Adventuring

A recent guest speaker at one of our Open Meeting was Mrs. Pat Ascroft from Garstang. She gave a very lively and entertaining talk entitled 'Adventuring'.
She began by explaining that she had always wanted to know how, why, where and what and so - as she had always wanted to sail - twelve years ago, had enrolled on a sailing course in Scotland. This lasted for one week, at the end of which she was presented with a certificate proving that she was capable of sailing a dinghy. This then led on to other activities and eventually she joined the Jubilee Sailing Trust ship 'Lord Nelson' on some of its training courses. The ship had a permanent crew of ten, along with twenty able-bodied and twenty disabled members (some blind, some in wheelchairs), the purpose being to teach the disabled members how to sail and enjoy the experience.

Eventually she received a letter asking if she was prepared to help to build a new training ship - Tenacious. This was 216 feet long, made of wood and was the only ship of its kind to be built in the last 100 years. It cost £100 to sign on as an unskilled worker , helping the 73 ship builders and their apprentices.

Subsequently Mrs. Ascroft was asked by the Trust if she would like to participate in the Tall Ships race in the USA. This was a ten-day event from Baltimore to Boston and would cost £100 per day. As her son's fiancée came from Baltimore, she thought it would be a good opportunity to visit the family and eventually she and her husband sailed from Southampton to New York in June 2004 aboard the Cunard liner Queen Mary II. The liner was the size of three football pitches and carried 4,000 passengers. Whilst on board she was given a gift and a letter from the Captain of the Queen Mary to pass to the Captain of the Tenacious, which was much appreciated by the crew of the latter ship.

Her original instructions had been altered and instead of joining the Tall Ships in Baltimore she was to travel to Philadelphia and would not now be in the Tall Ships race. Somewhat puzzled, she arrived in Philadelphia to be told that because of the various Conventions taking place in Baltimore, etc. security was very high and the Tall Ships race would cause more problems. They would instead be sailing for five days at sea and then doing five days of public relations when the ship would be open to the Americans between 10 am and 5 pm each day. In Philadelphia arrangements were in place for the 4th July celebrations - there were 14 tall ships and war ships of the US Navy. The Americans had never experienced anything like the Tenacious training ship for disabled crew. There was no such ship in the USA but Mrs. Ashcroft was convinced that it would not be long before this was rectified.

She thoroughly enjoyed her stint on the Tenacious and eventually visited her son's fiancée's family. Whilst there, her son arrived to say that they had decided to get married. The wedding took place on Martha's Vineyard and was blessed by the 'mobile vicar'.

At the end of her talk someone asked when she would be doing more 'adventuring'.
She replied, 'Next Thursday. I'm going to Peru. We are building toilets and a dining-room!' No rest for the wicked then ... or should I say the adventurer!

Christine Nightingale

Talk by Mrs. Pat Ascroft