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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Bob in The Globe 20150125_135016

Mel in The Globe 20150125_135200

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tall Ships Regatta September 2014 and Serendipity

It was essential for me to go to the tall ships regatta at Greenwich in September.  As many of you know I have been a bit of a tall ships groupie since I first discovered them in 1993 at Newcastle.  I tried from then on to see them somewhere each year as they made their way through the races and cruise-in-company legs of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races, subsequently http://www.sailtraininginternational.org/.

I wanted to experience sailing on the Thames on a tall ship, to capture the feeling of what it would be like in the great days of sail when City of Adelaide graced the seas, and be amongst the sails of other great vessels as we glided past the Royal Naval College at Greenwich from Woolwich, where some of the participating vessels were moored.

Moored up at Woolwich Sept 2014 Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta 20140909_163540

I had the great privilege to be drawn to sail on Oosterschelde. The day was calm and sunny and we sailed through the Thames Barrier.

On board Oosterschelde sailing towards Thames Barrier 20140909_145534

I chatted with the Captain for several minutes about the vessel and discovered she had been a cargo vessel originally.

Here we are with Stavros S Niarchos to port.

On board Ooseterschelde passing Stavros S. Niarchos to Port 20140909_131020

Here I am on Stavros S Niarchos bowsprit in 2005, whilst crewing the ship round the Greek Islands with my husband, Alan, over Hogmany 2005.

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and at the top of the 145′ mast.

I visited the National Maritime Museum and discovered City of Adelaide‘s builder, William Pile was not in the listing of shipbuilders in Sunderland. This sent me on a mission to find out why.  You could have knocked me down with a feather when I met a lady called Cathy at Kings Cross on my way home. Her cousin Pam knows all about the shipyards. I have been to stay with her and spent many hours carrying out research and learning how to caulk under the experienced, watchful eye of Derek.

 

 

Radio Saltire 27 August 2014 – 6-8pm – www.radiosaltire.org

Thanks Angie Townsend! Looking forward to being on your show on online community radio Radio Saltire – www.radiosaltire.org – next Wednesday 27 August 2014 between 6 and 8pm to talk about my writing, journey from Rotterdam to Australia with clipper ship City of Adelaide. Taking my clarsach along to play a tune or two. Come and join us!

Serendipities – 12 August

Serendipities today:

 

1.  This afternoon I was in Edinburgh for Bizarre Guitar and Terse Verse.  Outside the Blind Poet I passed two girls.  One had pink and blue hair.  I heard her say ‘Adelaide’.  I stopped dead in my tracks and spoke to her.  She had come across especially to take in the wealth of Edinburgh Festival.

2.  I caught a wee bit of Ade At Sea (http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week12/ade-sea) and lo and behold, after a map appeared with Plymouth on the map, he visited the Eddystone Lighthouse.

150 years ago today City of Adelaide picked up passengers from Plymouth and set off for Adelaide, South Australia on her maiden voyage.  Diary entry for 12 August 1864:

August 12, 1864 – Friday

A beautiful day.  About 9.50 A.M. a boatman came to tell us that the City of Adelaide was in sight.  Tom and I took a walk and bought several little things.  At 1 P.M. we took a boat and sailed to the ship.  Blanche and I wrote letters to the Patersons.  Tom stayed on board for about two hours.  We sailed at 4 P.M.  We stayed on deck till after we had passed the Eddystone Lighthouse and then went down to bed but not to sleep.  We were dreadfully seasick during the night.

This is Day One.  My diary of City of Adelaide‘s final voyage as cargo on the deck of heavy lift ship MV Palanpur begins on 26 November 2013 and is written in tandem with this diary from the maiden voyage.

All images

© Rita Bradd

Lashing the City of Adelaide in her cradle to the deck of MV Palanpur
Lashing the City of Adelaide in her cradle to the deck of MV Palanpur

This image is taken in Rotterdam, City of Adelaide has been wrapped in plastic after being fumigated to conform with quarantine regulations for Australia.

 

 

 

 

Blind Poet, Edinburgh

Last night I read at the Blind Poet pub in Edinburgh during a 5 1/2 hour marathon of spoken word put on by Blind Poetics (www.blindpoetics.com).   My slot was placed amongst bards from the Federation of Writers (Scotland).   I spoke briefly about my voyage on board MV Palanpur with our precious cargo clipper ship City of Adelaide taking her back to Australia, and shared a few poems written on the voyage.

Today I spent a worthy afternoon in the company of Bil & Cyn at Edinburgh Fringe, in the Blind Poet.  For the last few years they’ve had their own show called Bizarre Guitar and Terse Verse, a wonderfully balanced duo act of poetry and jazz guitar (www.bil-cyn.com).  They introduced me to their friend and guest musician Les Ray (www.leslieray.co.uk) who is also a freelance writer and musician, and is involved with the Cambridge Folk Festival.  All three are coming to my house tomorrow, bringing their guitars and voice.  So looking forward to that.

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