As we reported last week the Town's art galleries opened for the evening last Friday.  Our thanks to Baxters, Combe Gallery and Blown for their hospitality and some great art!  Check out Dartmouth's fabulous galleries by clicking here.

2.   Mayan Queen returns to Dartmouth

As promised in December, the magnificent super yacht "Mayan Queen" returned to Dartmouth last Bank Holiday weekend, providing a treat for locals and visitors alike! Built in Germany in 2008, 93 metres (305 ft) in length, 4,200 gross tonnes, 4.5 metres draft, two bow thrusters, one stern thruster, twin engines ... a very elegant yacht. Unfortunately the Dartmouth dot TV crew were not invited aboard, but we understand she is owned by Mexican millionaire yachtsman Albert Bailleres. After leaving Dartmouth on Sunday she headed for London and the River Thames.

Dartmouth dot TV owner Dave whilst on Bayards Cove having a cold beer from the Dartmouth Arms, pondered "at the industry standard running cost, that boat is costing £19 every single minute, so the time taken to drink my beer slowly has cost the owner 600 pounds?  Wow!!

3.   Shackleton Centenary Expedition

In November 2008 three amateur descendants of Shackleton and his men set out on a 900 mile unsupported trek from his original Hut at Cape Royds to the South Pole. Their aim was to re-enact the Nimrod Expedition of 1908-9, in which Shackleton came within a tantalising 97 miles of being the first to reach the Pole.

They planned to arrive at the 97 mile point on the centenary of this event, and then to complete the unfinished family business. One of these descendants was Henry Adams, a shipping lawyer, the great grandson of Jameson Boyd Adams, the second in command of the Nimrod Expedition; Henry is also the son of Tim Adams, owner of Woodside Cottage B and B in Blackawton click here to see it and to see the videos of the expedition!     Although they had all the benefits of modern clothing, expert tuition and the latest technology, none had explored the Antarctic before. They had to contend with:

• 360 miles of endless sensory deprivation on the vast, featureless Ross Ice Shelf.

• 140 miles ascending the fearsome Beardmore Glacier, sliding and slipping on rock hard ice riddled with dangerous crevasses

• 400 miles trudging across the Polar Plateau, the coldest place on earth, with a windchill factor of up to minus 60 degrees centigrade, where barely a moment of exposure to the elements would result in instant frostbite.

Against this adversity and several other unforeseen difficulties, they succeeded in reaching the Farthest South exactly on the centenary, and went on to complete the unfinished journey on 18th January 2009. More men have been on the moon than have succeeded in reaching the Pole by this route.

Tickets are still available for Henry's forthcoming presentation at the Flavel Hall in Dartmouth on Saturday 27th June, at 7.30 pm. Two other presentations will be given on the previous day specially to schools in the Dartmouth area, and a third will be given to cadets at the Britannia Royal Naval College.

4.   Small News

There is no small news this week! But:

Why not come and visit Dartmouth?

• Self catering accommodation click here
   
• Dartmouth B and B  click here
   
• Dartmouth Hotels click here
   
• A Tourist Guide to Dartmouth click here

Images copyright Dave Cawley, Tony Pike & others.