Blog Posts - Following The Lights

Year of Coasts and Waters 2020

3/13/2020

EXHIBITION
october 19 2020 until January 29 2021

Following The Lights can confirm a new exciting exhibition coming later this year in collaboration with North Ayrshire Heritage Centre. Running simultaneously at Saltcoats Heritage Centre and Millport Garrison House Museum on the Isle of Cumbrae the exhibitions will feature never before seen rare colour video footage of the first ever lighthouse built by Robert Stevenson filmed in the 1950s Little Cumbrae Island filmed before automation. Also at Millport visitors will be able to marvel at the original Fresnel lens used at the Little Cumbrae Lighthouse.

Along with this video footage visitors will also have the opportunity to take a video tour around Scotland's Last Lightship North Carr as seen after it was retired from service and learn about the vessels future and current project NC100.

The original door plates from the Trinity House Light Vessel LV72 will be on display, this vessel was part of the WW2 landings and helped saved the Canadian Troops from Juno beach which the vessel had as code name during the war.

This will be an enhanced exhibition and will include original art work from the collection not seen in public. This will complement the artefacts on display and will ensure an exciting visitor experience.

Dance

11/13/2019

To celebrate the work of the lighthouse keepers a dance was composed while staying at St Abbs Head lighthouse cottage. While sitting at the window watching the sea and the lighthouse tower, I was inspired to write out the steps that the men would have taken as part of their shift. The steps make up a new Scottish Country Dance named after Brian Johnston of Shetland, retained light keeper. Here is the link to the dance feel free to download, share with friends and family and enjoy dancing!
Brian Johnson Lighthouse Keeper https://bit.ly/2NHVA0U

ST ABBS END OF SEASON

9/24/2019

If you have not yet had a visit to St Abbs Visitor Centre then there are now only a few weeks left for the season.

The Following The Lights Exhibition will end on Saturday 12 October.

Visit now before you miss out!

Thank you to everyone who has already visited and supported the local lifeboat service and visitor centre with donations and purchases from the unique following the lights collection of books, canvases and video/lecture evening.

St Abbs thank you

8/18/2019

Thank you to everyone who attended St Abbs visitor centre to enjoy the cake and celebrations over the international Lighthouse Weekend.

St abbs visitor centre internal lighthouse weekend 2019.

8/18/2019

Celebrate at St Abbs Visitor Centre with free cake and a tour of artefacts on display, try the lighthouse keeper uniform on and take a selfie!

Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August 2019.

Look forward to seeing you there!

St Abbs Head visitor Centre Exhibition Refresh Update.

6/27/2019

The new items are now on display at St Abbs Head Visitor Centre.

Thank you to everyone who turned up today to say hello and comment on how amazing the items were.

Thanks also to those of you who purchased a copy of Following The Lights helping the local St Abbs Head Lifeboat.

I have been informed that the glass slides are a particular interest to most people visiting, the availability and being able to use the original Stereoscopic viewers too.

I am delighted to bring these to you and offer a real hands on museum experience, being able to step back in time to early 1900s viewing very early 3D.

If this is of particular interest to you then look out for details of the next refresh coming in August to St Abbs Head Visitor Centre!

St Abbs Head EXHIBITION refresh june 2019

6/26/2019

June 27 2019 will see the first refresh of artefacts at St Abbs Head.

I will also be around on the day to have your questions answered. Come along and say hello.

Some of the new items will include:

a signed fomer UK Prime Minister Christmas card
lighthouse keeper family postcards and birthday cards from early 1900
letters and envelops sent to Alan Stevenson 1864
Mull of Galloway lighthouse lens prism and other items
early 1900 local St Abbs Head postcards showing the area then
a unique salver presented to a former keeper
the last automated lighthouse postcard signed by all the keepers
a letter sent from Whitby lighthouse by Grace Darlings nephew

Make a point of visiting between now and October to see this unique collection, not to be found anywhere else.

Following The Lights books and canvases are on sale with all proceeds going to the local St Abbs Lifeboat.

Thank you for your support.

St Abbs head visitor centre April - October

3/16/2019

following the lights

The latest Following The Lights exhibition has been set up today (March 16, 2019) and will be supporting the local community at St Abbs Head Visitor Centre for the whole of the season along with the St Abbs Head RNLI, nice to hear about the filming in the local area for the new BBC Blue Planet live.

The exhibition will be starting on the 1 April 2019 at St Abbs Head Visitor Centre for the opening day of the season. This will be the longest exhibition so far a total of six months, running until October 2019. The exhibition will be complete with rotational items, changing every few weeks, new items have been added to the collection and have not been seen on public display. Come along to see the film location of the new Marvel Avengers movie! Take your selfie picture with the lighthouse keepers uniform and hat on, post to the social media pages, see the new exhibition items never before seen at any of the previous Following The Lights exhibitions, including rare items from the Clyde Lighthouse Trust (not in any museums) and the collection of Fresnel Lens including 3rd and 5th order! Short videos will allow you to learn some interesting facts about the local lighthouse, along with some hands on learning with stereoscopic cards displaying the Stevenson lighthouses and Edinburgh in the 1800s. Touch and hold the actual granite and blonde sandstone stone used in the building of two of the Scottish Stevenson lighthouses dating back to the 1800s when the stone was quarried and the stone masons worked their magic! This is sure to be the best way to spend the summer! With boat trips along the coast from the harbour to view the St Abbs Head lighthouse from the sea this is the location for your day out! Following The Lights books are available to purchase from the visitor centre shop, along with unique limited edition lighthouse canvas and greetings cards with all proceeds from sales going direct to support the local RNLI. Plan you dates in advance, please help spread the word and remember to keep Following The Lights!

help wanted! North carr Lightship Dundee!

2/8/2019

Whilst on my visit to Dundee to setup at Discovery Point, I was delighted to see for the very first time the former lightship The North Carr.

The North Carr is currently run by Tay Maritime Action (Taymara) and is looking for information from former staff or family members, any historical items or documents relating to this wonderful peice of our maritime history.

If you can spare any time to help bring the ship back to life they would appreciate your time. Do you have electrical, engineering or painting experience this would all be of great help.

I was delighted to be given a special tour of the ship on the day and very impressed at the condition of the engines. Thank you to the team at Taymara for this opportiunity.

Anyone interested in the historical ship should visit the website www.taymara.org

The team would be delighted to hear from you. Please help spread the word!

dundee 2019 exhibition

2/1/2019

Discover Thomas Smith, Robert Stevenson, Thomas, Alan and David Stevenson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osborne and more with items from the Following The Lights Collection. The exhibtion starts on Friday 8 February and running until 28 March 2019.

Fingal Edinburgh OPens

1/7/2019

Delighted to say, Fingal Edinburgh is now open! The luxury five star hotel at the Port of Leith Edinburgh, a short distance from the Royal Yacht Britannia.

goo.gl/maps/mzxCTAgczvA2

Christmas Sales items at Summerlee

12/1/2018

Following The Lights, limited edition canvases, limited edition greetings cards, and Following The Lights books are on sale in the Summerlee Museum of Industrial Life, Coatbridge. Have a great day out, ride the tram and pick up something extra special for Christmas in the sale!

Visit dundee 2019 exhibition

12/1/2018

Delighted to announce the first Following The Lights exhibition of 2019.

Discovery Point Dundee will be hosting the exhibition from 14 February until 28 March 2019.

If you missed the 2018 exhibtions, you can add these dates to your diary now, do not miss out on a great day out!

New design for Christmas and new year cards

12/1/2018

Two designs feature on my Christmas and New Year Cards this year.

The first one is a black and white photograph of Ornsay Lighthouse taken from the Isle of Skye. Personally, I liked the snow in the background of this image.

The second was art work, I created the northern lights behind a drawing of Corsewall lighthouse.

Cards and other items can be viewed at: http://www.redbubble.com/people/FollowingTLites

SUMMERLEE MUSEUM OF SCOTTISH INDUSTRIAL LIFE EXHIBITION

9/13/2018

Lighthouses and World War 1 and 2 Theme Exhibition starts 14 September with a static display of items. If you visit remember to scan the QR Code to find out about the items or visit the unique webpage.

The extended exhibition will include some new items from the Following The Lights Robert Louis Stevenson collection including the 1898 1st Edition book of A Lowden Sabbeth Morn, featuring illustrations by A. S. Boyd, to accompany this book, on display will be a large original ink illustration signed and created for this book by A. S. Boyd.

Exhibition @ Ocean Terminal Leith

8/8/2018

10th August 2018 will see the start of the photographic canvas exhibition and sale outside Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Terminal Leith.

Visitors can view the selected canvas on display and if interested in purchasing the item can look the price up on the price list on the first pilar opposite Royal Yacht Britannia entrance then pay in cash at the Ocean Terminal shop called the DARK ROOM next door to ZIZZIS.

On the 18 and 19 August a special Lighthouse and Robert Louis Stevenson family archive exhibiton will take place at this same location. On display will be lighthouse artefacts as well as documents, book and photographs connected with Robert Louis Stevenson.

Thank you in advance to everyone for visiting the exhibtion.

12 July 2018 First Exhibition New Lanark

7/20/2018

To celebrate the first anniversary of the release of Following The Lights book, I decided to take my personal collection of lighthouse artefacts on tour.

Unknow to me at the time, the 12 of July also marked the date Robert Stevenson died 167 years ago, so in a strange way for me the event also celebrated his work, his life and his family.

Feedback from the near 200 visitors who travelled from as far as Singapore, USA, Canada and Europe informed me of the success of the event. Many of the items over 100 years old, brough gasps of surprise, and almost tears, from some of the stories connected with these unique and rare items, which shine a new light on a forgotton past from the lighthouse service and more around the British Isles.

The tour moves on now to the Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh where a selection of one off limited edition canvases have been produced and will be on sale for the very first time. These stunning unique items will only be availble at this event which runs from 10 August until 30 August 2018, try not to miss it!

To help celebrate, why not come and view some of the artefacts from my collection.

Join me for International Lighthouse weekend on 18 and 19 August 2018 at Ocean Terminal top floor outside the Royal Yacht Brittania, learn some of the history of Robert Louis Stevenson and his family and have a look at his mother and fathers photographs which are brought together for the first time since 1880.

Davaar Lighthouse Cottages

6/21/2018

The former keeper cottages at Davaar lighthouse are now available to rent.
http://www.kintyrecottages.com/davaar-island/

FINGAL

6/3/2018

Opening January 2019, FINGAL transforms into new luxury hotel. A new page with a link to the website for updates on FINGAL has now been added.

NOSS HEAD LIGHTHOUSE COTTAGES

6/2/2018

It's great to see more lighthouse cottages become available to holiday in! The latest additon being Noss Head near Wick Scotland, see the new weblink added on the website today. When I last visited the area, the cottages were empty having been part of the NLB automation. It's so great to see the building being brought back into use for future generations! Keeping the lights alive! Following The Lights.
Click here for weblink to Noss Head

ABOUT THE Author

As a photographer, publisher and lecturer.
Promoting, educating and keeping the lights alive for future generations to enjoy! Following The Lights.

Since lighthouses have been automated, some are now private homes, while others, now function as holiday accommodation and hotels.

Others unfortunately have falling into disrepair but still tell a lost story.

As someone who is keen on lighthouses, history, travel and tourism, I mixed these passions, along with a lifetime hobby of photography to bring photographs, video and audio along with a collection of artefacts and lighthouse memorabilia to the travelling exhibitions.

Following the Lights book.
Being self funded using my own photographs, hints and travel tips, created not for profit. With sales revenues of the book going to good causes and to raise funds to maintain the beautiful lighthouse structures for generations to come.

Use the guide book to join the journey on an amazing lighthouse visit or holiday.

The Following The Lights Artefact Collection
Continuing to grow from strength to strength, helping to promote the lighthouses and navigational aid history and heritage around the UK and Ireland. Allowing visitors to exhibitions to learn the history, get hands on with artefacts and learn about the art installed in some of these buildings.

Artefacts include original documents from well known lighthouses, photographs and other interesting objects that range from the 1800s to present day. Original lighthouse keeper uniforms will also feature at exhibitions that will help bring the story to life.

Proud to say, I am the first person to start a crowd fund to purchase paint for any lighthouse in Scotland, this being Fair Isle South Lighthouse in 2016.

First person to include lighthouse images on KitKat biscuit wrappers.

First person to stay at the former Lighthouse Tender Vessel of the Northern Lighthouse Board now 5 star unique only floating hotel in Scotland Fingal Edinburgh.

First person to be interviewed for a podcast about Scottish Lighthouses in America with the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Episode 51 available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

Funds and or gifts donated from Following The Lights include:
Museum of Scottish Lighthouse Fraserburgh
Northern Lighthouse Board Training Facility
St Abbs Head Visitor Centre
St Abbs Head Lifeboat
Mull of Galloway Lighthouse Trust
Summerlee Transport Group
Maid of The Loch Paddle Steamer Loch Lomond
St Abbs Head Lighthouse Cottages
Signal Tower Museum Arbroath
Gairloch Museum

Promoting, educating and keeping the lights alive for future generations to enjoy! Following The Lights.

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