New member

From South Georgia Museum

With every ship that gets crossed off the schedule comes the realisation that time is flying past and the end of the season looms closer.

Tony Hall

“Team Museum” keeps growing and this month we have welcomed Tony Hall. Tony arrived in time to welcome in the New Year with everyone else on base and has since been busy crossing jobs off the work list as fast as they can be added. He has painted the handrails at the front steps, repaired many of the information stands in front of the museum, attached coat hooks in the boot room and much to my delight, even made a perfect little bench to sit on while you do your boot laces up! And he makes a great cuppa and his sense of humour keeps us well entertained.

Hugh hard at work on the ditch

A major project for the summer is the maintenance and tidy-up of the cemetery. Many of the graves have started to deteriorate with concrete falling apart, gravestones coming loose and paint chipping and fading. Hugh merrily disappears each day to the cemetery armed with wheelbarrow, masonry paint and shovel and has so far dug out and drained ditches and elephant seal wallows along the boundary of the cemetery (not the sweetest smelling of jobs!), repainted many of the grave surrounds and reattached gravestones. Many graves are going to require shuttering and re-concreting.

Bridget making models

Bridget continues to spend her time in the model room creating the ‘Made in South Georgia’ range of souvenirs. Fridge magnet elephant seal weaners, penguins and albatross are popular, as are the cold cast bronze King Penguins. She has also been experimenting with new ideas involving scrimshaw techniques on replica sperm whale teeth.

Ainslie leading the Shackleton Toast

I have been getting into the swing of toasts to Shackleton, this tradition of gathering at his graveside for a generous nip of something nautical and fiery, as happened on the anniversary of his death on the 5th of January and also for some visitors to Grytviken later in the month.

We are hoping that by the time of the next diary entry the weather-god may have felt kindly towards us and sent some sunshine! We live in hope.

Ainslie