At the meeting of the Rotary Club of St Andrews held on Wednesday 17th of October at the Scores Hotel, Snr. Vice President Jimmy Spankie welcomed 28 members and Nigel Casey, the guest of Colin Mitchell.
After lunch and some domestic matters Jimmy introduced member Jerry Beaulier the lunch time speaker, who was to give a talk about the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
Jerry began by saying that his connection with the Bell Rock Lighthouse goes back to when he was stationed as a pilot at RAF Leuchars, he explained that he and his fellow pilots used the lighthouse as guide when lining up their approach to the runway.
He went on to say that the oldest existing rock Lighthouse in the British Isles is the tower on the Bell, or Inchcape Rock, a long and treacherous reef lying in the North Sea, some 12 miles East of Dundee and in the fairway of vessels plying to and from the Firths of Tay and Forth. Even in the old days, this rock had proved to be a danger to navigation. In his account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, Robert Stevenson, Engineer to the Board, stated "there is a tradition that an Abbot of Aberbrothock directed a bell to be erected on the Rock, so connected with a floating apparatus, that the winds and sea acted upon it, and tolled the bell, thus giving warning to the mariner of his approaching danger"
Upon similar authority, the bell, it is said, was afterwards carried off by pirates, and the humane intentions of the Abbot thus frustrated.
The erection of a permanent seamark on the Bell Rock presented some difficult structural problems. The surface of the rock is uncovered only at low water while at high water it is submerged to a depth of some 16 feet. Work on the excavation of the rock was begun in 1807 but it was not until February 1811 that the light was first exhibited. The tower which is of stone quarried from Mylnfield, near Dundee, and from Rubislaw, Aberdeen, is 115 feet in height, 42 feet is the diameter at the base, tapering to 15 feet in diameter at the top. It is of solid dovetailed masonry for the first 30 feet, half of which is below high water and above are 5 chambers and the lightroom.
The original optical system used at the Bell Rock consisted of twenty four parabolic reflectors 25 inches in diameter with their inner surfaces silvered to better reflect the light. The reflectors were arranged in a rectangle with seven located on each of the major sides. The whole apparatus was caused to revolve by the action of a clockwork arrangement powered by a weight descending through the tower. As the optical system revolved a distinctive character of alternating red and white light was seen. This was the first revolving light in Scotland.
Sir Walter Scott, when he inspected the Bell Rock in 1814, in the course of his duties as one of the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouses, wrote the following short poem in the visitors' album:-
"Far in the bosom of the deep
O'er these wild shelves my watch I keep
A ruddy gem of changeful light
Bound on the dusky brow of Night
The Seaman bids my lustre hail
And scorns to strike his tim'rous sail"
A Dalen optic in which a gas light is burned in a lens system was installed during 1988 with a range of 18 miles, the character is flashing white every 5 seconds, replacing the existing electric light installed in 1964. The Lighthouse was demanned on the 26 October 1988 and is now remotely monitored from 84 George Street, Edinburgh.
The vote of thanks for a most interesting and informative talk was given by Kirsty Hastie. The speaker at next week's meeting will be Honorary Member Billy Anderson, Rotary members and none members alike are always welcome.
more 34 years service with the RAF and now busier than ever with many charitable projects
more Wednesday 13th Dec in Scores Hotel at 12.30 Rotarians, family and friends, join Rotaract and invited students
more Krishna told of his experience as a team member of Rotary Mission Challenge
more Dr Heleen Plaisier explained her work with St Andrews Herbarium at the Botanic Gardens
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more Check Rotaract web site on "Links & News" on this web site for news about her main project for Abandoned Girls in India
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more The Club held its annual Family and Student Christmas Lunch on Wednesday 19th December at the Scores Hotel.
more To George Finley art is something which creates an emotional reaction in another.
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more Laura Heinrichs talks about her year in St. Andrews
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more 7th November 2012: Bette Hunter talked about her interesting time as a guide for the Scottish Tourist Guide Association
more An important charity for the St Andrews area.
more Mohini Gujadhur talks about her 600th Anniversary Rotary Scholarship to study for an MSc at St.Andrews University.
more Results of the primary schools quiz in March 2016
more Writer and professional Photographer, Mark gave an illustrated talk on some of his golf commissions, with wonderful photographs of golf courses. Mark is son of member Bruce Alexander.
more Anna is the daughter of Gordon Wowk.
more Jim gave an illustrated talk on the Rotary Walking Group
more Austin Dunn reflects upon his approach to the hills of Scotland.
more The annual Burns lunch was a great success
more Duncan Pickard from Howe of Fife Rotary Club tells us of the impact Sir John Cowperthwaite had on Hong Kong.
more One Man's Haggis .....
more James Orr presided over the celebration of Rotary Charter being granted to the St Andrews Club at a dinner on 14th April 1928. Ken Smith, our oldest past president presided over this celebration lunch.
more Stories of stressful experiences of St Andrews students told by Colin Mitchell
more The results of the Rotary Young Writers competition 2016 in St Andrews
more Fun and Games Competition against Inner Wheel in Hope Park Church Hall
more Holly Johnston told of her experiences with Yazidi Iraqi Refugees in Greece
more Dr Francis Kelly of Kingdom Chiropractic Clinics advised the Annual Joint Meeting with the ladies of Inner Wheel
more Junior Foursomes
more Dunhill Raffle
more Local Community Work
more Eradication of Polio
more Paul Harris Fellowship
more Rotary's Vocational Committee
more A Grand Match & History of St Andrews Curling Club
more "The Oldest Ladies' Golf Club in the World" 150th Aniversary of the now St Andrews Ladies Putting Club
more Career talk
more Ian's musical talents are well known to the Club members as he is a keen and gifted musician.
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more Fraud uncovered
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more C Bouchard, a pupil at St Leonards, was sponsored by our Rotary Club to attend the World Affairs Seminar in the USA
more This is Alan's vocational talk to the Club letting members know him better
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more MI 6 Albania and the Cold War talk by Rotaract Vice President Cameron Tissaw
more Jozefina lectures in Economics and Marketing at Liberec University in the Czech Republic
more The Intriguing World of Misheard Lyrics explained by Mike Dow
more Community report to council
more Jim Macgregor hopes the V&A in Dundee will grab the opportunity to immortalise local humorous worthies such as Andy Stewart, George Duffus and Jimmy Spankie
more Trustee Alistair Duncan explained the work of the Trust
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more Bernard Bentley tells of his father and uncle who were great amateur golfers in the 1930s
more Our District Governor speaks to us
more Kate Douglas explains the need for kidney donation
more End of year presentation of cheques to various charities
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more George Finley spends part of his year in Germany
more Geoffrey Morris explains this innovative project bringing hot water over 6 miles to fuel the University of St Andrews
more Derek Douglas talks about his career in Journalism & PR
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more .Keith McCartney talking about Old Tom Morris
more March 9, 2016 the speaker at the Rotary Club of St Andrews was the Rotary Environment Officer for District 1010, Rev. Malcolm Rooney.
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more .Ian was head of HR for Fife NHS
more John Ardley tells us all about Sri Lanka
more Kayleigh is a pupil at St Leonards
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more The Changing Face of Scottish Education.
more Gordon Wowk tells us all about Humphrey Bogart
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more Bette gives us a guided tour of the Shetland Islands
more Rob Dougan talks about a very active RAF Officer, Group Captain Tom Kean
more How the Rotary Organisation works to deliver effective solutions for International aid
more Career Talk by Ed Ryan
more Brian Sloan, CEO of Age Scotland tells about the dirverse services this charity provides.
more John talked on the many methods used to protect sailors from the North Carr rocks
more Moya Fox tells us about local fund raising and the work Save the Children does worldwide.
more Gordon McCorkindale tells us about the important work done by Kidney Kids Scotland
more David Joy gives us a succinct history of the history leading to the 2015 British Open Golf Championship
more Arthur Griffiths gave us an update on the eradication of Polio and Anastasiya Belyaeva, President of Rotaract, talked about her home life in Crimea.
more Christopher Peys asks the question "Forgiveness - is it possible?"
more Jack Daniels travel experiences
more District Governor Keith came to brief us on this year's Rotary theme.
more Flora Selwyn tells us how she started and developed the magazine "St.Andrews in Focus"
more James Hearsum tells us about the future of St.Andrews Botanic Garden
more Charlotte tells us about her visit to the World Affairs Seminar in Wisconsin.
more Update from International Convenor Hamish Tait
more David Hill talks about developing The Open Golf Championship.
more Peter Davidson visits historic houses and meets interesting people.
more Ranald Strachan tells us about the constant fight to preserve the St. Andrews sand dunes.
more Sue Hope tells us about The Freedom from Fistula Foundation
more Trevor tells us all about the Farnborough Air Show.
more Ian Parker tells us about the Literacy in a Box Trust
more Janet Lowe gives us an update on the work of the Rotary Foundation
more Arthur Griffiths talks about the work of St.Andrews Community Trust
more George Ferguson tells us about his work as a Crystallographer.
more Dorothy tells us about the work of Worldwide Cancer Research. formerly AICR
more Eric Brown talks about collecting Penguins and Golf Balls
more Walter talks about the meeting of the rivers Amazon and the Rio Negro.
more Alex Davidson tells us about Include Me, the Citizens Advocacy Service.
more Ena Malcolm gives us an update on CHAS
more John Black was actually in Beijing when the Tiananmen Square massacre took place in 1989. This is his description of the events taken from his own diary notes made at the time.
more Lesley Childs tells us about the work of Fife Carers
more Rob Dougan talks about his life in the Civil Engineering industry.
more Bill Sutherland talks about his passion for football.
more Jimmy Spankie hands over to incoming President Andrew Aitken
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more Bob & Kathy Philip talk about the things they saw at Chelsea Flower Show.
more John tells us how from small beginnings the firm he worked for became the largest in Asia.
more Angela Fowlis talks about her career in Education – 7 May 2014
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more Marilyn Rowan Rhind tells us about One Man's Influence on the Island of Lanzarote
more Frances Griffiths tells us about the Dundee Waterfront Project and the new V&A and the impact it will have on the city,
more Richard McKenzie, curator of the Black Watch museum, gives a talk to a joint meeting of St.Andrews Rotary Club and St.Andrews Inner Wheel Club on the activity of the 7th Battalion in the First World War.
more Ian McIver tells us about the repeated attempts by the explorer John McDouall Stuart to find a route from Adelaide to Darwin.
more Professor Macdougal tells us about the History of Medicine with particular reference to St.Andrews.
more Wison Sibbett gives us an update on the use of Laser Technology
more Gordon Rhind talks about his life and work in industry and the community.
more Ian Hamilton tells us about his life and work as a Church of Scotland minister and Youth Chaplain.
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more Kirsty Hastie tells us about Public Access Defibrillators
more The Restoration of Craigtoun Park
more Ian Johnston thumbs through the club's scrapbook and talks about some interesting past events
more Trevor Royle talks about Military History
more Time Travellers visit Hill of Tarvit National Trust House
more A talk about the work of the St. Andrews Botanic Gardens Educational Trust
more Fiona Knight and Curtis Stiles talk about their experiences on the Rotary Leadership Award Scheme
more Jill Craig talks about her work as a freelance musician
more Michael Carslaw talks about the International Baccalaureate
more Sylvia Donaldson visits Borneo to find the Orang-Utan
more Vic Chapman tells us all about Gemstones
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more Eric Brown tells us the best place to catch crabs and lobsters and demonstrates how to prepare them for eating.
more John Mitchell tells the club almost all about himself
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more Pamela and Ian Levack spend a year as the medical team on the volcanic island of Tristan da Cunha
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more So titled 'Woman of the World' Sylvia Donaldson gave a most interesting and moving talk to the Club. 12th September 2012
more Steve Chorley, District Foundation Chair, gave an update on changes to the process of Foundation funding.
more Speaker Karen Waterston spoke about the important work of the Burma Education Partnership. Karen was nominated for a Rotary Peace Scholarship by our Club last year.
more Hamish Alldridge gave a most informative talk on his experiences as manager of a tea plantation in Southern India
more 1st August Wilson Sibbett spoke about 'A Laser-produced Mini-Sun' (Securing electrical supplies for the future)
more 18th July 2012 Second Cox Alec Purves of the Anstruther RNLI gave an excellent talk
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more Graham has retired from the steel industry and become an expert in these large steel structures - Wind Farms He gave an illustrated talk on the possible impact of wind farms on St Andrews
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more Talk by Dennis Hopper on the "Scots in Russia"
more 50 years behind the wheel in 8 different countries where he lived and had local driving licences.
more At the Joint Evening Meeting with Kilrymont Prof Robert Crawford gave an illustrated talk on his work in the Arctic displayed in his recent book "Tundra - Taiga Biology".
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more Rob Roy Way--President raises £2400
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more "Passage in India" by Austin Dunn
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more "The Romance of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle"
more Ian is an expert on the history of the Tay Bridge Disaster in 1879.
more Rotaract member, Keertna Sapra tells us about a school for abandoned girls in the remote part of India where her grandfather is from.
more Cheques were presented to representatives of various local and national charities
more Roy explains why men can be so stupid with illustrations from his own experiences.
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