About this Event
We are very pleased to welcome Astrid Adams and Janice Snowball to talk about how the Blyth Tall Ship, the William Smith II – inspired by the story of a local sea captain who discovered the first land in Antarctica - has become a ‘life-changing gangway to the sea’ for people of all ages. They will also share the story of their amazing Williams Gansey Project which resulted in volunteer knitters all over the world.
It was more than 200 years ago that Captain William Smith, born in 1779 in Seghill and educated in Blyth, built a state-of-the-art sailing vessel on the riverside and embarked on a journey to trade around the world. After being pirated by the Spanish, in 1817, he tried to recoup his losses by taking cargo around the Cape Horn, the most treacherous seas in the world, where he was met with westerly gales. During a desperate attempt to sail around the storms, in 1819, he discovered the first land in Antarctica, now called the Southern Shetland Islands.
Sadly, Smith was never recognised for his discovery and died in obscurity. However, the Blyth Tall Ship project, is keeping his memory alive and celebrating his maritime achievements.
Initially, one of the main aims of Blyth Tall Ship was to provide heritage carpentry and boat building skills to young people who have left school with few qualifications and employment prospects. There are also expeditions which have involved local people of all ages.
Astrid and Janice will explain how they have led the Williams Gansey Project since a conversation with Clive Gray, chief executive officer of Blyth Tall Ship in 2016, when they offered to design a gansey for crews of the Williams II who were planning a voyage around Britain in ten legs from March to May 2019 to mark the 200thanniversary of Williams’ discovery of Antarctica. Up to 120 ganseys were needed but Astrid’s and Janice’s call out for help went viral and before too long they had almost 600 offers to knit from all over the world. Volunteer knitters were selected from this list and every continent (apart from Antarctica) was represented.
In 2021, Astrid published a book, It Started with a Stitch, about this amazing achievement.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
NE30 1JE, Cliffords Fort, North Shields, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00 to GBP 5.04