News
Shackleton in the news
On the 150th anniversary of his birth, Sir Ernest’s achievements were honoured in a very special celebration in Westminster Abbey. Following the traditional Choral Evensong on 15 February a private dedication ceremony was held in the Abbey’s South Cloister, close to a memorial to other pioneering sailors – Captain James Cook, Sir Francis Chichester and […]
Anniversary Memorial
On the 150th anniversary of his birth, Thursday 15 February 2024, a Memorial to ‘The Boss’ will be unveiled in Westminster Abbey. See details
Endurance drama in Italian
The show Endurance: Storia di un viaggio straordinario is an initiative of actress Stefania Mariani and photographer Michele Montalbetti from the company Stage Photography. They have been inspired by this century old adventure not just in terms of history but for the lessons that we all can learn from it today. The stage play has […]
‘The Alexandra Shackleton’
Long-serving members of the JCS will remember our 2013 Newsletter featuring the Epic Expedition which replicated the original trip of the James Caird across the Southern Ocean from Elephant Island to South Georgia using the same rudimentary equipment, period clothing and technology as Shackleton had nearly 100 years before. This 2013 expedition, led by Tim […]
An Albion in the Antarctic
A new publication is now available from St James Park Press which tells the fascinating story of Aurora Australis, the first book written, printed, illustrated and bound in Antarctica, during the Nimrod Expedition, 1907-9. An Albion in the Antarctic was first published in 2019 using an Albion Press akin to the one originally taken to […]
Shackleton’s Final Quest
The Ice Tracks expedition to commemorate the centenary of Shackleton’s death aboard Quest in 1922 set sail from Ushuaia on 31 December 2022, having been unavoidably delayed by Covid. The expedition party, comprising some 80 adventurers aboard the Island Sky, included JCS members (notably Chairman Rear Admiral Nick Lambert) as well as Patrick Bergel, the […]
Ann Savours Shirley
Ann Savours Shirley (1927 – 2022) Members of the James Caird Society will be saddened to hear of the death of eminent Polar historian and writer, Ann Savours Shirley, at the age of 95. Ann’s contribution to the history of Polar exploration was phenomenal, and a full obituary will appear in the next issue of the […]
Newsletter correction
We regret that in our Summer 2022 Newsletter there was an error in the piece about The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust’s Endurance22 Expedition. In it we wrongly described Mensun Bound as Leader of Expedition22. The Leader was in fact Dr John Shears, with Nico Vincent as his deputy. Mensun Bound was Director of Exploration. Full […]
The Quest Chronicle
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new work by Jan Chojecki, grandson of John Quiller Rowett. This is a limited edition hardback and is available to buy online. It is the first book for almost a century which concentrates on the Quest (Shackleton-Rowett) Expedition, and contains much unpublished material. For more information […]
A date to remember
Wednesday 9 March 2022 turned out to be a highly significant day for the James Caird Society and indeed for all admirers of the feats of Sir Ernest Shackleton: not only was it the date of a special reception to mark the launch of Shackleton’s legacy and the power of early Antarctic photography, but it was also […]
Shackleton’s Final Quest Voyage
It has been decided – with heavy hearts – by all those involved in organising Shackleton’s Final Quest Voyage that the most prudent course would be to postpone. The situation of those vessels already operating in Antarctica made it increasingly clear that it would be impossible to guarantee that the trip would be as the […]
Centenary Updates
The ten-strong team of Kent Scouts who took part in ReQuest21 are now back in the UK after a successful expedition. After 20 days at sea taking an active part in sailing the Bark Europa tall ship – taking the helm, helping set sails, climbing rigging and doing lookout duty – they made their way […]
Centenary tributes
Wednesday 5 January 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s death aboard Quest in South Georgia. Many events and expeditions this year pay tribute to the centenary, including the ReQuest21 Expedition undertaken by the Kent Scouts and Shackleton’s Final Quest voyage, organised by IceTracks with the support of the James Caird Society. Closer to home: […]
New book, familiar story
Lost, the diaries of Thomas Orde Lees, have been edited and compiled by John Thomson, author of Elephant Island & Beyond. This brand-new edition will have a special appeal for members of the James Caird Society, not purely because of its superb content! Members are being offered a £5 discount with proof of membership and […]
James Caird receiving visitors again
After over a year in pandemic-driven lock down, the James Caird is once more ‘back in business’. Members of the public can arrange to visit the world’s most famous lifeboat on Fridays at 11.30am. Please wear a mask and bring evidence of a recent negative Lateral Flow Test. All visits must be pre-booked via […]
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