Return to Adelaide, and Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2017

One of Captain Bruce’s great-great-granddaughters invited me to the Australian Wooden Boat Festival which is held every two years in Hobart, Tasmania.  I was so excited to be going back to Adelaide as my first port of call, especially as I was giving two talks on board City of Adelaide, on the weekend of 3 and 4 February.  I was met at the airport by my lovely, generous hosts Ian and Jeanette, who are always very welcoming, fun and helpful, and friend Rosemary who was waving the Saltire.

I could hardly contain myself the next morning when we went to Port Adelaide to see the clipper ship.  She is still sitting on barge Bradley, however a good amount of work is going on inside the hull, such as scraping off the old paint from the iron beams in the ‘tween deck and painting them with the original colour from 1864, planning out for replica 1st class cabins.  New windows have been fitted into the stern where Captain Bruce’s cabin was, as well as a very smart new South Australia Coat of Arms.

It was such a thrill to have two fantastic musicians involved with the first talk.  I had understood City of Adelaide‘s honorary piper, and Commander of Clan Ross in Australia would not be able to come along for the evening.  As I immersed myself in the sights, smells and feel of the ship in the ‘tween deck where I was giving the talks, I heard the lilt of the pipes permeating through her planks.  I rushed out and saw Des in finest regalia, playing the pipes.  I was also hugely honoured that Adelaide-based international singer/harpist Siobhan Owen accompanied me on her clarsach (small lever harp) with my composition City of Adelaide : Farewell to Scotland whilst I read my poem City of Adelaide Bleeds before launching into my presentations to a well-attended audience.

I was lucky to meet Siobhan again in Edinburgh during the Festival Fringe in August 2017, when we repeated our performance on two evenings. https://siobhanowen.com/

 

Happy 151st Anniversary City of Adelaide/Carrick

I am feeling very nostalgic tonight. Celebrations are taking place tonight on board Bradley Barge on which sits the wonderful, oldest surviving clipper ship in the world, City of Adelaide aka SV Carrick with whom I voyaged on board MV Palanpur. I say “whom” because she is a living, breathing entity.

On our voyage I wrote a diary in tandem with that of someone who was on the maiden voyage in 1864. Her Day One was 12 August 1864, my Day One was 26 November 2013, leaving Rotterdam en route for South Australia. This is an extract for 7 November 1864. This was her day 87, the final one in her voyage from Plymouth, England to Port Adelaide, South Australia. Our diaries are the core of my up-and-coming book which I’m bringing to a conclusion now. Keep looking back for more news. You are most welcome.

 

“A beautiful day.  I woke about 5am and saw land from the porthole.  We went on Deck nearly  an hour before breakfast.  The land at first looked rather low and barren.  We were busy packing in the morning.  After lunch addresses were presented to the Captain and Doctor.  We anchored about noon.  The health officer came on board immediately ……..”

 

 

 

The Three Craws Gaun Tae Rabbie Burns’ Birthday Pairty At The Globe Inn, Dumfries

Rita Bradd, The Globe Inn, Dumfries 25012015 1422617365582

The Three Craws had a great time in Dumfries on 25 January 2015 celebrating Scots bard Robert Burns’ birthday! We were thrilled to do three rehearsed readings of  ‘The Three Craws Gaun Tae Rabbie Burns Birthday Pairty At The Globe Inn, Dumfries’ on Rabbie’s actual birthday in his actual howff where he would gather for blethers with friends and also wrote poetry.  Here are The Three Craws lined up from left to right:

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Craw One      –  Wesley Bradd

Craw Two      –  Bob Mitchell

Craw Three   –  Melissa Bradd

 

 

This was our second experience performing beyond the studios of East Coast FM Radio 107.6, where we had broadcast a new play every month from December 2012 to September 2013, which was when we went to Bayeux, and Nicola Louise Shepherd was the original Craw Three.

I then went to Australia with clipper ship City of Adelaide and the Craws had a well-earned rest.

Steven Hill of Dunbar T-Shirt Shop http://dunbartshirt.com/ gifted me this for Christmas 2014 (available from Merchandise).

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I ordered some Haggis Truffles (seriously!) from Thinking Chocolate in Edinburgh, stuffed them into the boxed sets of mug and coaster and took them down to Dumfries, where they galloped away faster than Tam ‘O Shanter’s horse, Meg!

We returned to Dumfries on 31 January 2015 for the close of the Big Burns Bash.  Here are the Craws again, this time Craw Three is Alice Kinloch.  This was her first  ever outing as a Craw, and she did a fantastic job.

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Here are The Three Craws outside Robert Burns House where we did two shows.  Hugh Brydon http://www.hughbryden.com/ came along and I was really privileged and delighted when he presented me with this beautiful pure silk signed limited edition tie …

 

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Mel in The Globe 20150125_135200

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Anniversary Clipper Ship City of Adelaide

Today is the 150th Anniversary of the maiden voyage of clipper ship City of Adelaide.  She was built in Sunderland by William Pile and left London headed for South Australia on 6th August 1864.  Photo from Wikipedia.

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William Pile and I share the same birthday – though I hasten to add, not the same birth year!

I was lucky to voyage with City of Adelaide on board heavy-lift cargo ship M V Palanpur, leaving Rotterdam on 26 November 2013 and arriving in Port Adelaide on 3 February 2014 after 70 days at sea.

Captain David Bruce was City of Adelaide‘s first Master and part-owner.  Photo from Wikipedia.

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I was delighted to meet Captain Bruce’s great-granddaughter Pam Whittle at a Reception to welcome City of Adelaide home, on board one of Port Adelaide’s cruise boats Dolphin Explorer.  Pam is an amazing lady with two sparkling daughters, Meredith and Julia and all have become treasures in my life.  This photo gives the scale of size of City of Adelaide, thanks to Meredith for sending me it.

Jumbo Jet and City of Adelaide

… and here I am.  I stayed on board Palanpur until City of Adelaide was off loaded onto the barge Bradley, her temporary home.

Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide. City of Adelaide being 'skidded' off MV Palanpur onto barge Bradley, her temporary home.

Thank you for looking!  I hope to see you again soon.

Rita