Ray of Hope 3: How West Norfolk News Gets Delivered To South Georgia

Shackleton's Grave - facing the south Pole as the great man

requested (though there are conspiracy theories)

gotcha! A seal gets a bite of Ray's boot

 

 South Georgia

 

Smile :) You are the 100+ reader of this post

 

Some people will do anything for publicity. And not always with a story to tell. Not so ex-NHS electrician Ray Thirkettle late of this parish.

 

When Mr Thirkettle went to the British Antarctic Survey's Halley Station on Antarctica for four months in 2013, he and his BAS 'widow' Pauline kept it pretty much to themselves. This photo of the mature OU Science graduate in summer snow was strictly for the family album.

 



 

Not to mention that it's inappropriate for BAS employees engaged in state of the art research on the other side of the world to be shouting Hello Mum, Look at Me!

 

Ray likes a quiet life. Even quieter than the ones we get in village West Norfolk. And in recent years he has certainly gone that extra mile - or 7000 - to get it!

 

Grytviken - former whaling station

 

But when November 2014, Ray gave up his career and returned to the South Atlantic for 13 months, even TV was interested and the story threatened to snowball. I happened to be reviewing his BAS talk about Halley Station for the Lynn News just before he embarked and I suggested (without much expectation) we do an interview about his latest expedition.  

 

Luckily he liked my take on his talk. And he knew me from our involvement in SHARP, the Sedgeford Archaeological and Historical Research Project. So he vouchsafed his whole amazing story to one trusted freelance - me! Thanks, Ray.

 

The EDP put the feature on the front page. (Read it here). Now it has become part of the story.

 

A couple from Nordelph, West Norfolk read it with more than usual interest. They were going on an intrepid sea adventure in the South Atlantic Ocean in December 2014 and on the strength of a shared local paper and a do-different Norfolk attitude, decided to call in on South Georgia and ask for Ray.

 

 

  

They did. And had a whale of a time! Among other South Georgia adventures, they explored Grytviken the old whaling station.

 

And guess what newspaper they took with them! Nothing like a print copy, eh, Ray?

Ray's Nordelph visitors later managed a (rare) landing on Elephant Island, and were lucky in the lottery for the 18 places available to camp on the snow overnight to see in the New Year at a special place I'm not allowed to say!

They're back home now in a very dank and damp Norfolk and it all couldn't be further removed from Grytviken.

But they have photographs of their brilliant memories. They sent them to Ray and here they are!

Happy New year Ray! And keep reading that EDP in Nordelph folks!

February 20's Ray of Hope 4 (rat eradication on the island) is here

 

The Ballad of Anne Boleyn and the Burglar

               

Hear it sung at Cecil Sharp House in a musical collaboration with Anto Morra  here

And at my house in a musical collaboration with King Henry VIII here

I stole to the door of Blickling Hall

On the nineteenth night of May

And met the ghost of Anne Boleyn

Shining bright as day.

 

Six headless horses drew her coach,

A headless coachman drove,

‘Give them their head!’ she laughed, then turned

On me her look of love.

 

‘I stalked you once, who later flew,

And kissed you wild and free

With lips of sweet and dangerous rose

Before the King took me.

 

‘I lost my head for the rose of the world

And the rose withered on the thorn.

I gave my heart for a hunted hour

And my soul to the Harrying horn.’

 

Her raven-headed throat was graved

With a bloody royal band

 ‘I’m Caesar’s’ cut in diamonds red

And King’s gold on her hand.

 

‘I am wild to hold, though I seem so tame

And smile like the blossom of May

‘And my poor heart died for a worldly crown

And I’ll take your breath away.’

 

‘I am not your True Thomas!’ I cried in dread.

Her face clouded like the moon,

‘Ah! You’ve named the angel who guards my grave,

To hell I must return.

 

‘I lost my head for the rose of the world

And the rose withered on the thorn.

I gave my heart for a hunted hour

And my soul to the Harrying horn.’



Moral- follow your head and lose it, choose love!

Read the full story here

 

The Last Gin

Gin Trap Folk ran every last Tuesday of the month from September 2010 until January 2015. It was hosted by Steve Knowles - the singing Landlord - and Cindy,  seen here performing their duet 'What A Wonderful World' (and it certainly was)

 

 

 



and managed throughout with unfailing benign aplomb by Adrian Tebbutt (white sweater and folk beard below)

 

 

Perhaps prime amongst its unique features were the sing-arounds and shanties often led by Adrian, 'Jolly' Roger and Katie Fullilove's Fried Pirates, pictured here supporting yet another 'Gin Trap Virgin'

 

 

Nothing could stop this juggernaut of a folk club - except the closure of the pub - and in fact not even that as 'Gin Trap Folk' will phoenix from the winter chill at The Black Horse Castle Rising on Tuesday February 24th. Same time and vibe, different place. 

 

The Gin Trap song - words by this blogster; music by Show of Hands, performed by the Fried Pirates.

Sixteen silly seasons, four years at the Gin,

Forty eight nights gathered/ to play and laugh and sing

Pirates Jolly Roger, Adrian and Kate

Steve the Singing Landlord; Phil and Al his mate.

Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

        Em                                        G

      Thanks for all you’ve given, You gave more than enough

            D                                      G

      We spent the time together, In laughter and in love

         Em                                G                       D

      Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

Sitting by the fireplace

Digging every tune:

Robin like an Eagle

Above a cliff in June,

Beatle Al who ‘Can’t Do That’

But does - and makes it rock;

Dave who makes the banjo dance

Like a Grandfather clock.

Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

        Em                                        G

      Thanks for all you’ve given, You gave more than enough

            D                                      G

      We spent the time together, In laughter and in love

         Em                                G                       D

      Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

Let’s not forget the Virgins,

You know we’ve had a few,

Some Sue-i-tably violet

Some shouting shocking blue;

You don’t forget your First Time,

We all were virgins once:

Sick weeks anticipating,

Nine after-glowing months.

Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

        Em                                        G

      Thanks for all you’ve given, You gave more than enough

            D                                      G

      We spent the time together, In laughter and in love

         Em                                G                       D

      Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

The whole pub singing shanties,

An England not quite gone,

The mental chiming Christmas bells,

The drones and harps and trumps and gongs,

The instruments unheard of,

The many shapes and cries

Big Jim and Long Tall Vince and Joan

‘A woman half his size.’

Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

        Em                                        G

      Thanks for all you’ve given, You gave more than enough

            D                                      G

      We spent the time together, In laughter and in love

         Em                                G                       D

      Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

There’s Lou Reed Al, Paul Simon Dave;

There’s Gifted, Old and White;

The list of course is endless

But songs can’t last all night;

There’s teenage Billie Holidays

Dave’s vintage real ale folk;

And there’s you we’ve failed to mention…(call your name here)

And there’s Mike, our Prior bloke!

 Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

        Em                                        G

      Thanks for all you’ve given, You gave more than enough

            D                                      G

      We spent the time together, In laughter and in love

         Em                                G                       D

      Thank you all for coming, Thanks for turning up

Back here in the old place

I hope I still belong

Less of where I’m heading

And more of where I’m from

I burned too many bridges

It’s time to make amends

Raise a glass to all that’s past

To my family and my friends.

 

 



 

Mike Prior 

Lynn and Terry

Peter Smith and Son

 

Half the audience enjoying Crooning Al

(the other half of the audience is round the bend) 

Bluegrass Al

Crooning Al

Lynn of Wootton

Warwick Jones premiering 'The Ballad of Turnip Townshend'

Vince

David

Roy

John Fincher of London

 

 Me telling 'Our Long Tall Island Story'

 

Thanks to Mrs Warwick for the pix

 

The Gin Trap Folk Club September 2010-January 2015