International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, or ILLW, is an annual event held on the third full weekend of August each year. The event was the brainchild of John Forsyth and Mike Dalrymple who were members of the Ayr Amateur Radio Group in Scotland. The event started in 1998 and has developed into an international gathering… Continue reading Light Hearted Special Edition – International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW)

Valentia Island is on the southwest coast of Ireland, in the southwest part of County Kerry. The island’s lighthouse, built on the grounds of a 17th century fort at Cromwell Point, began service in February 1841. The stone tower stands 49 feet tall, and the adjacent keeper’s house is a concrete building constructed in 1910.… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 192 – Lucian Horvat, Valentia Island Lighthouse, Ireland

The Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis, Massachusetts, focuses on Cape Cod’s rich maritime history, along with boat building, yachting, and nautical art. The museum strives to enable audiences of all ages to understand and enjoy maritime culture through exhibitions, public events, and educational programs. Exhibits focus on the cod fishing industry and whaling, the… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 191 – Emily Sullivan, Cape Cod Maritime Museum; Terri Knight & Bruce Woodward, Verona Beach NY

Benn Trask has more than twenty years of teaching experience, mostly as a middle-school history teacher. He holds an undergraduate degree in education and a master’s degree in history, both from Virginia Tech. Following Virginia Tech, he served as a communications officer in the Marine Corps. In 1987, he returned to graduate school, earning a… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 189 – Benn Trask, lighthouses of southeastern Virginia

Courage Like Kate: The True Story of a Girl Lighthouse Keeper is a new children’s picture book biography based on the life of Kate Moore, a lighthouse keeper in the 19th century at Fayerweather Island in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The book is written by Anna Crowley Redding and beautifully illustrated by Emily Sutton. As an investigative… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 188 – Anna Crowley Redding, “Courage Like Kate”

Here is a description of the classic children’s book The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch, written by Ronda Armitage and illustrated by David Armitage: “Every day, Mr Grinling, the lighthouse keeper, cleans and polishes his light to make sure it shines brightly at night. At lunchtime he tucks into a delicious and well-deserved lunch, prepared by his… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 187 – Ronda & David Armitage, “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch”

South Foreland Lighthouse is located on the famous White Cliffs of Dover in southeastern England, overlooking the English Channel with a view to France on clear days. The cliff face, which reaches a height of 350 feet, is composed of white chalk accented by streaks of black flint. The dangers posed to shipping by the… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 186 – Charles Franklyn, South Foreland, England

Fantastic Atlantic Salmon fishing has long been a prime attraction at the mouth of the Salmon River in New York, at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. In the early 1830s it was determined that the harbor at the mouth of the river could accommodate as many as 30 ships, and a lighthouse was established… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 185 – Abe Ellis, Salmon River Lighthouse & Marina, NY

July 30, 2022 A lighthouse was established at Stony Point at the eastern end of Lake Ontario in New York in 1838. One of the most notable things about the original lighthouse was its first keeper, Wiley Gilbert Nickles, who held the position for 30 years. Nickles had lost both his hands in an accident… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 184 – Sherry and Willy Faust, Stony Point (Henderson), NY