Syrup and sauce - the secrets of Scott's Hut

It's amazing what you'll find in Antarctica - and I'm not just talking about ice and wildlife.  Conservators have been working for some time now on the contents of Scott's hut - and are pain-stakingly sifting through and preserving all sorts of goodies.  The Antarctic Conservation blog is well worth a look - it's remarkable that Heinz don't seem to have changed their labels all that much (proof that visual branding really can last a lifetime!).  Amongst the jars and bottles conservators have found Heinz Midget Gherkins and India Relish - no doubt both are well past their 'Best Before' Date!  There's also an interesting link to the Scott base webcam, so you can see what conditions are like as the human residents of Antarctica hunker down in preparation for the winter!  I should imagine that the research staff will have a few quirky shopping list requests of their own during the long dark winter thats approaching.    Finally the British Government have pledged support with a £250,000 grant to help save the huts, which are an incredibly important cornerstone of British polar exploration.  Read a report in the Daily Telegraph on the funding here. If you'd like to help with supporting the Antarctic Heritage Trust then you can click through to their very comprehensive website, where donations are always very welcome.

Comments

[Duncan]

Aren't those historic huts amazing! Visit the structures that Scott, Shackleton and their men built, slept in and ate in was an absolutely fantastic experience. When I heard about the campaign to save these huts I was immediately very interested - but it seems that the money is going to be spent on reconstruction and re-invention of the huts, rather than simply arresting their deterioration. Have a look at http://www.savethehuts.com/think_again_open_letter_those_who_love_our_polar_heritage/censored_history for an idea of what I mean.