Rhoscolyn NCI – Rachel Darwazeh:
News from the Lookout July/August 2026
July and August have as usual been our busiest months: the long spell of warm weather attracting many visitors enjoying leisure activities on the sea.On 11th July the team and its supporters held a party to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the establishment of the station in Rhoscolyn village hall. Susan Hanbury, a former coastguard in the days when the lookout was a working coastguard station, gave a very interesting opening speech about the history of the station and her own and her family’s involvement with it. Former manager, John Wilson and manager Trevor Sturrock also gave short speeches. After that we enjoyed catching up with old friends and enjoying delicious food. Many thanks to Caro who organised the event and all those who helped her on the day. The event was attended by David Littlemore, the founder of the station and its first manager. The photo below is of some of the original founder members of the team.
The following week, the team held its AGM. Trevor Sturrock after six years of service, resigned as station manager, handing over the reins to our new manager, Geoff Kershaw. Geoff has had a varied career which included television production and hospitality amongst other occupations and, since joining the team, has shown enterprise and enthusiasm. Caro Wilson, a founder member of the team in 2011, also resigned as Deputy Station manager and fundraiser. Both Caro and Trev will continue to be watch keepers and Trev, of course, will now have more time for his role as sector manager for north wales and the north-west of England. Caro has handed over the reins of DSM to Rob Jackson.
Trev, as a proud Scotsman, was presented with leaving gifts of his favourite whisky, a whisky decanter and some pictures of the Lookout (see pic top right).
One of Geoff and Rob’s first jobs as SM and DSM was to create a display for the St Gwenfaen flower festival which was widely admired despite their modest protestations of the help they had received from their wives!
They subsequently attended RAF family day along with several other men from the team and had a first rate view of the display in the afternoon and were able to network with other SAR services
On Saturday 5th we had a ‘bucket’ collection in the foyer at Tesco, Holyhead. As usual the Tesco shoppers were very generous and a total of £468 was raised. Many thanks to Tesco for giving us one of their prime Saturday morning slots for charity fundraising, to the generosity of the people who donated and to Caro for organising the day and drawing up a rota of volunteers.
Lots happening with St Gwenfaen’s – from Warden Susan Hanbury:
Summer at St Gwenfaen’s: Busy was the word; five weddings, each one with glorious weather.
Somehow we managed a five-week emergency repair and painting of the entire church ceiling, completed just in time for the wonderful Flower festival at the end of July. We await a Faculty for repainting internal walls and anticipate increased costs as this will be a separate job from the ceiling issues.
The church is open for Cybi/Seiriol pilgrims and we’ve hosted two pilgrimages with refreshments at the hall. It is lovely to see that so many people have called by, newcomers and those with a special connection to the parish.
Church services have been varied and vibrant and we squeezed in one end of season coffee morning at the hall which has also been used for parties, a wedding reception, yoga, Gong bath and the annual Bank Holiday craft fair.
We continue to remember in our prayers, families who are newly bereaved or coping with poorly loved ones.
Flower Festival:
The major event at church at the end of July was the Peace Flower Festival with some lovely displays – here are some ofthem:
Message from from Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, First Minister of Wales, Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Môn, and Leader of Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales:
