The beloved “Duck street Store” received a makeover! The old 2 story building in days gone by housed several pilchard tanks, fishing gear and a net loft. The building is owned by Cornwall council and leased to the “Solomon Browne Memorial Hall Association”.  The SBMHA secured grants to convert the building into a community centre with heritage areas and continued space for the Mousehole Lights to maintain and build new light displays. The project concluded in 2016 with a spectacular village community centre known as the “Solomon Browne Memorial Hall”, after the Penlee lifeboat tragically lost in December 1981.

Mousehole Lights secured an undertaking that they will have a long term  lease at favourable rent for the major part of the ground floor of the hall, to be used exclusively by them for workshop and storage facilities.

Mousehole Lights has very close ties with the ill-fated Penlee Lifeboat, the 'Solomon Browne'. Several of the lost crew were helpers on the lights. Their families were and still are supporters, collecting and helping to raise funds. Some of the lost crews’ children went on to become Mousehole Lights volunteers. Particular mention must go to John Blewett, a telephone engineer by day and a 'Lights' Electrician during his time off. In the 1970’s the 'Lights' received great support from the Landlord of the Ship Inn, Charlie Greenhaugh. To honour the support that he gave the lights, he was the “Switch-on VIP” on Friday 18th December 1981. The following night Charlie was amongst the crew of the Solomon Browne and lost.  

Following the disaster, the Mousehole Lights committee turned the lights off. The outcry from the village was huge, requesting that they were switched back on for the children. Following direct requests from some of the families, on Christmas Eve the lights were turned back on and have proudly shone out over the Festive period ever since! As a mark of respect for our volunteer helpers lost and all of the crew, we “Dim” the lights on the 19th December every year between the hours of 8pm and 9pm, the time the lifeboat was launched.
 
With help from the community and the Solomon Browne Memorial Hall Association, they will continue to provide lights well into the future for generations to come.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The official opening of the Store by Councillor Roger Harding on  Sat 19th November 2016 and the New Store