Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

Diaz. I was particularly interested in Albatros, which now seemed terribly small to
have travelled in around the islands as I did in the l950s, with the sealers. She had
been stripped of anything moveable and was slowly sinking. I took some photos
for old times sake. Back aboard at 6 o’clock for dinner and then ashore again at 8
o’clock for a splendid Buffet Party with all the base members.
I ended up having a discussion with Jeff Smith (‘Abdul’) who was a bad case of
disillusionment. I tried to get to the bottom of it, without success and suspected it
might just be ‘winteritis’. Later I talked with Mick Pawley and got back to the ship
at 3.30 am in broad daylight.
Inigo woke me at 6.15 am as we had agreed to go to look for sooty albatross to
photograph. It was a beautiful clear sunny morning with a fresh breeze as we
walked along the beach - seeing a single male fur seal on the way - and then
climbed steep tussock slopes to where the nests should have been. Alas there were
no sitting birds and apparently no occupied nests there. We saw two flying around
but they didn't stay or alight, so we climbed down again and got back for breakfast
at 8.30 am. I spoke with Tony Edwards about the glaciology programme, then with
David Walton (botanist), who had some points to make, then with Andy Ferguson,
last year's BC, who reported on a number of events and problems during his year
in office. After lunch I saw Ian Hogg and Jeff Hayward (geologists) who wanted to
talk about continuing the Hodges Glacier Project. Their proposal was for a summer
glaciologist to continue the work for say 10 years - just the view I had expressed to
Tony earlier. Hayward proposed a continuing survey of glacier snouts and surface
profiles around the island to establish the trend of change.
Then I visited John Hall (diver) who wanted to report on diving equipment
(barely adequate) but seemed quite happy. The question of a decompression
chamber was raised. I certainly thought South Georgia should have one - as Signy
has - if serious diving were to be contemplated. Apparently [Adrian] Berry had
made a rapid ascent from a depth of 60 ft, which might have had serious
consequences. Next I saw Terry Callaghan, Botany Lecturer from Manchester U.,
who felt that opportunities for research in his subject were indeed excellent, but not
being exploited. He suggested a different system: students and supervisors with
much more influence on planning and supervisors coming south for summer work
on research grants from BAS. Finally I interviewed Peter Small (Ionospherics),
helped by Munro Sievright. I had previously spoken to Roy Piggott (Head of
Atmospheric Sciences) in Cambridge, and the two BCs (Ferguson and Pawley) -
about this. He had not been doing his job and there was a large backlog of work.
The reason was laziness and I decided to send him out and consequently to reduce
next winter's ionospheric programme. He was upset, but there was absolutely no
guarantee that he would ‘pull up his socks’.
It had been a hectic day and the fine start had turned to rain, but I had to go up
to the base to face a grousing session with them all - which they had asked for - at 4
o’clock. I took Paul along with me. I knew one question about which they were
concerned was the economic situation and the future of BAS, so I opened with a
talk about the Cambridge building and the financial situation for BAS -
emphasizing the optimistic view. Then I answered their questions for a while -
fairly mild in view of what I had been expecting. Finally I spread out the plans for
the new Cambridge building on the billiard table and we stood around and
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