"Never for me the lowered banner, never the last endeavour"
Sir Ernest Shackleton
Stamps released during 2005
LEFT: 'The Major' by the James Caird in Dulwich College, London
Click to enlarge thumbnails
RIGHT: 'Orde Lees not pictured...': the crew, Messrs. Parkinson (is that a Burberry jacket ?), Stansbie, Lawrence & Peters
2 images captured by CJD at Dulwich College on Saturday the 10th of February 2001. This was at the excellent exhibition on Shackleton and the boat journey in the James Caird. The group were sadly depleted shortly after this picture was taken: Dixon failed to bring all his men home safely unlike Sir Ernest. A well-planned taxi ride from Dulwich across to the Docklands Light Railway terminal took the group to Greenwich for lunch below the rigging of the 'Cutty Sark' and onwards to the National Maritime Museum for the 'South' exhibition: rather too much on Scott but there you go, before toasting Sir Ernest with single malt and heading back to the Fens. And to prove it's a small world, my wife's dental hygienist is a relative of Scottish Geologist (turned glaciologist) James Wordie, who travelled on the James Caird to Elephant Island, and was then left to wait for Shackleton to complete his epic journey. Mr. Stansbie and Mrs. Lawrence have both now departed for the Antipodes, maybe they'll make it to New Zealand and the ports of departure. Mr. Stansbie has made it to the Mawson museum, and also bathed in the Southern Ocean (which he declared to be disappointingly mild...) Mrs. Lawrence has since returned... Thanks to Mr. B Davis for his postcard of Scott's hut, and Mrs. Lawrence for her postcards of Shackleton's hut, which now adorn the KES SHACKLETON SOCIETY notice board, along with a number of yellowing newspaper clippings (and now has the Pie Society images as a neighbour...)
As reading, Mr. Peters recommended the Roland Huntford biography. Mr. P recommended 'South': the definitive illustrated account of Shackleton, and 'The Endurance' by Caroline Alexander. Mr. Stansbie was very taken with the account of the open boat journey by Worsley (real 'Boy's Own' stuff apparently). And of course, everyone should read Caroline Alexander's 'Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition' about the courageous ship's cat.
There's a Royal Naval Research vessel named after Sir Ernest which had some interesting online diaries by crew members. This can be accessed through the BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY site.
Also a site called SOUTH POLE, which has good images.
For further information, you could also contact the JAMES CAIRD SOCIETY, which has annual membership for £15. There is a comprehensive selection of Shackleton links from here, including the FAMILY GENEALOGY site which has a great reading list. Books are coming out all the time.
Try the Michael Smith book on Tom Crean: Antarctic Survivor, which is excellent reading.
The new NOVA film has been released. This site has some excellent images, and links to some classroom resources. It's also worth spending 15 minutes or so downloading the trailer to get a taster of the marvellous images in store for those who see the IMAX film.
To help you appreciate the conditions in Antarctica, there's a tremendous REAL TIME WEATHER DATA site here.
A survey featured in the Daily Mail on 29/12/01 had Shackleton in the list of 100 Great Britons, but no place there for Scott.
Here's a picture of the South Pole Inn in Annascaul on the Dingle Peninsula, co. Kerry in the Republic of Ireland, which Tom Crean (1877-1938) retired to once he had finished his Antarctic campaigns... Picture taken by a friend of Mister P. Click to enlarge thumbnail.
Update August 2003: Mister P is now the proud owner of a South Pole Inn polo shirt thanks to the same friends. It's green....
Most recent contact from Mr. Stansbie (July 2003) was from the shores of the Southern Ocean, having visited the Douglas Mawson museum. Keep up the good work Mister S ! What have you been up to recently ? Oh, actually as of March 2006 he has a child!
New JAMES CAIRD page now open. Many thanks to Val Vannet for the imagery...
Also in CAMBRIDGE from May to November 2004 was an exhibition called Shackleton: the Hidden Collections. Admission was FREE (my favourite price) A good shop too, and purchases go towards raising £2000 for a wind generator for indigenous people in Arctic Finland.
The Shackleton Society sent an advance party to lay a depot at this exhibition on the 5th of August.
Exhibition website is HERE.
Mr. P and Mr. Dixon made it to the SPRI. Mr. Peters was waylaid by a rogue train and missed the rendezvous point. The exhibition featured:
A memory map drawn by Worsley after crossing South Georgia
Worsley's diary from aboard the James Caird.
A letter from '3 sporty girls' asking to be able to go on Shackleton's expedition
Blackborrow's journal from Elephant Island
Shackleton's diary with his last entry, and Frank Wild's entry in the log of the Quest reporting Sir Ernest's death, with a pencilled black border round it
Plus lots of other interesting memorabilia and exhibits...
SOUTH GEORGIA
Shackleton and the crew of the James Caird's destination when they left Elephant Island was this remote island with its whaling station.
Recently, great steps have been taken to update and extend the reach of the SOUTH GEORGIA website.
http://www.sgisland.org/pages/sghome.htm - the best website on the island, and promises useful environmental resources - there's an excellent illustrated newsletter
http://www.btinternet.com/~sa_sa/south_georgia/south_georgia.html - useful page, with FLASH map