I'm so pleased to be going to Antarctica. There was a lecture of Scott's I read through in the archives yesterday and 'Antarctica' was spelt 'Antartica' throughout. It might have been the typist. He loved being at sea! I couldn't help a pang at not being able to be there with "Discovery" - the solid wooden-ness of her!

My grandfather died at the age of 53 and I think this picture can't've been taken much before that. He went to Antarctica with Scott in 1901 on board the "Discovery" and I have to go to Cambridge today to spend time with some of the left-over bits of paper from that expedition. Late last night - or rather, early this morning - I heard that I've been accepted onto the Postgraduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies course at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch New Zealand. I shall have to write more about this, but just wanted to begin today - O frabjous day!! I shall be following more of his footsteps...