13th December 2014
Queens College, Cambridge
A few months ago I was invited to lunch at the Athenaeum Club, and a very fine lunch it was too! Not only was I fed halibut but I was also asked if I would like to be a member of the Arctic Club. I have to confess that although I had heard of the Athenaeum Club I hadn’t heard about the Arctic Club. I soon realised that it is a huge honour to be invited to be a member so I was very chuffed to find that my application had been passed by the committee and I am now a member. The Club is a gathering of people who have a keen interest in the Arctic and who have led or been members of at least two Arctic Expeditions. They provide funding for worthy expeditions via their own Arctic Club award or through the Gino Watkins Award. I have already been able to help provide some slightly dated advice to a couple from Imperial College hoping to sail to Svalbard. I have threatened them with the punishment of watching my slides from my trip there a good few years ago. I suppose that is where Clubs like this can be so helpful as amongst all the members there will be someone who has been there or done that. Every year the club holds a special dinner. This year it was at the Old Hall at Queens College, Cambridge. It is a chance to meet other members and discuss any plans for future trips. It is also a chance to eat fantastic food in a very wonderful hall. In the morning after the dinner we all gathered at the Scott Polar Research Institute for coffee and to hear a presentation from Olly Sanders who was awarded funding from the Arctic Club. He gave a brilliant and very entertaining talk about his kayaking adventure around Cape Farewell. It was very inspiring and I am very tempted to travel to North Wales and learn how to do it from his company www.rockandseaadventures.co.uk. I took a couple of photos with me which I found tucked into a book at Arthur Beale’s. The book has invoices signed by Shackleton plus a picture of Quest. The challenge is to identify the two chaps with the dogs. Answers below please! We left some photo copies with the Scott Polar Research Institute so they are on the case too.
Press Release!
The Scott Polar Research Institute have come up trumps! They actually have the film negatives and copies of the photos can be bought online from their website. They all originate from the British Arctic Route Expedition 1930 – 1931. The two chaps are Quentin Riley holding the pipe and J M Scott smoking a cigarette and putting on gloves. They were setting setting off to relieve Courtauld. The photo was by Henry Cozens and it was taken in Greenland. Arthur Beale supplied the expedition with Arctic Club Rope.
The other picture of Quest shows her unloading at Base Fjord on the same expedition.
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