Maritime charity sheds light on skills training

Blyth Tall Ship welcomed members of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers from across the UK for a behind-the-scenes tour of the organisation's busy workshops - where traditional skills and craftsmanship are kept alive for future generations. Working with hands on traditional skills, boats and experienced craftsmen Blyth Tall Ship aims to provide a range of skills training through a variety off experiences, including one-day curriculum benchmarked school visits, sailing skills and foundation learning in engineering skills at NVQ level through heritage boat building. Blyth Tall Ship chief executive, CEO Siobhan Sargeant, said: "We were thrilled to host such a passionate and knowledgeable group of people and it was a pleasure to share our work and celebrate the deep-rooted connections within our maritime community." The tour of the workshops, at South Harbour, Blyth, included a talk on boat building techniques and traditions that shape the vessels of today and tomorrow. Ms Sargeant added: "To round off the visit, the Blyth Tall Ship Shanty Singers sent our guests on their way in true seafaring style, performing a rousing song that perfectly captured the spirit of the day. "We look forward to welcoming the group back again soon and hopes to see many of them return to sail aboard the Tall Ship during the upcoming season." Blyth Tall Ship has also announced a range of sailing experiences available to both public and corporate customers, including one-day taster courses, overnight sails and three-day voyages. For details, go to www.blythtallship.co.uk/sailing-season