West Light Consultation

Friday 23 January 2015

On Monday, two of the people working on the redevelopment of the West Light held consultations with island residents, looking for information, stories and photographs of the light and the island. They are keen in particular to see more photographs, and to copy them for use in the new displays planned for the lighthouse. Below is a statement from them:

"Appeal for pictures of Rathlin West Light - can you help?

• Can you help with material for new displays in the West Light?
• Do you have any photographs of the West Light’s keepers or their families or other Rathlin people connected to the lighthouses?
• Would you be able to briefly lend them for copying for the new displays at the West Light?

and, maybe most difficult…
• Can you find them - in the next two weeks?

What we are doing
The preparations for opening up the West Light to visitors are moving on. Susan Cross and Peter Phillipson of TellTale who are planning the displays were back on Rathlin this week to talk to islanders.

Some of the displays in the lighthouse will be about the keepers who lived there. TellTale hope this will include a gallery of photographs showing the keepers and their relationship with the islanders. They are really keen to find photographs for this.

On Monday there were two meetings where people brought along some photographs. Peter Phillipson was very pleased with the response; 'There were some really interesting pictures and looking at them led to a great conversation, full of memories and stories. This is a great start,’ he said, 'but we will need more'.

How you can help
So now the hunt is on for pictures of people and activities related to Rathlin’s lighthouses (and particularly the West Light). We need them urgently - ideally by 9th February.

Do you have any? If so, please contact either the Resource Centre or Peter Phillipson as soon as you can. You can ring Peter (01298 70376) or email him at peter@telltale.co.uk."