by An Anglesey woman has gone out of her way to block plans to convert a much-loved village building into a holiday rental. Fundraiser Di Mills endured 24 hours on an uninhabited island off the coast of Anglesey, insisting she would turn down an offer of £10,000 to survive.
Shaking with experiences, Di shared all the details of her night in a video, describing strong winds, rain, and “dinosaur-like seagulls” on the deserted island. The yoga teacher from Rhosybol, carried out the daring act to raise money for Porth Llechog (Bull Bay) boathouse near Amlwch, the historic RNLI lifeboat house established in 1867.
The boathouse facilitated 41 rescues, saving 63 people but there is now a risk that it will be taken away from the community. In case it falls into the hands of property developers, campaigners must raise £80,000 to acquire the building. After initially putting it off, Di set foot on the East Mouse this week, a 1.5-acre rocky islet sparsely vegetated a few hundred meters away from Amlwch (Ynys Amlwch is the Welsh name), reports North Wales Live. To get the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter.
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“The sea was very rough and when I got to the island I did the cracks and fell in, so it wasn’t the best start,” she told BBC Wales. “It was a typical Bridget Jones entry on the rock.” Di, who also works as a school bus driver, was camping under an umbrella because the East Mouse is too rocky to pitch a tent.
A tent wouldn’t be much help anyway she said, “there’s only one flat bit on the rock where you can sit,” she said. It’s like slices all over the island, there’s nowhere comfortable to sit.”
Despite her lights being visible at night from Amlwch, Di was very much alone on the island apart from the screeching seagulls. The wind and rain made for a less comfortable night but the weather was far from the worst. “The island is indeed covered in poo,” she said. “The smell was incredible.”
After 24 hours on the rock, she returned to give a hero’s welcome. At Porth Llechog, members of the Ynys Mon Trireme Rowing Club formed a shore guard of honor and their oars. Waiting to greet her was the only person who knew exactly the misery that Di suffered.
Doreen Glennard, some 41 years ago, became the original Toir Luch activist when she spent 24 hours on the island collecting money for houseboat repairs. “Obviously this was before cell phones,” said Wendy Steele, a member of the boathouse’s appeals committee. “She was really alone, apart from the ship to shore radio that was given to her only for emergencies.”
A total of £100,000 is needed to buy and restore the old boathouse, and an anonymous donor has agreed to lend the money in advance. The sale could be completed later this month, after which campaigners will have a year to find the money to repay the loan.
A total of £100,000 is needed to buy and restore the old boathouse and an anonymous donor has agreed to loan the money up front. A sale can be completed later this month, after which campaigners will have a year to find the money to repay the loan.
Amlwch Town Council has already given £20,000 to the appeal to ensure it remains a community asset, leaving the appeal organizers to find the rest. They have been working on it for six months already. “We wanted to have a running start,” Wendy said.
“The concern is that the developers will come in to buy the houseboat, build it up and sell it as a holiday home at a huge profit for someone to stay there for just a few weeks every year. It is one of the last lifeboat houses on the island and has been part of the community for over 150 years, and we want to keep it that way. If we are successful, it will be the last building in Bulla Bay that is not privately owned.”
Over the past twenty years, the building has been set aside to store boats and provide equipment for the rowing club. Locals are keen to restore the structure to its original glory.
“It’s rendered, which is terrible,” Wendy said. “Most people in the village have never seen it inside but old photographs show the interior as wood paneling – it was very beautiful.
“It’s much bigger inside than it looks from the outside, so we’re aiming to establish it as a community hub. Everyone wants a cafe there but we also want to use the space for food fairs, craft events, Welsh classes and so on. We may even be able to put in a mezzanine level.”
More details about the appeal, and how to donate, can be found here. At a community meeting today (September 9), the proceeds of Di’s “Mermaid on the Mouse” stunt will be revealed. Would she do it again? “I’m glad I made it,” she said, “But if someone offered me £10,000 to do another night, I wouldn’t do it.”
