Doesn’t look much, does it? But this is where Trinity House control all their lighthouses – a quiet, medium-sized room close by Harwich Quay. Here 60 lighthouses, and all the lightships, are monitored 24/7, to make sure they are also doing their job round the clock. We were here for our new commission from ‘TH’ – a film aimed at encouraging young people especially to apply for the cadet scheme run by this most ancient and enduring of organizations – first recognized formally by King Henry VIII. Then, ballast (shingle and gravel) was one of the vital needs of ships, and lucrative ballast rights in the Thames were granted to Trinity House by Henry’s daughter Queen Elizabeth. But there’s nothing ancient about the techniques used here, with on-line monitoring of all the assets from St Bees in Cumbria to St Just in Cornwall.
ON TOP OF THEIR LIGHTS
18 April 2018
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About Rob
Rob is a TV producer, reporter and camera operator with 30 years’ experience at the BBC, Channel 4 and ITN, in news, factual and documentary production. He is a four times award winner, whose awards include a coveted Royal Television Society award for his work on Channel 4 News. His association with The Maritime Foundation goes back to 1995, when he won the first Desmond Wettern Maritime Media Award for a series of reports that led to a major documentary on the loss of the bulk carrier Derbyshire.