Dave’s looking forward to the festival
Our photo, taken around 1969, shows a young Davy Gray (centre) with (from left to right) two unknown people, the lighthouse keeper, name unknown, and his grandson, name unknown.
Can any of our readers put names to the faces?
One local business that is looking forward to the Festival, from 18 May to 1 June, is Puffin Cruises.
Dave Gray and his father Davy regularly take visitors round Coquet Island to see the puffins, as well as the other seabirds, rare roseate terns, seals and other wildlife.
Although they are licensed to land on the island, the only boat company allowed to do so, visitors cannot land as the birds are protected.
Dave is looking forward to the Festival and the extra business it may bring, but says it’s difficult to know just how many people will come.
“I’m sure it will be good for us,” he told The Ambler. “If it’s really busy we will work at low tide as well. Hopefully it will be good for the town and the surrounding area too.
“It all depends on the weather and particularly the state of the sea. We’ll be doing the usual trip round Coquet, including the far side. We’ve got two boats now, one of which is an ex lifeboat.”
The first puffin was seen on the island in 1956, he told us. “My dad used to go over there to catch winkles. He started Puffin cruises in 1969 – it was 2s 6d for adults and 1s 3d for the children,” he recalled.
