We've decided to get to know some of our local business partners a bit better - and today we speak to Anthony O’Shaughnessy from the Rampion Visitor Centre...

What’s your role at the Rampion Centre, we imagine it must be quite varied?

I am a visitor centre guide; I am there to welcome our visitors, introduce them to the centre and answer any questions they may have about the centre, Rampion Wind Farm, climate change, renewable energy, lots and lots really! It is certainly varied in terms of our visitors and what happens just outside our visitor centre, the seafront attracts lots of characters. 

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What do you like most about what you do?

Engaging with our visitors and their questions. Answering questions about the wind farm, renewable energy and climate change is fun. I’m a big nerd and love talking about science, sometimes I can get a bit carried away, you may enter the centre curious about how our turbines work but leave with facts about conger eels or how Doggerland flooded 8000 years ago. You will also learn how our turbines work.

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How did you get into tourism and working with attractions?

I have nearly always worked within tourism. My first jobs were at Heathrow Airport, at university I got involved with the zoology museum. After leaving university I started volunteering at London Zoo, and started working for a museum in Berkshire. I left that museum to join the Science Museum in London. I’ve always loved museums and science centres; I think my enthusiasm for science makes me ideal to engage with visitors.

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What is the best thing about where you work?

I have never worked anywhere with a better view. Looking out of our visitor centre doors we can see the West Pier, the sea and Rampion on the horizon. 

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What is your average day like, or is it ever average?

We have not been open very long, but our average day is setting up and greeting our visitors. Due to Covid-19 restrictions we have prebooked slots for groups of up to six people and, we clean the whole centre between bookings. So, an average day involves lots of cleaning and lots of talking and explaining with our visitors.

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What is the biggest challenge or opportunity currently for you?

The biggest challenge for me is the same for most people currently, Covid-19. It has affected how we run the centre and has forced us to temporarily close. We are working on ways to engage our community virtually, but I cannot wait until it’s safe to open the centre again.

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What exciting future plans are there at the centre?

We are really hoping that when we are through the worst of Covid-19 and things are becoming more normal that we can open the centre as we always envisioned. Schools, community groups and families will be able to use the centre to its fullest potential.  

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What do you like most about Brighton?

This might make me sound strange. I’ve only lived down here for a year, but my favourite thing is to see gulls tapping their feet on the ground really fast. I’ve lived most of my life in London, and of course we have gulls, but I’ve only ever seen gulls do the foot tapping here and it fills me with joy every time I see it, I believe they do it to attract worms to the surface for a tasty treat.

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If anything at all, what would you like to be doing as an alternative career?

Zookeeper. I was a keeper volunteer at London Zoo for a while. It is hard work, but it is great.

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Apart from Brighton of course, where else would you most like to live?

I quite like the idea of living in a tower, like a wizard. Know anywhere where one could get an affordable wizard tower? If so, that is where I’d live.

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Thank you!