31st December 2019. The team at the National Coastwatch Institution station at Cromer look back at their eventful year of 2019

Station Manager Linda Lawrence recalls “Avid followers of NCI News will recall that in June we reported that Sir James Dyson, a Cromer lad, had kindly agreed to become our local patron and had generously made a significant donation to us to replace our weather-beaten and unsafe unit at Cromer. Early in September we took delivery of our new bespoke demountable building and we set about its fitting out helped by further donations from Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm Community Fund and Victory Housing Trust. By October we became operational and recruiting has also gone from strength-to-strength, such that we are now open seven days a week. Our watchkeepers, like most other NCI Stations, come from all walks of life. Former RN, RAF, Police and Fire personnel, a Nurse, a retired local fisherman and lifeboatman, a master mariner and a brace of teachers to name but a few and our latest recruit, the Mayor of Cromer and former RNLI Operations Manager.

We hope to entertain our benefactor, Sir James and Lady Deidre early in the New Year, when we will ask him to swing a champagne bottle against the bulkhead!”

The photograph shows the Cromer team gathering at Bernies, for their December team meeting, when coffee and mince pies were taken.