A guide giving a short talk to visitors at the Southcliff Lighthouse

Section 2. You will hear a guide giving a short talk to visitors at the Southcliff Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14. MAN: Good morning everyone, and welcome to Southcliff Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. My name's Peter, and I'll give you a little background before you explore. The lighthouse has stood guard on this headland for well over a century and a half. A lot of visitors assume it dates from eighteen forty-five, but in fact its light was first lit in eighteen fifty-four, and it went on guiding ships safely past the treacherous rocks for almost a hundred and fifty years. The tower itself is quite a climb, so do take your time, it stands thirty metres tall, and there are exactly one hundred and sixty steps to the very top. When the light was finally automated, the local council could no longer justify the cost of running the site, and so today the whole place is looked after by a local charity, staffed almost entirely by volunteers. MAN: A few practical points before you set off. Parking is free, though our own car park is small, so at busy times you may be waved on to the overflow field in the next lane. Our little café serves hot drinks and very good homemade cake, and it stays open right through until closing. Do note that we open six days a week, we're closed every Tuesday for maintenance, so don't make a special trip on a Tuesday. The last admission to the tower is at four o'clock, although the grounds themselves stay open a little later. Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20. MAN: When you climb the tower, one firm rule, please do not touch the lens. The original glass lens at the top is extraordinarily fragile and quite impossible to replace, so admire it with your eyes only. MAN: Now, what not to miss. If the weather's clear, many people expect the finest view of the coastline to be from the café terrace, but honestly the best view of all is from the balcony right at the very top of the tower, it more than repays the climb. Down in the museum, we've all manner of objects rescued from local shipwrecks. Visitors are always drawn to the great ship's wheel and the old brass diving suits, but the exhibit people remember most, and write to us about, is the original wooden rescue boat, which once saved more than two hundred lives in a single storm. MAN: A word of advice if you've young children. The clifftop path is beautiful, but its edges can be slippery and there's a sheer drop, so I'd urge families to keep well away from the cliff path. Happily, there's also a lovely level nature trail right around the headland, which is perfect for families with pushchairs. And finally, our gift shop, you might expect it to be full of local fudge and souvenirs, but in fact it specialises in books, everything from local history to sailing manuals, and every penny of profit goes back into maintaining the lighthouse. Right, the tower tour starts in ten minutes from the main entrance. Enjoy your visit. That is the end of Section 2. You now have some time to check your answers.