As the Scott Centenary celebrations draw to a climax over the next few months, the Heart of the Great Alone exhibition finally arrives in London this week. Whilst the Queen is busy gallivanting around Australia, Buckingham Palace welcomes this incredible collection of photographs taken during historic Antarctic expeditions led by the legendary Scott and Shackleton. This unique insight into the experiences of our polar explorers includes images from Scott’s Terra Nova expedition of 1910–13 and Shackleton’s Endurance expedition of 1914–16.
We certainly don't want to miss this rare opportunity to view such a personal account of their journeys both physical and emotional through the world's harshest landscapes, but if you're not able to get to Buckingham Palace before the exhibition ends in April then perhaps have a quiet word with Santa instead - if you're lucky, you'll find a copy of the accompanying book in your stocking on Christmas morning!
And if you've been really good this year, Santa might also treat you to another great new book, hot off the press this week: the excellent 'The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott' features Scott's own photographs, taken during his final Antarctic expedition 100 years ago. A truly fascinating record of an epic journey and an inspirational man.
'The Heart of the Great Alone' exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, runs from 21 October 2011 – 15 April 2012. Tickets from £7.50 per adult.
The accompanying book, 'The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography' by David Hempleman-Adams, Sophie Gordon and Emma Stuart (Royal Collection Publications), is available in hardback at £29.95.
And finally, 'The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott' by David M Wilson, published by Little, Brown, is on sale now for £30. Enjoy!
Billy Connolly's Arctic - now available in paperback!
Following his fascinating ITV series, Journey to the Edge of the World, Billy Connolly’s chronicle of his epic adventure is now available in paperback. Featuring anecdotes, revelations and historical contexts, told in Billy’s own inimitable style, the book is the ideal way to dip in and out of the Canadian Arctic’s icy landscapes during our summer heatwaves…
Also available in paperback is Gavin Francis’s ‘True North’, this time featuring Arctic Europe, detailing the author’s journey from Scotland to the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard. With a keen interest in historical and cultural context this is a story of centuries of discovery and adventure, very different in style to Billy Connolly but providing a fascinating overview of the Arctic's enduring appeal.
Journey to the Edge of the World by Billy Connolly is published by Headline and on sale now for £8.99.
True North by Gavin Francis is published by Polygon and on sale now for £10.99
Capturing the Memory...
I have since invested in my own digital cameras and love the ability to be able to take endless experimental shots, most of which can be deleted at no expense and occasionally some of which are surprisingly successful! But the downside is – how to display these great images? Storing them online is all well and good, but you can’t beat flicking through an album. But it can get pricey to process so many images as prints...
So the answer? – well, the latest craze sweeping the DTW offices is the wonderful world of Photobox . This excellent website allows you to select your favourite photos and create your very own coffee-table style book. The end result looks incredibly professional, is a great alternative to more traditional albums and is just as cost-effective. You can choose from a variety of sizes and styles for your book, can add captions, select your page lay-outs and create your very own masterpiece. Photobooks make great gifts and great souvenirs, the ideal way to record your memories so that you can re-live your adventures time and again…
Adventures to the North Pole...
In this snowy weather it can feel as though we have been transported to the North Pole and that going about our daily lives is a polar exploration in itself! So, during these snowy days there has never been a more fitting time for polar explorer, Tom Avery to launch his paperback edition of To the End of the Earth. Delve into this book and discover for yourself what a real polar exploration is like. Follow Tom as he takes you through his race to the North Pole as he recreates Edward Peary and Matthew Henson’s achievement in 1909. It promises to be an inspiring read…
"To the End of the Earth is a spellbinding account of one of the most important polar expeditions of recent times." Sir Ranulph Fiennes
If you’re keen to experience polar travel click here and make your own incredible journey to the North Pole.
Travels in the the Arctic with Sara Wheeler
Come and meet esteemed author Sara Wheeler at Stanfords bookstore in Bristol next Wednesday, 28th October, where she will be introducing her latest book: The Magnetic North – Notes from the Arctic Circle.
For those of you who have already been inspired by Sara's earlier adventures in Antarctica (Terra Incognita) and Chile (Travels in a Thin Country), this latest book continues in her inimitable style as she explores the other end of the world. From adventures on board the Russian icebreaker, Kapitan Khlebnikov, to herding reindeer across the tundra and uncovering the effects of climate change, this book reveals the beautiful but brutal reality of the Arctic.
Date: Wednesday 28 October
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Stanfords bookstore, Bristol
Tickets for this event are £6.50 and should be purchased in advance from Stanfords Bristol, or by phone: 0117 929 9966.
Join James Cracknell and Discover the World for a night of Antarctic adventures!
Further to my recent blog about Ben Fogle & James Cracknell giving a talk about their South Pole adventure in Bristol next week, we're delighted to announce that we will now be joining James at his London lecture the following week. Taking place at the Royal Geographical Society on Thursday 18th June, James will be sharing the details of his recent Antarctic experiences and promoting his new book, Race to the Pole, co-written with Ben Fogle.
In addition the Discover the World team will be on hand to help you start planning your own adventure to the Great White Continent - we look forward to seeing you there!
Tickets cost £7.50 and are available through Stanfords at sales@stanfords.co.uk Full contact details can be found here.
The event is organised by Stanfords, The World’s Largest Map and Travel Retailer, and will take place at 7pm on the 18th June, at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR. The nearest Underground stops are South Kensington and Knightsbridge.
Ben Fogle & James Cracknell - Race to the Pole!
Despite being beaten - once again - by the Norwegians, our own British Team QinetiQ were deservedly proud to come second in the Race to the South Pole earlier this year. And in the process team members James Cracknell, Ben Fogle and Ed Coats raised awareness and funds for the children's medical research charity, Sparks.
Coming soon to BBC2 is a five-part documentary which follows their epic adventure across the ice, but for a more personal view why not head down to Bristol on 10th June to hear James and Ben's story in their own words?
The event will be held at the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry from 7.30pm (School of Chemistry, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS). Tickets cost just £6 and are available from Stanford's in Bristol - full details about the event can be found here.
100 Year Anniversary Celebration - North Pole
Yesterday marked the 100th Anniversary of man's arrival at the North Pole. The achievements of that day in April 1909 when Edward Peary and Matthew Henson are said to have reached the northernmost reach of the planet, have long been under debate.
Last month I was delighted to hear polar explorer Tom Avery to talk about his adventures in the polar regions; including his recreation of the race to the North Pole, beating Peary and Henson's time by just five hours! Tom has just released an excellent book, To the End of the Earth, retracing his challenging journey and proving that these brave men did infact achieve their ultimate goal of reaching the pole. Nowadays it is incredible to think that people can travel on an expedition voyage to the North Pole with a powerful nuclear icebreaker in comfort and safety - very different conditions to those experienced by these hardy men.
Descendants of Peary and Henson gathered at the Arlington Cemetary yesterday, together with Tom, to celebrate the achievements of these men a century ago; read the full report in the Washington Post here.
Best polar wishes! Nikki
The perfect Christmas Gift - 'The Polar World' book
It's at about this time every year that it suddenly dawns on me that I really should get a move on with buying Christmas presents. I think I've just found the perfect one for my Dad (guess where the interest in Antarctica comes from!), which is a relief! Sir Wally Herbert's stunning book 'The Polar World' has just been published in a hardback edition (RRP £35) in October, in good time for the festive season. The book is also available in leather hand-bound (RRP £450) and real cloth (RRP £220) special limited editions, if you're feeling flush. All three are available now from the Museum Shop at Scott Polar Research Institute (which also has a very tempting selection of stocking fillers to choose from). If you're in the Cambridge area then I strongly recommend you stop by the Institute to see the exhibition of Sir Wally's beautiful pictures that are on display, but you'll need to hurry to get there before 8 December 2007.
A bit more about 'The Polar World', taken from the Friends of SPRI's Polar Bytes newsletter:
This stunning book captures the spirit of the Polar World, as never seen before - through the eyes of a man who was the bridge between the heroic age of exploration and modern adventure; a visionary who walked in the footsteps of all the greatest explorers, and learned the art of survival from the Inuit themselves. This superb collection of Sir Wally's paintings, together with personal anecdotes of his experiences in the Polar World and his connection with the polar pioneers of the past, as well as his descritpions of the inspiration behind his paintings, makes this, his last book, outstandingly valuable as a vital contribution to polar literature, and as a unique collector's item. Visit www.polarworld.co.uk or email hello@polarworld.co.uk - the website has a wealth of information about the unique vision of Sir Wally Herbert, and is the creation of Sir Wally himself as well as his wife and daughter.
