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I have been fascinated by the history of ships since boyhood. In 1940s Scotland, the Sabbath was observed strictly even by my own family who were not churchgoers. Sundays were for visiting friends and relatives, or in summer, for going on walks with my grandfather. Children were most definitely not allowed outside to play. If the weather was inclement, we had to amuse ourselves indoors. I was lucky. My parents, although working class, were bibliophiles and I had a wide range of material to read.

One of my favourite books, the “Wonderful Story of the Sea”, told the history of ships and shipping from dugout canoes to early 20th century liners. The book was generously illustrated showing the development of sailing ships over the centuries. It included chapters on sea creatures, shipwrecks, pirates and smugglers, exploration and transition from wood and sail to iron, steel and steam power.

Over a lifetime, I have visited replicas of the Golden Hind in Brixham and London; Columbus’s Santa Maria in Barcelona; Nelson’s Victory, the Warrior and the Mary Rose in Portsmouth; a 19th century American battleship and a 20th century submarine in Philadelphia; the Constitution in Boston; the Bounty in Sydney Harbour; a wooden frigate, the Unicorn and Scott’s Discovery in Dundee; a British WWI battleship HMS Caroline and the Titanic museum in Belfast; Chatham Historic Dockyard and a post war British submarine; HMS Belfast and the Cutty Sark on the Thames; the Vasa in Stockholm, a 17th century warship salvaged in the 20th century after sinking on its maiden voyage, a trip of a mile; and a WW2 German U-boat in Birkenhead. Nearer home, I have been a regular visitor to HMS Trincomalee at Hartlepool, a restored frigate from the Napoleonic era. When the replica of Captain Cook’s Endeavour visited Middlesbrough, I spent two days on board as a volunteer and watchman.

After retiring from work, I fulfilled a promise to my grandchildren and built a pirate ship in the garden. For 20 years it offered great fun to all who boarded her.

More recently, I have become engrossed in the story of Franklin’s Expedition despatched by the Admiralty in May 1845 to find and navigate the North West Passage. Two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, with 129 men and provisions to last three years, sailed into the frozen archipelago of Canada and were never seen again. The two shipwrecks were eventually found by marine archaeologists and divers in 2014 and 2016. Using a commercial kit, I am building a model of HMS Terror.

When my wife Anne, suggested a weekend break in London, I jumped at the chance to visit the Maritime Museum in Greenwich to gather information about HMS Terror. It was then I found out about the opportunity to climb Cutty Sark’s mast - a challenge I could not refuse.

Coincidentally, I received an appeal from Blind Veterans UK, one of a number of military charities to whom I have donated over the years. A sponsored climb, immediately came to mind and would be more productive for the charity than a modest donation.

The climb may not appear to be a big event, but earlier this year, I celebrated my 90th birthday. There cannot be many 90 year olds willing and able to take on this challenge.

I am so grateful still to be blessed with good health and good sight, and am glad to help those who have not been so lucky as me. Blind Veterans UK does invaluable work in enabling ex service men and women to lead a full life.

Please give generously. Thank you

Kelso

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