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rules: tag 10 people you wanna know more about!

last song: "Poor, unfortunate souls" from Little Mermaid, sung by Drew Sarich. Excellent version, one of the best I've heard.

last film: Hobbit trilogy, extended edition. Grew on me a lot.

last book: "Większy kawałek świata" by Joanna Chmielewska, light funny read.

last tv show: "The Last Of Us". I like mushrooms, you know.

sweet/savour/spicy: massive sweet tooth here.

relationship status: Fsncy free, because that blossoming parasocial relationship with Titus Oates doesn't count, does it?

last thing you googled: Canadian explorer rose. There is whole line of Canadian roses named after explorers of the North and I plan to write about it a bit.

looking forward to: my roses blossoming, I have a couple of beauties that did not blossom yet and I wsnt to see their flowers SO MUCH!

current obsession: roses, obviously.

tagging: @leadandblood @roaldamundsen @ernest-shackleton @sastrugie @antarcticlovebirds

It is not ten? How could I know? I am dyscalculic!

got tagged by @13shapeshifters thank youuu I love those silly ask games!!!

rules: tag 10 people you wanna know more about :)

last song: clear - twenty one pilots

last film: rewatched the holdovers which is a hugeee comfort movie!

last book: I’m reading cheltenham in antarctica at the moment and drowning in all of the amazing pictures!

last tv show: north of north!

sweet/savoury/spicy: usually sweet but savoury rn because I have been on levels of hungry unknown to god herself for the past week for some reason

relationship status: this girl keeps hitting on me and idk how to react ❤️ and then I’ve had one intense crush for the past 6 years but real yearners suffer in silence ❤️ hope this helps

last thing you googled: “eggnog”. i didn’t know what it was but now I’m very intrigued and wanna try it… is it good?? how could it be??

looking forward to: don’t tell anyone but!! I might be going to poland in like 3 weeks!!! visiting my two polar besties!!!!

current obsession: been really really hyperfixated on twenty one pilots but it’s the bad kind where I can’t focus on anything else :(

tagging: @evergreensounds @birdiebowers @amundsenxcook @edwardratcliffegarthrussellevans @evergardenwall (not even close to 10 people. I tried okay)

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For some weird reason my brain got fully convinced Teddy Evans is much younger than my Titus Oates and I keep being greatly surprised by the fact they were born in the same year, Titus in March, Teddy in October 1880.

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And to think there was time I found men in cardigans unsexy. Seriously, nothing changes your views on cardigans like getting into the history of British polar exploration.

These deep scars on Titus's right cheek start awfully close to the eye, it seems he was one lucky man, because one inch further and we would be talking about this badass one eyed captain from Scott's expedition. Fortunately both of these beautiful and, as Teddy wrote in his memorial text, twice, big and kind eyes survived whatever caused these scars.

Deb wrote in his diary Titus's face was ravaged by the Boer war, but I am scratching my head about it. I mean I haven't found a single source that would claim Titus sustained any facial injuries in that shot out with Boers that left him with one leg shorter, more, all of them, Titus's own letter included, say his leg was broken by a single farewell bullet. And a single bullet cannot simultaneusly break a femur and leave extensive injuries to the face and the neck (yes, his neck is scarred too).

That makes me think about something else. Smith mentions in passing the military car accident in Egypt Titus was in and I went "Ah-haaa" reading this. As an officer he would be sitting in front passenger seat (most probably) and there was no safety glass at that time. Flying glass could shred his face, leaving deep cuts requiring multiple stitches, but not threatening his life.

Unfortunately I don't know where to dig to get more info about this accident.

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I want a secret library filled to the brim with transcripts of polar diaries. Raw, unredacted and unsanitised polar diaries. Yeah...

yeah libraries are cool but have you ever found a library with a secret doorway disguised as a bookshelf that leads to a smaller, hidden library filled with ancient books full of mysteries and forgotten knowledge? me neither and i'm sad about it

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The Oates kids in Gestingthorpe. From left to right:

Bryan, known in the family as Brujum, closest to Titus of all siblings. They sailed together, kept hunting dogs together, Titus even left in his will all his possesions to Brujum. Brujum married in 1909, or early 1910 if my memory serves well, while Titus was his best man. After getting hitched Brujum tried to run a farm, without much success it seems, as he had a lot of debts. It also seems he had a fall out with Caroline Oates, the mother of that merry bunch. After William Oates died in 1896 Caroline inherited all the estate and all the money, not even a penny went to the kids. Despite of that I haven't seen any evidence she ever tried to help Brujum financially. Brujum had three kids, if my memory does not fail me.

Titus, trying to look.cool and gentlemanly and doing something pretty weird to his lower wardrobe. He hated posing for pictures.

Violet. She never married, spent her whole life as Caroline's companion, and after Caroline died, as the keeper of all the Titus memorabilia. According to her Caroline asked her to destroy Titus's polar diary after Caroline's death, which she did, after copying some excerpts. She also inherited Gestingthorpe and all the rest. Brujum and Lilian, as far as I know got zilch.

Last but not least Lilian, the oldest of the Oates bunch (it was Lilian, Titus, Violet and Brujum was the youngest). She basically married herself off to Frederick Baring Ranalow, great Irish baritone opera singer who was teaching her the singing. Caroline was not enthusiastic about the coupling as Ranalow in comparison to Oateses was, ummm, not very affluent (when dusring the proposal he told Caroline how much he earned per month he got a caustic reply "Lilian spends that much on hats only"). Caroline never seemed interested on looking for suitors for her daughters and Lilian was reaching her thirties when she married Ranalow. They had two kids, a daughter and a son who served in RAF during the World War II. Patrick Baring Oates Ranalow died on active duty in April 1945 and is buried in Germany.

All the nephews and nieces of Titus were born after he went out (and it may be some time).

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Someone explain me what kind of gaze the author meant, because I truly don't know. If the recipient of said gaze was Birdie or Bill, that would be more understandable, but Scott? Mere thought of sharing tent with Con on the way south was turning Titus into a raging ball of anxiety and dread (if you do what no biographer of his did and actually read his writings, you will discover, folks, that unperturbable Captain Oates was actually highly anxious type with uncanny ability to fret the shit out of himself over anything that had a potential to make him look incompetent or stupid), so I doubt he would be gazing upon Scott in that last moment. So...?

i’m just trying to read a fiction book. terra nova expedition inescapable

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So most of you think my man was fairly monothematic. That means my mission of teaching the world about all the glory and wonder of Lawrence Oates is far from end. There was a lot more prancing around that shapely head than just horses.

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Gran as Lego? Tall, agile, glides on the snow. It does check out. As for Titus I see more of Treebeard in him. Strong, reasonable, resillient, never in hurry, slow to anger but when you manage to piss him off... BURARUM! Never speaks unless something is worth taking the time to say it and sees his livestock everywhere (remember Titus seeing sheep, cattle or horses in every dark dot on the snow/ice?)

Rewatching Lord of the Rings and had a sudden thought that Birdie Bowers is a lot like Sam. Strong, practical, always lifting the morale of the group and loyal till the very end. Bill is Terra Nova's Gandalf, a wise man and a spiritual leader. Fine, but what about the rest of Fellowship? For instance who is Legolas, that eternal twink? And what role would you assign to Titus? Hmmm.

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Rewatching Lord of the Rings and had a sudden thought that Birdie Bowers is a lot like Sam. Strong, practical, always lifting the morale of the group and loyal till the very end. Bill is Terra Nova's Gandalf, a wise man and a spiritual leader. Fine, but what about the rest of Fellowship? For instance who is Legolas, that eternal twink? And what role would you assign to Titus? Hmmm.

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Oh, I just love that photo. I know, I know I posted it already, but I just love it. Just look at it, just looooook! Everyone os so excited about the tree made by Birdie, they are examining it, touching, looking at it, reading (by the way, Meares trying to read a card on one of the gifts hanging on a tree looks seriously farsighted IMO, like "if I move my head further back maybe I will be able to read it... Fuck, no, still can't"), all overjoyed and hyper.

Not Titus though. He is just sitting there, with a cig between his fingers, staring at the glass in front of him and thinking... About what actually? That's his sweet little secret. True story, during one of the work parties I hate with my whole autistic heart (sitting in uncomfortable position, trying not to look like complete pig while eating, striving to not commit too many blunders, because the boss is watching, baaaarrggghhhh) I caught myself basically, well titusing. Yes, I sat there at the table, silent, staring at my empty plate, with my elbows on the table. The only thing I lacked was manly charisma (hard to achieve when you are a plump, hobbit sized, middle aged lady with glasses to rival these of Cherry) and a cigarette in my hand. On one hand it was hard not to start laughing like crazy (but ya know, the boss was watching) on the other, boy, did I feel close to Titus at that moment!

And I beg ya, just look at that closeup and admire these long thick lashes as I do. Look at the shadow they cast on his skin. They are insssssane. He is such a beauty! ❤️

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There is also Gilbert White's house in Selborne, Hampshire. You have to buy a ticket to enter, buuuut one floor of that museum is devoted to Titus and his uncle Frank, with many interesting items donated by the Oates family. If you have been terminally oatesified, I would definitely recommend visiting this place. Not that I was there, no luck yet, but it's a crucial point in my Polar Pilgrimage itinerary, which Pilgrimage will happen as soon as my material situation stops being crappier than food of the Franklin Expedition.

Which polar exploration museums do you think are the best? Ive been trying to narrow down the location for my next international trip and this would be an awesome anchor (pun intended)

Oooh this is such a good question! I apologize in advance for using it as an opportunity to infodump about the polar highlights of my recent trip 😅

The answer is going to depend largely on your favorite expeditions/guys, but no matter what those may be, I strongly recommend a trip to the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) in Cambridge, England. I was there in the fall and it did NOT disappoint!

It's a small museum, but free and completely packed to the gills with devastating artifacts that will ruin your life (positive). You, too, can spend an hour sitting on the floor in front of Captain Oates' sleeping bag violently disassociating!

Also in England, I highly recommend the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. If you're primarily interested in Franklin stuff, this is the place. I was shocked that this museum is also free! They had plenty of devastating polar artifacts, including the infamous Franklin mystery meat, but also lots of cool stuff from many different eras of maritime history. You can also visit Harry Goodsir's grave at the Old Royal Navy College Chapel in Greenwich. If you want to make a day of it in London, check out this incredibly comprehensive Franklin Expedition Guide to London from Logan Zachary and Alison Freebairn. The Greenwich sites I mentioned are on there, along with many, many others!

In Scotland, I can't recommend Discovery Point and the RRS Discovery highly enough! The ship itself has been meticulously maintained, and the museum tells the story of the 1901 Discovery Expedition beautifully. I met up with a friend who was working on the ship's crew at the time, and she gave me a behind the scenes tour and even let me get a picture in Scott's cabin ��� Anyway, Discovery is a must see if you're a fan of Scott, Shackleton, or Wilson. Also, Scotland is INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL and historic Dundee is a very cool town!

These are the 3 polar sites in the UK I was lucky enough to visit in person, but there are so many more! I haven't been to any of the following sites (yet) but I hope to go in the future, and I feel comfortable recommending them based on the opinions of people I trust:

-The Shackleton Museum in Athy, Ireland is currently being remodeled, but will hopefully reopen to the public later this summer!

-The Fram Museum in Oslo and Roald Amundsen's Home in Uranienborg are must-see attractions if you're a fan of Amundsen and are able to get to Norway. There's also a Polar Museum in Tromsø.

-If you'll be in Japan, there is a Polar Science Museum that talks about the Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912, as well as more recent Japanese polar history.

I'm sure there are many more sites, these are just the first larger ones that popped into my head. If there's a special guy you're interested in, find out where he's from and there's a good chance that his birthplace will have a small museum and some local experts who would love to chat about him- my friend Ceres had this exact experience researching Taff Evans in Wales!

ANYWAY, thank you for such a fun ask, and please let me know where you end up going! Also all of this is assuming you're based in the US, which is why I left out US-based museums, but if you'd like to learn more about those let me know and I'll do my best to make a list! Traveling to polar sites is one of the best things I've ever done, and I hope it's as wonderful of an experience for you as it was for me! ❤️

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Deb, ye olde blossom, get your eyes checked. Taff is a hottie! And it seems the best parts got cut out from Deb's diary before the publication, so pleaaseee someone kindly publish the unedited version before I get completely bonkers. Also: the world needs to be informed loudly and boldly that Taff Evans, while not being an angel, because nobody is, is a truly lovely lad that deserves to be remembered as such.

Debenham and Evans

New long and detailed polar blog post from ME.... all about the friendship between Deb and Taff of which most good bits sadly were lost from the published version of Deb's diary.

The nails have all come out of my boots and the [steigeison] crampons have raised a blister on my heel so I did not wear them yesterday. The consequence was that I slipped & slid in all directions with many falls on these rivers & lakes, much to the amusement of others, especially Evans.  In fact when on slippery ice Evans was constantly shoving me and we were sparring across the traces half the day. Over a long slippery bit he incited the others so that this absurd spectacle might have been seen. 3 fellows running along as hard as they could, laughing and looking round at the fourth, me, trying hard to keep up without slipping & finally having to hang on to the sledge itself like grim death. Staid explorers!!  But I get some of my own back now and then. 

Read more!

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When you, well, most of you, think about Lawrence Oates, you see this calm, stoical man, who never shows much of his emotions, right? Unperturbable stoic, sometimes even accused of being cold, poker faced man. That, dearies, couldn't be further from truth, so meet the other Titus, a volcano of emotions. All quotes from Limb&Cordingley "Captain Oates. Soldier and explorer".

When Titus stationed in Ireland he made himself a neat little stable of race horses and was racing them in military races, sometimes riding them himself, but more often putting other people in the saddle and observing races from the side. Well, "observing" might be not the best word here...

I was racing here today and ran Gabriel in the big Hurdle race .. . I was so excited I fairly screamed and rode an imaginary finish on top of the stand, much to everybody’s amusement.

We are talking here about the year 1903 or 1904, beginning of the 20th century, mind you. Gentlemen were supposed to show restraint and dignity, even during the races so just imagine that madman in the elegant crowd, screaming his head off and riding on top of the stand 🤣 Full blast stoicism!

At the other occasion, when in 1904 the same horse, Gabriel, was going for a win in an important race...

My eyes got so full of tears I could not see the horses and had to keep asking the man next to me how my horse was going.

And that's not the only instance of Titus crying during the races we know. In 1904 Gabriel won The Subalterns Cup. Overjoyed Titus and Gabriel's trainer, Murdaugh, wept in each others arms.

By the way, Titus named one of his horses Gesting Thorpe (after the village his family's house was, Gestingthorpe) and another... Titus, I kid you not.

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Here, some excerpts of Titus's letters to his mother, showcasing his great, dry, grumbly, sense of humour (all from Limb&Cordingley "Captain Oates. Soldier and explorer".)

Titus about picnics:

Exotic spelling as written by the author of the letter. My back joins yours, Titus, in pain, as it hates viciously sitting for longer periods without any backrests to lean on.

Titus, pondering if he shoukd accept the position of an adiutant.

Owie, darling, that's some serious burn! Poor Titus was so frustrated with his army service, felt so unhappy there and yet did not want to dissapoint anyone. You can hear in these sentences how he gnashed his teeth while writing.

And on a lighter note, Titus and his unruly doggo in Ireland.

Appreciate, please, that subtle diss of the boring drill book and melt with me over the visions of Titus scolding the doggo lovingly and getting licked all over the face in response.

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Oh come on, without my daily talks with Titus I'd be long catatonic from burnout. The parasocial relationship with long dead polar explorer is saving my life!

do not form a para social relationship with long dead polar explorers

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Would knowing that Titus never used a whip or a club on any horse under his care, never even yelled at them and gave all of his crocks a bit of his heart make you feel better? I think Christopher got from Titus more tenderness than from any other human in his life. And whenever Titus mentioned him he did it by his name. I strongly believe Titus would get to Christopher, would gain his trust, if they both had more time.

Those ponies might have been the biggest load of crock he ever saw, but he loved them all.

Every time I saw that one white pony in the stable, I saw Christopher