Xmas Quiz

[Phil]

I just picked a name from some tourist stuff on the web; worth a go;

did think about telephoning but thats a bit toooo anorak

[Brian]

Tie Breaker 2

Name these lighthouses:

[Brian]

...............it's gone very quiet.................

[John Kennett]

I think that the last one is Alderney

John

[Brian]

S'not easy is it?

a small clue......No. 2 has never worked since the day it was built. When it was finished the locals would not operate it because they preferred their own bonfire "light" further along the coast for nefarious purposes, and later, as it was a coal fueled light source, the locals nicked all the coal, so there was none left for the lighthouse.

[Alan]

Guess number 2 is in the West Country somewhere? Simply deducing from the date of the picture!

[Brian]

Might be !

[Brian]

I shall take pity on some of you.
Here is the easiest one of all, surely?

[Alan]

The Eddystone!

[Brian]

Hooray Alan,
Did a bloody sight better than people who are not 4000 miles away as well!!

Phil/Louise
Answers to the 5 lighthouses at 1200 tomorrow?
I suspect Louise at least is travelling at the moment.

[Brian]

PS Alan
Do you know what the stump at the side of the light is for............if not, I intend to tell everybody later today!!

[Alan]

Its the remains of the original Eddystone Lighthouse!
But you can tell us when it was built and when it was destroyed!

[Brian]

And the answers are:

1. Butt of Lewis, Hebrides
The Station's claim to fame, according to the "Guinness Book of Records" some years ago is that it was the windiest spot in the United Kingdom.The Butt of Lewis is also one the General Lighthouse Authorities transmitting stations for Differential GPS.

2. St Agnes, Scilly Islands

3. Round Island
The most northerly outpost of the Scillies is a 40m mass of granite, the top forming a platform on which Trinity House built a lighthouse and dwellings in 1887 under conditions of extreme difficulty. The sheer rock face made the unloading of building materials almost impossible.

4. Portland Bill
I can hear JK groaning and smacking his forehead from here!

5. Mizzen Head, Ireland
A spectacular site with a very unusual footbridge over to the sight of the light itself. See photo below taken from the land.

The “Easy” lighthouse was of course The Eddystone about 9nm out from Plymouth Breakwater. The stump is the site of “Smeatons Light” which was taken apart, stone by stone, and re-erected on Plymouth Hoe.

[Brian]

Alan,
Just for your benefit, because I am sure Google doesn’t work in the boonies………

The first Eddystone light was built by Winstanley in 1696 but blew down in a storm in 1703.
Lovett built the second which lasted from 1709 to 1755 when it burnt down.
Smeaton then built his of stone, the previous two being made of wood, and that lasted until 1882 when the current light was built.

Anoraks ! Read all about it here:
http://www.redtek.net/abc/plymouth/eddystone.htm

[Phil]

bit busy one way or another

my score is 0 /5

however the time/ leg /business was 19 minutes

Brian, Louise ,a glass of your choice next season

[Brian]

Phil
Absolutely right on the time/leg business. Intrigued to know how you got that figure. As you say, an opening subject for discussion over that glass/ bottle, bottle/glass, gla....

[Louise]

Sorry I haven't replied sooner - been busy with my litlle nephew during his first Christmas.

I did get the Portland Bill one and should have got the Eddystone!

It looks like Phil's the winner then so I reckon the drinks are on me! Looking forward to meeting up in 2005 then! (Or maybe 2004 Brian?)

Hope you had a great Christmas!

[Brian]

Yo, Louise.
Aren't you and Richard coming over one day?

[Phil]

Brian ,just did a search on the gallery under Skye and then saw your account of the trip etc.....