For those in peril on the sea

For such plain-looking structures, lighthouses are a mass of contradictions. Simple, yet complex; romantic, yet solitary; historic, yet current. For it’s as clear as one of their beams that, far from having been rendered obsolete by advances in technology, they retain a critical role – symbolically and literally – in the seafaring life of this island nation.

There is something stirring about the image of a lighthouse keeper, working to ensure the beacon stays aflame in all conditions to protect those poor souls tossed about at sea. But this is an anachronism. All lighthouses are now electric. Indeed, it was