Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

Hambledon (formerly Don and Marjorie Clarke’s home – friends from 1947!),
Cathedral and whale jawbone arch, Post Office etc.
I looked in at the ‘Falklands Conservation’ office and had a chat with the four
girls working there, including two biologists – Becky and Angela, both had degrees –
doing wildlife surveys. I continued on along past the bright blue-roofed hospital and
along the shore, where there were steamer ducks and drake, upland geese, gulls,
giant petrels flying. So to the Battle Memorial and then returning in showers, to catch
the 11.25 am bus back to the ship.
In the afternoon I unpacked and stowed my gear. I had been invited, by the
Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and Mrs Lamont,
to a reception for 6.30-8.0 pm, I changed and about ten of us were taken to GH in a
minibus. The room was packed. I met among others: Gerald Cheek, Graham Bell
(Australian vet who had worked on elephant seals at Macquarie Island), Myriam
Booth (BAS representative in Stanley) – upset that she hadn’t been notified in
advance by Cambridge about my visit - Sally Poncet, John Barton, Lewis Clifton
(who used to work for BAS), Ted Clapp and others were there. The Deputy
Governor/ Principal Secretary asked me to talk with a group of Fourth Form
students and two teachers. They seemed very nice kids; two planned to become
doctors, one a vet.
Donald Lamont spoke and introduced Di Tella and myself to the throng, photos
were taken of the three of us and we conversed. Back to the ship by bus and then
chatted in the saloon with Jerry Bergan and one of the South Georgia construction
team, coming with us – over four malt whiskies. To bed at 11.30 pm after another
long day, but feeling fairly resilient.
A beautiful fine clear day followed. Breakfast was at 7.30, with the officers,
scientists and a commercial construction team being taken to South Georgia, under
contract to build new facilities there - all messing together. Then we had a talk from
Graham, the Chief Officer, about the emergency drill – a very clear and competent
exposition. At 9.30 we left our moorings and went through the Narrows to anchor
off Sparrow Point, then embarked upon the drill. We went to muster stations in the
lounge, an alarm sounded and we donned life jackets (for the real thing we had also
been issued with survival suits), and went to lifeboat stations. We climbed into the
very modern, covered, motor lifeboats, each of which could take 80 people – even so
it was very crowded and cramped inside. We were lowered into the water and
drove around before attaching to the ship. I climbed the rope ladder to the deck.
This all took us to 11.30 am and I occupied the rest of the morning on further
organising myself. Lunch was fish and chips and peas. Then the impressive
motorised ‘scow’ was launched – weight 14.5 tons – by crane with a 20 ton capacity
and 30 m reach, an improved facility since my active involvement; it scow drove
around us as a test. It was a beautiful day and I talked with Jerry on the bridge about
operations. Then at c. 4 pm the anchor was weighed and we set sail for South
Georgia. I read and wrote until dinner at 6.30 pm. I finished reading Jeremy
Paxman’s “The English”, which I’d enjoyed; it was detailed, witty and stimulating.
We continued in fine sunshine and calm seas, hitting the ocean swell as we
passed Cape Pembroke lighthouse. The distance from Stanley to Bird Island, our
first landfall, is c. 750 miles. It was a very rough night, and overcast on rising in the
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