Category Archives: SONGS & STORIES

Keeping Shanties Alive

In the days of square-rigged ships, shanties were work songs. You would never hear sailors sing them ashore in dockside taverns. On my site France for Freebooters I have published a post about Frenchman Hugues Aufray, an immensely popular singer … Continue reading

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Tom Cunliffe – an old sea-dog writes and entertains

No-one who is a regular reader of the yachting press can fail to have heard of Tom Cunliffe. I think of him as a journalist and an RYA examiner, but on his own web site he claims he is first … Continue reading

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The Yarn of the Nancy Brig

While I’m finishing off some more serious podcasts, perhaps you’d like to while away a few minutes with this WS Gilbert poem. Sorry about the accent – I come from Hampshire, not Kent. But I still think it’s better than … Continue reading

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Shanties – work songs of the sea

Square-rigged sailing ships were labour-intensive. It required the co-ordinated muscle of several men to weigh anchor and to hoist and trim sails. The working shanties were the songs used to provide that co-ordination and to encourage greater effort. Most were … Continue reading

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