It was Fun While it Lasts; by A J Lane; Whittles Publishing, 1998; ISBN 1-870325; £13.95; CA 15380

At the back-end of 1998 Trinity House "un-manned" its last manned lighthouse - North Foreland. From now on we shall be sailing past empty, lifeless structures; lifeless that is, except for automation and remote control. A J Lane's book is therefore a timely insight into the days when there were lighthouse keepers.

It is worth the read but is a strange book. The author himself records on page 184 that others reported him as being "a ----ing nut". Read and discuss. Some might think that the author does himself little credit through his style, his comments on life and on others: " People always seemed to me to take up an awful lot of one's time, and mostly to little purpose". One might almost feel the same of this book. Nevertheless, there is reasonable amount of useful and some fascinating information about lighthouses and Trinity House. CA members are probably used to being trapped at strange clubhouse bars by "a ----ing nut" and have learned to enjoy the experience. -RJJ

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