s a lighthouse keeper working for Trinity House Lighthouse Service, Barry G. Hawkins had much opportunity over the years of his time at sea to study and develop his painting. Apart from the Art and Sculpture training he received at Filton High School, Bristol, UK where he showed his talent early by winning his first competition at the age of 11 he is an entirely self-taught artist.

His principal duties as a lighthouse keeper meant that he worked 28 days on then 28 days off unless, as the automation program of all the lighthouses took effect, he was transferred from a permanent posting to the Pool of lighthousekeepers who were used to fill in for sickness or vacant positions elsewhere within the Lighthouse Service, until finally the automation of the lighthouses made redundancy inevitable.

His first 18 months service was spent as a Supernummary Keeper on the Swansea West Coast District and postings varied from a week to sometimes 5 weeks, on various lighthouses from Hartland Point, in Nth. Devon to St.Bees in Cumbria. For each of these temporary visits Barry would jump on his trusty MZ Supa 5, 250cc motorcycle, load up with his painting equipment, uniform and other personal effects then set off from his home in Cardiganshire for the lighthouse in question. The first he was sent to was Strumble Head Lighthouse near Fishguard, W.Wales where he turned up in a howling gale, rain and the wailing noise of the wind in the overhead crane wires. Subsequently he was posted permanently to the notorious Wolf Rock Lighthouse 8miles S.West of Lands End, Cornwall, then to the Skerries Light off Holyhead, Angelsey, Nth.Wales. A brief sojourn was enjoyed at Europa Point Lighthouse, Gibraltar for 3 months then a 5 year spell in the Pool before his final posting to St.Anne's Head Lt Ho, off the entrance to Milford Haven Sound, Pembs.

His last posting was to St.Anne's Head Lighthouse and it was from here that he was made redundant by Trinity House in May 1996, only to take up the position of Attendant for Blacknore Lighthouse near Avonmouth, Bristol 18 months later. He is still painting and illustrating, most recently First Day envelope designs for G.B. Covers of London. Over the years he has exhibited and sold mainly watercolours, pen & ink and pencil drawings of birds and lighthouses. He also paints canal landscapes from around Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire where he used to live. His many awards include two firsts from the Marine Society of London and he has exhibited and sold work across the country and in London at Trinity House, the Royal Society Of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries, King Georges Fund for Sailors Exhibitions, the General Trading Company, and Libertys of London. He is a member of the Clifton Arts Club in Bristol where he now lives with his wife and family.

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