The Wave shines again in time for King's coronation
The popular Wave landmark is one of the first things residents and tourists see when they arrive at Whitehaven Harbour by land or sea. Broken since 2017, the Wave has sadly been dark for 6 years.
Now, thanks to a collaboration between Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and solution specialists Forth, the Wave is shining once again.
John Baker, CEO Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and Mark Telford, MD of Forth
It’s the latest revamp of Whitehaven Harbour’s landmark structures, which includes last year's renovation of the harbour's two lighthouses.
Whitehaven's town crier Marc Goodwin proclaims North Pier Lighthouse open
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners CEO John Baker said: “We’re thrilled to announce the relighting of the iconic Wave installation on Whitehaven Harbour.
"It’s been a long time coming, and we’re grateful for the hard work and collaboration of everyone involved in making this happen. We know this will bring immense joy to the people of Whitehaven who have been requesting its return for years.
The Forth team at work on the harbour
“Forth has shown great commitment and endeavour to the project and alongside our own team, headed up by project manager Trevor Prowse, they've gone to enormous lengths to get the Wave relit in time for the King's coronation weekend.
Trevor Prowse has been project managing the Wave restoration
"We must also say a special thank you to Gill Marsden, director of NIS Ltd and her team, including Hold Engineering, for donating their time, equipment and expertise to clean the Wave prior to the installation of the new lighting.
Gill Marsden of NIS Limited speaks to her team
“Relighting the harbour is key to attracting tourism, new events and new investment to Whitehaven. Along with renovation of the lighthouses, and new developments such as The Bus Station and The Edge coastal activities centre, it all helps to create a thriving hub around the harbour and something that we can all be proud of.”
Forth, based in Maryport, Cleator Moor, and Barrow-in-Furness, came up with an environmentally-friendly, resilient and cost-effective solution to light up the Wave brighter and better than ever before.
Forth’s solution features 400 metres of remotely-controlled high intensity LED lights, which cost significantly less to run than the previous lighting on the Wave.
The new LED light system that will light up the Wave
The business also used 3D printing technology to print 800 translucent brackets to allow maximum light through the silicon rubber casing while also being resilient to all weather conditions, including UV rays.
Mark Telford, managing director of Forth, said: “We are delighted to have worked in collaboration with Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners on this project.
“It’s just the type of challenge we love at Forth and we are delighted we have come up with a sustainable, cost-effective solution which will hopefully bring a lot of happiness to residents and visitors alike for years to come.
“By using the latest technology it will look far more dynamic and impressive than when it was last lit up, and will be far more resilient and environmentally friendly to power.
Image courtesy of Penny Watson
“As a Cumbrian company employing people across West Cumbria and Furness we are always delighted to be able to use our experience and expertise to help make our communities even better places to live, work and visit.
“Forth has been part of the fabric of the West Cumbria community for more than 20 years and working in partnership with Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners on a project as iconic as this is part of the legacy which comes from being able to build a successful business in the area.”
Forth collaborated with fellow engineering business NIS Ltd, which also donated its time, in the final preparations to install the lighting.
A "soft" switch on of the Wave was held on Friday 5th of May which was attended by representatives from Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, Forth and members of the local community.