Nelson & His World

Admirers of Nelson must be aware that this year marks the 250th anniversary of Our Hero's birth on 29th September.

Is the Nelson Society planning anything?

One thing that forum members might do is to gee up the BBC. I heard Libby Purves, the writer, broadcaster and yachtswoman, talking about an altercation she had with a BBC High-Up over their failure to cover in its entirety the wonderful gathering of ships from 35 nations at the Trafalgar Commemorations in 2005. He said that the BBC had been 'caught on the hop'; they 'didn't think people would be interested' and were totally amazed by the hundreds of thousands who lined the shore to watch the spectacle.

Last year on Trafalgar Day, Radio 3 broadcast two full hours of nautical and Nelson-associated music, which I listened to in the kitchen as I baked bread. I emailed the BBC to congratulate them and had a nice email back by return thanking me and saying they liked to hear listeners' views.

So please email Radio 3 and ask them for more Nelson music on his birthday, 29th September, or on Trafalgar Day.

One piece you might mention is the Trafalgar 1805 Overture by Andrew Lowe Watson which I think is a terrific piece of music, but, oddly, the BBC has never played it.

You can hear Andrew, a great admirer of Nelson, talking about his Overture on 'You tube'. I'm hopeless at links, but if you Google 'Andrew Lowe Watson Trafalgar', you'll see the youtube link.

We can also lobby the Proms as he suggests, for some Nelsonian music in general and the Overture in particular.

Any chance that BBC radio might repeat " I Remember Nelson"?,I've been trying for years to get a copy of it!-t

Hello Tycho,

The Nelson Society is certainly aware of the Anniversary and are planning a Special AGM Weekend, centred in Tenderten, Kent, this year. Although a member of the Nelson Society, and certainly hope to be attending, I am not privy to all the activities planned as yet. I am sure Abbie will reply to your query since she'll know a lot more!

Incidentally, are you a member yet? Perhaps you should think of joining and apart from anything else, it would be good to see you in person.

Kester

Kester:

yes, I am now a paid up member of the Nelson Society and may get to Tenterden (isn't Horatia buried there?) this year.

Another thing people might like to do in this anniversary year is to offer to give a short talk on Nelson - there are always groups who are ready to welcome you to give talks on a household name. Some of them even pay!

I have been invited to give a talk on Nelson on Trafalgar Day at a literary lunch. I gave a talk at the same venue on Lady Hamilton last year which went down very well, though I was alarmed to see in the audience an acquaintance, an academic historian, who has published books on the 18th century. But he was very kind, understood my enthusiasm and said when he was researching the period he became so immersed that he had a cheque returned by his bank - he'd dated it 1798!

I look forward to hearing more from Abbie about the Nelson Society's plans. Also, I think any approach to the BBC and the Proms will have added weight if the Nelson Society as well as individuals are behind it.

Hello each,

The Nelson Society's AGM this year is planned for Friday to Sunday 24th - 26th October, and is being held in London.

I understand a September dinner is planned aboard HMS Victory but the places will almost certainly be gone before you can say 'book me'. There is a large number of members who were not able to participate in 2005 (due to the limited number allowed for such events) and who will be offered first refusal. These were the 'unlucky' ones whose names did not get pulled in the draw for the much sought after event.

I'm not sure what else, if anything, is being planned specifically by The Nelson Society.

Hello Tycho, Abbie,

My apologies. I received my Nelson Dispatch yesterday and noted the venue had been changed. I know that Tenterden was discussed and seemed to be almost sure.

Now you are a member, Tycho, you will have the new details. Perhaps I'll see you there?

Kester

Both the Nelson Society and the 1805 Club are planning events for the Birthday Weekend. The Norfolk Nelson Museum (26 South Quay Great Yarmouth) is also planning events, with a talk by Martyn Downer confirmed on Monday 29th September at 7pm in the museum. The talk, entitled "Nelson's Purse: The Story of Admiral Lord Nelson's Lost Treasures" will cost £3, the proceeds of which will go towards the upkeep of the museum.

This sounds like an excellent, must-see event. Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Thanks for posting the information nelsonmuseum.

The Martyn Downer talk sounds great - but £3 seems a bit on the low side for tickets.

I've run our local book festival for years, and we've discovered that if you include a glass of wine you can more than double the ticket price. It makes for a nice atmosphere afterwards too, if people can chat, meet the speaker and buy his book.

Good luck. Sounds like a great evening.

The 1805 Club have designed this logo for Nelson 250:

It is freely available in a number of colours to all bodies and organisations that wish to join in a national celebration of Nelson's birthday. (A licence is needed for commercial use.)

See here: http://1805club.org/nelson250_01

Wonderful memories of Trafalgar 200 three years ago are still fresh, so it's great to see the Nelson 250 commemoration year beginning to unfold.

Wouldn't the logo look well as a banner at the top of the pages here at Nelson's World?

Yes, a very pleasing logo. But Mira, you know my technical skills. I will confer with 'Brains' and see if the black and white version of the logo can be used for this anniversary year as you suggest. Is this commerical use, I wonder?

The anthology will be finished this weekend - maybe I can incorporate the logo into that as well.

What a great idea for the anthology. Here too if 'Brains' says ok.

As both are non-commercial ventures, they should fit with the ethos of the 1805 club in setting up the commemorative logo.

But it may be worthwhile running it by them to make sure everything is above board.

I have been in touch with Radio 3 that last year broadcast a 2 hour programme of nautical music to mark Trafalgar Day. I asked them if they were planning a repeat this year, possibly on Nelson's birthday, 29th September, and suggested some music, including Andrew Lowe Watson's 'Trafalgar 1805', which has, strangely, for such a powerful and evocative piece of music, not yet been broadcast on Radio 3.

I had a very nice reply noting the specific pieces I had suggested and saying that my suggestion 'has been registered on the audience log. This is a daily report of audence feedback that is circulated to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC executive board, channel controllers and other senior managers. Logs are seen as important documents which can help shape decisions about future programmes and content.'

Perhaps other forum members, and members of the Nelson Society that I know look in to the site, might care to email Radio 3 (radio3@bbc.co.uk) and encourage them to have a Nelson's Birthday and/or Trafalgar Day tribute this year.

...rather belated, I know.... but I came across this about the 250th birthday celebrations at Burnham Thorpe.

I did a search with no result, but apologies if it has been posted before.

- Mil -