Comedian supports campaign to save Beachy Head lighthouse stripes

9:30am Sunday 2nd September 2012 in News

Griff Rhys Jones backs the campaign to save the Beach Head Lighthouse stripes Griff Rhys Jones backs the campaign to save the Beach Head Lighthouse stripes

Comedian and actor Griff Rhys Jones has backed a campaign to save a lighthouse’s red and white stripes.

The Save Beachy Head Lighthouse stripes campaign was started in October after its owner, Trinity House, announced it could no longer afford to repaint the distinctive red and white stripes.

Trinity House has said that because boats now have high-tech navigational systems the day marker stripes are no longer essential so the lighthouse, which is situated about 165 metres seawards from the base of the cliffs at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, and stands at 40 metres high, would be left to return to its natural granite grey colour.

Other celebrities who have thrown their support behind the campaign include Bexhill-born comedian Eddie Izzard, author Bill Bryson and journalist and TV presenter John Craven.

Mr Rhys Jones encouraged people to donate to the campaign, which has raised more than £18,500 of the £27,000 it needs to repaint and maintain the lighthouse.

He said: “This is a significant part of our heritage – a monument to our seafaring history and most of all a pretty thing.

“It is the seaside. They’re nearly there so go on, do it. Be a beacon.”

The campaign has also received a donation of £10,000 from Eastbourne Borough Council and money through other fundraising events, while the paint for the job will be donated.

From the end of July comedian Eddie Izzard pledged to match donations pound for pound up to the sum of £2,000.

The lighthouse was brought into service in 1902. It took two years to complete and involved building a coffer-dam and a cableway from the top of the cliffs to carry materials down to the site.

Comments(10)

adorable says...
9:50am Sun 2 Sep 12

Apart from his name has he donated anything?

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Morpheus says...
9:59am Sun 2 Sep 12

adorable wrote:
Apart from his name has he donated anything?
I agree. Why do celebrities think they can tell us how to spend our money? We live in the area and know all about this without them getting in on the act. What has Jones said to justify his support - it's pretty and it's the seaside. The colour seems to have very little to say about our seafaring history.

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Sussex Rope Access says...
10:27am Sun 2 Sep 12

We contacted Trinity House about 9 months ago after just completing major structural, waterproofing and painting works to the Dungeness Lighthouse. I offered to have an experienced Rope access team carry out a free survey and report on the lighthouse. I offered to prepare a free realistic specification and scope of works for the lighthouse. I offered an experienced rope access team at a cost price with no hidden costs or profit to undertake and complete the works successfully. I even offered for Sussex Rope Access to subsidise and and contribute towards the cost of the project. Guess what we got back from Trinity House? Absolutely nothing, not an email, not a phone call, not a thank you but only an obnoxious, closed minded, negative response to our very generous offer.

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9 of us says...
11:30am Sun 2 Sep 12

I used to be part of the Lighthouse Family and LIVING in the vacinity, we all said it should be maintained in traditional red and white.

Trinity have their reasons why they are not responding to questions and we have to accept that they have their own in-house expertise to carry out surveyance.

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Surely not! says...
11:48am Sun 2 Sep 12

I think you will find that Trinity House have an important job to do maintaining the safety of the seas around our islands. Perhaps it is for the best that they are not too concerned about keeping a lighthouse painted for no useful reason. Unless you are offering to pay the full costs of the works, including the time of liasing Trinity House staff I think that they have their priorities right.

For the record I too have a sentimental attachment to its present colour scheme and would prefer it to remain red and white.

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Dave in Hastings says...
11:50am Sun 2 Sep 12

Morpheus wrote:
adorable wrote:
Apart from his name has he donated anything?
I agree. Why do celebrities think they can tell us how to spend our money? We live in the area and know all about this without them getting in on the act. What has Jones said to justify his support - it's pretty and it's the seaside. The colour seems to have very little to say about our seafaring history.
How do you know whether he has donated anything or not? Does he have to come out and say 'I have put £**** pounds in'?

If his name is all he donates, then he has helped to raise awareness of the campaign by getting the Argus to write about it.

Are you always such a pair of miserable what-nots?

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The Real Phil says...
12:06pm Sun 2 Sep 12

FFS that lighthouse is an international icon. Why has it not been made a listed building with a duty on the owners to maintain it?

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PorkBoat says...
3:14pm Sun 2 Sep 12

So four celebrities, three at least I would assume are multi-millionaires (don't know about John Craven), can't dip into their own pockets and stump up £2250 each for a project they are supposedly so concerned about, to make up the remainder. Instead they will "lend their support" to a campaign to get less well off folk to give their money to a cause that is probably about 745th on their list of things to be concerned about. Between the four of them, they could have it done by tomorrow, if it's really that important to them, or do they, especially Griff Rhys Jones, just like to pontificate to the plebs?

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GMAYF1 says...
4:01pm Sun 2 Sep 12

Dave in Hastings wrote:
Morpheus wrote:
adorable wrote:
Apart from his name has he donated anything?
I agree. Why do celebrities think they can tell us how to spend our money? We live in the area and know all about this without them getting in on the act. What has Jones said to justify his support - it's pretty and it's the seaside. The colour seems to have very little to say about our seafaring history.
How do you know whether he has donated anything or not? Does he have to come out and say 'I have put £**** pounds in'?

If his name is all he donates, then he has helped to raise awareness of the campaign by getting the Argus to write about it.

Are you always such a pair of miserable what-nots?
I've donated because I wanted to, but thank you to Griff, Eddie & all for raising awareness of this Campaign. Bottom line - if you have something you wish to donate to go ahead and those of us that wish to will support the Lighthouse Campaign. And it's nothing to do with anyone else who folk give their name, time or money because ultimately it will benefit a cause that they believe in. If you don't want to donate, you don't donate! It's not rocket science!

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redwing says...
10:24am Mon 3 Sep 12

Surely not! wrote:
I think you will find that Trinity House have an important job to do maintaining the safety of the seas around our islands. Perhaps it is for the best that they are not too concerned about keeping a lighthouse painted for no useful reason. Unless you are offering to pay the full costs of the works, including the time of liasing Trinity House staff I think that they have their priorities right.

For the record I too have a sentimental attachment to its present colour scheme and would prefer it to remain red and white.
I see plenty of reasons for doing this work and some vague excuses and diversions from the point posted here.
This lighthouse is a historic building and the signal colours are essential to its attraction. If it's neglected it will show we've lost our connection to the past and hence our values for the future. And no doubt in the future if it's already a shadow of it former self, and then erodes and bits start dropping off, people will be less likely to care.
Would anyone like to put a price on a 5 year old's delight this weekend at seeing this building for the first time, on rounding the headland while rockpooling at Beachy Head?
And what about the jobs created by doing this work?

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