It was a busy celebratory week for members of the National Coastwatch Station at Nare Point. At the beginning of last week, at the stations' annual general meeting held at Wheal Dream, Helston, 75 years of combined voluntary service was recognised.

Suzanne Allin of the Falmouth RNLI Water Safety Team presented the service certificates and badges. Three watchkeepers, Gillian Richardson and Cliff and Virginia Malcolm, who began shortly after the station opened in 2007, received their 15-year awards. The station now has five service award holders who were there at the establishment of the station or very soon after.

The week ended with the formal opening of the new information and training room by John Strike, whose family has been involved in the Coastguard Service for a combined period of 200 years.

John Strike opening the new information and training room at NCI Nare Point (Image: Alan Braybrook)

A talk by John to the Porthleven Christadelphians in the Autumn and the auction of photographs contributed to the funds raised to replace a window, lower the ceiling improve lighting, and install storage cupboards.

Watchkeepers undertook the decoration and mounting of display panels. Funding to transform the space was generously provided by the Porthleven Christadelphians, the Five Pilchards at Porthallow, The Helford Passage Car Park Trust, Cornwall Community Chest, and two individuals.

After three years of closure, the station opened to the public on May 1st. The new room provides information about the National Coastwatch, the station, coastal and water safety, and wildlife. It is anticipated that the room will also be used by walkers during inclement weather for a sheltered lunch stop. Visitors to the station have in the past provided a valuable source of income to run the station

The station is located on the south side of the Helford entrance and the 68 qualified watchkeepers and trainees keep watch on those on the water in Falmouth Bay and the Helford entrance and also walkers the South West Coast Path.

The ex MOD torpedo tracking station is leased from the National Trust and over the years has been significantly refurbished and equipped with the help of generous sponsors and fundraising activities by the watchkeepers themselves.

The station is one of the busier ones around the coast of Cornwall recording around 20,000 vessel movements per year and alerting the Coastguard or assisting them, with 16 -18 incidents a year.

In addition to keeping a look out the station provided current weather information 24/7 on the station's website, and provides a broadcast of current weather and sea conditions at 10.40, 13.40, and 16.40 on VHF Channel 65.

Vessels can also call the station for radio and AIS checks or to request local information on Channel 65 which is dedicated for the use of the 59 stations around the coast of England and Wales.