Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

interested in oil than in sheep. But he had ideas for changing farming methods:
skidoos for transport and metal 'wings' to prevent sheep from falling on their sides
and not being able to get up again (known as being 'cast'); it sounded very
implausible! In the afternoon I had a sticky meeting with the Rex Hunt, Dick Baker,
Bill Ethridge (Postmaster) and Lewis Clifton (Philatelic Bureau), a frank discussion of
philatelic problems which I needn’t go into. In general it was resolved in favour of
the BAS view. I wrote some postcards and gave them and a letter to Myriam to post.
The Governor gave a party at 6 o’clock which went on until 8.30 pm - Fids, also the
Cams and Ian Stuart (??) etc. We had dinner at 9 o’clock and afterwards watched the
Governor and Cam play snooker,
Next morning I had a 9 o’clock meeting with the Governor. We cleared up
Grytviken matters (as a result of earlier negotiations the FI Government was
reluctantly to pay BAS to undertake the administration there, w.e.f. 1 April), subject
to a telegram to Cambridge. At 10 o’clock I interviewed Angus Robertson for the
Postal Clerk position. At 11 o’clock I went to the Deanery to seek advice from Harry
Bagley, the vicar, on the memorial service for Rob Atkinson and John Anderson (who
had been killed in the crevasse accident at Rothera). He gave me a form of service
and I borrowed 20 hymn books. I went back to GH for a tête-a-tête lunch with the Rex
Hunt. (He let his hair down about problems - both re the Islands and domestic ones.
He would like Uganda as his next posting, but his wife would leave him, as she
would if he came back to the Falklands. Bermuda seemed to be the only other
possibility acceptable to her!). After lunch I visited the Grassland Trials Unit, which
had undergone a great improvement and seemed to be flourishing. They shared a
site with meteorology. I had a brief chat with Danny Borland (a friend from early
South Georgia days, now weather forecaster in Stanley - mainly for the FI air service).
I also spoke with the current Goose Officer, from Department of Applied Biology,
Cambridge. Down again for tea with Derek Bielby (BAS summer Dentist), at the
Upland Goose and a short further talk with Myriam before going out to the ship. I
found that a trip to Kidney Island was not possible. The Bransfield’s launchman,
Steve Smith, sought repatriation on compassionate grounds and I agreed after some
discussion. (His wife was young and her mother had just died so she needed
support).
So we set sail at 5.30 pm, after some further delay, passing Polish fishing vessels,
factory trawlers, in Port William. We watched a film "Airplane" - amusing but rather
sick humour in places. Next day was uneventful and the next, with improving
weather until we were nearing the South Orkneys, our first call, when fog clamped
down. We sighted the first icebergs and then two Russian trawlers twelve miles
north of the Inaccessible Islands, the N. Ostrovsky and the ESSW Grad.. One was
fishing a mid-water trawl, the other had a boom out on the starboard side and
appeared to be 'cooking'. More bergs appeared, but many fewer than normal and
then the Sandefjord Bay coast and Signy came into view. It was all looking very grey
and dirty because of a warm summer and excessive melt. We passed through
Normanna Strait to anchor at 9 o’clock off the base. Latterly we had had the
searchlight on and it was snowing with a wind of up to 50 knots - very unpleasant to
be outside. There was an interesting flow-pattern of wind over the bows, defined by
the drifting snow flecks in the deck lights, contrasting with the black background.
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