News
This is the page for archive news items and Bergy Bits. Latest news is on our home page.
Past editions of our twice yearly newsletter (pdf files):
For earlier editions please contact the Trust
January 2010
 
Quba auction jacket for UKAHT.
The Trust is delighted to have received the support of
the iconic Quba clothing. Quba designs take inspiration from
the historical British research expeditions, where all voyages were the
basis of epic legend. They have many synergies with the ethos and
motivation behind the Quba brand.
In support of the Campaign to Save Scott's hut Quba
held an online auction of a unique sailcloth jacket and bag
featuring the map co-ordinates of Captain Scott’s Hut.
The combination fetched £1019 which is doubled thanks to the match
funding generosity of the February Foundation.
 
Quba is a
British clothing company based in South Devon. It specialises
in making unique jackets and bags from recycled sailcloth,
complimented by a lifestyle clothing range inspired by British
nautical heritage.
January 2010
LADY SCOTT - We are sad to announce that the Trust's Vice Patron,
Lady Scott died on 5th January 2010 at the age of 91.
You can read more about Lady Scott's incredible life on the WWT website.
February 2009
Two Inspired to Trek Unaided to South Pole to raise Funds for Scott’s Hut
Gavin Booth and Adam Wilton, two young men in their early 30’s have just completed a 1130km trek to the South Pole to raise funds to Save Scott’s Hut. Inspired by news stories of the plight of the fragile hut, Gavin and Adam decided to support the cause and achieve a lifetime ambition, to trek unaided to the Pole.
On a dispatch from the Pole - "It is only just starting to sink in that we are actually here and we are over the moon. On reaching the South Pole we believe that we have become only the 12th/13th Britons in history ever to make it to the South Pole from the edge of Antarctica unsupported (no resupply) and unassisted (man-hauling only). Since the start of our planning, it has been a five year journey to get here and we look forward to reflecting on what we have done."
Before the expedition - "This is the expedition of a lifetime and the effort over the past 5 years - sacrificing holidays to train, negotiating time off work, organisation, not to mention getting up in the early mornings to drag tyres, has been huge. With less than two months before we set off we are excited but serious about the challenge. To reach the pole unassisted will be an epic adventure and will undoubtedly be the hardest thing we have done. The opportunity to help raise funds to save such an important icon of polar history will inspire us to keep marching on our long haul to the pole. We are very grateful to our main expedition sponsor, Propinvest. Their support means that every penny raised will support the Hut Conservation."
To find out more about Adam and Gavin's expedition go to their website: www.BritishSouthPole.com
January 2009
Port Lockroy Base leader for the last 4 years, Rick Atkinson has been awarded the Polar Medal. Needless to say we are all absolutely delighted and feel it to more than well deserved.
Rick started his polar career with a 2 ½ year tour at the British Antarctic Survey bases of Adelaide and Rothera. In the thirty years since he first returned from the Antarctic in 1977, he lived in the Yukon spending the winters travelling by dog team. He then moved across to Alaska to compete in the Iditarod and Yukon Quest dog sled races, becoming the first British competitor to enter these races. In 1986 he won the Leonard Seppala award for humanitarian treatment of dogs. Rick is the co-author of the book Of Dogs and Men, the story of the British Antarctic Survey’s fifty years of involvement with sledge dogs. His co-author is Albert Medal and Polar Medal holder Kevin Walton (Albert Medal earned in the Antarctic).
In more recent years, beginning with working on the restoration of Port Lockroy with Simon Almond, Dave Burkitt (Polar Medal and Fuchs Medal) and Ben Hodges (Fuchs Medal) in 1996, Rick has dedicated the last four summers to working as base leader at Port Lockroy. Rick’s energy and commitment have helped to make Port Lockroy one of the most popular places to visit in the Antarctic and thereby bringing Britain’s Antarctic Heritage to tens of thousands visitors annually.
This follows last year's awarding of the Polar Medal
to our Port Lockroy historian, Alan Carroll. Alan
lent his expertise at Port Lockroy in December
2006, returning fifty years after he had been
base leader there.
Nov 2008
Trust Chairman, Philippa Foster Back (centre) introduces Culture Minister Barbara Follett (right) who hosted a reception for Friends of Antarctica at the splendid Lancaster House in London. The Trust's patron HRH The Princess Royal (left) was guest of honour.
Our Patron spoke passionately about Scott's hut....
"It gives an enormous boost ... now to have matching funds available. This is an extraordinary encouragement, which I hope will lead others to make a real contribution to the effort to save the huts....
"This is ... about maintaining a link with the continent that had no human activity until the expeditions. The huts have known human history in Antarctica from its starting point, and that is ... an exciting and worthwhile thing to maintain."
Oct 2008
JELD-WEN, one of the World’s leading manufacturers of doors, windows and stairs has recently marked the 60th anniversary of it supplying the first timber huts to the Antarctic by assisting the Trust with a replacement window for a damaged timber window for Bransfield House, the main hut at Port Lockroy. This is only the first stage in an on-going plan to renovate this and other buildings on the Peninsula. JELD-WEN’s relationship with the Antarctic started well over 60 years ago when Boulton & Paul, the company JELD-WEN bought in 1999, supplied the actual timber huts to be sent to Port Lockroy. JELD-WEN’s timber component factory in Lowestoft has now produced and donated the single glazed timber window to the exact design of the original windows to match those supplied to the building 50 years ago.
May 2008
To commemorate the Centenary of Granting of Letters Patent in 2008, the British Antarctic Territory has issued its first ever legal tender commemorative coins. The first silver coin was recently struck at a formal striking ceremony at the Pobjoy Mint. It was also attended by representatives of the Government of the BAT, the British Antarctic Survey, Scott Polar Research Institute, BAS Club and the UKAHT. A BAT Currency Ordinance of 1990 makes provision for coinage for the Territory.
Shown left are Taya Pobjoy, Director of Pobjoy Mint, and Philippa Foster Back, Chairman of the Trust. Philippa is holding the silver coin recently struck at a formal striking ceremony at the Mint. It was also attended by representatives of the Government of the BAT, the British Antarctic Survey, Scott Polar Research Institute, BAS Club and the UKAHT.
The coins in both silver and cupro-nickel are available from the Trust or from Pobjoy.
Feb 2007
In January 2007, the Trust's Patron, HRH The Princess Royal visited Port Lockroy as part of an official visit to the Antarctic arranged by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Polar Regions Unit. The Princess travelled on the Royal Navy's ice patrol vessel HMS Endurance which was assisting the Trust and the British Antarctic Survey in making a conservation survey a number of historic British sites on the Antarctic Peninsula. The Royal visit took place on the eve of International Polar Year (2007-08) - 50 years on from International Geophysical Year (1957-58) when, her father, the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Princess was accompanied by the Trust's Chairman Philippa Foster Back who was making her first visit to the Peninsula. Philippa has visited the Ross Sea Huts, where her grandfather Frank Debenham was a member of Captain Scott's last expedition. Debenham went on to found the Scott Polar Research Institute.
See the pdf file of our booklet on Britain's Antarctic heritage. Copies are available from the Trust |
