National Coastwatch Institution - Torbay Station “WATCH”

April 2017 www.torbaynci.org

EDITORS NOTES

Once again many thanks to all the watchkeepers who contributed to the Christmas edition of “Watch”, especially to Martin for his article on flying with the RAF. Annie for her article on her Northumberland travels and Brian B on his “tales of the sea”.

Please keep the articles coming-- I have had a good response for this addition

STATION NEWS

Welcome to our New Members

Philip Kettle, John Martin Woodham

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we also welcome back to the fold John Sambrook

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Newly Qualified Watchkeepers

Paul Galley, Roger Lean, Keith Hollings

and John Davis

NCI History Our Neighbour’s Froward Point

NCI Froward Point

The Watch Station stands on a headland, Inner Froward Point, immediately to the East of the mouth of the River Dart. It is 209 feet (63.7 metres) above sea level, and has an excellent field of view. It was originally the Observation Post for a WW2 Coastal Défense Battery. This derelict building has been completely refurbished, while retaining important original features, such as the steel shutters. There is more information on the site history page.

Froward Point Station

The coastal area, buildings at Froward Point, and much adjacent farmland, are owned by the National Trust. The South West Coast Path runs through the site, and provides access to lovely scenery extending from the River Dart to Berry Head. One mile to the East, along the coast, is Coleton Fishacre, a beautiful house and garden, also owned by the National Trust. There is a car park at Brownstone, a quarter mile West of the entrance to Coleton Fishacre, and the lane constructed for access to the coastal defense battery leads directly from this to Froward Point. The distance is approximately three quarters of a mile. From the 209 foot height of the station, the horizon is 16.2 nautical miles distant. The arc of view extends from approximately due East around to due West, giving excellent coverage of the mouth of the River Dart and the whole of Start Bay. The station directly overlooks an area of hazards extending from a prominent rock named The Mewstone, an isolated submerged rock called The Bear's Tail to the Dancing Beggars off Stoke Fleming.

NCI Froward Point – Site History

During 1940 the land at Froward Point was requisitioned from Brownstone Farm, and a coastal defence battery built. There were two ex naval 6 inch guns on pedestal mounts, and two searchlights. Control was provided from the Battery Observation Post (BOP) .

The topography of the site means that the layout is unusual. The land slopes very steeply from the level of the BOP, 209 feet above sea level, down to the shore line. So No.2 gun was some distance below the corresponding ammunition store, and linked by an inclined plane, with railtrack and small wagon. The two searchlights were mounted near the shoreline, and their housings have survived, as have the concrete bases for the gun mountings. There is some uncertainty about the fate of the guns after the end of the Second World War. They remained in place until 1951, and were then either taken to Plymouth to be sold for scrap or simply dumped in the sea! Mike would be very interested to hear from any divers who might like to mount an expedition to investigate!

Among the buildings which still stand are the BOP and a store. The former is now the NCI Watch Station, and the latter houses the Visitor Centre and generator room. The BOP retains many original features, including the steel shutters which can be seen in the top photograph, taken before Coastwatch refurbished it! The site is now owned by the National Trust.

Brownstone Battery History

Brownstone Battery is a World War II coastal defence position, situated on the eastern side of the mouth of the river Dart estuary at Froward Point (Grid Ref: 902946). This area has commanding views across Start Bay, which helped in its defence role. The site consists of two gun positions, two searchlight positions and a variety of other buildings, including an observation post, generator room, ammunition store, general store and mess rooms, which can still be seen. Brixham Battery just a few miles north of Brownstone was built for a similar purpose and provided protection for the Torbay area with slightly smaller 4.7inch guns. This site on the outskirts of Brixham is owned by the local authority and maintained by local enthusiasts.

Dartmouth Castle on the west side of the river had a battery of 4.7inch guns and there was an anti-aircraft gun site on Jawbones Hill behind the town. In addition on the Kingswear side there was a machine gun post at Kingswear Castle and a land based torpedo launching site below Kingswear Court.

Dartmouth was bombed on more than one occasion and both the town and Phillips Shipyard suffered considerable damage with loss of life.

Brownstone Battery was manned by approximately 230 soldiers of the 52nd Bedfordshire Yeomanry Regiment between 1940 and 1942, when they were moved to Fleetwood in Lancashire to form a field battery unit. This was due 5

to the arrival of American forces who took over large parts of the Dart and Start Bay area. From 1942 until the end of the war, the Home Guard operated the site under the auspices of the Royal Artillery, but there is little information available for this period.

The Battery was finally decommissioned in 1956. The guns were still in place in 1951, as noted from aerial photographs. A caretaker lived on and looked after the site from the end of the war until the area was returned to the estate of Higher Brownstone in 1956 from whom it had been requisitioned. The caretaker and his family lived in one of the Nissan Huts and he later became a farm worker at Brownstone.

The National Trust has owned the site since 1982 when it was bought as part of the Enterprise Neptune Campaign to protect unspoilt coastline. At the time of its construction, there was more tree cover with a large part of the area dominated by Monterey and Corsican pines planted in 1904. This no doubt aided concealment of the battery from enemy aircraft and from RAF aerial photographs taken in 1942 it is difficult to pick out the buildings. The severe storm of January 1990 blew down a large number of mature trees and therefore exposed the site.

The Battery Observation Post

This was manned by Signallers, Telephonists, Gun Control Officers and Clerks. Their role was to identify targets, measure bearing and range, calculate corrections to allow for the change in position of the target during the time of flight of the shell, and transmit the required settings to the gun crews. A concrete pillar inside originally held the Depression Range Finder (DRF) used to determine the bearing and range of targets. There is also a chart table inside which folded down from the wall. The steel shutters fold down, with glass windows behind, which could be opened. Vandalism over the years unfortunately destroyed much of what was left in this building It is now totally refurbished as a Watch Station for The National Coastwatch Institution

The original gun emplacement View from inside

Article by Peter Foston (Watch Keeper)

PROVIDENT

The Brixham Trawler Provident was one of the last sailing trawlers to be built, She was launched in 1924 from Sanders Yard at Galmpton on the River Dart. With an overall length of over 70 ft, beam of 18 ft and draught of 9 ft she displaced some 85 tons.

Her sail area was approximately 2,500 square feet. Before the production of synthetic cloth ship’s sails were made of canvas. To protect them from rotting the they used to soak them in a mixture from Acacia trees called Cutch. After being hung up to dry they could then be safely stowed away. Not all sails were Cutch Tanned as this did tend to increase the weight and rigidity of the sails. For this reason the lighter jibs were left untanned.

To sail her and carry out all the heavy work involved in "shooting" and "hauling" the trawl she was handled by a crew of only three men and a boy.

By the late the twenties the days of the sailing trawlers were coming to an end and in 1933 Provident was sold to a wealthy American and converted into a yacht. Subsequently she has become a sail training ship and is now based in Brixham and we see her from time to time.

The painting shows Provident in Start Bay, hove to with her jib backed, the trawl has been recovered and the beam is on board. The cod end of the trawl is well filled with fish, hoisted on a fish tackle rigged from the main mast. When the cod line at the bottom is released the catch will fall in a mass on deck for stowing below.

Peter has been commissioned from BRNC to paint all the ships that have been used for officer training in connection with the college (some sixty plus!). Editor 8

Peter’s second article

I think the following might amuse. My research is turning up some fascinating things.

Between the wars their Lordships decided to turn the Monitor Erebus into one. Finding there was insufficient accommodation what did they do but build a two storey detached residence complete with pitched roof on the foredeck. Then they decided this was not suitable for going to sea. So they moored her across the Tamar from Devonport Dockyard s other only access was by boat so the young gentlemen would feel that they were "At Sea".

You could not make this up!!

I think you will agree that the above water colour paintings are excellent. I will have to look to my laurels: Editor

Social Matters

Newsbites from the Fundraisers :

Our hardworking colleagues in the ‘Friends of Torbay NCI’ raised a staggering £713 just before Christmas:

£213 from the Christmas party and £500 from The Salon Wellswood pamper evening. We also had an article published in the Herald Express, showing our very own Anne Rickwood being presented with £50 vouchers, after winning the ‘guess the number of baubles’ competition.

Then to cap it all, the Friends recently consented to a donation of an incredible £1500 !!

We are currently organizing a presentation of a BIG CHEQUE to Station Manager Martin Crapper by Friends Trustee Trish Parsons, outside the tower. Watch this space for the piccies. 10

Torbay NCI have also been beneficiaries of three further donations :

£500 from Kevin Foster MP towards IT technology required for the new website upgrades.

£250 from from 6th Torbay Britannia Scouts, with thanks to Roger & Sally Lean, for introduction to their daughter Jennifer, one of the Leaders. The Scouts & Cubs organized a sponsored walk from the tower to their club in Paignton Harbour and also held a carol evening.

Donation of a new webcam by Steve & Kim Furness, owner of the Headland Hotel.

‘Teign Agers’ singing group have adopted us as their nominated charity this year. They do singing sessions in residential homes and pubs, for a donation.

‘Teign Agers’ a fun singing singing group have adopted us as their nominated charity. They perform in residential homes and pubs, in return for a donation. They have a wide repertoire including sea shanties.

They will also be performing live at our Race Night

THE FRIENDS OF TORBAY N.C.I INVITE YOU TO OUR

SPRING RACE NIGHT

Come, have fun, support Torbay NCI

and back a winner on Friday 19th May 2017

Venue the Preston Conservative Club

Tickets £ 8:00 including supper

Choice of two suppers dishes

Entertainment by the fun singing – Teign Agers

Tickets can be ordered from Rosemary Clayton -Friends of Torbay NI

Please email your request including any dietary needs to: rm-clayton@hotmail,co and transfer £8 per ticket direct to Friends of Torbay NCI account HSBC Sort Code: 40 36 02 Account no. 01627171 quoting your name

Commented [MH1]:

100 CLUB!

Dear Friends and Colleagues

As you may be aware the Friends of Torbay NCI have been asked to run the 100 Club. The first draw will take place in April 2017. Please find attached the application forms for your completion. In order to make life as easy as possible for Rosemarie Clayton, the Treasurer of Friends of Torbay NCI, I would ask that you: • Arrange your standing order with your bank. • Complete your forms and hand them to Rosemarie at general meetings or leave them in an envelope, marked for her attention, in the tower watch room. • Email Rosemarie to inform her of your actions. (rm- [email protected]) Please remember that the deadline for payment each month is 1st for your inclusion in that month’s draw.

Thank you for your co-operation and good luck with the draw.

Alandra Elendill Chair of Friends of Torbay NCI. March 2017

WELCOME TO OUR 100 CLUB!

An invitation to join the 100 Club with a chance of winning the Monthly prize of up to £100 and the Super Prize drawn twice a year

Friends of Torbay NCI have kindly agreed to run the Club on our behalf.

The 100 Club is a monthly draw of membership numbers. There are a total of 100 numbers available and only those purchased are included in the monthly draws. Each 100 Club Membership number costs £3.00 a month, paid monthly, or preferably annually by Standing Order. Multiple membership numbers can be purchased from the available numbers by any individual member, spouse, immediate family member or significant other of a member of Torbay NCI or the Friends of Torbay NCI. Annual payment may also be made by Cheque made out to “Friends of Torbay N.C.I.’ The monthly prize draw, which will take place at whatever general or business meeting of the Torbay NCI Station each month, is £1 times the number of current membership numbers at the time of the draw. Twice a year a Super Prize draw will take place (March and September) for which the prize is £5 times the number of current membership numbers. Here is a great opportunity of winning up to £100 a month or £500 twice a year, whilst at the same time helping to support the Torbay NCI Station. If all the numbers are taken, it gives the Station £1,400 p.a. That is currently over the amount of the annual capitation fee the Station must pay to the National Funds. There are still some vacancies available, so why not join now. It’s very easy to do, just complete the attached form and return to the Friends of Torbay NCI c/o The Tower.

We look forward to welcoming you to the 100club and seeing your number amongst the winners

Any queries, please contact Martin Crapper on 07854 273 815 or email [email protected]

JOIN OUR 100 CLUB TODAY AND YOU COULD BE OUR NEXT WINNER

Chosen Charity

Preston Conservative Club have kindly nominated us as one of their three chosen charities. For this we get a Group membership at a modest fee and free use of rooms for meetings. Coastwatchers can also use the club socially, on other occasions, if you sign in the guest book and pay £1 a head.

I have also raised £100 by selling end of line swimwear & flipflops kindly donated by Boots Wren Park. I advertised on Gumtree and subsequently met a very pleasant local ebay salesperson, who has kindly offered to onward sell any such items we may get donated in future. So ladies & gents, if you have

any brand new clothes you have never taken the label off, that lay unused in the back of the wardrobe, dig ‘em out and let me know. We’ve all done it ! They may bring in a few pounds.

Finally planning is underway for our very own….. Torbay NCI Festival w/e 3-4th June.

Daddyhole Plain, to coincide with Torbay Airshow and the Red Arrows

To include the return of our annual BBQ, watch this space for details. If anyone would like to volunteer to help out and enjoy the Torbay Airshow from our fantastic vantage point on Daddyhole Plain, then please let me know.

Don’t forget, money doesn’t grow on trees and whilst we are getting the funds in, we can’t be complacent and we welcome anyone with time or ideas.

Anne-Marie Russ

Torbay MP Kevin Foster presents cheque

Thursday, 5 January, 2017

Torbay MP, Kevin Foster, played the role of Father Christmas last month as he presented the latest cheques from his “Foster’s Fund” to local charities, giving their great work a real Christmas Bonus.

Foster’s Fund is based on the pledge he made before the General Election to oppose the 10% pay rise for MPs and to donate it to charity if it was implemented. The latest donations, totalling £2,500, were:

Coalition of Disabled People of South Devon: £1,000

Torbay Coast Watch: £500

Chelston Action Group: £500

Factory Row (Leonard Stocks Centre): £300

Read Easy Torbay: £200

The donations will fund a range of projects from vital new computer equipment at the Coastwatch Station on Daddyhole Plain to supporting disabled people who need advice on a range of issues. Kevin usually donates three awards totalling £1,500 each quarter, yet given a surplus in the fund he decided to make two additional donations of £500 last month.

Kevin said: “These five charities make a real difference to life in the bay from making us safer whilst at the beach or out on the water to providing advice and a listening ear for those in need. I am pleased to support the projects listed and I know they will make a real difference to the work these charities do.”

To date, Kevin has made 4 separate awards, providing grants totalling £8000 to 14 local charities, and further donations from 'Foster's Fund' will be made throughout the year.

Torbay NCI Watchkeeper – a 5-year old’s view

A lovely picture prepared by my then 5-year old granddaughter Isla for the occasion of my 70th birthday. She had visited me in the tower during a watch earlier in the year, although I suspect her memory of the tower may have been ‘coloured’ by my love of lighthouses, knowing that a number of trips to lighthouses around the country had been made during 2016. (Chris Cattell)

Chris has given me an article “on lighthouses he has visited”. This will be included in the July Newsletter. Editor

Profile of Paul Galley

Hi everyone, as a fairly new watchkeeper I've been asked, by the editor, to write a profile on myself. Blimey, where to start?...well, if it were a shopping list it would go something like this !!

My first job at 15 years of age was on the end of a production line testing 'things' for the now defunct Spectos. I had the envious job of passing an 8mm loop of very uninteresting film, (of a red brick wall) through a projector while sat on a rubber mat... No health and safety then! The girls would deliberately wire it so the bare frame was live and I'd get a jolt... It came as no shock when I handed my notice in.

The second job was a bowling alley mechanic for Brunswick Lanes in Slough. The manager somehow overlooked the fact that I wasn't a mechanic, never been bowling and put me on a night shift alone. I received mild concussion from a flying pin and almost crushed under the pinsetter that lowers the pins: I have to thank Gottfried Schmidt who in 1936 not only invented the mechanical pinsetter but also a safety device stopping 16 year olds, without a clue being crushed by his creation! Later, having shut down 50% of the lanes through ineptitude on my first night, I was told not to come back. It was time to split and strike out for a new job.

The third job was a trainee ship broker in the city. I only got that 'cos I had a posh girlfriend in Ascot and whose daddy owned the company. That entailed boarding company owned Dutch ships moored on the Thames, clambering up rope ladders with a briefcase and, as a 16 year old city gent, a furled umbrella. The captains were all members of Alcoholics Anonymous, or should've been because every ship I boarded I had to join them in a drink... rum, schnapps ... As a result I slipped off the ladder of my fifth ship of the day and landed in another kind of 'drink'. I was dismissed from that job... not sure if it was because I was drinking or that I couldn't hold it, either way I went out with a splash!

Then came a series of three jewellers jobs in London and I don't mean drilling holes in vaults or nicking the Crown Jewels. After a while I got bored working in a shop selling rings and watches all day, the shine wore off and the job lost it's sparkle.

My uncle Harry owned three furniture shops in Maidenhead, when you think about it, a curious name for a town. He gave me a job selling carpets but that didn't last as I felt I wasn't earning a pile of money and had an underlying urge to work outdoors.

My next job brought me back to water as a boatman with Eton college. I would help 'the boys' launch and retrieve their boats and rescue the odd one (come to think of it many were quite odd and now, as members of the House of Lords, odder still!) who had got stuck in the weir.

My step dad Arthur was a butcher. My real father was a butcher, as was his father and his father before him. My great grandfather Elijah's only claim to fame was for murdering a husband and wife (from whom he rented his butchers shop in London) with one of his boning knives... quite a bloody affair it seems from reading the coroner’s report... anyway he was found guilty of 'only' manslaughter and served a relatively short prison term. Had he been hanged I wouldn't be writing this now. Anyway, that was my next job... no that one, a butcher in Arthur's shop.

1969 brought the riots in Grosvenor Square outside the American Embassy. Watching it with disgust I felt a call to arms and joined the Thames Valley police for two years. After 14 weeks training I made my first uniformed patrol of the drug, crime and violence ridden capital of the country, balmy Woodstock in the heart of tranquil Oxfordshire. That day man first walked on the moon and I was over the moon in my new uniform.

Bit like NCI really!!

While removing a drunk from a Slough hospital A&E department I met a Bermudian nurse called Bradelynne Willamena DeShields. Why on gods earth I can remember that name beats me. Anyway she had a girlfriend who was a BOAC stewardess who's name I can't remember and I applied to be a steward with BOAC as it was then.

Retiring from British Airways 33 years later. I only intended to fly for a couple of years but the attraction of free global travel, free alcohol and (in the early 70s) 'free' stewardesses was, er, interesting for want of a better word!

Lastly, I qualified through Cardiff University as a criminal lawyer in the role of police station representative, initially with a firm of solicitors and later as a freelancer... i.e. 13 years of defending/representing suspects at mainly Southampton and Portsmouth police stations, with anything from shoplifting to murder, of which I did two... unlike my great grandfather I didn't do the murdering... Just defended two that did, allegedly!!

Life's memorable moments? Running the 1984 London marathon in four hours and getting my new shiny NCI epaulettes from Ray a couple of weeks ago !!!

What do you think folks

I think Paul looks a bit bushed

Was this at the start or the end of the race I ask myself ?

Editor

There was another worth mentioning too. Many years ago I lived in Scotland near the fishing port of Buckie. My main hobby at the time was mountaineering, hill walking and bagging Munros, any Scottish mountain over 3000 feet. With the Cairngorms only half an hour away I decided to head into the mountains on my own to bag another 'Munro'. The weather was bad, low cloud obscuring the summits, so I chose to walk a circular route through the glens. I Hadn't seen a soul in 8 hours which was perfect and so I started heading back to my car parked near Corgarff Castle.

All was peaceful until I saw a group of walkers and dogs in the distance heading my way. Irritated by the intrusion I plodded on and the gap between us closed. They had been cheeky enough to arrive in two Range Rovers, trespassed across crown land and had ignorantly blocked the path with one of the vehicles. The first of their several dogs were now at my feet... that's strange I thought, don't often see corgis on the hills. The group of waxed Barbour clad, cloth capped, head scarfed, green welly brigadiers were now in earshot. The party was led by a not so tall lady in a headscarf, posh wellies and quilted Barbour jacket.

There is a clue here: editor

I'm now thinking, hang about, corgis, not too far from Balmoral, there's two dodgy looking blokes hanging around the Range Rovers... nah, couldn't be Her surely? While these frantic thoughts were buzzing in my head, a posh female voice piped up, "not many grouse on the moor today are there?" Any of you that have listened to the Queens Christmas message would recognise what I recognised that instant... It's HRH Betty Windsor!!! I'd met royals before in the first class of BA and knew how to address them; so what did I say?!... "Oh hello, I haven't seen one, no.... er" OH HELLO!!! what was I thinking, now turning red said "Sorry maa'm, I didn't realise it was you". The problem is, one thinks one knows her well doesn't one?....I mean we pop Her face into parking meters, we take Her face out of our trouser pockets every day to spend in the shops and we lick the back of Her head before putting Her face on the upper right hand corner of an envelope... that's quite an intimate relationship after all! Anyway she was great, chatted for quite a while about the hills.... and grouse, of which I know nothing apart from the Famous kind. Her final comment was, "Enjoy the rest of your walk and mind my policemen don't arrest you" which produced a chorus of laughs from the green welly brigade... My reaction was a little different as at this precise moment a Range Rover skidded to halt behind me and those two 'dodgy looking blokes' jumped out and gave me the once over.

Wracking my retired legal brain... Is it an arrest able offence for not: bowing, tugging my forelock, or prostrating myself in the heather? Perhaps I should've laid my Berghaus, extreme mountain jacket, that I paid 250 quid for, that's washable at 40 degrees (light spin recommended) over a puddle or something? I left the queen and her entourage and two red faced Royal protection officers who had let a complete stranger get within licking distance of the back of Her head.

Lived in Torquay for 18 months now at the Willows... In Aisle 7 of Marks and Spencer's food hall almost. Married to Carol and went not NCIing I'm a lemur warden at Paignton zoo and occasional boathouse guide with the National Trust at Greenway.

Anyway, looking forward to meeting everyone in time

Paul Galley

The above story about the Queen is absolutely true – unbelievable. Editor

Recommended Holidays Abroad

Budapest By Editor:

I sometimes take a spring break to one of the more popular cites in Europe. Over the last few years we have been to Vienna. Prague, Salzburg and Budapest -- Budapest is one of my favourites.

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is a beautiful city located on both sides of the Danube river. The city was formed in 1873 when the cities Buda, Óbuda and Pest were joined together. Budapest is sometimes referred to as the Pearl of the Danube or the Paris of Eastern Europe. Whatever you choose to call it, it’s without a doubt an amazing city with lots of great photo opportunities.

The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial in Budapest, Hungary. Conceived by film director Can Togay, he created it on the east bank of the 23

Danube River with sculptor Gyula Pauer to honor the people (mainly Budapest Jews) who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank.

I normally spend some of my time on holiday trying to produce water colour masterpieces !!!! My water colour above depicts the spectacular Hungarian Parliament building.

I located myself on board a barge (similar to the one on the next page) with a bottle of wine, shared a glass or two with the skipper and generally had a wonderful afternoon.

Above is a photo of the real thing

My favorite hotel in Budapest is the Boscolo

One would say “A pretty impressive entrance”

and a pretty impressive foyey

and a very impressive restaurant in the hotel called the “New Yorker”

I would certainly recommend a Spring break to Budapest :- Editor

Photograph of the month

I don’t know who took this photograph of this Red Arrow Hawk aircraft. If you know please let me know. Ed

It reminded of my RAF days when I was posted on a ground tour to a fast jet station in Germany. My desk officer at the time was worried because I had only flown on the Varsity, Shackleton and Vulcan and never in a fast jet. He thought the fast jet boys would eat me alive for breakfast so he decided to send me to RAF Brawdy on a three-week navigational fast jet course flying in the Hawk.

I was allocated a tame fast jet pilot to train me His name Flt Lt Glen Lester Torpy, I was also a Flt Lt at the time. Glen my buddy finished up an Air Chief Marshall GCB, CBE, DSO boss of the RAF. I finished up a Sqn Ldr boss of nothing. I always wondered where I went wrong. Anyhow Glen was great guy (still a very good friend) and I had the best flying of my career

Editor and his buddy Glen in their aircrew younger days

Glen mixing it with some high flyers !!!

Hey Ho -- that’s life:- Editor

Cartoon of the month

I also remember when I went for my aircrew leadership selection. It was a bit tricky at times

OPEATIONAL MATTERS

Watchkeeper: Good Show awards

Roger took over the Web Site recently. It is now up and running, however work is still in progress and Roger intends to add many more features to the site

Roger Lean :- Web Master

Welcome to the Torbay NCI website.

www.torbaynci.org

I think you will all agree Roger is doing a super job and the site when finished will be credit to him and our station. Editor

GOOD SHOWS ALSO GO TO:

Grant Grafton, Don Hands, John Haslam and Bob Horne who put up a splendid performance during DFS. (See below).

Hi Fellow committee members (partners in crime- chuckle) please find attached our DFS report from Roderick Skinner. As you will see from the report we met the standard in every criteria and Rod is complementary about our station, our personnel and its management team. This is mainly down to the DSM Trg and DSM Ops and their respective teams. Also I believe our personnel/members who the majority have high standards and care about the image of Torbay NCI.

My gratitude and thanks go to all committee members (including Jon) for all you hard work and dedication, you make my role so much easier.

Well done

Martin Crapper

ASSESSMENT AND LIAISON TEAM ANNUAL REVIEW REPORT

Station: Torbay NCI

Date: 26th February 2017 Start and Finish Times:

Date of Last Review: 28th February 2016

Personnel in attendance: Assessor: Rod Skinner Acting Station Manager: Martin Crapper Deputy Manager (Operations) Andy Milner Station Training Officer/Deputy Manager: Ray Hifle HMCG: N/A Watch Keepers: A Watch : Grant Grafton, Don Hands B Watch : John Haslam, Bob Horne

Declared Facilities: Visual,VHF Radio Tx Rx,Radar AIS Radar

Number of Watchkeepers at Station: 45 Number of Watchkeepers involved in Review: 4 Number of Watchkeepers RYA SRC qualified: 43

Watch Timetable: Summer hours: 1000 until 1800

Winter hours: 1000 until 1600

Station Management: Effective management team well coordinated by Martin Crapper who has been acting manager since last September. Deputies have responsibility for station operations and training.

Station Documentation: All in order, well presented and easily accessed.

Training Regime: Well thought out new entrant training programme. Excellently produced manual for trainees to keep. Progress is rigorously monitored and documented. Continuing training: Monthly group meetings, VHF radio training exercises including lifeboat conning to a target. Regular exercises arranged with Brixham RNLI.

Radar, AIS Assessment :All watchkeepers used the radar /AIS competently.

Report on Activities During Review: A live exercise with Brixham RNLI was planned but cancelled at short notice by the RNLI due to operational priorities. Although there was not much activity on the water, all watchkeepers kept a professional watch and demonstrated an excellent level of local knowledge. All were able to deal appropriately with incident scenarios presented to them and answered questions on watchkeeping topics to a high standard.

A radio exercise was carried out involving a call to the lookout from the mobile on Ch65 requesting position information on a vessel in the bay. The watchkeepers plotted the position of the vessel in Lat / long and bearing and distance from the lookout and responded with the information requested. Use of the radio was confident and professional . Watch handover was carried out according to the ICELAWS protocol.

Recommendations: No substantive recommendations. Some minor points were discussed and well received.

Positive feedback: Torbay is a well-run station with a strong and effective management team. Watchkeepers are enthusiastic and clearly well trained. The visitor centre is most impressive .The quality of the presentations can only enhance the public image of NCI . There are plans to erect a Portacabin style building to provide a permanent facility for training and to close off the internal stairs in the lookout to give more usable space.

The station has a very good working relationship with Brixham RNLI.

There is a clear aspiration to achieve and maintain best practice at this station.

Recommendation: Torbay NCI should retain its Declared Facility Status Date 27th February 2017

Signed:

T O R B A Y H A R B O U R A U T H O R I T Y HARBOUR MASTERS NOTICE 02/17

NOTICE TO MARINERS

HOLLICOMBE ROCK ARMOUR PLACEMENT WORKS 8th February 2017

Effective until: 15/04/17

Mariners are advised that works will be commencing on the installation of sea defences at Hollicombe Beach Torbay from 11th February 2017 by Keynvor Morlift Limited.

For the duration of these works a kedging anchor will be deployed and marked with a large unlit yellow buoy approximately 800m offshore from Hollicombe Beach in position 050°26.90 N 003°32.52 W.

A restricted area will be in force at these works on the Eastern edge between the following positions.

Northern mark 050°27.00 N 003°32.52W Southern mark 050°26.75 N 003°32.52W

Landing craft and barges will be working in this area between tides and all mariners are to advised to keep clear of operations at all times. Workboats will be keeping a continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16, DSC 70 with call signs MORMAEN 15, SARAH GREY and NEW ROSS. All vessels will display appropriate day marks and lights and will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre.

Mariners are also reminded that the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea will apply at all times during this operation.

Yellow Buoy

Capt K Mower

Tor Bay Harbour Master Issue date 08/02/2017

Channel Zero

The Training Team has noticed that some Watchkeepers are unsure as to how select Channel 00 (shows as P00 on Radio screen). Channel zero (00) can be accessed quickly on Radio No. 1 in the Tower. This channel cannot be accessed by merely tapping the 0 button twice. To access this Channel, go to Channel 88 using the

number buttons and then turn the Channel control knob (the right hand of the two larger knobs on the front of the radio) one click in a clockwise direction - you will then be on channel 00.

Please note that you should not use this Channel unless invited to do so by the Coastguard. Also, when you have finished using Channel 00, please remember to reset the radio to scan Channel 16 and the other pre-set channels

TALK ON THE FAKLANDS WAR

By Editor and Grant Grafton

To be given at the General Meeting on Tuesday the 18th April at the Rugby Club. Kick off: 7:30pm.

The talk will include:

Vulcan Operations given by Ray Radar installaations given by Grant

Future Events

Thursday 30th March: Presentation to Rotary Dartmouth, location Stoke Fleming Hotel 7:30pm. Topic “My Secret Cold War” by the editor.

Tuesday 11th April: Trainers meeting – Location Con Club 7;30pm

Tuesday 18th April: General Meeting – Topic “The Falklands War” by Editor and Grant Grafton. Location: Rugby Club

Friday 19th May: Race Night and Super. Location Preston Conservative Club.

Saturday 3rd June Torbay NCI Festival to include BBQ, tea & cakes, other stalls and/or Sunday.

Sunday 4th June: Torbay NCI Festival to include BBQ, tea & cakes, other stalls. PLUS Air Show including Red Arrows

Sunday 2nd July Lions on the Downs fun day TBC double NCI- Friends pitch, NCI cash tombola.

Instructions to get by in life

Learn to recognise the inconsequential, then ignore it. tch” Newsletter Read carefully anything that requires a signature. Remember the big print giveth and the small print taketh away. Th e next “Watch” will be published in April 2017. Any articles/inputsMake a habit should to do be nice forwarded things for to Raypeople Hifle. who’ll Editor never find out.

E mailDon’t : allow [email protected] the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s Landlinethere for: 01803782825 your convenience not the callers. Mobile : 07860246670 Be cautious about lending money to friends. You might lose both.

Next “Watch” Newsletter

The next “Watch” will be published in July 2017. Any articles/inputs should be forwarded to Ray Hifle. Editor

E mail : [email protected] Landline: 01803782825 Mobile : 07860246670