Latest News
Professor Nick Owens - new position
You will be pleased to read the following announcement by SAHFOS today concerning the appointment of Nick Owens as their Director.
NEW DIRECTOR OF THE SIR ALISTER HARDY FOUNDATION FOR OCEAN SCIENCE
The President and Council of the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS) are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Nicholas Owens as Director of the Foundation with effect from the 1st August. During a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in the field of marine science Professor Owens has served as the Director of British Antarctic Survey, the Chief Executive and Director of Science, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Chair of Marine Sciences, University of Newcastle and has played a leading role on many national and international committees including the National Marine Aquarium, the European Polar Board, the NATO Earth and Environmental Sciences Panel, the Royal Society Committee on Antarctic Research, the Scientific Steering Committee of the IGBP International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (IGAC).
Professor Owens said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join SAHFOS as its Director. I am especially interested in the highly successful and long-running Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey (CPR), which is unique in its approach to a globally important area of marine environmental research. Since 1931 the merchant shipping sector has voluntarily towed sampling devices behind their vessels, collecting and preserving samples of marine plankton as the ships make their normal passage between ports. This Survey has provided unique data about the health of the oceans, climate change and the effects of fishing. To be able to lead SAHFOS at a time of critical importance for our oceans is an exciting prospect, and one with global relevance. As an independent research institute of long and highly recognised standing, I am looking forward immensely to the challenge.”
Professor Peter Liss CBE FRS, President of SAHFOS, added: “It is with great pleasure that I welcome Professor Nick Owens as the new Director of SAHFOS. He has had a distinguished career in the marine sciences both as a researcher and as Director of two world-class research institutes. His wealth of experience in leading scientific research will be of great benefit to our ongoing work. We are all looking forward to him joining us this summer.”
2012 Reunion
If you have not already booked your place at this years AGM and dinner do so now without delay. Accommodation is still available but becoming limited. The Application form is is the Members Section
Petra Searle, Organiser, 2012 BAS Club Bash!
Cutty Sark
New BAS Club member Ty Hurley has taken the trouble to send the Club information on the world famous and newly renovated ship “Cutty Sark”. We thought it fitting to share this with the members. He recently returned to Greenwich London where he was born and visited the ship and exhibition. Despite very poor weather he took some great grips, two of which are shown here. He also had one of them published in the local Cambridge newspaper.
The Cutty Sark is a clipper ship. Built in 1869 for the Jock Willis shipping line, she was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest, coming at the end of a long period of design development which halted as sailing ships gave way to steam propulsion.
On the morning of 21 May 2007, the Cutty Sark, which had been closed and partly dismantled for conservation work, caught fire, and burned for several hours before the London Fire Brigade could bring the fire under control. Initial reports indicated that the damage was extensive, with most of the wooden structure in the centre having been lost. Richard Doughty, the chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, revealed that at least half of the “fabric” (timbers, etc.) of the ship had not been on site as it had been removed during the preservation work. Doughty stated that the trust was most worried about the state of iron framework to which the fabric was attached. He did not know how much more the ship would cost to restore, but estimated it at an additional £5–10 million, bringing the total cost of the ship’s restoration to £30–35 million. The clipper’s, actual overall restoration price was at a cost of more than £50m, is now elevated so visitors can see it from underneath as well as climb aboard. The Queen has officially reopened the Cutty Sark in Greenwich five years after it was ravaged by fire on Thursday 26th April 2012.
Well worth a vist!
Update on Oral Heritage supported by BAS Club
Chris Eldon Lee is off to the West Country for several days recording for UKAHT covering:
- Ken Powell (1953, 1954 Hope Bay and first season at Halley Bay)
- Mike Richardson (1971, 1972 Signy and many years as the Bas contact in the F.O.)
- John Collings (1961 Hope bay, 1967 Stonington, 1968 Adelaide and many years in Stanley!)
- Brian Gilpin (1955 Deception plus a season in Stanley)
- Clive Pearson (1958, 1959 Argentine Islands. took over from Gerry Cutland!)
- Denis Wilkins (1969 Halley Bay)
Also in early June we are sending Chris to Yorkshire for another 6 interviews and he will again be doing interviews over the AGM weekend in Cambridge in July.
We have also now got links with the Stanley Museum, Falkland Islands (Via Adrian Almond) who hope to do some recording there in the future if they can get funding. We have now linked up with Australia with a couple of volunteer interviewers. They have already done a couple of interviews including Malcolm Evans (MO Horseshoe 56) with several more in the pipeline!
If you want more info on the British Antarctic Oral Heritage Project contact Allan directly allan.wearden@btinternet.com
Z60 celebrations
To recognise the 60th year of establishing Halley Base, planning has commenced to hold a weekend of events in October 2016. It is anticipated that the venue will be The Park Inn, Northampton, UK. This is the same hotel that hosted the very successful Z50 celebrations. The organising Committee are seeking interest from Club members and FIDs to provide help with organising and at the venue.
If you want to get involved or join the working group please respond to Tony “Winkers” Wincott 07702 055601 or email tony.wincott@btinternet.com. Your input will be much appreciated!
Further update info will be posted on the Club web site at regular intervals
An invitation to join The James Caird Society
The James Caird Society was established in 1994 and is dedicated to preserving the memory and honour of Sir Ernest H Shackleton KCVO (1874–1922). It is the based at Dulwich College, London — the explorer’s old school.
The Society is a registered charity and its President is the Hon Alexandra Shackleton, granddaughter of Ernest Shackleton.
The (restored) famous lifeboat ‘James Caird’ is on permanent display in the North Aisle of the College and in May and November each year a dinner-lecture is held where members gather around the ‘Caird’.
A regular Newsletter is circulated and every 18 months the JCS ‘Journal’ (a quality and highly regarded academic publication) is produced. See www.jamescairdsociety.com (follow the link to Publications).
The Society is thriving (there are in excess of 550 members worldwide) and attracts the attention of polar professionals and enthusiasts alike.
The Committee welcomes new members — please see the James Caird Society website for more information.
Scott Commemoration Ceremony
March 29th saw some 30 FIDS and partners at St Paul’s Cathedral representing the Club. The occasion was the Commemoration Service for Captain R. F. Scott and his colleagues — the 29th is the poignant date of Scott’s last diary entry
The ceremony was full of much pageant and pomp with HRH the Princess Royal in attendance as well as a sprinkling of Sea Lords, admirals, the Archbishop of London and the ever present politicians from all parties. It was a privilege to be present. Some of us had a guard of honour into the Cathedral too as the assembled masses meant we had to use the dignitary’s entrance!!
As with most FID do’s we retired (gracefully) to the comfort of the Balls Brothers Carey Lane restaurant for lunch. A superb meal was enjoyed for a very reasonable price with much banter accompanying same. Not to mention we did our fair share to dent the Balls Brothers’s wine cellar
Following the lunch the majority went to witness HM band of the Royal marines “Beat the Retreat” at Scott’s statue near the Mall. Coupled with the splendid weather it rounded off very nicely a memorable and enjoyable day
Recollections by a record breaking FID!
An update from Felicity Aston:
On the 24th November 2011 I found myself on the Ross Ice Shelf waving goodbye to a plane already tiny in the sky — and to the last people I would see for a long time. On one side of me I had an incredible view of the Transantarctic Mountains, a solid wall of rock stretching from one horizon to the other, and on my opposite side I had a vast, empty expanse of ice that extended all the way to the sea. In that entire, magnificent landscape I was the only speck of life. I have never been so alone and — despite more than 10 years experience of travelling in the Polar Regions — the loneliness hit me hard.
Ahead of me I had a 1744km (1084 mile) ski journey across Antarctica that would take me the next 59-days to complete. Every night I would set up my little two-man tent on the ice and it eventually became my precious home — but that first night on the Ross Ice Shelf, it felt very lonely without any tent mates to share it with. Over time I found company in my surroundings to combat the loneliness — first it was my shadow that would ski alongside me for most of the day as the sun endlessly circled above me in the sky, but later it was the sun itself that became my companion. I would have conversations in my head with the sun as I skied — and the sun would talk back!
As I climbed through the Transantarctic Mountains to a height of more than 3500m, the temperatures plummeted and the bad weather was disappointingly relentless. Often the world around me disappeared into a featureless white haze for days at a time. However, no matter how difficult the weather I never once lost sight of the drama and incredible beauty of this wonderful continent or forgot just how lucky I was to experience it and to feel as if I had the whole place to myself.
When I arrived at the South Pole the weather was so bad that I could barely see it — but after taking a day to rest and reload my two sledges with new supplies I left to head for the opposite coast. Some 29 days later I was skiing through bad weather when the clouds parted a little and I noticed some dark blobs on the horizon. I stopped in my ski tracks and burst into tears because I realised that I was looking at the Ellsworth Mountains and at the end of my journey. Three days later I arrived at the coast of Antarctica having skied across the entire continent — I still can’t quite believe it.
BAS Club Annual General Meeting minutes
Minutes from the 2011 AGM are now available in the Members Section.
BAS Club 37th Annual General Meeting and Reunion Dinner
The 37th Annual General Meeting and Reunion Dinner will take place at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge on Saturday 7th July 2012. A booking form with further information is available in the Members Section.
Captain Lawrence Oates Exhibition
A new exhibition celebrating the life of Captain Lawrence Oates opens 10 March 2012 at Gilbert White’s House & Garden
For more information, view the Captain Lawrence Oates Exhibition poster, or visit the Gilbert White’s House & Garden website
Ex FID Enters the record books!
Felicity Aston, Ex FID and BAS Club member, has just walked 1744 kms across the Antarctic from the Ross Ice Shelf to the Ronne Ice Shelf at the most southerly end of the Wedell Sea. She accomplished this feat in 59 days starting on 25 November. She is the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone and the first British woman to traverse Antarctica. Felicity also holds the world record for the longest solo journey made by a woman in the polar regions.
You can recognise Felicity’s achievement and support her fundraising for the British Antarctic Monument Trust (Charity reg 1123064) by donating to her appeal at Felicity-Aston at JustGiving. At the time of writing she has raised in excess of £2400 from donations. She can be contacted on felicityaston@yahoo.co.uk
Felicity has responded to the BAS Club as follows
“I have had several brilliant messages from ex-FIDs, particularly from those who had experience of the areas I passed through, and those messages are especially appreciated — to be able to connect with those that went before is really special. My journey was a lot more comfortable than some of the experiences of early FIDs, so to earn their respect is something I am proud of. It’s wonderful to feel that I had their support.
“I would really like to thank all those BAS Club members that supported and followed my journey — it was really appreciated.”
Fuchs Medal Award 2011 / Nominations for 2012
Nominations for the Fuchs Medal 2011 closed on 15th September 2011 and will now be considered by the Awards Committee.
The Fuchs Medal Awards Committee invites nominations for the 2012 award
BAS club on Facebook
BAS club has recently joined Facebook, and set up a page which links to News, Information, photographs etc and it is hoped that Club members (and prospective new members) will ‘Like’ the page and start to use it.
Visit the BAS Club Facebook page
Secrets of Antarctica — a DVD from BAS
There are four TV programmes on the DVD containing programmes screened screened on BBC World. The first programme is focused on Operation Tabarin. The second on the clean-up of abandoned bases. The third on BAS Science today. The fourth programme is a film made by Angus Erskine in 1957 of the skills needed for field travel with dogs.
The DVD is available from the Information Office at BAS, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET. Cost is £12.50 with 0.75p extra for postage and packing. There is a special price for BAS Club Members. Contact BAS Information Office.
Topographical Survey and Mapping of BAT: 1944–1986
Copies of this book on the history of BAT/FID surveys by M B McHugo is available through the British Antarctic Survey. The book is priced at £30. Please note that postage is £3.10 for UK delivery; £4.44 for European delivery; £7.40 for delivery to the rest of the world. Cheques should be made payable to NERC. You may print the flyer if you wish for a hard copy.
The Silent Sound: Cliff Pearce’s Book about the first years at Fossil Bluff
The Silent Sound: The Story of Two Years in Antarctica and the First Winter Occupation of Alexander Island by Cliff Pearce
According to the publisher’s promotional material, this an enthralling adventure in mysterious land of snow and isolation. The Silent Sound is Cliff Pearce’s wonderful account of the time he spent on British bases in Antarctica forty years ago when facilities for scientists were even more primitive, and conditions more dangerous than they are today. Nonchalantly amusing, Pearce’s excitement and sense of privilege at being in Antarctica shine through in breathtaking descriptions of the glacial landscape. Cliff Pearce is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Antarctic and British Antarctic Survey Clubs. An Antarctic mountain, Pearce Dome, was named for him.