FINAL EPISODE 45 – Project Legacy Episode 45 – the very final episode – of the REQUEST2021 Podcast. I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to represent the legacy of the project by including my recent visit to the Downs Primary School. It includes me sharing the story of REQUEST2021 with the year 6 class there as part of their work on Shackleton an…

REQUEST2021 PODCAST – EPISODE 44 – The Final Voyage This is the penultimate episode of the REQUEST2021 podcast. This includes the team of 12 leaders and explorers and their weekend experience on the Johanna Lucretia tall ship at Plymouth. It also includes excerpts from the last two Shackleton Scouts’ Own ceremonies at Plymouth Millbay Docks and Por…

REQUEST2021 PODCAST – EPISODE 43 – Scotland – Fordell Firs Alan, Alex and Matt from the REQUEST2021 team plus Sam’s parents (Gwyneth and Alan Payne), Alex’s mum (Alison Maciver) along with Chief Commissioner of Scotland – Andrew Sharkie and a number of other Scottish Scouting representatives, friends and members representing the 1st Aberdeen Scout …

3rd November 2022 – Team Reflections When we arrived at our hotel in Buenos Aries, despite being very tired indeed I persuaded the team to be recorded and share their feelings fresh from the voyage. What were our expedition highlights and what did we all feel the legacy of our project should be? 00:00 Theme Music – “Antarctica” 00:45 Welcome Messag…

30th October 2022 – Buenos Aires The final days of the expedition gave us time to explore the incredible city of Buenos Aries – including a visit to the Casa Rosada, Eva Peron’s tomb in the Recoleta cemetery, a Tango evening and a boat tour of the Tigre Delta. Yet again I recorded many hours of sound files and I have edited these down to about an h…

REQUEST2021 PODCAST – 25th October 2022 – USHUAIA After returning from the voyage to Antarctica we had one last day in Ushuaia and we all took the opportunity to get out into the National Park for a spot of hiking and sightseeing. I recorded nearly 6 hours of sound files in one day and I have spent a good while editing this down to an hour and a ha…

Tuesday 16th August 2022 – VOYAGE SUMMARY / SARAH Our expedition leader Sarah Gerats gives a summary overview of the whole voyage. This is followed by a fascinating REQUEST interview with Sarah sharing her incredible experiences of the polar regions. 00:00 Theme Music – “Antarctica” 00:45 Welcome Message 01:41 Sarah’s summary overview of the whole …

Monday 15th August 2022 – VOYAGE END / ERIK / MATTHEW We made such good progress with fair winds back across the Drake Passage that we gained an extra day. This meant we could spend a day at Harberton, Tierra Del Fuego to visit a museum of marine mammal bones. They have thousands of bone specimens from whales, dolphins, seals, penguins, etc., inclu…

EPISODE 37 – Thursday 30th June 2022 – SECOND DRAKE & SECOND ARGO Our return journey on across the Drake Passage with our final Argo launch along the way. The REQUEST interview with Aske Jensen from the permanent crew. Plus, BONUS content including Axel & Alan’s First Iceberg Cruise; the Fram Cruise Ship Passing; Genevieve discussing the BAS kit an…

Tuesday 14th June 2022 – PARADISE BAY / NEKO HARBOUR A zodiac cruise on 13th January 2022 around Paradise Bay with Sarah our guide visiting Brown Station, Blue Eyed Shags nesting and glaciers with a surprise visit by a whale. Some underwater hydrophone recording. An afternoon sitting on the Beach at Neko Harbour surrounded by penguins and seals. PL…

Friday 3rd June 2022 –TREK IN THE SNOW / DAMOY HUT A very different podcast episode joining me (Alan Noake) on a long, arduous trek through the snow at Dorian Bay ending up at Damoy Hut. So, this was on the afternoon of 12th January 2022 after we had visited Port Lockroy in the morning. I have included warts ‘n’ all, the pain I went through walking…

EPISODE 34 – Sunday 29th May 2022 – PORT LOCKROY / MAFU LYNCH On 12th January, with Alan’s Covid isolation finally over, the whole team had the privilege of visiting the Port Lockroy, Antarctic base which was set up by James Marr and his team during Operation Tabarin in WW2. There is also the REQUEST interview with Mafu Lynch, from Tierra Del Fuego…

EPISODE 33 – Friday 20th May 2022 – ANTARCTIC ISOLATION – PART 3 Being in isolation with Covid in Antarctica meant I was able to record lots of podcast content. This episode covers Axel and my last days in full isolation from January 8th to January 11th, 2022. A peaceful time spent enjoying the Antarctic scenery while spotting lots of wonderful wha…

EPISODE 32 – Tuesday 10th May 2022 – ANTARCTIC ISOLATION – PART 2 Got so much great content that I am editing that I am hoping to put out more than one episode a month now. This episode is entitled ANTARCTIC ISOLATION – PART 2 and covers the 6th and 7th January while visiting the Antarctic Peninsula. It includes Deception Island, Krill Sampling and…

EPISODE 31 – Sunday 1st May 2022 – ANTARCTIC ISOLATION – PART 1 This episode is entitled ANTARCTIC ISOLATION – PART 1 and covers the first few days visiting the Antarctic Peninsula. It includes: Alan’s Covid Test Results, Our First Iceberg and Penguin Island. There is also the REQUEST interview with our fellow passenger – Mark Ashcroft – from Merse…

EPISODE 30 – Friday 1st April 2022 – DRAKE OUT This episode is entitled DRAKE OUT and covers our five days sailing across the infamous Drake Passage between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. It includes among other things: Sam discussing his personal project which involved deploying Argo Floats in the Drake; Alex chilling out while strummi…

EPISODE 29 – Tuesday 1st March 2022 – NEW YEAR / AXEL So, a big welcome to episode 29 of the REQUEST2021 podcast. It’s over a month now since the team returned from Antarctica and as the reality of the trip slowly begins to become a wonderful dream it is great to be editing the podcast to record some special memories for posterity. The team and I a…

EPISODE 28 – Tuesday 1st February 2022 – “GETTING GOING” So, welcome to episode 28 of the REQUEST2021 podcast. I do hope you like our new theme music. Please let us know what you think. Now that the team are back from Antarctica each of our individual projects are still ongoing and mine is to continue to produce a soundscape record of our project i…

EPISODE 27 – Christmas Day South Georgia Edition. A final reminder of our project objectives plus we have the ReQuest interview with Vicki Foster, a South Georgia Government Officer. Vicki lives and works on the Antarctic Island of South Georgia where Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried so this seemed an appropriate interview for the upcoming 100th ann…

EPISODE 26 – Wed 1st December 2021– We celebrate Antarctica Day today and the Antarctic Treaty, catch up with all of the team before we go and we have the ReQuest interview with Jeffrey Bozanic from Scout Crew 774, Orange County Council California and also his son John-Aaron. Jeffrey is a California Scout Leader who is taking a large team of Scouts…

EPISODE 25 – Mon 1st November 2021– A good luck message from Chief Scout Bear Grylls, a big plug for our REQUEST2021 YouTube channel – there are some great videos now of our Thames Event held on 17th September 2021 along with all sorts of other videos including craft activities for young people and the ReQuest interview with Helen Smith. Helen has …

EPISODE 24 – Fri 1st October 2021 – A quick review of our September events, a message from Tom Boeckx commander of HMS Protector (and a Group Scout Leader in Thanet) who is currently heading down to Antarctica and the ReQuest interview with author Brad Borkan recorded back in 2020. At the time of the interview, he was promoting his book ‘When Your …

EPISODE 23 – Wed 1st September 2021 – An overview of the project events planned for September and the ReQuest interview with Jan Chojecki. Jan is Managing Director of PBL Technology (www.pbltechnology.com), a technology transfer company serving public sector researchers in the biological sciences. He has a PhD in genetics and previously worked for …

EPISODE 22 – Monday 2nd August 2021 – The London Landmarks Half Marathon and the ReQuest interview with Louis Rudd MBE. Louis is a record-breaking polar adventurer, expedition leader, former Royal Marine Commando and SAS soldier, with 34 years of service. He is the first – and only – person to have traversed Antarctica twice using human power alone…

EPISODE 21 – Thursday 1st July 2021 – Purple penguins; Shackleton’s Scouts book launch; and the ReQuest interview with British adventurer James Ketchell. On 1st February 2014, James became the first and only person to have rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, successfully summit Mount Everest and cycle 18,000 miles around the world, in what the media d…