British Antarctic Trust
Media Notice – 15 April 2017
Film premiere of an “Antarctic voyage to remember”
A film about the work of the British Antarctic Monument Trust to commemorate those Britons who lost their lives in British Antarctic Territory is to be premiered at the Royal Geographical Society on Wednesday 14 June 2017 at 19.00. Bar open from 18.00. Trust Ambassadors, the polar explorers Felicity Aston MBE and Paul Rose, will introduce this spectacular and moving film, entitled South 2015: an Antarctic Voyage to Remember.
Tickets are £14 with all surplus going to the Trust. They can be bought over the web at Eventbrite www.south-2015.eventbrite.co.uk.
Film premiere of an “Antarctic voyage to remember”
South 2015: an Antarctic Voyage to Remember is to be premiered at the Royal Geographical Society, RGS, on Wednesday 14 June 2017 at 19.00. Bar open from 18.00. Trust Ambassador Felicity Aston MBE will introduce this spectacular and moving film.
The film describes the work of the British Antarctic Monument Trust in creating the Antarctic Memorial in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral and the Antarctic Monument in Cambridge and the Falklands and gives a detailed account of the 2015 voyage of mv Ushuaia to the Falklands, South Georgia, Signy and the Antarctic Peninsula with 85 Antarctic veterans, relatives, friends and supporters aboard.
The designer of the Antarctic memorial, Graeme Wilson, and the stone letter cutter Fergus Wessel are filmed explaining their work in St Pauls. Oliver Barratt, sculptor, invites us into his studio in Kent to explain his vision of the Antarctic Monument and why he designed it in two parts.
Professor Julian Dowdeswell, director of the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University talks eloquently about why he feels it is so fitting that the Institute should provide a site for the Northern part of the Antarctic Monument. Professor Dame Jane
Francis, Director of British Antarctic Survey talks about the Survey’s support for the monument and the transportation on the Southern part to the Falklands.
The film covers the dedication of the Southern monument in Stanley by the Bishop for the Falkland Islands, Nigel Stock and includes an interview with the Governor, HE Colin Roberts.It follows the voyagers landing at South Georgia and the spectacular landscapes of the Antarctic Peninsula where those we were commemorating lived, worked and died. A number of veterans and their relatives on board speak about their loss and experiences in Antarctica including David Bell, Alan Cheshire, Brian Dorsett-Bailey, Cynan Ellis-Evans, Fergus O’Gorman, Roderick Rhys Jones, Murray Roberts, Rupert Summerson, Stephen Vallance, and Robert Wyeth.
After the film there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the Trustees, and the film-maker Graham Morris who will be visiting from New Zealand. Graham is a cousin of Jeremy Bailey who died in a crevasse accident from Halley Bay in 1965.
An exhibition of Antarctic paintings is planned and copies of the film will be available on DVD price £15 including a contribution to the Trust.
Tickets are £14 with all surplus going to the Trust. They can be bought over the web at Eventbrite www.south-2015.eventbrite.co.uk.
British Antarctic Monument Trust
The British Antarctic Monument Trust, Registered Charity 01123064, was set up to celebrate the achievements of the men and women whose scientific exploration in the British Antarctic Territory has led to a new understanding of our planet, and to honour those who did not return.
Our aim is to inspire a broader interest in the Antarctic and a deeper understanding of the fragility of our environment and the interdependence of our world.
The Antarctic is the highest, coldest, and windiest continent: remote, hostile and uninhabited. Yet it is a key part of the fabric of the Earth. Processes taking place in the Antarctic affect the world’s climate and its oceans, linking the continent inextricably to ourselves.
Research by British scientists and explorers contributes to our understanding of many vital phenomena including the way continents drift apart; communications are affected by solar flares; polar ozone holes are formed; weather systems are linked
globally; climate change is reflected in ice cores; and marine ecosystems are affected by fishing.
Since the British Government established its first permanent research base in Antarctica in 1944 at Port Lockroy, over 2000 men and women of the British Antarctic Survey and its predecessor the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey have worked in the world’s most treacherous conditions to help us understand the world in which we live. Twenty-eight men and one woman have died in the pursuit of this scientific knowledge.
The Trust:
* placed a memorial tablet in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral in 2011,
* created a monumental sculpture in two parts: the northern part is installed at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University (2011) and Southern part is sited on the waterfront, Stanley, Falkland Islands – gateway to the Antarctic (2015).
* has given many lectures and talks about the Antarctic.
* organised a three-week voyage to the Falkland Island, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula for relatives and colleagues of those who died.
* seeks to arrange for all those who have lost their lives to have an appropriate place in the Antarctic named after them
Felicity Aston’s adventures
Trust Ambassador Felicity Aston, who was appointed MBE and awarded a Polar Medal in 2015 will be introducing the film. Since serving two years as a meteorologist at the British Antarctic Base at Rothera in 2000/01 Felicity Aston has participated and led a number of expeditions to polar regions including racing to the North Magnetic Pole in 2005, leading the first women’s team across Greenland in 2006, a Commonwealth women’s team to the South Pole in 2009, and walking across the Antarctic alone in 2011. She is currently preparing for the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition 2018 when she will be leading an international team of women from Europe and the Middle East to ski the last degree to the North Pole. Her books about her adventures provide fascinating insights into her management and leadership techniques as well as recounting the trials and triumphs of her expeditions.
Paul Rose
Former Vice-President of the Royal Geographical Society, Base Commander at the British Antarctic Base of Rothera Research Station, Polar Medallist awarded by HM the Queen and a recipient of the US Polar Medal, Paul is an Ambassador for the British Antarctic Monument Trust.
Paul is a BBC TV Presenter of exploration and science – credits include Voyages of Discovery, Oceans, Coastal Path, Fracking, Frank Wild: Antarctica’s Forgotten Hero and many more.
The Royal Geographical Society presented The Ness Award to Paul – “For the popularisation of Geography and the wider understanding of our world”.
His professional diving work includes science support diving in Antarctica, (as BAS Institute Diving Officer) and Indian Ocean (as Diving Ops Advisor to the RGS Shoals of Capricorn project). He ran the US Navy diver training programme at Great Lakes Naval training Centre & trained many emergency response dive teams including the Police, Fire Department and Underwater Recovery Teams.
For further information and pictures
Roderick Rhys Jones, T: 02078400480 M 07768680006 E: rod @rhysjones.com
Brian Dorsett-Bailey, T: 01923447422 M 07711654876 E: briand_b@hotmail.co.uk British Antarctic Monument Trust: www.antarctic-monument.org
