Thank you all so much for your replies to my e-mail. I must admit I was surprised to find so many when I logged on - you are all very kind!
I don't think I am probably as learned as the rest of you with regards to all things "light". My interest probably stems from trips to Ireland taken several times a year from when I was very young. (My mum is Irish so we were backwards and forwards across the Irish sea regularly!)
The Skerries light house off Anglesea would herald the start of the "adventure" for me each trip. I loved that first glance of it as we sailed west.
I am equally fascinated by lightvessels which were plentiful in the English channel for many years. Like all our Lighthouses sadly they are now fully automated, however i still enjoy listening to their Weather reports which are given regularly on BBC Radio 4 during our "shipping forecast" I don't know whether you have anything quite like that in the US. It is quite a tradition in our house to listen to the late night shipping bulletin. This provides details of weather, sea conditions, visibilty etc from all the sea areas around the British coastline and stretching as far as North east Iceland, Scandanavia,Biscay and Trafalgar.
There is a wonderful British artist named Peter Collyer who has painted all these sea areas in a book called "Rain later, Good" and his understanding and sympathetic illustration of the sea areas (and some truly gorgeous lighthouses)is a joy to behold.
As fas as collecting models, I don't think my little collection would be quite as "grand" as most of yours. I tend to buy all types of bits and pieces -probably some are more expensive than others but on the whole they are quite cheap and cheerful. I live about 40 minutes drive to the Norfolk coast and maybe an hour out to the Suffolk coast. There are quite a few little places to pick things up but I am sure if i really started looking I could search for pieces that are "special". Todd, you mentioned that you loved Fastnet Rock -I travelled to west Cork and down to Mizen head to view the Weather station. From the mIzen Peninsula you could see Fastnet - it truly is amazing.
Another good one is the Needles off the Isle of Wight and also there is a stunning view of the Light at Beachy Head in Sussex worth seeing. The only thing is that it is a terrible spot for suicides so in the wrong weather it can be a bit depressing!!
Can I just say before I close this message that what a coincidence!!! Nana who left a reply to my last, comes from Brandon in Florida -and I live in Brandon, Suffolk!So HELLO from one Brandon to another.
Anyway, thanks again to all who left messages and look forward to more "LIght chat" soon.

Take care, and May your God go with you.


Fiona.