Captain Scott's Last Expedition

Bunks in the cabin

A most interesting exhibition describing and showing in great detail the Antarctic exploration of 100 years ago, and the disaster that befell Captain Scott and four of the expedition members on their return from the Pole.  Although I had been brought up with this story in my DNA, I really knew very little about what really happened.  Here the background and the story was explained, with many artefacts and maps to help.

A full scale floor map of the famous hut was marked out on the floor, and a model of the equally famous mess table had been made and donated to the exhibition. All the members, officers and men, were described in some detail, and the expedition photographer took marvellous pictures of the whole event, from unloading supplies and building the hut to all the everyday life arrangements such as catering and washing. 

Scott's last expedition has become part of polar mythology.  Only this week I was reading about young Norwegian scientists whose dream it was to visit and to work there.  The hut is looked after by New Zealand, and recently it has been dampproofed and protected so that it remains a perfect time capsule of life a century ago, complete with gloves and clothes and cooking ingredients.

The scientific research that was a major part of the expedition's raison d'etre has proved very valuable.  Scott raised the finance and support for the expedition himself and passionately believed in it.  The story was most inspiring with a strong sense of humanity.