Palin on Erebus

Michael Palin has written a great deal about the journeys he made for the BBC, and as a former President of the RGS has also developed some serious geography credentials.
His latest project has been a book on the fate of the Erebus: one of the ships, along with Terror, which was involved in John Franklin's expedition to find the North West Passage.

The ship(s) disappeared in the 1830s, and remained lost for well over a century until their (spoiler alert) discovery in 2014.

Good to see that Michael is coming to speak at Ely Cathedral in October. Tickets as always include a copy of the book, so are essentially free.
This is one of many talks that Topping Books organises each year. I've previously seen quite a few of them, most recently Ray Mears, and Oliver Jeffers (quite different audiences)

Death in the Ice

Going to book to see this exhibition before it ends in early January 2018. With the interest following the discovery of the wrecks of 'Erebus' and 'Terror', it is an important chapter in Arctic history, and one we will be exploring in 2018 with Year 8 students.

Also a chance to visit a World Heritage Site.

Franklin expedition exhibition at the National Maritime Museum

The Sir John Franklin expedition has been in the news for a whole now, with the discovery of the two vessels in the last few years.

This New Scientist article brings the story up to date.
A new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum looks excellent...

HMS Terror found

After the earlier discovery of HMS Erebus, one of Sir John Franklin's long lost ships, it's now been announced that HMS Terror has been found. This has been one of the longest mysteries in Polar exploration, and it remains to be seen what may be found on or in the wreck.

Russell Potter, author of Finding Franklin: the Untold Story of a 165-Year Search, had this to say about the discovery of the HMS Terror:

“It’s hard to overestimate the significance of this new and magnificent find: the second ship of Sir John Franklin’s expedition, HMS “Terror,” has been found. Initial images show her to be in far better condition than her sister ship, the “Erebus” (found by Parks Canada searchers in 2014), with her hatches battened, her bowsprit still in place, and many of the glass panes in her captain’s cabin still intact, it’s enough to warm the heart of any marine archaeologist — or perhaps give them a heart attack! – certainly a discovery that exceeds anyone’s (mine included) wildest imaginings as to the vessel’s state of preservation.”

I like this tweet as well:

You’d think the 1st place to check for HMS Terror is *in* Terror Bay?! https://t.co/25YrGyV9KY

— Madeleine Redfern (@madinuk) September 12, 2016