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Spring Into Action

Tuesday, April 18th 2017

As the days grow longer, I’m getting up a little earlier and trying to concentrate my mind on the story of HMS Erebus, the book which I have set myself to write in time for publication at the end of next year. I always found libraries rather stuffy when I was at school but now I’m looking at archive material, there’s something exciting, almost thrilling about seeing letters and diaries that were written 170 years ago, often from the furthest ends of the earth.

Talking of ends of the earth, I’m just back from researching Erebus material in the Falkland Islands. It’s such a quiet unspoilt, un-polluted environment that it’s hard to imagine there was a war there in 1982 – the year we were shooting Monty Python’s Meaning Of Life. The echoes of the conflict reverberate. I was there the week after the Falklands Marathon – won by an Argentinian.

Left: At Cape Pembroke, Falkland Islands. One of the most isolated lighthouses in the world. Modern technology has replaced the Keeper who used to live here. Right: Bird life is exceptional in the Falklands – here’s a row of Shags drying out on a rock. No giggling please.

The islands are bare and rather beautiful and I had a great time at the excellent Dockyard Museum and a very comfortable stay at the wondrous Waterfront Hotel. The RAF flew me down there  – an 18 hour flight from Brize Norton via Ascension Island, which is an old volcano and the only piece of land sticking out of the Atlantic for hundreds of miles.

Halfway to the Falklands. View out over the lonely volcanic island of Ascension from the garden of my host Marc Holland, the head honcho, or Administrator, to give him his official title, of Ascension Island.

Was only there for a two-hour stopover but just enough time to see the the great sea turtles labouring towards the ocean after laying their eggs. Dragging themselves, exhausted across the sand, but once in the water, off like a rocket. After all, they swam over from Brazil to lay those eggs. I’d never seen anything like this before, which just shows that if you’re curious enough, travelling is never over. Watch this space!

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Palin’s Posts

  • On The Road Again – again

  • Nights in Belfast

  • On Squatting

  • Perfect Matches

  • Things To Be Proud Of

  • Change Of Heart

  • The Bishop’s Finger

  • A Day For The Diary

  • Walk, Don’t Run

  • London Lockdown

  • Inspirational Eccentricity

  • Marking Time

  • Big Day For Erebus Fans

  • Out Of The Window

  • Pre-April Fool

  • History Doesn’t Always Repeat Itself

  • Knowing Terry

  • Nancy Lewis/Jones

  • Ticker Tapes 3

  • Fifty Years On

  • Ticker Tapes 2

  • The Ticker Tapes

  • Bournemouth and Beyond

  • Getting On A Bit

  • End Of Term Surprise

  • Down Under and Underground

  • Archives and Anniversaries

  • Erebus Sails On

  • On The Road Again

  • Calm Before The Storm

  • Busy Summer

  • The Last Lap

  • Erebus Sails on into the New Year

  • Death of Stalin Day

  • North-West Passage

  • Following The Fleet

  • Spring Into Action

  • A Weekend In Pakistan

  • Cold Start

  • Ten Days in Taiwan

  • A Yorkshireman In Paris

  • Brazil and Why the Thought of It Cheers Me Up

  • June goes out with a groan

  • May on The Way

  • Still Travelling

  • Martin Honeysett and Dr. Fegg

  • Farewell to the Thirty Years Tour

  • Warm in London

  • Eurostar to Paris

Show more...

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