A promotional film produced for The National Trust about Souter Lighthouse at Lizard Point near the village of Whitburn in Tyne and Wear. Acclaimed regional broadcaster Eric Robson narrates the story of the lighthouse and its keepers from its inception in the 1870s through to its passing into the hands of The National Trust in 1988. The film also highlights some of the technological innovations that were used in the operation of the lighthouse that have protecting seafarers for more than 117...

A promotional film produced for The National Trust about Souter Lighthouse at Lizard Point near the village of Whitburn in Tyne and Wear. Acclaimed regional broadcaster Eric Robson narrates the story of the lighthouse and its keepers from its inception in the 1870s through to its passing into the hands of The National Trust in 1988. The film also highlights some of the technological innovations that were used in the operation of the lighthouse that have protecting seafarers for more than 117 years. Title: Souter Lighthouse Aerial view of Easington Colliery along the County Durham coastline changes to black and white archive footage of colliers and other ships sailing along a coastline. A map showing the coastline around Whitburn highlighting both Lizard Point Lighthouse and Souter Point changes to a document produced by the South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade of services to wrecks off the local coastline during the mid-19th century. At night the bright red light of Souter Lighthouse beaming out to sea changes to an aerial of the lighthouse during the day near the village of Whitburn in Tyne & Wear. From the ground the camera pans down the tower of the lighthouse followed by views surrounding keepers' houses In the lantern house of the current light turns on a wide-base turntable. Below electrical generating equipment is looked over by a warden, around him historic equipment once used to power the lighthouse. The warden looks over an engine that produced alternating electric current, the first in the world. A bank of batteries for use in case of emergencies, a sign reads 'No Smoking or Naked Lights'. Outside at night the light from the lighthouse beaming out to sea changes back to daytime and the lantern turning on its turntable, beneath the light the electrical drive mechanism which moves the turntable. The landward light uses prisms to beam its light out to sea from a window twenty feet below the main light warning of dangerous rocks in Sunderland Bay. The light turns red to indicate to ships that they are heading toward danger. In front and separate from the lighthouse a building on the roof of which the two large foghorns, its siren blasting out into the sea. Inside a hand turns on an electrical compressor that produces the foghorn sound, nearby a dial gives a pressure measurement as the machine is in operation producing the sound. A sequence from a black and white archive film about lighthouses and their keepers begins with large waves crashing onto remote lighthouse in a storm. In the lantern room a keeper cleans the lens, a colleague appears, and they chat while looking down on the stormy seas below. One of the keepers carrying an oil lamp heads to bed, the other looks over some instruments and pressure gauges. In the lantern room a third keeper lights an old paraffin lamp while his colleague sleeps in a bed below. The film fades back to colour as a current warden climbs the steps into the lantern room of Souter Lighthouse. He cranks a handle which makes the turntable move. At the foot of the tower a tube of weights used in the operation of the turntable. Images of Grace Darling and her father rescuing seafarers off the coast of the Farne Islands changes to an old black and white photograph of three of Souter Lighthouse's keepers. A second photograph shows the pit village of Marsden built around to the lighthouse and a third of a group of nine coal miners each holding a Davy Lamp. From atop the lighthouse the grassy field below where once the village stood. At night the light from Souter Lighthouse beaming out to sea, inside a radio beacon in operation. During daytime on the beach below the lighthouse natural magnesium limestone arches and sea stacks including that of Marsden Rock. Nesting in the cliffs a colony of kittiwakes while on the rock itself nests cormorants. Back atop the lighthouse views of the surrounding area and foghorn building below. Aerial and general views of the restored lighthouse followed by the light once again beaming out to sea at night. Title: The National Trust End credit: Quay Productions