if you're listening, Gerald,
all the very best to you both.
85
00:05:04,245 --> 00:05:05,025
Absolutely.
86
00:05:05,205 --> 00:05:06,135
From both of us.
87
00:05:07,895 --> 00:05:10,109
And what else has been happening
in the world of lighthouses?
88
00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:15,630
Well, there is a very exciting
photography project, so I heard about it
89
00:05:15,630 --> 00:05:20,010
through the NLB and it's Connor Gault.
90
00:05:20,039 --> 00:05:20,310
Now.
91
00:05:20,310 --> 00:05:25,380
He is the grandson of the last
Lighthouse keeper of Scotland.
92
00:05:25,380 --> 00:05:30,120
Bill Gult, who some of us will
know, was at the anniversary
93
00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:31,440
of automation in Facebook.
94
00:05:31,469 --> 00:05:32,429
He was.
95
00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,540
The very last lighthouse keeper.
96
00:05:34,540 --> 00:05:39,400
So he turned the light off at Fair
Isle South Lighthouse in 1998.
97
00:05:39,970 --> 00:05:41,740
And you met him at that
weekend, didn't you?
98
00:05:42,130 --> 00:05:43,000
Absolutely.
99
00:05:43,090 --> 00:05:44,470
Uh, I remember you talking about him.
100
00:05:44,860 --> 00:05:45,340
He.
101
00:05:45,974 --> 00:05:47,835
Has so many stories.
102
00:05:47,835 --> 00:05:52,215
I know I just was sort of standing
back eavesdropping while he was talking
103
00:05:52,215 --> 00:05:55,484
with one of the other keepers and
it, it was very much talking about,
104
00:05:55,484 --> 00:05:58,844
you know, oh, well what generator did
you have here and how did it work?
105
00:05:58,844 --> 00:06:00,914
And oh, did it have this quirk as well?
106
00:06:00,914 --> 00:06:07,094
And even years later they, they know
exactly what they had and how they
107
00:06:07,094 --> 00:06:08,895
had to treat it to make it work.
108
00:06:08,955 --> 00:06:12,135
And it's just fascinating eavesdropping.
109
00:06:12,974 --> 00:06:15,164
So this is his grandson?
110
00:06:15,825 --> 00:06:20,924
Yeah, so his grandson was inspired
from the the Automation Weekend and
111
00:06:20,924 --> 00:06:26,085
he is a professional photographer
and he is looking for any remaining
112
00:06:26,085 --> 00:06:28,065
keepers that have worked for the NLB.
113
00:06:28,665 --> 00:06:31,035
You can get in contact with
him through his website.
114
00:06:31,035 --> 00:06:37,425
It's very easy to find, but he is taking
photos of the keepers, potentially take
115
00:06:37,425 --> 00:06:41,955
going out with them to their stations
where they were based and just taking
116
00:06:41,955 --> 00:06:43,935
these beautiful, beautiful photos.
117
00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:49,229
But obviously he spends time with
them and, and gets their stories.
118
00:06:49,229 --> 00:06:52,260
'cause he talks about meeting
John, both who we've interviewed
119
00:06:52,260 --> 00:06:53,385
on the podcast Indeed Podcast.
120
00:06:54,690 --> 00:06:55,049
Absolutely.
121
00:06:55,650 --> 00:06:58,979
So there, there is a BBC article as well.
122
00:06:58,979 --> 00:07:03,299
So he was talking about the stories that
John told, which anyone who's listened
123
00:07:03,299 --> 00:07:07,469
to the podcast will think are very
familiar, but it's also got a picture of
124
00:07:07,469 --> 00:07:10,890
him with his grandfather at Kenard head.
125
00:07:11,340 --> 00:07:11,729
Right.
126
00:07:11,729 --> 00:07:11,909
And nice.
127
00:07:14,235 --> 00:07:17,745
I, I just think this is a fantastic
project and he's been getting a lot of
128
00:07:17,745 --> 00:07:22,335
interest in the project and he is actually
been contacted by people in Canada who
129
00:07:22,335 --> 00:07:26,175
said that their grandfather used to work
in Scotland, but they all then moved to
130
00:07:26,175 --> 00:07:31,005
Canada and he was very upset 'cause he
thought, well, it's a bit far to go for a
131
00:07:31,005 --> 00:07:34,695
photography project, but they're actually
coming over to Scotland in the summer.
132
00:07:35,145 --> 00:07:38,325
I mean, that, that's a good reach
for a project already, isn't it?
133
00:07:38,325 --> 00:07:39,225
I mean, that's fantastic.
134
00:07:39,225 --> 00:07:40,035
Well, absolutely.
135
00:07:40,035 --> 00:07:42,315
So I, anyone who knows of.
136
00:07:42,815 --> 00:07:47,645
Any Scottish keepers and wants to get
in contact with Connor, his website
137
00:07:47,645 --> 00:07:49,445
is easily found through Google.
138
00:07:49,565 --> 00:07:52,685
I recommend you get in touch
because I think this is just such a
139
00:07:52,685 --> 00:07:54,515
fantastic project to be a part of.
140
00:07:55,265 --> 00:07:56,015
It does sound it.
141
00:07:56,015 --> 00:08:00,095
I mean, I remember seeing the the the
BBC news article about it, so he's
142
00:08:00,095 --> 00:08:04,235
obviously getting some decent publicity
and we wish him all the best and if
143
00:08:04,235 --> 00:08:05,645
he's listening, perhaps he could.
144
00:08:06,045 --> 00:08:07,515
Fill us in on the podcast.
145
00:08:07,515 --> 00:08:09,945
We have two more episodes
of this third season.
146
00:08:10,335 --> 00:08:11,685
We'd love to have you on as a guest.
147
00:08:11,685 --> 00:08:12,615
Do get in touch.
148
00:08:12,855 --> 00:08:13,845
I hope to hear from him soon.
149
00:08:14,355 --> 00:08:19,005
So this week it, it seems such a long time
ago that I caught up with him and chatted
150
00:08:19,005 --> 00:08:22,665
with him, but last year I was a guest.
151
00:08:23,250 --> 00:08:28,890
On a podcast called Lighthearted,
which is the US Lighthouse Societies
152
00:08:28,890 --> 00:08:32,760
podcast, written and hosted by a
lovely guy called Jeremy Tremont.
153
00:08:33,180 --> 00:08:39,510
And I mean, months ago I suggested we
turn the tables and asked if he would like
154
00:08:39,510 --> 00:08:43,110
to join us on the Keeping Watch podcast.
155
00:08:43,110 --> 00:08:47,280
And of course he, he, he said
yes straight away and he was
156
00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,310
such a, a laid back, gentle guy.
157
00:08:51,030 --> 00:08:52,980
Lots of interesting things to say.
158
00:08:52,980 --> 00:08:56,790
I found out a lot more about the US
Lighthouse Society, so we talked about
159
00:08:56,790 --> 00:09:04,110
his favorite lighthouses and the fact
that lighthearted has done 314 episodes.
160
00:09:04,110 --> 00:09:05,850
I mean, he's put us to shame.
161
00:09:05,850 --> 00:09:06,300
Really?
162
00:09:06,420 --> 00:09:06,570
Yeah.
163
00:09:06,570 --> 00:09:07,951
We've got a bit of catching up to do.
164
00:09:08,555 --> 00:09:09,755
We have got a bit of catching up to do.
165
00:09:09,755 --> 00:09:12,755
But one of the nice things
that he was saying wa, was that
166
00:09:13,084 --> 00:09:18,365
initially he was slightly irked
when he discovered keeping watch.
167
00:09:18,515 --> 00:09:22,505
'cause I think he'd always thought himself
that he had a, a true niche and that he
168
00:09:22,505 --> 00:09:26,405
was the only lighthouse related podcast.
169
00:09:26,855 --> 00:09:29,944
And then more recently
discovered that there's a third
170
00:09:29,944 --> 00:09:31,415
called the Lighthouse Lowdown.
171
00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:38,080
Hosted by Emily and Vincent who have
also now produced 75, 76 episodes.
172
00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,730
So we have got some catching up to do, but
it was a really interesting conversation
173
00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:47,860
I had with Jeremy and he's a great
friend of the podcast and up going back
174
00:09:47,860 --> 00:09:50,080
through the archive of lighthearted.
175
00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,770
He's interviewed so many of
our members over the years.
176
00:09:53,980 --> 00:09:56,230
And it's a very good podcast.
177
00:09:56,230 --> 00:09:57,010
Indeed.
178
00:09:57,010 --> 00:09:58,270
So should we take a listen?
179
00:09:58,720 --> 00:09:59,350
Let's do.
180
00:09:59,410 --> 00:10:00,340
I'm looking forward to it.
181
00:10:01,870 --> 00:10:05,050
If you are interested in lighthouses
in their history, why not join the
182
00:10:05,050 --> 00:10:06,670
Association of Light Housekeepers?
183
00:10:06,910 --> 00:10:09,100
You don't have to have been
a lighthouse keeper to join.
184
00:10:09,310 --> 00:10:10,810
Membership is open to everyone.
185
00:10:11,260 --> 00:10:14,860
As a member, you'll receive our full
color quarterly magazine and you can
186
00:10:14,860 --> 00:10:18,490
join our frequent organized visits
to Lighthouse in all parts of the uk.
187
00:10:18,824 --> 00:10:22,155
As well as other lighthouse related
events and activities throughout the year.
188
00:10:22,484 --> 00:10:26,025
Membership costs just 25 pounds
for single membership or 30
189
00:10:26,025 --> 00:10:27,194
pounds for joint membership.
190
00:10:27,555 --> 00:10:31,214
Junior members pay just 10 pounds
for more information or to join.
191
00:10:31,500 --> 00:10:33,510
Visit lk.org.uk.
192
00:10:33,510 --> 00:10:40,320
Now, I guess other than to say thank you
for coming onto the Keeping Watch podcast.
193
00:10:40,350 --> 00:10:45,480
I'm fascinated that you're an author,
you are a photographer, you are
194
00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,210
a historian, you are a presenter.
195
00:10:48,630 --> 00:10:52,980
You seem to be permanently on
tour doing your speaking program.
196
00:10:53,070 --> 00:10:54,090
How do you fit it all in?
197
00:10:54,630 --> 00:10:55,380
You know, it was funny.
198
00:10:55,380 --> 00:10:59,730
I was thinking about that and I was
thinking, I'm sure it looks to anybody
199
00:10:59,730 --> 00:11:03,600
who's paying attention looks like, like
you, that I'm busy and I'm very busy.
200
00:11:04,020 --> 00:11:09,209
But I, I guess the secret to that
is do something every day that
201
00:11:09,209 --> 00:11:12,689
kind of gets attention and people
will think, wow, he's really busy.
202
00:11:13,740 --> 00:11:14,610
Do you know what I mean?
203
00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,280
But no, I am busy, but it's fun.
204
00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:18,209
I enjoy all of it.
205
00:11:18,510 --> 00:11:24,600
And you say you enjoy all of it, of all
your various activities, most of which
206
00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,520
I have to say, involve lighthouses.
207
00:11:26,550 --> 00:11:26,640
Mm-hmm.
208
00:11:26,970 --> 00:11:28,500
What do you like best?
209
00:11:29,820 --> 00:11:34,350
You know, I, I'm tempted to say the
podcast and I might have to say that,
210
00:11:34,350 --> 00:11:40,410
but I just, I still have such joy
when I visit a, a new lighthouse,
211
00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,880
you know, especially if it's offshore
and it's not so easy to get to.
212
00:11:45,465 --> 00:11:47,295
It's, that hasn't lost.
213
00:11:47,295 --> 00:11:48,885
Its, you know, its thrill for me.
214
00:11:48,885 --> 00:11:52,605
So, yeah, I'd say it's a
tie between visiting new
215
00:11:52,605 --> 00:11:54,495
lighthouses and all old ones too.
216
00:11:54,495 --> 00:11:55,845
They're like old friends, you know?
217
00:11:56,085 --> 00:11:56,145
Yeah.
218
00:11:56,145 --> 00:11:57,825
A tie between that and the podcast.
219
00:11:57,825 --> 00:12:01,845
The podcast is so, so great
getting to know people like you,
220
00:12:01,875 --> 00:12:03,465
you know, all over the, the world.
221
00:12:03,915 --> 00:12:08,655
On that note, and we spoke about
this when I, I was on your podcast
222
00:12:08,655 --> 00:12:11,475
that you committed to doing a weekly.
223
00:12:11,825 --> 00:12:13,865
Podcast as opposed to committed.
224
00:12:13,865 --> 00:12:16,205
I should be committed for doing that.
225
00:12:16,685 --> 00:12:21,605
But you have not missed a week and
you are on episode 280 something.
226
00:12:22,025 --> 00:12:26,705
Have you ever thought, oh, good grief,
I've got another episode of this today.
227
00:12:27,405 --> 00:12:28,335
And like all the time.
228
00:12:29,535 --> 00:12:33,885
Yeah, it's, I think it's, I'm working
on a script for 2 84, but I've also done
229
00:12:33,885 --> 00:12:35,895
about 20 episodes that had no number.
230
00:12:35,895 --> 00:12:39,915
So it's over a little over 300
now, uh, without missing a week.
231
00:12:40,005 --> 00:12:42,194
Um, so I mean, that is
a hell of a commitment.
232
00:12:42,285 --> 00:12:42,645
Yeah.
233
00:12:42,645 --> 00:12:45,074
And, uh, you know, I've put a
lot of pressure on myself, so
234
00:12:45,074 --> 00:12:47,115
if I miss a week, you know, the.
235
00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:48,110
Public at large.
236
00:12:48,110 --> 00:12:52,070
Probably won't care if I did that,
but I, you know, I have a lot
237
00:12:52,070 --> 00:12:55,010
of pressure on myself to keep it
going, keep that streak going.
238
00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:57,020
It's a brilliant achievement.
239
00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:02,150
I mean, I, I hear what you say that
you've done some outnumbered episodes
240
00:13:02,150 --> 00:13:08,480
as well, but do you have a plan in your
mind for what is effectively 16 weeks
241
00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:12,320
away, which is your official episode 300?
242
00:13:12,944 --> 00:13:14,324
Not really.
243
00:13:14,324 --> 00:13:14,745
Let's see.
244
00:13:14,745 --> 00:13:18,975
16. We're talking on June 18th
and six, 16 weeks from now.
245
00:13:18,975 --> 00:13:20,025
When will that take us?
246
00:13:20,025 --> 00:13:21,314
That's like four months.
247
00:13:21,375 --> 00:13:23,055
July, August, September, October.
248
00:13:23,295 --> 00:13:27,045
We are having a, what we're
calling a virtual telethon
249
00:13:27,045 --> 00:13:28,635
for the US Lighthouse Society.
250
00:13:28,635 --> 00:13:28,665
Okay.
251
00:13:28,995 --> 00:13:30,795
On September 7th.
252
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,620
Uh, that will be open to everybody.
253
00:13:34,620 --> 00:13:35,760
It's gonna be a lot of fun.
254
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,790
I think we're gonna do something
like four hours and have various
255
00:13:38,790 --> 00:13:41,910
guests on, and, uh, I'll take the
opportunity to invite you right now.
256
00:13:41,910 --> 00:13:45,630
Of course, I'd love to have you as a guest
in that, but, you know, different people
257
00:13:45,630 --> 00:13:50,190
coming in for a few minutes and chatting
and, you know, people from lighthouses all
258
00:13:50,190 --> 00:13:52,500
over the US and hopefully outside the us.
259
00:13:53,084 --> 00:13:54,855
And authors and so forth.
260
00:13:54,855 --> 00:13:58,694
But anyway, so do something related
to the podcast as part of that.
261
00:13:59,295 --> 00:14:03,345
That may serve as an official celebration
in a way, or I might do something
262
00:14:03,345 --> 00:14:08,415
separate, maybe another one of these
public Zoom events that we do for
263
00:14:08,415 --> 00:14:10,334
the US Lighthouse Society sometimes.
264
00:14:10,334 --> 00:14:10,785
Yeah.
265
00:14:10,785 --> 00:14:10,786
Yeah.
266
00:14:10,905 --> 00:14:14,564
I mean, that does sound like a
really fun way to celebrate 300.
267
00:14:14,985 --> 00:14:15,700
I, I think so.
268
00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:19,000
To celebrate it with the public, and
I'll invite a lot of the people who've
269
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,280
been on the podcast, you know, so, yeah.
270
00:14:21,310 --> 00:14:22,390
Well, you can count me in.
271
00:14:22,450 --> 00:14:23,170
I'd love to be there.
272
00:14:23,170 --> 00:14:23,530
Excellent.
273
00:14:23,590 --> 00:14:24,490
Let's rewind the clock.
274
00:14:24,490 --> 00:14:25,450
Where did it all begin?
275
00:14:25,450 --> 00:14:29,324
I. Well, uh, it's funny, I was just
talking to somebody the other night about
276
00:14:29,324 --> 00:14:33,675
the subject and uh, I was remembering,
well, I don't really remember, but,
277
00:14:33,704 --> 00:14:37,755
uh, when I was three years old and I
really don't remember anything from
278
00:14:37,755 --> 00:14:41,474
when I was three years old, but I know
I went with my family to Florida, the
279
00:14:41,474 --> 00:14:45,194
state of Florida, and we visited a
very famous lighthouse there, the St.
280
00:14:45,194 --> 00:14:45,944
Augustine Lighthouse.
281
00:14:46,035 --> 00:14:46,755
Okay.
282
00:14:47,235 --> 00:14:48,615
It's extremely tall.
283
00:14:48,675 --> 00:14:51,435
One with a black and white
barber pole kind of strike.
284
00:14:51,435 --> 00:14:51,675
Oh, yeah.
285
00:14:51,709 --> 00:14:51,910
Okay.
286
00:14:52,225 --> 00:14:56,574
It's a big tourist attraction, and
there are, I don't know if they still
287
00:14:56,574 --> 00:14:59,785
exist, but there were home movies
of me in the baby carriage in front
288
00:14:59,785 --> 00:15:01,225
of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
289
00:15:01,675 --> 00:15:04,885
So I like to think I picked up the
bug there, but I only feel like I
290
00:15:04,885 --> 00:15:06,685
remember that from the home movies.
291
00:15:07,105 --> 00:15:11,185
But later on, I, I grew up near Boston
on the coast in a city called Lin.
292
00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:12,740
Named for Kingsland England.
293
00:15:13,310 --> 00:15:15,440
And so I was fascinated by the ocean.
294
00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,250
Growing up, I thought I wanted to be
a marine biologist, but I, you know,
295
00:15:19,250 --> 00:15:21,440
lighthouses were not in my consciousness.
296
00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:25,010
But then growing up there was a,
his local historian named Edward Row
297
00:15:25,010 --> 00:15:26,900
Snow, who was kind of a hero I love.
298
00:15:26,930 --> 00:15:31,340
He was on TV and radio a lot locally
in Boston, and I loved his stories.
299
00:15:31,340 --> 00:15:32,420
And later I got to meet him.
300
00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:34,250
Make a long story short.
301
00:15:34,630 --> 00:15:39,790
In the 1980s, I lived in Winthrop,
Massachusetts, which is where he came
302
00:15:39,790 --> 00:15:44,560
from, Edward Rose Snow, and I ended up
producing some videos about his life and
303
00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,260
his work, and that really got me hooked.
304
00:15:47,260 --> 00:15:51,444
So that was in the mid 1980s and I
started visiting lighthouses and I. I
305
00:15:51,985 --> 00:15:56,395
just, uh, between photographing them,
falling in love with the beauty and
306
00:15:56,395 --> 00:16:00,775
starting to realize how interesting the
history is, you know, that got me hooked.
307
00:16:00,775 --> 00:16:03,085
So it's been just about 40 years for me.
308
00:16:03,595 --> 00:16:04,615
That's extraordinary.
309
00:16:04,735 --> 00:16:08,665
And when did you start writing
books about lighthouses?
310
00:16:08,665 --> 00:16:11,365
Because you've written more than 20 books.
311
00:16:11,425 --> 00:16:14,365
Well, I was writing articles starting.
312
00:16:15,075 --> 00:16:16,965
In the nineties.
313
00:16:17,025 --> 00:16:21,825
So I have, you know, I kind
of had a roundabout way into
314
00:16:21,825 --> 00:16:23,265
doing this for a living.
315
00:16:23,265 --> 00:16:25,365
I was, it was a hobby for a long time.
316
00:16:25,845 --> 00:16:28,605
Visiting lighthouses and
photographing them was a hobby.
317
00:16:28,605 --> 00:16:32,385
And then in the nineties
I produced a seedy rom.
318
00:16:32,685 --> 00:16:36,135
I don't know how many people
listening know what a CD ROM was.
319
00:16:36,135 --> 00:16:39,405
I think they're extinct now, but
it was, I think they probably are
320
00:16:39,405 --> 00:16:41,445
extinct, but I certainly remember them.
321
00:16:42,105 --> 00:16:44,955
It was a popular format for
a while of putting a lot of
322
00:16:44,955 --> 00:16:48,675
information on a disc, you know,
for, for, uh, public consumption.
323
00:16:49,275 --> 00:16:55,935
So I produced a CD ROM on the lighthouses
of the state of Maine in about 97, 19 97.
324
00:16:55,935 --> 00:16:57,015
I think I released that.
325
00:16:57,605 --> 00:17:02,555
And very, it was right at the time when
the internet was taking over from CD ROMs.
326
00:17:02,555 --> 00:17:02,735
Yeah, right.
327
00:17:02,735 --> 00:17:06,935
So I didn't sell many copies, but it,
it's, you know, got me further into it.
328
00:17:06,935 --> 00:17:09,905
I started my website, which is
New England Lighthouses now.
329
00:17:10,505 --> 00:17:13,505
It changed over the years, but
it's New England lighthouses.net.
330
00:17:14,075 --> 00:17:17,075
And so I started my website in the
late nineties and that was right.
331
00:17:17,135 --> 00:17:20,915
Started writing a lot of articles, mostly
for a magazine called Lighthouse Digest.
332
00:17:20,974 --> 00:17:21,245
Okay.
333
00:17:21,305 --> 00:17:21,485
Yes.
334
00:17:21,485 --> 00:17:24,365
I ended up writing about 300
articles for that magazine.
335
00:17:25,155 --> 00:17:30,945
And that led into me actually being
hired to edit and annotate seven new
336
00:17:30,945 --> 00:17:34,425
editions of Edward Roseau's books,
the historian I mentioned earlier.
337
00:17:34,815 --> 00:17:37,815
So why I, I came full circle,
you know, back to him.
338
00:17:38,355 --> 00:17:40,545
And then the publisher I did those for.
339
00:17:40,545 --> 00:17:42,495
I said, you wanna write a book for us?
340
00:17:42,555 --> 00:17:44,205
So I never had to find a publisher.
341
00:17:44,205 --> 00:17:47,805
They asked me, um, and I wrote
Lighthouses of Connecticut.
342
00:17:47,805 --> 00:17:50,715
I believe the first edition
of that came out in 2005.
343
00:17:50,715 --> 00:17:54,015
I'm working on a new
expanded edition now, but.
344
00:17:54,430 --> 00:17:57,190
Then, you know, so that that
really got the ball rolling.
345
00:17:58,180 --> 00:18:00,010
You say a new expanded edition.
346
00:18:00,010 --> 00:18:04,540
Presumably you haven't discovered
lighthouses that you didn't know about.
347
00:18:04,570 --> 00:18:06,220
What's in the new edition?
348
00:18:06,250 --> 00:18:08,170
What are your Yeah, just
bring it up to date.
349
00:18:08,350 --> 00:18:09,130
Pretty much.
350
00:18:09,190 --> 00:18:12,820
You know, there's been so much happening
in this country and I think on your.
351
00:18:12,875 --> 00:18:17,375
Side as well with private
owners in many cases.
352
00:18:17,375 --> 00:18:17,525
Yeah, right.
353
00:18:17,525 --> 00:18:22,175
Lighthouses being developed as tourist
attractions and so forth, so it'll
354
00:18:22,175 --> 00:18:23,585
bring a lot of that up to date.
355
00:18:23,585 --> 00:18:27,455
Plus, you know, in the 20 years since
I did the first edition, I found some
356
00:18:27,455 --> 00:18:30,755
interesting stories that I, I didn't
know about the first time around.
357
00:18:31,535 --> 00:18:36,575
Well, let's talk about that for a second,
because I sense from listening to your
358
00:18:36,575 --> 00:18:40,265
podcast that you are as interested in.
359
00:18:40,875 --> 00:18:45,135
The social history, the history
of the keepers and their families
360
00:18:45,135 --> 00:18:47,265
as you are of the architecture.
361
00:18:47,775 --> 00:18:47,895
Mm-hmm.
362
00:18:48,225 --> 00:18:49,275
Is that a fair statement?
363
00:18:49,605 --> 00:18:50,865
That's a very fair statement.
364
00:18:50,865 --> 00:18:51,225
Yeah.
365
00:18:51,285 --> 00:18:56,865
And have you managed to incorporate a
lot of that social history in your books?
366
00:18:57,225 --> 00:18:58,695
That's what I try to do.
367
00:18:58,785 --> 00:19:01,545
You know, I, I kind of
made a conscious decision.
368
00:19:02,699 --> 00:19:07,080
Probably more than 20 years ago to
keep this, this history alive, the
369
00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:11,100
human history of the lighthouses, uh,
there's, I think that's so important.
370
00:19:11,100 --> 00:19:13,590
I mean, the lighthouses are
obviously often beautiful and
371
00:19:13,590 --> 00:19:16,709
interesting structures, but without
the people, they're nothing.
372
00:19:16,709 --> 00:19:16,770
Yeah.
373
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:21,179
So the stories of lighthouse keepers and
their families and not just, you know,
374
00:19:21,179 --> 00:19:25,080
there's dramatic stories of heroism and
everything, but they're just the day what
375
00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:27,120
the day-to-day life was like, you know?
376
00:19:27,689 --> 00:19:31,081
Um, to me it's absolutely
fascinating and, and.
377
00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:38,890
I've certainly found in this country it's
actually very hard unless you meet someone
378
00:19:38,890 --> 00:19:41,020
who served at a particular lighthouse.
379
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,080
It's very hard to find those stories.
380
00:19:45,130 --> 00:19:46,270
Well, it is.
381
00:19:46,270 --> 00:19:48,010
It's getting harder, obviously.
382
00:19:48,010 --> 00:19:50,680
I mean, your lighthouses
were all automated.
383
00:19:51,195 --> 00:19:52,725
More recently than ours.
384
00:19:52,725 --> 00:19:57,765
Our last lighthouses, the auto last
automations took place around 1990
385
00:19:58,365 --> 00:20:01,905
and the the Coast Guard, our Coast
Guard, took over from the civilian
386
00:20:01,905 --> 00:20:04,455
lighthouse service back in 1939.
387
00:20:04,755 --> 00:20:07,725
So none of the old civilian
keepers are still alive.
388
00:20:07,935 --> 00:20:08,025
Right.
389
00:20:08,325 --> 00:20:11,505
And the Coast Guard keepers are
starting to get fewer and fewer.
390
00:20:11,909 --> 00:20:17,790
So I've tried to interview as many as
I, I can, and I've said it to you before
391
00:20:17,790 --> 00:20:19,379
I said it when you were on my podcast.
392
00:20:19,379 --> 00:20:23,159
That to me, the podcast is almost
more of an oral history project
393
00:20:23,159 --> 00:20:25,950
than it is just a, a podcast.
394
00:20:26,190 --> 00:20:27,540
I don't mean just a podcast.
395
00:20:27,540 --> 00:20:31,110
That's important too, to, to
have this program that gets,
396
00:20:31,169 --> 00:20:33,930
you know, this information out
to people on a regular basis.
397
00:20:33,930 --> 00:20:37,620
But I see it as an archival
kind of oral history project
398
00:20:37,620 --> 00:20:39,180
too, to preserve this stuff.
399
00:20:39,660 --> 00:20:40,860
Completely agree.
400
00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:46,560
So given that actually firsthand
accounts are getting it yes.
401
00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:48,720
Increasingly difficult to collect.
402
00:20:49,020 --> 00:20:51,600
When you are researching,
what are your go-to?
403
00:20:52,350 --> 00:20:53,460
Points of research.
404
00:20:54,030 --> 00:20:57,720
Well, it starts being, you know,
I have such a network of people
405
00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:03,810
that I know in the Coast Guard
and other writers and so forth.
406
00:21:03,870 --> 00:21:08,070
Fairly often somebody will say to me,
you know, do you know about so and so?
407
00:21:08,070 --> 00:21:12,900
He was a keeper in the 1970s at
this, you know, isolated main
408
00:21:12,900 --> 00:21:14,520
lighthouse or whatever it might be.
409
00:21:15,070 --> 00:21:20,620
So often, most often I'm told by
somebody I know about somebody
410
00:21:20,620 --> 00:21:22,000
else that I should interview.
411
00:21:22,510 --> 00:21:26,710
Occasionally I'll read something,
whether it's in a book or online,
412
00:21:27,129 --> 00:21:31,450
about an incident or about a
particular Coast Guard keeper or
413
00:21:31,450 --> 00:21:33,429
the a child of a civilian keeper.
414
00:21:33,429 --> 00:21:36,429
That might be an article about
their growing up at a lighthouse,
415
00:21:36,429 --> 00:21:37,330
that kind of thing, right?
416
00:21:37,690 --> 00:21:41,200
And I'll do some research and try to
figure out a way to contact this person
417
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,300
so that that happens fairly often too.
418
00:21:43,780 --> 00:21:48,790
So there's no one way that I do it, but
it's just keeping an eye out, you know?
419
00:21:48,790 --> 00:21:49,105
Yeah, yeah.
420
00:21:49,110 --> 00:21:52,000
And an eye and an ear out all
the time for these stories.
421
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:52,300
Yeah.
422
00:21:53,110 --> 00:21:55,899
So you've maintained this website.
423
00:21:56,139 --> 00:21:58,545
You've written a book
every other year for.
424
00:21:58,905 --> 00:22:03,585
O over the course of your 40 year
career, at what stage did you even
425
00:22:03,645 --> 00:22:08,985
think it was a good idea to think, now
I'll now do a committed Weekly podcast?
426
00:22:10,665 --> 00:22:12,825
Well, I never thought it was
a good idea, just thought,
427
00:22:12,825 --> 00:22:14,655
well, this is what people do.
428
00:22:14,685 --> 00:22:16,635
You do a podcast, you do it every week.
429
00:22:16,635 --> 00:22:19,365
I didn't think that much
about it Beyond that.
430
00:22:19,864 --> 00:22:24,814
I, you know, obviously I should have taken
an approach more like yours where you do
431
00:22:24,814 --> 00:22:29,465
maybe seasons and take a break in between,
but I'm not, I don't regret any of it.
432
00:22:29,465 --> 00:22:30,995
I've enjoyed every minute of it.
433
00:22:31,409 --> 00:22:36,240
But I, I may at some point have to give
myself a break, but like I said, I'll feel
434
00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,669
terrible about that when I, I miss a week.
435
00:22:38,669 --> 00:22:39,449
I think that's right.
436
00:22:39,449 --> 00:22:43,230
I think having, having kept it up
for five years this month, it was
437
00:22:43,230 --> 00:22:45,570
early June, 2019 when I started.
438
00:22:45,570 --> 00:22:47,070
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
439
00:22:47,310 --> 00:22:48,960
And, and how did you find it?
440
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:54,639
During Covid and Lockdowns and in a
way I. F It didn't change that much,
441
00:22:54,669 --> 00:22:58,870
you know, because, I mean, I do travel
sometimes and do interviews in person.
442
00:22:58,870 --> 00:23:02,950
I just did a trip down the, the east
coast of the US just recently for
443
00:23:02,950 --> 00:23:07,270
12 days and I interviewed a lot of
people at lighthouses and maritime
444
00:23:07,270 --> 00:23:09,159
museums in person, which is great.
445
00:23:09,399 --> 00:23:10,120
Although the.
446
00:23:10,620 --> 00:23:14,700
Conditions can be troublesome in some
cases, you know, where you're interviewing
447
00:23:14,700 --> 00:23:17,670
somebody in an office and there might be
a lot of noise in the background and that
448
00:23:17,670 --> 00:23:21,510
kind of thing, but still it's, there's a
real advantage to sitting across a table
449
00:23:21,510 --> 00:23:23,160
from somebody and doing it in person.
450
00:23:23,460 --> 00:23:26,790
But I do most of them remotely
like we're doing right now.
451
00:23:27,150 --> 00:23:30,870
And so in a way that didn't change
during Covid because people were doing
452
00:23:30,930 --> 00:23:32,730
almost everything remotely, right?
453
00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:33,210
Yes.
454
00:23:33,405 --> 00:23:38,895
Yes, so I remember the first, uh,
time I used, I have used Zoom.
455
00:23:38,895 --> 00:23:38,985
Mm-hmm.
456
00:23:39,225 --> 00:23:44,054
I've also used other tools for it,
but the first time I ever used Zoom
457
00:23:44,054 --> 00:23:48,375
was to interview two people at the
Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, which
458
00:23:48,375 --> 00:23:52,125
has the world's largest collection
of Nel lenses as far as I know.
459
00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:53,860
I believe it does.
460
00:23:53,860 --> 00:23:55,810
I'm going to be up
there later in the year.
461
00:23:55,810 --> 00:23:56,170
I'm looking.
462
00:23:56,170 --> 00:23:58,840
I've never visited and I'm
really looking forward to it.
463
00:23:59,260 --> 00:24:04,060
Yeah, I haven't been there, but when I
did the interview, the director walked
464
00:24:04,060 --> 00:24:08,500
around with a, a tablet, I think an iPad,
and walked through the museum and showed
465
00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:10,750
me things that way, which was great.
466
00:24:10,750 --> 00:24:13,570
I got a personal tour
from across the ocean.
467
00:24:13,660 --> 00:24:13,810
Yeah.
468
00:24:13,810 --> 00:24:14,410
Fabulous.
469
00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:15,310
That's terrific.
470
00:24:15,370 --> 00:24:20,020
Now, I think I know the answer to this,
but you say you enjoy doing the podcast.
471
00:24:20,020 --> 00:24:21,550
What do you enjoy most about doing it?
472
00:24:22,095 --> 00:24:23,355
Meeting new people.
473
00:24:23,355 --> 00:24:27,795
I was, I've been thinking a lot about
this lately, how, uh, you know, you
474
00:24:27,795 --> 00:24:32,235
can almost put the lighthouse part
of it aside and just the experience
475
00:24:32,235 --> 00:24:38,175
of speaking with new people every
week and people are invariably
476
00:24:38,175 --> 00:24:41,295
nice, you know, and accommodating.
477
00:24:41,790 --> 00:24:46,020
And I'm just amazed and including
the people that I visited in person,
478
00:24:46,290 --> 00:24:49,590
you know, they take a good chunk of
time out of their day and show me
479
00:24:49,590 --> 00:24:52,620
around and really treat me so well.
480
00:24:52,620 --> 00:24:56,730
And I just feel so lucky, uh,
to have had those experiences.
481
00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:00,240
I, I wonder if you've had the
same experience as me That, that
482
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,770
so many people, uh, believe that
they're probably the only people.
483
00:25:05,219 --> 00:25:09,510
Who like lighthouses and feel almost
ashamed of their love of lighthouses.
484
00:25:09,510 --> 00:25:14,459
And I think one of the reasons they're
so accommodating is they're so excited to
485
00:25:14,459 --> 00:25:17,939
meet somebody else with the same passion.
486
00:25:18,149 --> 00:25:18,929
I think you're right.
487
00:25:18,929 --> 00:25:20,820
It's like we speak the same language.
488
00:25:20,939 --> 00:25:21,120
Yeah.
489
00:25:21,179 --> 00:25:25,860
And it's, it can be a relief to maybe
be in a foreign country and everybody's
490
00:25:25,860 --> 00:25:26,729
speaking a different language.
491
00:25:26,729 --> 00:25:28,590
Then you find somebody
who speaks your language.
492
00:25:28,590 --> 00:25:29,159
Oh wow.
493
00:25:29,455 --> 00:25:29,665
Yeah.
494
00:25:29,665 --> 00:25:31,675
So you wanna talk with them, you know?
495
00:25:31,675 --> 00:25:35,605
And people get very enthusiastic about
it because I'm so receptive to it.
496
00:25:35,635 --> 00:25:36,535
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
497
00:25:36,535 --> 00:25:37,105
Very good.
498
00:25:37,195 --> 00:25:45,145
Now you, I believe, had the wonderful
position of being the only Lighthouse
499
00:25:45,145 --> 00:25:48,595
podcast in the world for several years.
500
00:25:48,595 --> 00:25:48,655
Yeah.
501
00:25:49,135 --> 00:25:52,764
And there are now three where, where you.
502
00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:58,500
Excited to see two new ones come
along, or did you think, oh, copycats.
503
00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:04,320
I have to admit, there was probably a
little twinge of, uh oh, oh no, there's
504
00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,040
somebody else now doing a Lighthouse
podcast, but that passed pretty quickly.
505
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:13,380
And, uh, now I would love to
see, you know, a dozen or two
506
00:26:13,380 --> 00:26:15,000
dozen more lighthouse podcasts.
507
00:26:15,045 --> 00:26:17,820
I, I think you agree with me that
there's plenty of stories to go
508
00:26:17,820 --> 00:26:21,360
around and I think there are plenty
of stories to go around and also.
509
00:26:21,705 --> 00:26:26,925
It's so interesting hearing about
lighthouses that you haven't visited.
510
00:26:27,375 --> 00:26:33,165
You might well never visit, and
they have their own stories,
511
00:26:33,165 --> 00:26:34,730
their own histories, their own.
512
00:26:36,030 --> 00:26:40,380
Keepers and their families and
the trials and troubles and
513
00:26:40,380 --> 00:26:42,510
tribulations that they went through.
514
00:26:42,540 --> 00:26:42,690
Yeah.
515
00:26:43,230 --> 00:26:48,150
You can't really cover all
that in one podcast anyway.
516
00:26:48,540 --> 00:26:48,630
Mm-hmm.
517
00:26:48,870 --> 00:26:53,460
So, and, and also I think all three
of the podcast that exists take a
518
00:26:53,460 --> 00:26:57,415
different approach, which again, gives
each one its own identity, I think.
519
00:26:57,870 --> 00:26:58,980
I think that's very true.
520
00:26:58,980 --> 00:27:03,480
I mean, you bring your background
and knowledge to the podcast
521
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:07,140
that you do, and I do the same
with mine and your personality.
522
00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:08,430
So yeah, of course.
523
00:27:08,430 --> 00:27:09,570
They're all, all different.
524
00:27:10,380 --> 00:27:15,225
I think it's fascinating and I mean,
I, I must be honest, I. Didn't know
525
00:27:15,225 --> 00:27:21,285
about yours until I started doing
sort of keyword and tag searches
526
00:27:21,285 --> 00:27:23,325
in order to start listing mine.
527
00:27:23,325 --> 00:27:29,685
And then I was taken aback that not
only was there one already, but at that
528
00:27:29,685 --> 00:27:32,535
stage you'd managed about 170 episodes.
529
00:27:33,075 --> 00:27:34,010
It was a bit of a shock.
530
00:27:34,725 --> 00:27:40,695
Yeah, I kept watch for other podcasts,
lighthouse podcasts, and for years what
531
00:27:40,695 --> 00:27:45,855
I was seeing was that a, a podcast on
other subjects, whether it was travel or.
532
00:27:46,245 --> 00:27:49,275
Murder mysteries because there
are some related to lighthouses,
533
00:27:49,275 --> 00:27:50,145
you know, here and there.
534
00:27:50,145 --> 00:27:55,545
They might do a, an episode about
lighthouses or a lighthouse, but
535
00:27:55,545 --> 00:27:59,775
again, there was no other strictly
Lighthouse podcast until yours.
536
00:27:59,775 --> 00:28:03,855
And you know, the more I listen, the
more I realized that's there's more
537
00:28:03,855 --> 00:28:05,835
than an enough room for both and more.
538
00:28:06,165 --> 00:28:07,995
There's no conflict whatsoever.
539
00:28:08,115 --> 00:28:09,490
So completely, completely.
540
00:28:09,495 --> 00:28:13,185
Uh, I think when we spoke
for your podcast, I just
541
00:28:13,185 --> 00:28:14,865
got back from a weekend at.
542
00:28:15,195 --> 00:28:21,254
Bitton Lighthouse where the Association
of Lighthouse Keepers archive is stored,
543
00:28:21,735 --> 00:28:31,485
and I spent a day sitting in a room with
two or three lapel mics, and I've recorded
544
00:28:31,995 --> 00:28:33,825
enough material for I should think.
545
00:28:34,215 --> 00:28:35,625
Three more seasons.
546
00:28:35,625 --> 00:28:36,765
Just in Just in that one.
547
00:28:37,125 --> 00:28:38,955
Just in that one weekend.
548
00:28:39,225 --> 00:28:39,315
Yeah.
549
00:28:39,345 --> 00:28:41,235
So there is plenty to go around.
550
00:28:41,745 --> 00:28:46,725
Given that you are on episode 284,
your next episode, someone new
551
00:28:46,725 --> 00:28:51,495
to your podcast, the Lighthearted
podcast, where should they begin?
552
00:28:51,945 --> 00:28:52,365
Huh?
553
00:28:52,845 --> 00:28:54,105
Should they listen to the current episode?
554
00:28:54,105 --> 00:28:55,545
Should they go back to episode one?
555
00:28:55,665 --> 00:28:58,035
Is there a particular
episode that you are.
556
00:28:58,070 --> 00:29:01,669
You're so proud of, you'd like
everyone to listen to first.
557
00:29:01,669 --> 00:29:03,889
Well, there's a few of,
there's a few of those.
558
00:29:03,950 --> 00:29:08,840
Um, I'll tell you, when I listen, when
I listen to the early episodes, I feel.
559
00:29:09,629 --> 00:29:13,379
I wouldn't quite say embarrassed,
but I know I've gotten better at it.
560
00:29:13,409 --> 00:29:13,620
Right.
561
00:29:13,980 --> 00:29:15,750
I think that's a very
natural feeling, isn't it?
562
00:29:16,020 --> 00:29:16,440
Yeah.
563
00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:16,830
Yeah.
564
00:29:16,830 --> 00:29:20,429
At first, I remember the very
first episode is an interview with
565
00:29:20,429 --> 00:29:24,300
Sophie Black Hall who wrote a, an
award-winning wonderful children's
566
00:29:24,300 --> 00:29:26,310
book called Hello Lighthouse.
567
00:29:26,340 --> 00:29:31,020
She's Australian, but she lives in New
York and I love the book and she was
568
00:29:31,020 --> 00:29:34,169
a great interview, but I listened to
that in some of the other early ones,
569
00:29:34,169 --> 00:29:36,210
and I'm kind of stiff and nervous.
570
00:29:36,675 --> 00:29:40,455
You know, and I've got a list of questions
and I'm reading the questions basically,
571
00:29:40,875 --> 00:29:44,265
and it's just gotten more and more
conversational and that's so much better.
572
00:29:44,265 --> 00:29:45,495
And it's so much more fun.
573
00:29:45,945 --> 00:29:53,355
So, um, I think it's hard to pick
a favorite out of the 300, but I
574
00:29:53,355 --> 00:29:55,935
loved speaking with Gerald Butler.
575
00:29:56,655 --> 00:29:58,785
You, I'm, have you
interviewed Gerald Butler?
576
00:29:58,785 --> 00:29:59,985
I have indeed.
577
00:29:59,985 --> 00:30:00,225
He is.
578
00:30:00,255 --> 00:30:00,405
Yeah.
579
00:30:00,405 --> 00:30:02,895
I thought you had, he is wonderful.
580
00:30:03,450 --> 00:30:05,820
He is, he's absolutely wonderful.
581
00:30:06,060 --> 00:30:09,690
He is, and I, so I interviewed
him for three hours.
582
00:30:10,469 --> 00:30:11,129
Only three.
583
00:30:11,639 --> 00:30:14,490
Yeah, I could have gone a lot
longer and I wouldn't have
584
00:30:14,550 --> 00:30:18,300
complained, but I divided that up
into three episodes of the podcast.
585
00:30:18,629 --> 00:30:20,969
I can't tell you off the top of
my head what the numbers were on
586
00:30:20,969 --> 00:30:25,469
those, but if people, they searched
on their podcast apps or whatever.
587
00:30:25,500 --> 00:30:30,209
Again, the podcast is lighthearted two
words and the, um, the three episodes
588
00:30:30,209 --> 00:30:34,050
with Gerald Butler, I just love so much
and I was lucky enough to get to meet.
589
00:30:34,050 --> 00:30:35,429
He's an Irish lighthouse keeper.
590
00:30:35,429 --> 00:30:35,699
Of course.
591
00:30:35,699 --> 00:30:35,760
Yeah.
592
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:36,600
We haven't said that.
593
00:30:36,990 --> 00:30:39,449
Uh, former keeper and he is still a, um.
594
00:30:39,740 --> 00:30:42,320
Attendant keeper at the At galley head.
595
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:43,310
Yes, absolutely.
596
00:30:43,310 --> 00:30:43,370
Yeah.
597
00:30:43,370 --> 00:30:47,330
And I got to visit there with a US
Lighthouse Society tour group two years
598
00:30:47,330 --> 00:30:49,190
ago, almost exactly two years ago.
599
00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:53,960
And he greeted us in his uniform, his
dress uniform that he's wearing in the
600
00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:56,180
cover of his book, the Light Light Keeper.
601
00:30:56,270 --> 00:30:58,520
And it was so much fun
and people enjoyed him.
602
00:30:58,520 --> 00:30:59,930
People loved meeting him.
603
00:30:59,930 --> 00:31:01,130
He's just a great guy.
604
00:31:01,550 --> 00:31:03,020
He's got a lovely voice.
605
00:31:03,260 --> 00:31:08,960
He's such a character and I can absolutely
believe that was one of your favorite.
606
00:31:09,139 --> 00:31:14,720
What I will do for listeners of Keeping
Watch is I'll check out which episodes
607
00:31:14,810 --> 00:31:19,639
of the Lighthearted podcast, those three
were, and I'll put them in the show notes
608
00:31:19,639 --> 00:31:22,490
so that people can find them easily.
609
00:31:22,504 --> 00:31:24,800
But that's a good place
to start, you think.
610
00:31:25,490 --> 00:31:26,480
Absolutely.
611
00:31:26,570 --> 00:31:30,980
And I'll mention a similar
set of three episodes.
612
00:31:30,980 --> 00:31:31,220
Mm-hmm.
613
00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:36,450
Was an interview with a man named Barry
Porter, who was a longtime lighthouse
614
00:31:36,450 --> 00:31:38,070
keeper in Newfoundland, Canada.
615
00:31:38,310 --> 00:31:38,880
Oh, wow.
616
00:31:38,970 --> 00:31:44,550
And he wrote a book about his, his
experiences, and he was right up there.
617
00:31:44,550 --> 00:31:46,440
Just so fascinating.
618
00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,620
Just a, a great guy with
a lot of colorful stories.
619
00:31:49,980 --> 00:31:53,580
His book is called Adventures of a
Light Keeper Again, Barry Porter.
620
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,340
And I'm just bringing things
up in front of me here so I
621
00:31:56,340 --> 00:31:57,930
can tell you that was episode.
622
00:31:58,425 --> 00:32:00,794
2 25, 6 and seven.
623
00:32:00,945 --> 00:32:01,245
Okay.
624
00:32:01,995 --> 00:32:04,485
Very good, and I love
the interview with him.
625
00:32:04,729 --> 00:32:08,865
I, I could go on there and, but it's, it's
funny how the ones I'm naming are outside
626
00:32:08,865 --> 00:32:13,935
the US but, uh, one a person within the
United States that I interviewed that I
627
00:32:13,935 --> 00:32:18,945
really loved was, uh, a man by the name
of Kirby Eldridge, who was a, a light
628
00:32:18,945 --> 00:32:20,865
keeper in the Coast Guard, and he was.
629
00:32:21,314 --> 00:32:26,054
One of the two last keepers at Boone,
BOO and Boone Island Lighthouse
630
00:32:26,054 --> 00:32:27,405
off the southern coast of Maine.
631
00:32:27,825 --> 00:32:32,625
And he was there for, uh, one of the worst
storms in the 20th century in this region.
632
00:32:32,925 --> 00:32:35,625
The blizzard of 1978, February 78.
633
00:32:35,774 --> 00:32:36,014
Yeah.
634
00:32:36,014 --> 00:32:37,280
Maybe you've Yeah, I've heard of it.
635
00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:37,560
Yeah.
636
00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:37,679
Yeah.
637
00:32:37,679 --> 00:32:38,385
It's quite famous.
638
00:32:38,385 --> 00:32:38,655
Yeah.
639
00:32:39,070 --> 00:32:42,880
And he and the other keeper had to be
rescued from the top of the lighthouse
640
00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:44,560
by helicopter during the storm.
641
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,130
And his description of all that,
it's, it's hair raising, but it's, he
642
00:32:48,130 --> 00:32:49,990
tells it in kind of a funny way too.
643
00:32:50,050 --> 00:32:52,210
He and the other keeper
were in the keeper's house.
644
00:32:52,210 --> 00:32:55,390
The water just suddenly came
flooding into the house, he said.
645
00:32:55,770 --> 00:32:59,040
Sparks were shooting out of the
electrical outlets, like little,
646
00:32:59,130 --> 00:33:01,080
uh, lightning boats, bolts, he said.
647
00:33:01,470 --> 00:33:04,380
So they grabbed a few things and
ran into the lighthouse tower.
648
00:33:04,380 --> 00:33:07,950
Went upstairs because the island
was basically underwater, and
649
00:33:07,950 --> 00:33:09,300
they waited until the next day.
650
00:33:09,300 --> 00:33:10,860
Coast Guard sent a helicopter.
651
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:16,860
They were out on the, the, like the watch
room gallery, the catwalk outside the
652
00:33:16,860 --> 00:33:21,390
lighthouse, and the helicopters hovering
over them, lowered a basket to them.
653
00:33:21,390 --> 00:33:23,250
They had to climb over the railing.
654
00:33:23,535 --> 00:33:26,685
And climb into that basket and
get raised up into the helicopter.
655
00:33:26,685 --> 00:33:31,245
And Barry, uh, I mean, Kirby told me that
he was never afraid of heights until that
656
00:33:31,245 --> 00:33:33,855
day, and now he's still afraid of heights.
657
00:33:34,215 --> 00:33:36,015
So that was just an amazing story.
658
00:33:36,075 --> 00:33:37,515
That is an amazing story.
659
00:33:37,605 --> 00:33:37,665
Yeah.
660
00:33:37,665 --> 00:33:39,885
And again, we, we will.
661
00:33:40,185 --> 00:33:43,575
Dig out what episode that was,
and I'll put it in the show notes,
662
00:33:43,575 --> 00:33:44,805
but that sounds fascinating.
663
00:33:44,805 --> 00:33:47,055
I'd like to go back and
listen to that one myself.
664
00:33:47,055 --> 00:33:50,235
There are more, now that I'm starting
to think about these also, you know,
665
00:33:50,235 --> 00:33:56,055
I've interviewed a number of authors
and one of my favorites is Eric j Dolan.
666
00:33:56,125 --> 00:33:58,075
D-O-L-I-N who wrote the book?
667
00:33:58,075 --> 00:33:59,245
Brilliant Beacons.
668
00:33:59,665 --> 00:34:00,355
Okay.
669
00:34:00,355 --> 00:34:03,535
Which I know it, which is a wonderful book
about the history of American lighthouses.
670
00:34:03,535 --> 00:34:07,285
And I would say it's the best history
of American lighthouses ever written.
671
00:34:07,285 --> 00:34:10,344
In fact, I'm quoted on the back,
you know, dust jacket of the book
672
00:34:10,344 --> 00:34:12,324
saying that, and I really meant it.
673
00:34:12,625 --> 00:34:14,034
And Eric's just a great guy.
674
00:34:14,034 --> 00:34:15,929
He lives only an hour south of me here.
675
00:34:16,074 --> 00:34:17,815
He lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
676
00:34:17,815 --> 00:34:19,495
And I interviewed him at his home.
677
00:34:19,885 --> 00:34:22,375
I call it episode, I call
it the inner sanctum.
678
00:34:22,375 --> 00:34:25,525
You know, it was, I felt really
privileged to interview him in his study.
679
00:34:25,925 --> 00:34:27,185
And I just edit.
680
00:34:27,425 --> 00:34:32,255
I just edited a shorter version of that
that I just posted as if I didn't have
681
00:34:32,255 --> 00:34:34,085
enough to do with the weekly episodes.
682
00:34:34,625 --> 00:34:39,035
I've started an occasional special
edition that I call lighthearted light.
683
00:34:39,125 --> 00:34:40,715
Lighthearted, LITE.
684
00:34:41,105 --> 00:34:42,185
I've done four of them.
685
00:34:42,185 --> 00:34:45,005
And the one with Eric was,
I think about 15 minutes.
686
00:34:45,215 --> 00:34:45,455
Right.
687
00:34:45,515 --> 00:34:48,635
And you know, that's fun because
it's a chance for me to revisit
688
00:34:48,635 --> 00:34:50,135
some of my favorite interviews.
689
00:34:50,255 --> 00:34:51,035
Yeah, very good.
690
00:34:51,185 --> 00:34:52,210
And the light, are they.
691
00:34:52,845 --> 00:34:54,975
Edits of the original or are they new?
692
00:34:54,975 --> 00:34:55,305
Yes.
693
00:34:55,305 --> 00:34:55,515
Short.
694
00:34:55,785 --> 00:34:56,025
Yeah.
695
00:34:56,085 --> 00:34:56,415
Very good.
696
00:34:56,415 --> 00:35:00,825
They're edit versions of some of my
favorites from the past five years, kind
697
00:35:00,825 --> 00:35:04,785
of jumping around as I find, you know,
a couple of spare hours here and there,
698
00:35:04,875 --> 00:35:08,925
which isn't always easy and I'm not doing
it on a regular basis, but occasionally.
699
00:35:08,985 --> 00:35:09,375
Yeah.
700
00:35:09,435 --> 00:35:10,245
Lighthearted light.
701
00:35:10,545 --> 00:35:14,325
And what does your wife think
of your occupation, if you like?
702
00:35:14,325 --> 00:35:15,705
Is is she patient?
703
00:35:15,735 --> 00:35:18,135
Does she share your, uh,
passion for lighthouses?
704
00:35:18,705 --> 00:35:19,785
That's two questions.
705
00:35:19,785 --> 00:35:23,235
And the answers, uh,
answers are, are yes and no.
706
00:35:24,555 --> 00:35:25,665
She's in the next room.
707
00:35:25,665 --> 00:35:29,535
I could ask her, but, um, she's put
up with it obviously for a long time.
708
00:35:29,535 --> 00:35:31,780
I call her a lighthouse
widow sometimes, but Yeah.
709
00:35:32,010 --> 00:35:33,060
Very apt, I'm sure.
710
00:35:33,585 --> 00:35:36,405
Yeah, I mean, we travel,
we've traveled together a fair
711
00:35:36,405 --> 00:35:37,725
amount just a few months ago.
712
00:35:38,580 --> 00:35:41,430
Well, in the last couple of
years we've done a, a few trips
713
00:35:41,430 --> 00:35:44,609
together, including Savannah,
Georgia, which is a wonderful city.
714
00:35:44,609 --> 00:35:47,220
I did some, so I did some
lighthouse stuff, but we did
715
00:35:47,279 --> 00:35:49,470
other tourist type things as well.
716
00:35:49,770 --> 00:35:49,980
Right.
717
00:35:49,980 --> 00:35:53,580
So she puts up with the lighthouse
stuff in exchange for visiting a new
718
00:35:53,580 --> 00:35:55,500
place and, and that kind of thing.
719
00:35:55,980 --> 00:35:59,669
Uh, we went to the Outer banks in North
Carolina together a few months ago.
720
00:35:59,759 --> 00:36:00,240
Fantastic.
721
00:36:00,270 --> 00:36:04,919
Uh, so, but the, like the trip that I just
did, which was a driving trip down the
722
00:36:04,919 --> 00:36:08,189
coast of the US and interviewed did about.
723
00:36:08,475 --> 00:36:11,655
15 interviews in 12 days on that trip.
724
00:36:12,075 --> 00:36:13,845
She didn't go on that.
725
00:36:13,845 --> 00:36:18,195
She would've killed me after a couple
of days of that because it was all light
726
00:36:18,315 --> 00:36:20,295
deriving from Lighthouse to Lighthouse.
727
00:36:20,295 --> 00:36:22,395
You know, there was no
time to do anything else.
728
00:36:22,605 --> 00:36:26,475
And like sometimes I get to do
the US, US Lighthouse Society.
729
00:36:26,475 --> 00:36:27,795
I'm the historian for the Society.
730
00:36:27,795 --> 00:36:29,955
This is the society's podcast that I do.
731
00:36:30,285 --> 00:36:34,935
The, uh, society, the way they raise most
of their money actually is by running
732
00:36:34,935 --> 00:36:36,795
lighthouse tours all over the world.
733
00:36:37,395 --> 00:36:40,995
And I've been lucky enough to go on some
of those tours, including Ireland two
734
00:36:40,995 --> 00:36:44,685
years ago where I got to meet Gerald
Butler and that was almost a month.
735
00:36:45,105 --> 00:36:47,505
So I was traveling in
Ireland for almost a month.
736
00:36:47,535 --> 00:36:51,915
And that's another case where, you
know, my wife, I'm sure she loved to
737
00:36:51,915 --> 00:36:54,285
see Ireland, but she didn't go and.
738
00:36:54,930 --> 00:36:57,060
After a couple of days, she
would've flown home probably.
739
00:36:57,060 --> 00:36:59,910
'cause most of what we were doing
was visit visiting lighthouses.
740
00:37:00,300 --> 00:37:02,310
So she puts up, she thinks they're okay.
741
00:37:02,310 --> 00:37:06,360
She doesn't hate lighthouses,
but she'd rather be gardening.
742
00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:08,670
All things said she'd
rather be in the yard.
743
00:37:08,670 --> 00:37:12,600
Gardening very similar
situation to my setup here.
744
00:37:12,750 --> 00:37:15,300
Uh, I, my wife is very patient.
745
00:37:15,645 --> 00:37:18,285
Yes, but I can't claim
she shares the passion.
746
00:37:18,675 --> 00:37:22,785
And my wife, she does so much behind
the scenes that nobody will ever
747
00:37:22,785 --> 00:37:24,585
see to obviously to support me.
748
00:37:24,585 --> 00:37:27,825
But she's actually co-hosted
a few episodes of the podcast.
749
00:37:27,825 --> 00:37:28,140
Oh, I see.
750
00:37:28,140 --> 00:37:28,261
Oh, wow.
751
00:37:28,395 --> 00:37:28,725
Yeah.
752
00:37:28,725 --> 00:37:32,805
Not in a while, but she's done three
or four and you know, she's got a good
753
00:37:32,805 --> 00:37:34,665
voice and personality and everything.
754
00:37:35,115 --> 00:37:39,105
Um, I try to, I, there's two co-hosts
I use pretty often and I try to
755
00:37:39,105 --> 00:37:40,905
rotate other people in there as well.
756
00:37:40,905 --> 00:37:41,025
Right.
757
00:37:41,385 --> 00:37:42,195
Closer to home.
758
00:37:42,195 --> 00:37:44,835
I believe you, you set
up, is it friends of.
759
00:37:45,089 --> 00:37:47,040
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.
760
00:37:47,670 --> 00:37:49,110
That's exactly right.
761
00:37:49,620 --> 00:37:54,120
I, besides being involved with the US
Lighthouse Society for a long time and
762
00:37:54,630 --> 00:37:59,460
officially working for the Society for
the past five years, I've also been very
763
00:37:59,460 --> 00:38:02,220
involved with an organization called
the American Lighthouse Foundation.
764
00:38:02,220 --> 00:38:03,660
People confuse them all the time.
765
00:38:03,660 --> 00:38:06,120
US Lighthouse Society,
American Lighthouse Foundation.
766
00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:10,529
So the American Lighthouse Foundation
is based in Maine at a Lighthouse Owl,
767
00:38:10,529 --> 00:38:12,060
said Lighthouse in the Keeper's house.
768
00:38:12,060 --> 00:38:13,290
That's where the offices are.
769
00:38:13,950 --> 00:38:18,930
And the society has a number of chapters
and actually cares for around a dozen
770
00:38:18,930 --> 00:38:21,810
lighthouses all in the Northeastern us.
771
00:38:21,839 --> 00:38:22,049
Okay.
772
00:38:22,350 --> 00:38:22,859
Okay.
773
00:38:22,859 --> 00:38:27,509
Um, so in, I lived in the Boston
area most of my life, and in the
774
00:38:27,509 --> 00:38:32,340
year 2001, my wife and I decided to
move to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
775
00:38:33,180 --> 00:38:37,530
Largely because the cost of living in
near close to Boston was so ridiculous.
776
00:38:37,530 --> 00:38:38,220
But yeah, I can.
777
00:38:38,250 --> 00:38:42,780
So we moved here to Portsmouth and
at that time, the American Lighthouse
778
00:38:42,780 --> 00:38:47,670
Foundation had just gotten a license to
care for Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.
779
00:38:47,670 --> 00:38:51,300
I. Which is not strictly in the
city of Portsmouth, but in a
780
00:38:51,390 --> 00:38:54,390
little town called Newcastle, the
entrance to Portsmouth Harbor.
781
00:38:54,870 --> 00:38:58,650
So the, there was an opening there
and a need for somebody to start
782
00:38:58,650 --> 00:39:02,040
a chapter of the foundation to be
the steward for that lighthouse.
783
00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:04,200
So it all just fit together.
784
00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:07,920
And I started the chapter in 2001.
785
00:39:08,565 --> 00:39:13,515
Of course it got interrupted by our
terrorist attack on September 11th oh one.
786
00:39:13,515 --> 00:39:13,695
Of course.
787
00:39:13,695 --> 00:39:16,665
So there was, I think it was about
a year or something like that where
788
00:39:16,935 --> 00:39:19,785
I couldn't even visit the lighthouse
because it's on a Coast Guard station.
789
00:39:20,205 --> 00:39:24,045
So that's both a blessing and a
curse that we love the Coast Guard.
790
00:39:24,045 --> 00:39:27,555
And you know, that may means the site
is very protected and everything, but
791
00:39:27,585 --> 00:39:32,060
it also can be a. A hindrance at times,
but we, we've been caring for Portsmouth
792
00:39:32,060 --> 00:39:36,140
Harbor Lighthouse for over 20 years,
but then in 2009, we became the stewards
793
00:39:36,140 --> 00:39:40,310
of another lighthouse called Whaleback
Oh Lighthouse, which is just over the
794
00:39:40,310 --> 00:39:42,110
line between New Hampshire and Maine.
795
00:39:42,110 --> 00:39:47,480
So it's the southernmost of 66 lighthouses
in Maine, and it's a very dramatic
796
00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:49,970
70 foot granite tower out on a rock.
797
00:39:50,550 --> 00:39:51,900
Uh Oh, amazing.
798
00:39:51,900 --> 00:39:53,040
The entrance to the harbor.
799
00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:53,220
Yeah.
800
00:39:53,220 --> 00:39:56,220
So we're friends of Portsmouth
Harbor lighthouses, plural now,
801
00:39:56,220 --> 00:39:57,690
because we care for the two of them.
802
00:39:57,780 --> 00:39:57,960
Yeah.
803
00:39:58,470 --> 00:40:01,950
And what's in, I mean, you talk
about it, responsible for the
804
00:40:01,950 --> 00:40:03,840
stewardship of those lighthouses.
805
00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:10,229
I. What's involved in terms of maintenance
and I I Are you having to raise funds?
806
00:40:10,229 --> 00:40:12,479
Are you having to pull
volunteers together?
807
00:40:12,479 --> 00:40:14,520
Are you doing work on the lighthouses?
808
00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:15,359
What's involved?
809
00:40:15,779 --> 00:40:19,410
Yeah, well, all of those things
you just said, in the case of
810
00:40:19,410 --> 00:40:22,620
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, I
said it's on a Coast Guard station.
811
00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:27,569
Our organization has put a lot
of money into it in 23 years.
812
00:40:28,350 --> 00:40:30,360
We had it painted a couple of times.
813
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:31,650
It's a cast iron lighthouse.
814
00:40:31,650 --> 00:40:35,760
It's only 48 feet tall, so it's not one
of your really towering lighthouses.
815
00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:36,120
Sure.
816
00:40:36,180 --> 00:40:39,300
But still, it's expensive to
properly have these things painted.
817
00:40:39,780 --> 00:40:45,180
And we've had other maintenance done
and there's a, there was an 84 foot.
818
00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:48,780
Wooden walkway or footbridge
out to the lighthouse.
819
00:40:48,780 --> 00:40:51,870
It's on a rock, like
just off shore basically.
820
00:40:51,870 --> 00:40:54,390
Okay, so you walk this
footbridge to get to it.
821
00:40:54,780 --> 00:40:58,470
We had that rebuilt a number of
years ago, so we've done a lot
822
00:40:58,470 --> 00:41:02,550
of things there, but that, that
footbridge the one that we built.
823
00:41:03,185 --> 00:41:08,194
Was washed away in December,
2022 and a big storm.
824
00:41:08,645 --> 00:41:10,595
So there's, and there's
still no footbridge there.
825
00:41:10,985 --> 00:41:13,865
The, in this case, the Coast Guard
has said, well, we own it and it's
826
00:41:13,865 --> 00:41:15,515
still an activate to navigation.
827
00:41:15,515 --> 00:41:20,404
We need to access it so we, they will
rebuild the walkway or footbridge.
828
00:41:21,214 --> 00:41:24,020
It still hasn't been rebuilt,
but that's not necessarily
829
00:41:24,180 --> 00:41:25,580
a bad thing because we had.
830
00:41:26,189 --> 00:41:31,259
Two more huge storms this past January
that flooded the Coast Guard station
831
00:41:31,740 --> 00:41:35,879
and did tremendous damage to the,
the stone base of the lighthouse.
832
00:41:36,330 --> 00:41:40,229
The base that it stands on dates
to the previous lighthouse,
833
00:41:40,229 --> 00:41:45,750
1804, and that base had withstood
all kinds of things since 1804.
834
00:41:45,750 --> 00:41:48,750
But these storms in January
just almost destroyed it.
835
00:41:49,379 --> 00:41:52,140
So the lighthouse is now
endangered, but the Coast Guard.
836
00:41:52,575 --> 00:41:54,855
It's slated to do all those repairs.
837
00:41:54,855 --> 00:41:56,685
We just hope it happens soon.
838
00:41:57,705 --> 00:41:58,455
I can imagine.
839
00:41:58,455 --> 00:42:02,625
But it does, as you say, it does
sound as if the, the, the replacement
840
00:42:02,625 --> 00:42:05,655
walkway, it's, it's probably a
blessing that it wasn't done.
841
00:42:05,775 --> 00:42:08,265
It would've been washed away
almost definitely in those,
842
00:42:08,265 --> 00:42:09,645
those storms in January.
843
00:42:10,035 --> 00:42:13,605
So, you know, I'll tell you that it's
not getting any easier to take care
844
00:42:13,605 --> 00:42:18,255
of these places as sea levels rise
and there's more frequent storms and
845
00:42:18,255 --> 00:42:19,785
everything, more powerful storms.
846
00:42:20,155 --> 00:42:24,745
In the 23 years I've been involved
with Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, the.
847
00:42:25,395 --> 00:42:30,314
By far the four worst floods I've seen
have been in the last three years.
848
00:42:30,495 --> 00:42:30,794
Wow.
849
00:42:30,855 --> 00:42:31,455
By far.
850
00:42:31,455 --> 00:42:35,145
Nothing compared to it before
that and people who've known that
851
00:42:35,145 --> 00:42:38,895
place going back to the 1950s or
sixties have said the same thing.
852
00:42:38,895 --> 00:42:42,345
They've never seen anything like
it, so it's things have changed.
853
00:42:42,725 --> 00:42:45,785
So, I mean, you are, you are seeing the
effects of climate change Absolutely.
854
00:42:45,785 --> 00:42:46,745
With your own eyes.
855
00:42:46,835 --> 00:42:47,734
Absolutely.
856
00:42:47,944 --> 00:42:51,815
And Whaleback Lighthouse being out
on a rock, it's a very solid granite
857
00:42:51,815 --> 00:42:56,495
tower, but I think it's more frequent
now that we have these storms with
858
00:42:56,495 --> 00:42:58,625
the waves coming in from the ocean.
859
00:42:59,325 --> 00:43:04,035
Uh, from the south seems to be
the worst direction, and those
860
00:43:04,035 --> 00:43:07,215
waves will just broadside that
lighthouse and hit the rocks around
861
00:43:07,215 --> 00:43:08,865
and just explode up in the air.
862
00:43:08,865 --> 00:43:14,055
So I've personally taken a number of
photos of the water, you know, those
863
00:43:14,055 --> 00:43:16,245
waves breaking and going over, you know.
864
00:43:16,665 --> 00:43:18,795
Going 80, 90 feet up in the air.
865
00:43:19,245 --> 00:43:20,895
I've photographed that a few times.
866
00:43:20,895 --> 00:43:22,155
It's pretty, pretty incredible.
867
00:43:22,155 --> 00:43:24,465
And that happens more often
than it used to for sure.
868
00:43:25,155 --> 00:43:28,845
So yeah, we're always putting work
into whale back line house as well.
869
00:43:29,085 --> 00:43:32,625
We haven't done a full restoration because
there's nowhere to land a boat there.
870
00:43:32,625 --> 00:43:37,275
For one thing, the Coast Guard took out
their landing slip many years ago in, in
871
00:43:37,275 --> 00:43:39,195
the sixties when the light was automated.
872
00:43:39,695 --> 00:43:43,715
And now the only way to access that
lighthouse is to land a small boat on
873
00:43:43,715 --> 00:43:45,905
the rocks and kind of hope for the best.
874
00:43:47,045 --> 00:43:48,305
Uh, good grief.
875
00:43:48,335 --> 00:43:51,695
You know, even in calm weather,
it's difficult, but it's, the
876
00:43:51,695 --> 00:43:54,785
currents there are very strong,
so it's extremely difficult.
877
00:43:54,785 --> 00:43:56,555
We wanted to build the docking system.
878
00:43:56,555 --> 00:44:00,695
We were working towards that for a
while, but now with the, you know,
879
00:44:00,695 --> 00:44:04,715
more frequent storms and everything,
and the conditions getting worse.
880
00:44:05,065 --> 00:44:08,365
We're wondering if we spend a million
dollars on a docking system there,
881
00:44:08,365 --> 00:44:11,365
is it gonna last through the first
winter, you know, after it's built.
882
00:44:11,365 --> 00:44:13,795
So everything's kind of up in the air.
883
00:44:14,095 --> 00:44:14,935
I can imagine.
884
00:44:14,935 --> 00:44:18,985
You just mentioned a million
pounds there, fundraising.
885
00:44:18,985 --> 00:44:20,155
Is it challenging?
886
00:44:21,835 --> 00:44:23,065
Very much so.
887
00:44:23,155 --> 00:44:28,075
I've been saying lately to me
there are the three, there are many
888
00:44:28,075 --> 00:44:31,705
challenges, but the three biggest
challenges for lighthouse preservation.
889
00:44:32,385 --> 00:44:35,505
In no particular order, well,
maybe this is the order I say it.
890
00:44:35,565 --> 00:44:37,545
Uh, number one would be climate change.
891
00:44:37,905 --> 00:44:39,345
Number two is fundraising.
892
00:44:39,345 --> 00:44:42,855
Number three is having enough
volunteers because many of these
893
00:44:42,855 --> 00:44:48,615
places, as you know, are either largely
or completely run by volunteers.
894
00:44:48,825 --> 00:44:48,915
Sure.
895
00:44:48,915 --> 00:44:55,275
Uh, so that's getting harder too because
a lot of the people who've, uh, been
896
00:44:55,275 --> 00:44:57,075
volunteering for these places tend to be.
897
00:44:57,840 --> 00:44:58,920
Up there in age.
898
00:44:59,460 --> 00:45:01,920
You know, I always say we
gotta find younger people,
899
00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:03,720
but that, I mean, under 65.
900
00:45:05,415 --> 00:45:09,015
But um, seriously, it's become a
real problem because especially
901
00:45:09,015 --> 00:45:13,215
during COVI, we lost a lot of people,
sometimes, literally in our local group.
902
00:45:13,215 --> 00:45:16,605
Yeah, we had a couple of our
volunteers pass away, but people,
903
00:45:16,605 --> 00:45:20,235
you know, they get busy with other
things or they're getting older.
904
00:45:20,325 --> 00:45:21,885
So it's really a problem.
905
00:45:21,885 --> 00:45:25,815
I know it's a problem and I dunno about
over where you are, but I know in this
906
00:45:25,815 --> 00:45:27,555
country, having volunteers for any.
907
00:45:28,045 --> 00:45:32,815
Nonprofit has gotten hard, and presumably
with the preservation of Leidos, there
908
00:45:32,815 --> 00:45:35,065
are so many different skills that.
909
00:45:35,595 --> 00:45:36,404
Could contribute.
910
00:45:36,975 --> 00:45:37,875
This is true.
911
00:45:38,384 --> 00:45:41,384
You know, mostly at our local
lighthouse hero, we've looked for
912
00:45:41,384 --> 00:45:44,745
people who are willing to help with
tours or might be interested in
913
00:45:44,745 --> 00:45:46,875
history and speaking with the public.
914
00:45:46,964 --> 00:45:50,415
But there's also that
hands-on preservation.
915
00:45:50,865 --> 00:45:54,375
We've had people, you know, help
with painting some of the structures,
916
00:45:54,375 --> 00:45:55,544
not the lighthouse itself.
917
00:45:55,544 --> 00:45:59,714
We have to hire a contractor
to do that, but to paint some
918
00:45:59,714 --> 00:46:00,975
of the other structures and.
919
00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:03,290
Some basic carpentry.
920
00:46:03,290 --> 00:46:06,920
We had somebody rebuild doors and
things for our, uh, storage shed
921
00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:11,600
we have there, which has been badly
flooded in these storms recently.
922
00:46:12,020 --> 00:46:15,259
But you know, there's often
projects, people with those
923
00:46:15,259 --> 00:46:16,790
kinds of skills to do as well.
924
00:46:16,790 --> 00:46:20,360
But there are other lighthouses
that have a lot of need for that.
925
00:46:20,745 --> 00:46:24,345
That's the primary need for
volunteers in a lot of cases to
926
00:46:24,345 --> 00:46:26,385
help with on-hand preservation.
927
00:46:26,745 --> 00:46:28,965
Yeah, because again,
fundraising is so hard.
928
00:46:29,385 --> 00:46:31,875
A lot of these places do a combination of.
929
00:46:32,700 --> 00:46:38,700
Hiring professional help to do certain
work, but having volunteers do a
930
00:46:38,700 --> 00:46:41,670
lot of the day-to-day maintenance,
the painting and so forth.
931
00:46:41,670 --> 00:46:43,770
So it's a combination of, of both really.
932
00:46:43,859 --> 00:46:44,100
Yeah.
933
00:46:44,105 --> 00:46:44,335
Yeah.
934
00:46:44,759 --> 00:46:49,410
I can think of a few lighthouses
in this country where stewardship
935
00:46:49,410 --> 00:46:53,130
has been taken over by volunteers,
but I can think of others that that
936
00:46:53,130 --> 00:46:58,440
might happen in the future given
the three challenges of climate
937
00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:00,779
change, fundraising and volunteers.
938
00:47:01,270 --> 00:47:04,060
Would you nevertheless
encourage people to take it on?
939
00:47:04,860 --> 00:47:10,350
Yes, because I, I feel it's important,
you know, I think in the coming years,
940
00:47:10,410 --> 00:47:13,260
I'm afraid to say we can't save them all.
941
00:47:13,380 --> 00:47:17,280
You know, some of the, especially some of
the more remote ones or some that are in
942
00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:23,145
very vulnerable locations, I. You know,
out of sight outta mind for most people.
943
00:47:23,145 --> 00:47:26,265
If it can't be a tourist attraction,
that makes it really difficult.
944
00:47:26,265 --> 00:47:30,735
If there's not a way to, to make
itself supporting, you know?
945
00:47:30,735 --> 00:47:30,795
Yeah.
946
00:47:30,795 --> 00:47:34,965
Whether it's tours or overnight stays
or whatever it might be, or a museum,
947
00:47:35,415 --> 00:47:38,355
that's gonna be a really big challenge.
948
00:47:38,850 --> 00:47:40,859
With some of the more
remote offshore lights.
949
00:47:40,859 --> 00:47:44,250
Some of those have been auctioned
in our country through something
950
00:47:44,250 --> 00:47:46,529
called the National Historic
Lighthouse Preservation Act.
951
00:47:46,980 --> 00:47:50,970
They take applications from
nonprofits and other entities
952
00:47:50,970 --> 00:47:52,890
to get ownership at no cost.
953
00:47:52,890 --> 00:47:56,370
But if no good applications are received,
the lighthouses are auctioned to the
954
00:47:56,370 --> 00:48:00,180
general public, and in a number of
cases, including a couple of good friends
955
00:48:00,180 --> 00:48:04,319
of mine, these lighthouses, there's
some of the more remote, you know,
956
00:48:04,319 --> 00:48:06,420
what you would call rock lighthouses.
957
00:48:06,450 --> 00:48:10,589
And usually granite towers have
been taken over by private owners
958
00:48:10,589 --> 00:48:12,569
who have done a fantastic job.
959
00:48:13,109 --> 00:48:17,700
I could name a couple of local cases,
graves Light in Boston Harbor for
960
00:48:17,700 --> 00:48:20,040
one, uh, halfway Rock light in Maine.
961
00:48:20,040 --> 00:48:23,939
The two owners are friends of mine
and it, I can just can't tell you
962
00:48:23,939 --> 00:48:26,850
how amazed I am at the job they
they've done at those places.
963
00:48:27,419 --> 00:48:32,220
And that same work would've been next
to impossible for a small nonprofit.
964
00:48:33,240 --> 00:48:38,160
So in some cases it's the private
owners is the best thing for
965
00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:42,750
these offshore lights, even though
effectively that is shutting them off
966
00:48:42,750 --> 00:48:44,640
as, as potential visitor attractions.
967
00:48:44,910 --> 00:48:45,810
Yeah.
968
00:48:45,810 --> 00:48:51,720
But both of those places are so hard and
actually dangerous to land a boat at.
969
00:48:51,810 --> 00:48:52,080
Right.
970
00:48:52,080 --> 00:48:54,030
You wouldn't want the
general public going there.
971
00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:54,450
Right.
972
00:48:54,450 --> 00:48:55,140
Although I know in.
973
00:48:55,405 --> 00:48:59,335
I probably shouldn't speak for them, but
in both cases they're extremely generous.
974
00:48:59,335 --> 00:49:02,935
So if, if a lighthouse nut like
myself, you know, contacts them,
975
00:49:03,355 --> 00:49:05,155
they'll find a way to get them there.
976
00:49:05,455 --> 00:49:06,295
Fantastic.
977
00:49:06,745 --> 00:49:10,165
Now, is there a country whose
lighthouses you are itching to see?
978
00:49:10,904 --> 00:49:11,295
Huh?
979
00:49:11,475 --> 00:49:12,075
There's a lot.
980
00:49:12,255 --> 00:49:14,625
It's like there's so many
countries I'd love to visit.
981
00:49:14,715 --> 00:49:16,904
You know, I haven't been to most of them.
982
00:49:16,995 --> 00:49:24,315
I've been to Ireland and the uk, including
some of Scotland, but in Bermuda and a lot
983
00:49:24,315 --> 00:49:28,575
of Canada, but outside the US That's just
about it for me, for foreign lighthouses.
984
00:49:28,995 --> 00:49:35,355
Next year the society is running tours to
Southern France and the Canary Islands.
985
00:49:35,565 --> 00:49:36,045
Okay.
986
00:49:36,105 --> 00:49:41,115
And Australia, and if I have any
opportunity, which there is a
987
00:49:41,235 --> 00:49:44,235
chance it could happen, I would
love to go on any of those.
988
00:49:45,225 --> 00:49:46,035
All three?
989
00:49:46,515 --> 00:49:50,025
Well, no, there's no way I'll be going
in all three, but I mean, I would, if
990
00:49:50,025 --> 00:49:55,485
you allowed me to go on any one of those,
I would be just in ecstasy, you know?
991
00:49:56,025 --> 00:50:00,735
Um, France, I've only seen France
across the English Channel, so Okay.
992
00:50:00,795 --> 00:50:03,795
I would love the chance to actually
get in France and see, you know, to
993
00:50:03,795 --> 00:50:06,975
see France in, in general and some
of those lighthouses, but there's.
994
00:50:07,350 --> 00:50:11,610
Australia, New Zealand, you know, I can
go on, there's a lot of countries, A
995
00:50:11,610 --> 00:50:13,170
lot of countries I'd like to visit even.
996
00:50:13,200 --> 00:50:15,420
Even if they didn't have
lighthouses, I'd want to visit them.
997
00:50:15,420 --> 00:50:18,240
But the lighthouses are a bonus for sure.
998
00:50:18,450 --> 00:50:18,720
Yeah.
999
00:50:19,230 --> 00:50:22,710
You are doing a new edition
of one of your books.
1000
00:50:22,710 --> 00:50:24,840
Is there a book you are itching to write?
1001
00:50:25,680 --> 00:50:29,370
That's a really good question, and I'm
not sure I, I think I might need to give
1002
00:50:29,370 --> 00:50:34,470
that some thought, but I'll tell you
that of the 20 odd books I've written.
1003
00:50:34,875 --> 00:50:38,715
The one I'm probably the most proud
of was one called Everyday Heroes,
1004
00:50:38,715 --> 00:50:40,485
the true story of a lighthouse family.
1005
00:50:41,250 --> 00:50:43,740
And I wrote that with a
daughter of a lighthouse keeper.
1006
00:50:43,920 --> 00:50:44,010
Okay.
1007
00:50:44,010 --> 00:50:44,940
That's a case where I sell.
1008
00:50:44,970 --> 00:50:47,940
Most of my books have been published by
a couple of different publishers, but
1009
00:50:47,940 --> 00:50:51,510
that one was self-published because I
thought this has to go out in the world.
1010
00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:56,790
And the au the co-author was
Seaman Pon, SART Roberts.
1011
00:50:56,940 --> 00:50:59,430
Sadly, she passed away
recently, a few months ago.
1012
00:50:59,730 --> 00:51:03,660
She loved communicating with
people about lighthouses.
1013
00:51:03,660 --> 00:51:06,780
She loved it so much, and she
was so open about talking about
1014
00:51:06,780 --> 00:51:08,010
her childhood and everything.
1015
00:51:08,160 --> 00:51:10,230
She had so many great
stories she grew up at.
1016
00:51:10,620 --> 00:51:16,110
Two different lighthouses in the Cape Cod
Massachusetts region and had, you know,
1017
00:51:16,110 --> 00:51:22,620
experiences with hurricanes and disaster,
but also a lot of funny experiences and
1018
00:51:22,620 --> 00:51:25,020
was just, she was a wonderful storyteller.
1019
00:51:25,020 --> 00:51:30,180
So she, for 12 years, she was kind of
feeding me these stories via email,
1020
00:51:30,180 --> 00:51:32,160
via actual letters in the mail.
1021
00:51:32,540 --> 00:51:34,970
Or phone conversations,
all kinds of things.
1022
00:51:35,509 --> 00:51:37,670
And I was kind of collecting
those stories and I said, well,
1023
00:51:37,670 --> 00:51:39,319
we've gotta make this into a book.
1024
00:51:39,350 --> 00:51:39,710
Yeah.
1025
00:51:39,715 --> 00:51:39,855
Yeah.
1026
00:51:39,860 --> 00:51:44,509
So my job was to edit it and kind
of connect these stories into some
1027
00:51:44,509 --> 00:51:47,779
kind of readable narrative form.
1028
00:51:48,319 --> 00:51:51,980
And I think we did a good job with
it, and I'm very proud of that.
1029
00:51:51,980 --> 00:51:54,290
Uh, just Jeremy, the, the
name of the book again.
1030
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:56,220
Everyday heroes.
1031
00:51:56,220 --> 00:51:58,140
The true story of a lighthouse family.
1032
00:51:58,470 --> 00:52:02,069
So the reason I mentioned that you
asked what book would I like to write?
1033
00:52:02,430 --> 00:52:05,069
I'd love to write another
book along those lines.
1034
00:52:05,130 --> 00:52:07,440
You know, working with
somebody who has this kind of
1035
00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:09,990
experience to tell their story.
1036
00:52:10,290 --> 00:52:14,100
I would relish, you know, that
opportunity, but I probably shouldn't
1037
00:52:14,100 --> 00:52:18,330
say this publicly because I put start
putting pressure on myself, but.
1038
00:52:18,900 --> 00:52:21,090
I really admire writers of fiction.
1039
00:52:21,420 --> 00:52:23,610
To me, writing nonfiction
is so much easier.
1040
00:52:23,610 --> 00:52:24,990
I've heard people say the opposite.
1041
00:52:24,990 --> 00:52:29,760
It depends on what you're used to,
but for me, you know, researching and
1042
00:52:29,760 --> 00:52:34,830
writing, uh, the history of these places,
I enjoy that and I've done it so much.
1043
00:52:34,830 --> 00:52:39,420
It's not that hard to me, but to
write fiction is a huge challenge.
1044
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:39,720
Yeah.
1045
00:52:39,720 --> 00:52:43,800
And about, I'm gonna say about 10 years
ago, I, I decided I'm gonna write a novel.
1046
00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:49,410
And I, you know, worked up a plot and
characters and I wrote about a hundred
1047
00:52:49,410 --> 00:52:53,490
pages worth, and then I thought, well,
this started out really well, but
1048
00:52:53,490 --> 00:52:56,040
I'm not sure I like where it's going.
1049
00:52:56,040 --> 00:52:58,830
Then I felt it was kind of getting
weaker after a hundred pages.
1050
00:52:58,830 --> 00:53:00,060
I've gotta rethink this.
1051
00:53:00,765 --> 00:53:04,185
But it's still there on the back burner,
and I haven't given up on the idea.
1052
00:53:04,485 --> 00:53:06,165
Okay, so you might revisit it?
1053
00:53:06,855 --> 00:53:07,755
I think so, yeah.
1054
00:53:07,755 --> 00:53:13,935
One of the, I can't say when, maybe
someday when I'm semi-retired or whatever,
1055
00:53:14,325 --> 00:53:20,835
but, um, but I, you know, that would be a
challenge and I think a, a fun challenge
1056
00:53:20,835 --> 00:53:23,175
to try to actually write a complete novel.
1057
00:53:23,325 --> 00:53:23,805
I would be.
1058
00:53:23,820 --> 00:53:25,470
I'm very proud of myself.
1059
00:53:25,470 --> 00:53:28,470
Even if it's not a good novel,
I would be very proud of myself.
1060
00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:32,520
I can well believe it and I'd
like to read it when it's done.
1061
00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:37,170
I couldn't possibly end this
conversation without asking you the
1062
00:53:37,290 --> 00:53:41,910
obvious question, and I believed
you asked me the same question.
1063
00:53:42,630 --> 00:53:42,750
Okay.
1064
00:53:42,750 --> 00:53:46,680
Do you have a favorite lighthouse?
1065
00:53:47,984 --> 00:53:49,694
A favorite lighthouse.
1066
00:53:49,694 --> 00:53:49,815
It.
1067
00:53:49,875 --> 00:53:50,174
Yep.
1068
00:53:51,585 --> 00:53:56,444
I find that so difficult because I love
so many of them for different reasons.
1069
00:53:57,404 --> 00:53:57,495
Mm-hmm.
1070
00:53:57,734 --> 00:54:04,004
And it's a cliche answer too, but I
feel like if I'm at a lighthouse, like,
1071
00:54:04,004 --> 00:54:08,174
you know, a couple of weeks ago and I
did this trip down the coast, I got a
1072
00:54:08,174 --> 00:54:12,944
boat ride up out to a couple of really
interesting lighthouse lighthouses.
1073
00:54:12,944 --> 00:54:14,654
One called Thomas Point Shoal.
1074
00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:17,970
In the Chesapeake Bay in
Maryland, the state of Maryland,
1075
00:54:18,420 --> 00:54:20,430
that's the only screw pile.
1076
00:54:20,430 --> 00:54:23,190
Lighthouse still out in
the water in our country.
1077
00:54:23,190 --> 00:54:25,620
There used to be over 40
of them in Chesapeake Bay.
1078
00:54:26,069 --> 00:54:28,650
They're all gone or moved to
museums and that kind of thing.
1079
00:54:28,650 --> 00:54:32,100
Except for this one, we went
out at Sunset and it was just
1080
00:54:32,100 --> 00:54:33,750
the most amazing experience.
1081
00:54:34,109 --> 00:54:37,470
So certainly that evening,
that was my favorite lighthouse
1082
00:54:37,470 --> 00:54:38,790
in the world, you know?
1083
00:54:39,509 --> 00:54:44,129
Um, and that, you know, I've had so many
experiences like that that are so, yeah.
1084
00:54:44,625 --> 00:54:45,285
Amazing.
1085
00:54:45,524 --> 00:54:50,055
But, um, Boston Light, the oldest light
station in America is the first one I
1086
00:54:50,055 --> 00:54:51,825
got very, IM personally involved with.
1087
00:54:51,825 --> 00:54:56,384
In late 1980s, I was helping to give
tours there, fell in love with that place.
1088
00:54:56,384 --> 00:55:00,555
I still talk about it in my lectures
all the time, so it's right up there.
1089
00:55:00,884 --> 00:55:04,995
And Portland headlight in Maine, if I
have to pick one that I think is the
1090
00:55:05,384 --> 00:55:08,564
most photogenic, the most beautiful.
1091
00:55:08,925 --> 00:55:12,855
The scenery around it, the way
it's perched on this rocky ledge
1092
00:55:12,855 --> 00:55:17,925
and everything that I think is
the most scenic of them all to me.
1093
00:55:18,465 --> 00:55:24,015
But if you pinned me down, twisted
my arm and made me name one, yes.
1094
00:55:24,015 --> 00:55:26,205
I'm gonna have to say Fastnet
Lighthouse in Ireland.
1095
00:55:26,205 --> 00:55:26,235
Ah.
1096
00:55:28,154 --> 00:55:32,384
Because when I did the Ireland tour, we
got a boat ride out there from Cape Clear?
1097
00:55:32,625 --> 00:55:32,865
Yes.
1098
00:55:32,924 --> 00:55:35,024
And it was a public boat ride.
1099
00:55:35,024 --> 00:55:36,464
I guess they do it all the time.
1100
00:55:36,464 --> 00:55:40,125
And we circled the lighthouse
two or three times completely.
1101
00:55:40,665 --> 00:55:46,125
And I was just, you know, beside
myself with happiness, just seeing
1102
00:55:46,125 --> 00:55:47,685
that I'd read so much about that place.
1103
00:55:47,685 --> 00:55:50,774
And of course, interviewed Gerald
Butler about being a keeper there.
1104
00:55:51,105 --> 00:55:51,705
Presumably.
1105
00:55:51,705 --> 00:55:53,325
He told you about the tragic night.
1106
00:55:53,415 --> 00:55:54,225
Absolutely.
1107
00:55:54,225 --> 00:55:56,805
He got emotional talking
about it and that.
1108
00:55:57,345 --> 00:56:00,555
One of these days, I'm gonna do one
of my lighthearted light episodes,
1109
00:56:00,555 --> 00:56:02,145
you know, editing down his interview.
1110
00:56:02,145 --> 00:56:05,145
And that will definitely be in
there because it was riveting
1111
00:56:05,625 --> 00:56:07,035
listening to him talk about that.
1112
00:56:07,575 --> 00:56:12,405
So I just felt, you know, I thought I
would never get to see that lighthouse
1113
00:56:12,405 --> 00:56:18,285
in person and to see it was just a, a,
you know, a uh, a pinnacle experience.
1114
00:56:18,300 --> 00:56:22,710
Yeah, well I think when you asked me or my
favorite lighthouse, I came up with three.
1115
00:56:22,710 --> 00:56:25,830
I think you've come up with four
plus, whichever lighthouse you
1116
00:56:25,830 --> 00:56:27,630
currently or you happen to be at.
1117
00:56:27,990 --> 00:56:29,280
So I think you've done a pretty good job.
1118
00:56:29,550 --> 00:56:30,000
Okay.
1119
00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:32,790
And I can't leave out Portsmouth
Harbor Light, my local light that
1120
00:56:32,790 --> 00:56:36,300
I've been so involved with for 23
years and it's got tremendous history.
1121
00:56:36,600 --> 00:56:39,810
And by the way, my latest book is,
uh, lighthouses of New Hampshire.
1122
00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:44,550
We only have two coastal lighthouses and
a few sort of unofficial inland ones.
1123
00:56:45,105 --> 00:56:46,995
So I just had to get that in.
1124
00:56:47,265 --> 00:56:48,375
Quick recap.
1125
00:56:48,375 --> 00:56:50,895
It's the US Lighthouse Society.
1126
00:56:51,255 --> 00:56:51,915
Correct.
1127
00:56:52,245 --> 00:56:55,815
It's the American Lighthouse Foundation.
1128
00:56:55,815 --> 00:56:55,995
Yeah.
1129
00:56:56,055 --> 00:57:00,585
Just to clarify again, the US Lighthouse
Society based in Washington State is
1130
00:57:00,585 --> 00:57:02,595
chiefly an educational organization.
1131
00:57:02,595 --> 00:57:06,165
It gives the tours around the
world and it kind of, and it
1132
00:57:06,465 --> 00:57:07,965
also gives preservation grants.
1133
00:57:07,965 --> 00:57:09,405
There is a preservation fund.
1134
00:57:09,675 --> 00:57:10,005
Okay.
1135
00:57:10,005 --> 00:57:11,835
And the society will.
1136
00:57:11,835 --> 00:57:15,375
Help, well share knowledge to
help lighthouse organizations
1137
00:57:15,375 --> 00:57:16,605
as much as possible.
1138
00:57:17,175 --> 00:57:20,715
The American Lighthouse Foundation
is largely more hands on and actually
1139
00:57:20,715 --> 00:57:23,445
takes care of, as I mentioned
earlier, about a dozen lighthouses.
1140
00:57:23,445 --> 00:57:26,895
So the focuses of the two
are foci, is that the word?
1141
00:57:27,255 --> 00:57:31,185
The two groups are, are, have some
overlap, but are really quite different.
1142
00:57:31,605 --> 00:57:31,875
Yeah.
1143
00:57:32,505 --> 00:57:32,595
Mm-hmm.
1144
00:57:32,835 --> 00:57:36,465
And your own website, new
England lighthouses.net.
1145
00:57:36,825 --> 00:57:38,085
That's correct, yeah.
1146
00:57:38,115 --> 00:57:38,895
It's history.
1147
00:57:39,690 --> 00:57:44,100
And photographs of every lighthouse
in our New England region, which.
1148
00:57:44,925 --> 00:57:47,595
Uh, including past ones
that don't exist anymore.
1149
00:57:47,595 --> 00:57:49,695
So it's about 200 lighthouses on there.
1150
00:57:50,085 --> 00:57:50,595
Amazing.
1151
00:57:51,015 --> 00:57:55,125
Jeremy, it's been such a
privilege, an honor and such fun
1152
00:57:55,125 --> 00:57:56,535
talking with you this afternoon.
1153
00:57:56,535 --> 00:57:57,855
Thank you so much.
1154
00:57:58,005 --> 00:57:59,385
You're extremely welcome.
1155
00:57:59,385 --> 00:58:00,345
It's a pleasure.
1156
00:58:00,345 --> 00:58:03,225
I appreciate being invited to
be on your podcast and thank
1157
00:58:03,225 --> 00:58:04,815
you again for being on mine.
1158
00:58:04,905 --> 00:58:06,525
It's always great to talk to you.
1159
00:58:11,925 --> 00:58:15,345
What an interesting, knowledgeable,
and warm man Jeremy is.
1160
00:58:16,095 --> 00:58:16,965
I'll say it again.
1161
00:58:17,085 --> 00:58:21,255
If you don't already listen to the
Lighthearted podcast, go and follow
1162
00:58:21,255 --> 00:58:23,145
or subscribe to it straight away.
1163
00:58:23,625 --> 00:58:25,095
You won't be disappointed.
1164
00:58:25,935 --> 00:58:29,145
And the back catalog includes
interviews and discussions with
1165
00:58:29,145 --> 00:58:33,550
lots of names that will be familiar
with UK Lighthouse enthusiasts.
1166
00:58:40,109 --> 00:58:41,310
That's it for this week.
1167
00:58:41,310 --> 00:58:43,200
We're back again in a fortnight's time.
1168
00:58:43,740 --> 00:58:48,600
In the meantime, do please remember to
follow or subscribe to this podcast and
1169
00:58:48,600 --> 00:58:52,799
do please mention it to friends and family
who might be interested in listening.
1170
00:58:58,020 --> 00:59:05,490
Remember, you can find out more about the
A LK at our website that's at alk.org.uk.
1171
00:59:06,420 --> 00:59:10,290
Thanks so much for listening, and we
look forward to welcoming you back.
1172
00:59:10,305 --> 00:59:13,185
To the next episode of Keeping Watch.
1173
00:59:14,055 --> 00:59:14,774
Bye for now.