Martin Rose's biography of Henry Winstanley: The Last Renaissance Engineer

In this episode of Keeping Watch, hosts Ed Peppitt and Mel Charles share lighthouse news from the AGM in Whitehaven, including a visit to St Bees Lighthouse in heavy weather, Gordon Medlicott's memoirs book sales and signing, as well as Ed's involvement in BBC Radio 3's all-day lighthouse broadcast featuring live choral music and an interview with his daughter Lottie. Mel also highlights Annie's Lighthouse Explorers website, where Annie is building a lighthouse-themed media library. The main interview is with ALK member Rohan Beyts, who bought Toddhead Lighthouse near Aberdeen after it was decommissioned and converted it into her home. She talks about the purchase in 2012, the various planning permission and listed-building constraints, the tower's glass floor over the old clockwork mechanism, maintenance challenges from winter weather and salt, and the community of lighthouse-connected visitors and stories. Key moments 01:19 AGM Weekend in Whitehaven 01:58 St Bees Stormy Tower Tour 04:32 Food and Hotel Highlights 05:29 BBC Radio 3 at Dungeness 07:56 Lighthouse Explorers Media Library 09:01 Meet Rowan of Tod Head 10:32 Buying the Lighthouse 12:31 Renovation and Glass Floor 15:34 Finding the ALK Community 18:34 Wild Weather and Visitors 21:33 ALK Membership Message 22:08 Birdlife and Moth Recording 25:22 Stevenson Designs and Lighthouse Collecting 28:15 Preserving Stories and Heritage 29:07 Christmas Lights and Farewell 29:59 Episode Wrap and Subscribe

Flat Holm Island and Lighthouse - News from New Zealand - BBC Radio 3 programme this weekend

Keeping Watch returns for Season 4 with Ed Peppitt and Mel Charles back behind the microphones after an extended break. The episode opens with a warm catch-up between the hosts, a little relief that the long-awaited fourth season is finally underway, and the reassurance that the season has been carefully planned, even if the spreadsheet took a while to become finished episodes. Episode Summary In this first episode of Season 4, Ed and Mel begin with lighthouse news from around the world before handing over to a full-length interview with Alan Boyers, former lighthouse keeper and long-serving attendant keeper at Old Head of Kinsale in County Cork. Alan speaks with Mel about a life shaped by Irish Lights: growing up in lighthouse families, following his father into the service, training as a keeper, working around the Irish coast, living through automation, and eventually returning to lighthouse life at Old Head of Kinsale. The conversation ranges from fog cannons, lightning strikes, mercury baths and storm shutters to family memories, keeper hierarchies, lighthouse hobbies, ships in bottles, and the deep friendships formed by those who worked the rocks. It is a generous, funny, moving interview with someone whose life has been intertwined with lighthouses from childhood. In This Episode Ed and Mel discuss: The return of Keeping Watch for Season 4

In this special end-of-season episode, we bring you two very different — but equally captivating — lighthouse stories. Tony Mills – From the Tower to the Pulpit Ed and Mel talk with Tony Mills, a former Trinity House lighthouse keeper who served in the early 1970s on stations including: The Lizard

In this week's episode of Keeping Watch, Ed and Mel discuss a lighthouse Banksy in Marseilles, before Mel interviews Scottish photographer Conor Gault, who is on a mission to photograph every living Scottish lighthouse keeper and the lighthouses where they served. Conor's heartfelt project is rooted in his family history, his Grandfather having served as a keeper himself. He talks about the artistic process of capturing his images on large-format film, and the emotional stories behind the photos. You can see Conor's photographs and find out more about the project at his website: https://www.conorgault.com Key moments 01:05 Interview with Conor Gault 01:41 Banksy's Lighthouse Artwork 06:18 Conor Gault's Photography Journey 07:35 The Lighthouse Project 12:48 Memories and Portraits 19:20 Tributes and Future Plans 22:49 Heartwarming Farewell Stories 24:14 Lighthouse Conditions and Photography 25:55 Visiting Lighthouses with Keepers 27:42 Connecting with Lighthouse Keepers 29:11 The Future of the Lighthouse Project 30:35 Making Art Accessible to Communities 33:19 Expanding the Project Beyond Scotland 39:17 Challenges and Funding 42:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts KEEPING WATCH is a fortnightly podcast for enthusiasts of lighthouses, lighthouse keepers, light vessels and other aids to maritime navigation. We're keen to talk with other former light vessel and lighthouse keepers and crew - as well as others currently working in the lighthouse service. Again, you can email me at [email protected]. Please spread the word to friends and family who might be interested in listening. And do like, follow or subscribe to this podcast so that you are notified when each new episode is published. A comment or a splendid review on your podcast platform of choice would be very welcome and really helps us to get noticed. If you have an idea for a story you'd like us to cover, or an interesting person with a lighthouse connection we might interview, do please drop me a line. Or perhaps you are a fellow enthusiast and would like to contribute to the podcast either once or on a regular basis? You can contact me at [email protected]. KEEPING WATCH is brought to you in association with the ALK - The Association of Lighthouse Keepers - a charitable trust in the UK dedicated to keeping lighthouse heritage alive. Visit the Association of Lighthouse Keepers: www.alk.org.uk