Royal Sovereign Light (1972)

Visit www.bexhillmar... for the latest on the plans for the lantern tower.
Documentary covering the construction of the Royal Sovereign Lighthouse. Posted for educational purposes only. Not for profit. No copyright infringement is intended. Commissioned by the Corporation of Trinity House. Narrated by Peter Dyneley (voice of Jeff Tracy in Thunderbirds).

[@TroyTempest63]

NEWS. The Lighthouse is to be decommissioned, starting in 2020. www.trinityhouse.co.uk/news/royal-sovereign-lighthouse-to-be-decommissioned

[@andypreston1524]

Be sad to see her go. As an Eastbourne lad I was always fascinated by this tower as a kid.....I was born in 74 but my dad told me about how it was built. I lived 4 miles inland at Wilingdon and could clearly hear the fog horn at night !!!!

[@TheKilroyman]

I read it's due to the superstructure having reached the end of its serviceable life span, as the structure can no longer be maintained properly. At least Beachy Head Lighthouse will be taking over, the same way Southwold Lighthouse took over from Orfordness. I believe the original foghorn from this station is in private ownership somewhere. I hope a portion of this old tower can at least be preserved, like the lantern room at least.

[@sirronnitram8937]

Probably be deferred until the Pandemic is over

[@kc4cvh]

Right on schedule, as the structure was expected to last until 2022.

[@MrMarko4]

My grandmother used to take us to Bexhill swimming in the 80’s / 90’s, I always wondered what the mysterious thing on the horizon was.. finally I know, just in time before it goes forever.

[@NathanHassall]

The accompanying background music in this is incredible.

[@fredjones7705]

Whoever did the sound is an absolute genius.

[@weatheranddarkness]

right?

[@fredjones7705]

@@weatheranddarkness A real lesson on how to do it right.

[@paulawillisphotography]

Absolutely fascinating, lack of PC no hi viz , gloves, coveralls or hard hats but heh they did it and were so proud to be part of that achievement ! we wouldn't see that kind of pride in the workforces of today sorry to say. Well it lasted for more than 50 years what a force we were in engineering and construction. Well done to those dedicated, hard working and brave men . Thank you all !

[@sonsofthetribe]

Not true a lot of people have pride in their work

[@edfagan6377]

What a fantastic treat! Such a follow-up to your video. I much preferred to see this second. It acts as a prequel. Thank you for posting!

[@alexisantonakis8897]

Wonderful seeing this video. More so as my father was one of the engineers that designed it. Somewhere in his old house is a scale model of it about 2 foot tall i believe. I can just remember watching him being winched down from the helicopter onto the deck..not something a 5 year old ever forgets :)

[@VisionforEastbourne]

Alexis. Do you think you could find that model. I ask as Chair of the local Heritage Society. committee @ eastbournesociety.co.uk

[@ebarrett3923]

Alexis, I’ve just found this. My father was the resident engineer on-site I believe (James Yonge) for Halcrow. My parents knew yours well I believe (my mother has mentioned them on numerous occasions!).

[@VisionforEastbourne]

You Don't happen to know if the model still exists do you? The Eastbourne Heritage Centre is looking to commemorate the now gone structure with a big permanent exhibition from 2024.

[@VisionforEastbourne]

Looking to connect to talk about the model. Plans that were delayed are now back on track.

[@d.g.rohrig4063]

Sounds like the soundtrack was created solely on the 1969 VCS3 synthesizer! So cool!

[@woodycook5011]

Great film worked on building the sovereign for two years.caught a glimpse of myself when concreting the outer ring.rember sitting on wooden platform hanging on wires while winding up the nuts on the jacking process.

[@SueMead]

*+woody cook* Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your comment. What a wonderful thing to be involved with. How many rich bastards ever considered your and your fellow workers labours and how that made them into the fat, golf playing, trophy wived "winners" they see themselves. They never dip their toes in a rock pool without security. They never get dirt under their nails and laugh with their fellow workers or cry with them or go to the pub after a days hard yakker. (NZ&Aussie for "hard work") An honest days pay for an honest days work. Our honest taxes providing an honest education to our children, healthcare and infrastructure. We can't all fly by helicopter. Oops.., sorry, just want to say I respect your hard work and it's wonderful to have such a legacy as this.

[@MrJimbaloid]

No Way I'll tilt my hat to you sir.

[@rosemorey575]

I think my brother worked on building the Sovereign too.

[@traffic71]

What a great video. Very interesting. I still live in eastbourne. When I was young the light would shine into my bedroom window and I would listen to the drone of the foghorn all night. Never hear it now which is a real shame.

[@peter9180]

traffic71 no more fog?

[@gravyblue]

Same. Shame they've started dismantling it

[@MrJimbo777]

I remember that Fog horn sound from when i was a child.... It was the Best... Most Bass filled sound EVER! :)

[@kensjobs2237]

Absolutely brilliant video, thanks for sharing

[@mjc11a]

Very impressive presentation! Thanks for posting.

[@tangatoto362]

Indeed, fascinating ...it’s seems so long ago and it’s tempting to be amazed by the engineering and technology, but about the same time the QE2 had come into service and the Boeing 747 had likewise. One can’t help notice the lack of hi-viz clothing, gloves, goggles and I think I only saw 2 safety helmets......thank you for posting this .

[@malcolmmarshall4371]

Tanga Toto yes I was a kid living at Newhaven the sight was almost wide open no life jackets neither

[@anilmayur]

Ultimate job making lighthouse ,this is great documentary in my life

[@raymondscott906]

I lived on there for 1 week in 1977 when I worked for trinity house for the inspector of works department at harwich. we had fog for 2 days. imagine trying to sleep with that noise.

[@SMX815]

Wow what a feet of engineering & very interesting video of the lighthouse 👍

[@marcosantoniosilva4513]

olá amigos ótima noite e um prazer de compartilhar estes vídeos sobre esse tema os faróis em alto mar e suas respectivas histórias na navegação marítima isto sim que é uma história magnífica em tecnologia na construção sólida desse farol e seu papel fundamental na navegação marítima sem esses faróis muitos acidentes poderiam ocorrer parabéns pelo seu trabalho em mostrar uma construção de um farol parabéns direto de carapicuiba são Paulo Brasil parabéns

[@videolabguy]

What a wonder of construction! That was very enlightening!

[@edouardsowa3660]

That was a fantastic job. How interesting to see the construction.

[@shrubbie1]

Always been fascinated by this, easily seen from hastings, great to see a construction documentary.

[@jean-pierredeclemy7032]

I was probably more aware of the new lighthouse at its time of construction because I worked for a short time in the design department at a company called the Royal Sovereign pencil company in Beckenham.

[@petersmith4455]

great engineering.i remember the fog horn blasting away.also have been on the royal sovereign lightship in 1963 by special permission. there was 8 of us.the crew were great.. I don't know what happened to it after 1972

[@thebestisyettocome4114]

February 2020 seen. Her duty is over. She will be taken down and removed. 1972-2020 Thank you for your service. 🇬🇧

[@henryostman5740]

this is certainly a tribute to the engineers of two centuries ago who built the first of the lights, the Stevensons and others who pioneered great civil engineering in the UK, The traditions live on even as the technology grows and changes.

[@lawrencedavis5459]

Brilliant...like the music too.

[@a1aquatics723]

45 mile light beam in clear weather is such a interesting fact. 💯

[@Heyiya-if]

*basking in the analogue science-tech aesthetic* Man, that music.... Good to see they avoided the Helvetica Scenario :D though the lack of hard hats for the workmen gave me tics o_0

[@Nick-ye5kk]

Was the old boy shovelling concrete at 18:00 wearing a tie?

[@garman1966]

weird! One of the brass helping out?

[@Mrlrobertson]

Boss man wants to look good in the video.

[@WaxingRadiance]

A lot of old timers used to wear clothes like that to work. In 1990 I started on the railway, my first placement was with a group of old Irish men, all in their late 50's early 60's laying footings, digging troughing runs etc for cables. All five of them wore a three piece suit, shirt and tie to work every day. Yes, to dig holes! I remember one of them set fire to his trousers using an angle grinder, the next day he was sporting a new patch his wife had sewn over the hole. The hardest, funniest group of men I have ever worked with. God I wish I could remember their names as I suppose none of them are with us any more.

[@WaxingRadiance]

@PADDYDOYLE Its a big impressive world you men built. You should be proud. Its a shame not much credit is given to those who sweated in its creation but these little youtube comment conversations will be here for a long time so I will take the time to tip my hat to you all and say thank you.

[@lemee70]

Obviously a Monday, his clobber from the weekend. New suit every Friday and out on the piss until Monday morning, that's how it used to be.

[@silversliver1592]

Excellent video

[@iceman7975]

The decommissioning of the structure was planned early in its life.But this also highlights the excellent work done by all those designers and engineers who built the stone lighthouses of the past still in service today.They had less technology and yet they have delivered strong stable structures that have outlived this poxy modern structure.

[@wanderer5581]

An expected life span of 50 years, so spot on..

[@AbbeySnooks]

Extraordinary

[@annenewton5403]

I remember the excitement of it, we were children living in Cooden at the time. Who remembers the foghorn?

[@rickhatesmisleadia7101]

Great video.....I was 11 when they built it...lol

[@weatheranddarkness]

soundtrack slaps

[@hellooldchap]

Great vid.

[@SuperActionForceGo]

Trinity house: we want to set this off at 6pm in thick fog. . . . . Tug boat captain: Hold my beer.

[@Michael00172]

When I was on the Lightvesel 'Royal Sovereign', in 1968-1970, we had continuous fog for 100 hours. The foghorn is brought into use when visibility is reduced to half a mile or so. The larger generator-compressors are used when the foghorn needs to be running, thus supplying adequate air pressure of 40 Lbs square inch in the 3 capacitor tanks that is then fed by pipe through a solenoid operated valve to the foghorn above the bridge. The number - frequency of the foghorn signal is determined by whatever the light signal is for that particular seamark & the lantern is used during periods of fog as well as hours of darkness.

[@iceman7975]

Bring the lightship back 😂😂

[@dalewilson8476]

Love this seris

[@atlanticcoastexpress]

Thank you...what a fascinating project. However, it's a pity that the tower isn't staffed anymore ....I'm sure that human eyes are better than just relying on CCTV and mobile phone technology. Finally, a question...does Trinity House have a film featuring the interior of the modern Eddystone lighthouse tower? I passed by this magnificent structure many times in my Royal Navy service (with the stump of the Smeaton tower...now on Plymouth Hoe) but I've never seen what it's like inside. I don't think even the BBC 'Coast' programme ventured inside...even though one of the presenters bravely swam to the tower base from a small boat. Let's hope Trinity House has something available for us keen viewers! Rob

[@TroyTempest63]

+Rob Mannion www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/eddystone-lighthouse    It doesn't appear they have any videos. But there is this ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5ClZoaPfcabb80

[@bigupyourself]

Search for Peter Halil on youtube

[@malcolmmarshall4371]

I was living at Newhaven when the light ship was been built

[@johnmartin6178]

I can't get over the clothing worn by the workmen, the gaffer was wearing a trilby?

[@TheDenoginator]

Where can I get the music?

[@gerwynjones8626]

best music ever

[@tim_longhurst]

The commentary mentions an expected lifespan of at least 50 years. It didn’t quite manage it and now all that remains is the telescopic support leg. Nevertheless an amazing engineering achievement.

[@NormanGnome11]

Why is Kojak supervising @6:32 ??

[@steve1978ger]

what the hell, it really is Kojak

[@traffic71]

Sorry to leave another message. Just read that the work starts in March 2022 to decommission the Royal Sovereign so I thought I’d watch this again. I wondered what it would be like if this were to be built today…..months or years wasted on just the tendering process, end up way over budget and way over stated time, and no doubt the finished product wouldn’t actually be suitable for the required job.

[@paulcarlsen4088]

The music!

[@lemee70]

Moogy...

[@nurlatifahmohdnor8939]

sim-pang = junction T-junction = sim-pang ti-ga corner = se-le-koh Quiz: How many type of conjunctions are there in the system?

[@nurlatifahmohdnor8939]

Page 71+1 & 71+2

[@gilneibreitenbach7957]

Bah como gostaria de conhecer lindo

[@MrYashka12]

Not one hard hat worn...delightfully old school

[@---John---]

When men was men.

[@johnbull1986]

Spoken like a flabby, idle Daily Mail reader who spent their life working in an office.

[@zeusynth]

synth sounds era's.. good bg music... moog

[@ADOTlied]

Is it still in operation?

[@3345-p9g]

Yes.. still off Eastbourne.. protecting shipping

[@mcganahanskjellyfetti7722]

Trinity House announced on June 28, 2019, that the light would be taken out of service in 2020: Trinity House has begun preparation work on a project to decommission Royal Sovereign Lighthouse. It is the intention that the now-deteriorating lighthouse will be completely removed clear to the seabed. This has necessitated that local icon Beachy Head Lighthouse be upgraded to ensure the safety of the mariner in those waters.

[@brianbranson2306]

so does one suspect that these were the last frizens ever made. a lost technology ?

[@theogdirkdiggler]

Fresnel lense? Only five left in the world

[@gregbolitho9775]

what was the difference between low water, an high water, 70ft should be enough. heard about this once, since it went in, an its now 2020. nice work that crew!

[@Paddington60]

Greatest range of tide I recall in Eastbourne was 8.2 m, about 26' 10"

[@MrSvenovitch]

Love the psychedelic sound effects. Sounds like smth Charles Manson would listen to while committing gruesome murders...

[@lemee70]

Someone got a MiniMoog for Xmas.

[@Spyder6664]

Just goes to show ... how back in the old days (60's & 70's for most who ever watch this ;) ... They still built crap that couldn't last as long as what the Romans Greeks Italians Egyptians built, hundreds of years ago.

[@lemee70]

How much of what we build today will still be about in a 1000 years time and how much of what the Romans built fell to pieces?

[@philwise872]

Kojak was the project manager

[@mattkaustickomments]

So... when were Hardhats made a requirement on job sites in the UK??

[@hammyh1165]

Not till late nineties I think. In the early nineties I was working on sites without hardhats .

[@fozzebear1046]

Richard burtons war of the worlds part 2

[@stamx_]

such music existed in the 70's? 2:10

[@lemee70]

Have you never heard of Jean Michelle Jarre?

[@jasongentle6446]

Good film on how they built it dodge sound track should of been left out 👍👍🇬🇧👍

[@lemee70]

My thoughts exactly 😂

[@davidbutler4363]

😁👍👏👏👏

[@nomenestomen8952]

it looks funny

[@ronniedelahoussayechauvin6717]

I don’t understand anything about Copyrights & Laws.

[@moleisrich1]

Funky man

[@mcganahanskjellyfetti7722]

Now it’s all Beachy Head

[@steveluckhurst2350]

Fishing was never the same from the east beach after construction had finished.

[@sim-sam]

This is around and inside of it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3ylqaKZo5WmpJo

[@napi94naza15]

creepy music

[@ronnieg6358]

He didn't explain very well how you 'float' concrete!

[@johnmartin6178]

Simple, if the concrete base, being hollow, displaces enough water with a weight greater than the weight of the concrete then it will float, after all steel won't float until it's made into a sealed container.

[@ronnieg6358]

@@johnmartin6178 Yes fine but how is it then heavy enough to support the tower when sunk. Do they then fill it with concrete?

[@mattrussell250]

@@ronnieg6358 The video explains it!

[@curvebuster]

Only works on a Flat Earth, Google Flat Earth Clues !

[@steveluckhurst2350]

dont breed.

[@chubeye1187]

Didn't last it's supposed life expectancy, like everything built in the 60s and 70s

[@arenalife]

It's done it's designed 50 years

[@mikesmith8278]

Not really need today with GPS and if that stupid cannot use then hold head under water for 10 minutes will fix problem.

[@arenalife]

Costa Concordia had every nav aid and radar gadget imaginable and they just drove it onto rocks, can't fix stupid

[@deborahelliott833]

it lights out 45 miles on a flat earth. no way can you see straight out 45 miles on a ball earth

[@garymingy8671]

Every 6 feet you climb up the mast you can see 17 miles more , it's a thing , the real issue is clouds ,fog h20 , live at sea for a year , the ocean is weird.stay alive .!

[@mattrussell250]

Don't have kids.

[@furious32ninja]

Oh dear, everything was going well until a Flatard appeared! Shakes head and walks away!