Port Lockroy team blog #10: Cancelling, carolling, and… Antarctic skiing?
23/12/2022
I write this blog while wearing a Christmas jumper that I sent off to Antarctica in July! It arrived with our cargo drop at the end of November, just in time for our first day off which was spent decorating our living quarters with multicoloured tinsel, fake trees and baubles.
The shop has done stellar business this month, as weeks of perseverance to get the credit card machines working have paid off. Last week, we were visited by 13 ships and three yachts!
Donning reindeer antlers and Santa hats, the team enjoyed welcoming many visitors to Base A who shared our enthusiasm to support UKAHT’s work protecting six Antarctic heritage sites across the Peninsula.
Guests often visit Damoy in the morning before coming to Port Lockroy in the afternoon, so are intrigued to learn more about the transformation it will undergo when our conservation team arrive next month.
I have been busy getting more proficient with running the post office. The satisfying rhythmic clunk of the hand-cancel is often heard first thing in the morning or last thing at night as the team process all the mail dropped into our small red Royal Mail post box.
Stamping and cancelling the mail (Credit: Lucy Bruzzone)
We have sent over 75kg of mail to Stanley this month, which we tell guests takes on average 6-8 weeks to arrive. Deliveries from the bottom of the world have evidently been speedier than expected, however, with mail sent in late November currently arriving on home shores!
This week, we also cancelled the new First Day Covers (souvenir stamped envelopes) celebrating the maiden voyage of RRS Sir David Attenborough. Being the Port Lockroy postmaster, I have the unique responsibility of choosing the official release date for this season’s British Antarctic Territory stamp issues. As a team, we decided on the 21st December, the day that the Antarctic Ski Club was founded here at Base A, Port Lockroy, in 1956.
The objectives of the Club include “the encouragement of all forms of skiing in the Antarctic”. In our case, this can only be done vicariously, despite having an excellent selection of vintage skis displayed in Bransfield House. We do occasionally see skiers traversing the glacier opposite Base A on their journey down from Jabet Peak.
More applicable to us is the second objective of the Antarctic Ski Club, “to further a common bond between members”. I think cancelling 1,000 first-day covers in a cosy hut in Antarctica with the warm glow of the propane stove and Christmas carols playing, while the rain hammered down on our metal roof, contributed towards that!
Clare makes the first batch of mince pies (Credit: Lucy Bruzzone)
Mincemeat and mixed spice have been found in our stores so, alongside sending off mail and cleaning the museum in the days ahead, I have set myself secondary tasks of making mulled wine and mince pies. I am also on cooking duty for Christmas day, though I will be enlisting the help of all the team to ensure our nut roast with vegetarian stuffing, gravy and vegetables are as spectacular as possible. I am not sure I’ll be able to compete with the 7-course dinner served up in Bransfield House in 1944, however!
The team outside Bransfield House (Credit: Lucy Bruzzone)
We happily report that, unlike Christmas here in 1945 when the building was completely buried in snow, Bransfield House has been gradually emerging, helped by a week-long spell of sunny weather. The subsequent rain has been a nice reminder of home, though I’m hoping the precipitation will revert back to snow for a white Christmas. Regardless, spending this period in the most stunning place on the planet is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.
The Port Lockroy team send warmest wishes from the coldest continent to all those working or relaxing at this time!
Clare Ballantyne, General Assistant, Postmaster, Port Lockroy
Goudier Island has an unexpected visitor (Credit: Lucy Bruzzone)
And as a festive bonus, here are some lyrics penned when procrastinating counting postcards, to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas:
On the first day at Base A, we happened to see… a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.*
On the second day at Base A, we happened to see… two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the third day at Base A, we happened to see…three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the fourth day at Base A, we happened to see… four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the fifth day at Base A, we happened to see… five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the sixth day at Base A, we happened to see… six Gentoos laying, five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the seventh day at Base A, we happened to see… seven Orcas swimming, six Gentoos laying, five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the eighth day at Base A, we happened to see… eight Chinstraps chilling, seven Orcas swimming, six Gentoos laying, five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the ninth day at Base A, we happened to see… nine sheathbills dancing, eight Chinstraps chilling, seven Orcas swimming, six Gentoos laying, five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the tenth day at Base A, we happened to see… 10 rockhoppers leaping, nine sheathbills dancing, eight Chinstraps chilling, seven Orcas swimming, six Gentoos laying, five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the eleventh day at Base A, we happened to see… 11 terns a-tweeting, 10 rockhoppers leaping, nine sheathbills dancing, eight Chinstraps chilling, seven Orcas swimming, six Gentoos laying, five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
On the twelfth day at Base A, we happened to see… 12 skuas soaring, 11 terns a-tweeting, 10 rockhoppers leaping, nine sheathbills dancing, eight Chinstraps chilling, seven Orcas swimming, six Gentoos laying, five whale fins, four seal species, three petrels, two Adélies, and a Weddell seal waving from Bill’s.
