In October, Mensun Bound will be giving what promises to be a fascinating talk about the discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance, one of the most famous ships in history.
The talk will take place on Wednesday 30 October from 7.30 to 9pm.
Venue: The Oxford Union, St Michael’s Street OX1 3JB
£7.50
£5 students
Free RGS-IBG members
The Sir Ernest H Shackleton Appreciation Society will be holding a Shackleton 150th Anniversary Conference at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
1, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR
The dates for this event are:
Friday 17th May 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Saturday 18th May 9.30am to 6.00pm
Saturday 18th May 6.30pm to 10.00pm (Gala Dinner)
Sunday 19th May 10.00am to 5.30pm
Come and indulge in a celebration of the life and work of ‘The Boss’ and the men from the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. Discover Shackleton’s unique legacy of leadership, learn of the science of ice, the contribution of Ernest’s men and be amazed by the imagery of Hurley and Hussey. Key speakers include Professor Julian Dowdeswell, Michael Smith, Shane Murphy, Mensun Bound, Seamus Taafe, Trevor Potts, Kevin Kenny, Caitlin Brandon, Emma Puranen, Anne Strathie, Simon Stephens, Geoff Selley and more. Short presentations will be given by other polar aficionados. There will be opportunities to meet polar authors, view the RGS Shackleton Collection and enjoy Johny Midnight’s Shackleton Collection of oil paintings.
On Friday evening esteemed actor Malcolm Rennie will perform his famous one-man show Shackleton’s Carpenter. Entry is free for those who have purchased tickets for the Saturday and/or Sunday sessions. On Saturday evening there will be a Gala Buffet Dinner (limited to 90). Demand for tickets will be high so book early to avoid disappointment.
Ticket prices (per person): £250 (whole weekend); £125 (one day). £130 (Gala Dinner).
Tea and coffee will be provided at break times.
To book, please use one of the links below. First you will need to register with the RGS with your email and a chosen password. Then follow the instructions and you will be directed to the booking page automatically.
Friday – https://portal.rgs.org/event/book/S150FRI170524
Saturday – https://portal.rgs.org/event/book/S150SAT180524
Sunday – https://portal.rgs.org/event/book/S150SUN190524
Gala – https://portal.rgs.org/event/book/S150GALA180524
Full details of all the events are available from
Jamie Owen, Image Licensing Sales Manager, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
E:
M: 020 75913015
On the 150th anniversary of his birth, Thursday 15 February 2024, a Memorial to ‘The Boss’ will be unveiled in Westminster Abbey.
The Great West Door will open at 1630 to allow the congregation to enter for Choral Evensong, to which all are welcome. Abbey staff will direct people to their seats by 1645, ahead of the arrival of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.
After the service, there will be a private dedication ceremony in the Abbey’s south cloister, close to a memorial to pioneering sailors Captain James Cook, Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Francis Drake. The Shackleton memorial was created by sculptor Will Davies, and incorporates stones including Connemara marble and Kilkenny limestone to reflect Shackleton’s Irish heritage.
The memorial will be unveiled by HRH The Princess Royal and dedicated by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, who said:
‘Shackleton’s name conjures up a little bit of an old and familiar narrative about a great man with remarkable courage and resilience. That is true, but it does not do justice to his achievement. Shackleton was more than an explorer; he was a story-teller, a pioneer in photography and film and an inspiring speaker. He planted the idea and image of the Antarctic in our imaginations. Shackleton helped persuade us towards a new excitement about science and a deeper reverence for the world in which we live. This memorial will help sustain that legacy of wonder.’
The Devon and Cornwall Polar Society will be holding a Roald Amundsen Conference on Saturday 28 October 2023
This will take place at
Lewinsky Building
Plymouth University
PL4 8AA
For further details, and to book your place, please go to the DCPS site
Join us for a magical evening of Art and Adventure…
This wonderful exhibition by renowned artist Johny Midnight tells Shackleton’s inspirational story in a unique new way – in oil on canvas.
Mensun Bound, Director of Exploration on the expedition that discovered Shackleton’s Endurance at the bottom of the Weddell Sea last year, also has a unique story to tell. Come and hear him talk about his own polar adventure, while enjoying drinks, canapés and some wonderful paintings.
Places are limited so please RSVP ASAP
The 2022 AGM and Dinner took place at Dulwich College on Friday 11 November. Dinner was preceded by a fascinating account of the search for Endurance in 2019 (Weddell Sea Expedition) culminating in the Endurance22 expedition in February/March 2022. The latter was under the auspices of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust. The lecture was given by Mensun Bound, Director of Exploration.
The next Dinner will take place on Friday 12 May 2023. Please note: the date of this event has been changed. We are delighted to announce that Dr Jan Piggott will be the speaker at the Dinner. His topic will be George Marston, the artist on the Endurance Expedition.
The 2023 AGM and Dinner is planned for Friday 3 November, and we look forward to welcoming Skip Novak, Antarctic explorer and real-life legend, as speaker.
The James Caird Society is delighted to announce a brand new exhibition has opened to mark the centenary of The Boss’s death. Shackleton’s Legacy and the Power of early Antarctic Photography will be available to view in the Pavilion at RGS until the end of April. This superb exhibition draws on a wealth of material, much of it previously unseen. It was curated by Dr Jan Piggott, former Keeper of Archives and Rare Books at Dulwich College.
Full details can be found here.
Definitely not to be missed!
Friday 13 August 2021 turned out to be an auspicious day for some lucky members of the James Caird Society and their guests. Those who responded in time were able to enjoy a splendid Grand Summer Barbecue aboard HQS Wellington, voted by some of the assembled company as ‘one of the best settings in London’. Dare we say ‘the best setting?’
Drinks on the top deck, with its stunning views of the Thames and the London skyline, were followed by a sumptuous feast of barbecued sausages and kebabs accompanied by a selection of salads; with delicious desserts to follow! And all laid on by the magnificent catering crew, Seahorse Hospitality.
The event was attended by more than 60 people and proved so popular that there has been talk of making it an annual event… Watch this space.
Also watch the website for further details of the AGM, planned for Friday 5 November, with dinner in the Great Hall at Dulwich College to follow.
As we feared, the May dinner has now been ‘postponed’. We are hoping to arrange an alternative event later in the summer but in the meantime can confirm that the next event at Dulwich College will be the 2021 AGM, followed by a much delayed dinner and talk. This will take place on Friday 5 November, fingers crossed. The well-known Polar photographer David Baillie, known for his willingness to go to places no other cameraman is prepared to go, has also indicated his willingness to talk at this event.
Please save the date, whilst continuing to keep all fingers firmly crossed. Full details will be sent to members as soon as possible and will also of course appear in our Newsletter in the summer and be posted here on the website.
Thanks to the on-going Covid situation, a question mark remains over this event, earmarked for 21 May. We would like to delay a final decision for as long as possible and are liaising closely with Dulwich College to ensure that, if we can go ahead, the event will comply with all Covid restrictions and regulations. This will undoubtedly mean that numbers will be restricted.
In order to anticipate demand, we would ask all JCS members to inform Andy Kinniburgh, Membership Secretary, () what your intentions might be:
We are delighted that Skip Novak has agreed to talk at the dinner, a talk that we plan to stream for absent members or if the event becomes a ‘Virtual Dinner’.
For full details, please email
To join the Society, please click here.