From the 3rd to the 9th February, the Sailor’s Society is launching its annual Woolly Hat Campaign, encouraging us land lubbers to knit a hat (using one of their free patterns) and donate it. It’s a little-known fact that several of the Caird Library staff are quite keen on knitting and can often be found clicking away in the library office during our lunch break – so this year we’re planning to support Woolly Hat Week!
Woolly hats are considered essential especially for seamen who have come from a warmer climate to work in the UK. Last year the campaign saw 13,000 hats being issued to sailors, with around 6,000 included in Christmas boxes.
Jan Webber, the Director of Fundraising & Marketing at the Sailor’s Society, comments:
Many people forget that without the seafarer, everyday essentials that we take for granted would not reach our shores. The Woolly Hat Campaign gives a direct reason for people to help the seafarer in his everyday life. These people often spend many months at sea in harsh conditions, sometimes not even speaking the same language as their colleagues. A simple act of gratitude can mean the world to these people, and by downloading a pattern and knitting a woolly hat, you are spreading the work of the Society and directly benefiting the seafarer at the same time. This is a great opportunity to get involved in a new hobby that is perfect for all ages.
If you aren’t the knitting type, you can also support the campaign by wearing your woolly hat to work and sending the Society a donation. Contact woollyhats@sailors-society.org for more information.
Spread the word, join in, and keep a sailor’s head warm this winter!
Tanya (Reader Services Librarian)
One of the wonderful things about working here is being bombarded with questions that wrack the brain and start an ongoing research relationship with the chosen topic. Such are the Button Boys – the daredevils of the mast displays carried out by naval training establishments.
This enquiry came to me via email. The person in question wanted to know a little bit more about the term and when it died out.
So the quest began, and a long-time fascination with Button Boys has now been cemented. My research has taken me from the Caird Library, where I have read extracts from books such as HMS Ganges: Tales of the Trogs (fantastic read), to our electronic resources (we have a Royal Navy links section), and to the Royal Naval Museum itself.
I have even borrowed the ear of Royal Navy gentlemen when I have had the opportunity!
Here are my findings… Imagine climbing a mast of approximately 140ft and then climbing a further 15ft up a pole to the top of the mast where a ‘button’ shaped platform awaits you. The ‘button’ platform is not a vast amount of space, so imagine your feet gingerly ensuring that they do not topple off the edge!
Now – imagine only having a lightning conductor to hold onto for balance! Now – imagine letting go of the lightning conductor to salute your audience! I have just described the journey and the final gesture of the Button Boy. He truly was the star of the mast display.
In print it does sound adventurous but when you see it on film you realise that words cannot do it justice! This footage of the Button Boys at HMS Ganges really is both a beautiful and terrifying experience for the senses to behold. I sat stunned as I watched each lad climb the ropes with precision to get into their designated position, mastering the devil’s elbow and other areas with discipline.
The award for the Button Boy’s daredevil ascent and, indeed, descent!? A shilling, according to the Royal Naval Museum, who have been most helpful in my research enquiries.
I now understand a lot more about the Button Boy’s role and what could motivate him.
One thing eludes me though. When did the term die out!? The Royal Naval Museum sent me the following information via email:
This was officially replaced by Procedure Alpha (manning the sides of the deck), but I am afraid I have been unable to locate a definitive date for the change. Button Boys were still being selected at HMS Ganges training establishment in the 1950s, although conventional Royal Naval vessels had long ceased to have masts at this stage.
So, we can conclude that it was not a particular event or person which caused the brave Button Boys to become a figure of the past. It was more a case of the changing face of the Royal Navy and vessels which caused the ‘lightning conductor’ salute to come to an end.
If any former Button Boys are reading this please feel free to comment on your experiences or add any wisdom to this post. I would be delighted to hear from you. I salute you! (with my feet firmly on the ground)
If you do get some spare time I thoroughly recommend reading both HMS Ganges: Tales of the Trogs and HMS Ganges: Roll on my dozen, both by John Douglas.
Mary (Information Assistant – Library)
I found both of these websites via the list of maritime and naval history resources, on the Intute website.
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This is a good introduction if you’re looking for something on the Mauretania and her history. The website was built as part of centenary celebrations in 2006, and includes history, images, education packs and games.
Here on the Museum’s own
Collections Online you can also see a lovely photo of the
Mauretania’s First Class Verandah Cafe, from the
Bedford Lemere collection of historic photographs.
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This is a nicely done and very useful site put together by the Aberdeen Maritime Museum. It has a database where you can search for information on nearly 3,000 ships built in Aberdeen since 1811. They’ve taken information from various sources: shipbuilders’ records, Lloyds’ Register, and the memories of local people.
Renee (Digital Resources Librarian)
As you may remember, John Agard was poet-in-residence at the Museum last year, and wrote a couple of memorable posts on this blog about being inspired by London’s drinking water and Ignatius Sancho enjoying an Honest Sausage in Greenwich Park.
During his residency he also wrote a number of poems in response to objects in the new Atlantic Worlds gallery. Recordings of these poems have just been made available on the main museum website, so you can now enjoy John’s voice as well as his words.
Renee (Digital Resources Librarian)
We came back to work after the Christmas break to find that the library had a new photocopier.
The new copier is a big improvement on our old machine, and means that colour photocopying is now available in the reading room. Library staff are happy too, because it’s also a printer.
Thanks IT department!
Renee (Digital Resources Librarian)
Every year the Caird Library closes for the third week of February to allow us to carry out an audit of our books and manuscripts. This year we are carrying out a larger audit together with other necessary work in the stores and will therefore have to close for the last two weeks of February, weekdays only.
We’ll be closed on the following dates: 18-22 February and 25-29 February 2008.
The library will remain open to researchers on Saturdays 16 and 23 February and 1 March. Please note that researchers wishing to use manuscript items on these dates should order these in advance.
The E-Library will remain open as normal during this period.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. We look forward to seeing our readers again from 3 March onwards!
Tanya (Reader Services Librarian)
The recent cold snap provides the perfect introduction to January’s item of the month – no less than the first book written, printed, illustrated and bound in the Antarctic!
Aurora Australis, 1908-1909 was produced by the British Antarctic Expedition (or Nimrod Expedition) led by Ernest Shackleton as they over-wintered on Ross Island. The sheer logistical and physical barriers the production team had to overcome in order to create the book make this most rare of publications a fascinating polar artifact.
Fewer than one hundred copies were ever produced and the Caird Library holds two of the surviving copies.
You can read the full item of the month and see a larger version of the title page on the main museum website.
Gary (Assistant Librarian)
The library team here at the Caird Library were dedicatedly cataloguing new books right up to the Christmas break. You can see all the material we’ve catalogued during December in the “What’s new” section of our online catalogue.
Perhaps the crew of container ship, LT Cortesia, which ran aground on the Varne Bank in the Dover Strait yesterday, should have consulted some of the newest batch of Admiralty publications we’ve been cataloguing in the library!
Founded by the Admiralty on August 17, 1795 the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is responsible for the publication of navigational charts, guides, and other hydrographic information for use by Royal Navy and merchant marine.
Some of the the latest Admiralty publications we’ve catalogued this month are, “Admiralty list of lights and fog signals. Volume A, 2007/08: British Isles and North Coast of France“, “Admiralty list of radio signals. Volume 1, Part 1: Maritime radio stations: Europe, Africa and Asia“, and “Admiralty tide tables. Volume 1, 2008: United Kingdom and Ireland“.
Discover the other Admiralty publications we hold by exploring our online catalogue.
For the Royal Observatory we’ve catalogued new books on the 19th Century German Optician, Joseph von Fraunhofer and the medieval abbot, mathematician and scientist, Richard of Wallingford.
And finally, as if we could forget, pirates! Read of the daring exploits of a real life pirate in “The ship thieves: the true tale of James Porter, colonial pirate” by Siân Rees.
Check back next month to see what new books the library team catalogues in January.
Gary (Assistant Librarian)