Eleven years of dedicated service to NCI Porthdinllaen has come to an end for a couple on the Llyn.

The National Coastwatch Institution at NCI Porthdinllaen say they “recently had to accept that age had caught up with stalwart watchkeepers Ray and Brenda Waters, and their voluntary time on watch had come to an end”.

But they could not let the occasion go unnoticed, and on Wednesday, 11 February, several members of the team at NCI Porthdinllaen gathered to applaud them out of the watchtower for the final time.

“Surprised is an understatement as it wasn’t just the wind that blew them away,” an NCI Porthdinllaen spokesperson said.

The team further surprised them by escorting them into Nefyn Golf Club where a surprise gathering of colleagues past and present had congregated to wish them well and to present them with a certificate of appreciation, a card and few gifts bought following a team collection.

A small buffet had been laid on by Nefyn Golf Club, which gave Ray the opportunity to thank everyone for attending the surprise gathering, and to express his and Brenda’s disappointment at “abandoning” the team. But he said they had had a wonderful time on watch and hoped the new watchkeepers get as much satisfaction out of the experience as they had.

Although Ray and Brenda have completed their last watch, they have not completely abandoned NCI Porthdinllaen, as they put it, as they have now become NCI Veterans. This means they will be able to continue fundraising, attend functions and remain part of the team.

“NCI Porthdinllaen wish Ray and Brenda well for the future and look forward to reaping the benefits from their future fundraising efforts,” the spokesperson added.

“Thank you both for your dedicated service and it has been a pleasure working with you both.”