The last keeper of the Bell Rock Lighthouse has agreed to sign 50 limited edition commemorative covers to celebrate the bicentenary of one of the world’s greatest feats of engineering.
The signed mementos have been snapped up by stamp collectors and lighthouse aficionados worldwide.
John Boath signed 50 of the 500 Bell Rock Lighthouse commemorative covers which will be issued by Arbroath and District Stamp and Postcard Club on February 1 exactly 200 years after a beam of light first shone from the lighthouse.
Mr Boath, who is caretaker of a Methodist church in Edinburgh, grew up in Dundee and worked in the jute mills in the 1960s when he spotted an item on Blue Peter about lighthouses and decided to apply for a job.
His first posting was to Stoer Head, 60 miles north of Ullapool where he spent four years before moving to other lighthouses, including Fraserburgh and the Isle of Man.
One of Mr Boath’s last postings was to the Bell Rock, which had a formidable reputation as a lighthouse that could break even the toughest keepers with its rota of four weeks on and four weeks off.
“The Bell Rock was unique in that you were enclosed in that lighthouse for the four weeks that you were there apart from being able to get down sometimes at low tide,” he said. “I know it sounds strange but I always found something to do on the Bell and I never got bored.”
Mr Boath is taking a day off work to travel to Arbroath on Tuesday to attend a fireworks display to officially open the Year of the Light Festival which is expected to attract more than 2000 people.Enthusiasm”I’m the caretaker of a Methodist church in Edinburgh but I think the enthusiasm has rubbed off on me because I’ve taken a day’s holiday to come to Arbroath and it’s good for me because I love firework displays,” he said.
“Being a Dundonian I always go up the Law when I’m back and automatically I search for the Bell.”
Brian Cargill, treasurer of Arbroath and District Stamp and Postcard Club, said the signed covers, which cost £10, feature the Royal Mail’s 1998 Bell Rock postage stamp and are hand-stamped with the date of the bicentenary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
“These signed commemorative covers have proved highly desirable and have all been reserved by stamp collectors, lighthouse aficionados and people keen to have a keepsake of the Year of the Light,” said Brian, who added that £5 of the £10 cost of each of the signed commemorative covers is being donated to the Arbroath Lifeboat.
The stamp and postcard club will also be issuing 100 Bell Rock Lighthouse Commemorative Covers featuring the Royal Mail’s 1998 Bell Rock stamp at a cost of £5 each (which are also sold out) and 350 commemorative covers with a Royal Mail post box stamp and a postage label from 2009, which will cost £4 each.