Welcome to KEEPING WATCH - a fortnightly podcast for anyone and everyone interested in lighthouses, lighthouse keepers, light vessels and other aids to maritime navigation. 

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. 

We’ll hear from former lighthouse keepers, authors of books about lighthouses, people born and brought up in lighthouses, archivists, historians and many others interested in lighthouses, their construction, history and service.  

This week we turn our attention away from lighthouses and focus - no pun intended - on light vessels. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to meet ELISE LIVERSEDGE & MARY HOOPER - who back in 2013 embarked on an arts project they called LAST STATION, which was inspired by Trinity House’s light vessels around our coast. 

It started with an artist residency onboard the decommissioned light vessel 21, then moored in Gillingham, Kent. But the scope of the project grew rapidly, with portable art installations, videos, photos and a unique choral piece entitled The Light Vessel, first performed  by Harwich Sing community choir. 

For me, the most exciting part of the project involved discussions both with and between former light vessel keepers, which were recorded for posterity. We hear from Mick Walker, a former crew member on the LV18, which was built in 1958, and served on the St Gowan station. Since decommissioning in 1995 it has been fully and authentically restored, and these days is moored permanently at Harwich where it is open to visitors between April and October.  Mick talks about giving up on his education for a life at sea.  We also hear about the various hobbies that light vessel keepers took up to occupy their downtime. But we begin with Elise and Mary explaining how the idea for the project came about. 

Elise and Mary

eliseandmary.co.uk

Visit the Association of Lighthouse Keepers:

www.alk.org.uk