The King shares special message on BBC World Service to mark the 70th anniversary of the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast
The King has recorded a special message for the BBC World Service's annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast, dedicated to staff stationed at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research facilities, calling their work 'more vital than ever' and sending 'countless special thoughts' ahead of the celebrations.
Midwinter in Antarctica is marked by complete darkness, extreme cold, and months of isolation. Each year, on 21 June, personnel at BAS stations – Rothera, Bird Island, and South Georgia – join colleagues at other international bases across the continent in celebrating this unique occasion. The festivities traditionally include a special broadcast from the BBC World Service.
This year's broadcast is particularly significant, marking the 70th anniversary of the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast. His Majesty welcomed the momentous milestone with a personal message to a few dozen listeners – the team of scientists and support staff isolated in the Antarctic.
As part of the message, The King says:
'With the sun shying away from your horizon today, I particularly wanted to send my warmest good wishes to all of those serving at British Antarctic research stations this Midwinter's Day and, above all, to express the greatest admiration for the critically important work you do.
'The scientific research that the British Antarctic Survey undertakes, alongside teams from across the world, is today more vital than ever, telling us stories of the past, the present and possible futures…
'Each observation, measurement and calculation you undertake adds to the world's understanding of the Earth's fragile systems and the role humanity plays, as we struggle to live in harmony with nature.
'I very much appreciate the resilience and commitment to duty you all demonstrate so effectively, and which embody the pioneering spirit that has characterised British polar exploration for generations. On the 70th anniversary of this midwinter broadcast, I send countless special thoughts for your celebrations today.'
Jon Zilkha, Controller, BBC World Service English, says: 'The annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast is always a poignant moment on the BBC World Service as family and friends record moving messages for loved ones stationed so far away. This year we're proud to celebrate the 70th anniversary with an extra special tribute from The King. The recording highlights the BBC World Service's unique role in bringing people together by broadcasting around the world.'
Alongside The King's message, the BBC World Service programme consists of music requests and messages from home to those at the British Antarctic Survey research stations.
Outside of the BBC World Service broadcast, staff traditionally feast, exchange presents, and watch the classic 1982 science fiction film The Thing, set in the Antarctic.
Listeners around the world can hear the special 70th anniversary broadcast featuring the King's message on the BBC World Service at (6.30pm GMT) 7.30pm BST on Saturday 21 June
Previous broadcasts can be found here: BBC World Service - Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast
Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast is a Boffin Media production for the BBC World Service. The Executive Producer is Richard Hollingham.
RM3
Follow for more
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
an hour ago
- Times
How the UK is testing a radical plan to refreeze the Arctic
F or much of his career, Dr Shaun Fitzgerald of the University of Cambridge worked on trying to cut the amount of carbon we pump into the atmosphere. Five years ago, he shifted his focus. 'We've been talking about reducing emissions for decades,' he said. 'The truth is, they're still rising.' He turned his attention to something more radical. Could we, he wondered, refreeze the Arctic? The idea has serious backing. In June the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) — a government body created to back 'ideas on the edge of what's possible' — awarded a team led by Fitzgerald £10 million in funding. The money will be spent on exploring whether it might be possible to use hundreds of thousands of robots to thicken and prolong the life of a portion of the sea ice that forms each winter across the High Arctic.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Bristol volunteers needed for typhoid fever vaccine trial
A clinical study to test a new vaccine to prevent typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever is seeking Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation Trust's Vaccine and Testing Research Team is collaborating with the University of Oxford's Vaccine Group to invite healthy people between the ages of 18 and 55 to take part in the will either receive an experimental dose or the control vaccine before being exposed to the bacteria which causes the Rajeka Lazarus, from UHBW, said: "We hope by investigating this new vaccine we can assist in progressing medical research and saving lives". Typhoid fever is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body and affect many can cause serious complications and can even be fatal without prompt is estimated that there are 13m cases of typhoid and paratyphoid A fever every year, resulting in 133,000 condition mainly affects school-aged children in Asia and Africa. 'Landmark moment' The seven-month trial aims to generate a protective immune the study, participants will be constantly monitored by doctors and will be reimbursed for their time and travel by the Serum Institute of India, which is funding the Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine group, and Chief Investigator of the study, said the trial is a "landmark moment"."Not only would this be the first licensed vaccine specifically for paratyphoid A, but this could also be the first combined vaccine to be licensed to protect against both paratyphoid and added that the vaccine could "significantly reduce the global burden" of the disease if it is successful.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The horrifying truth about why you should NEVER use your phone on the toilet
Taking your phone to the toilet may keep you entertained while you do your business. But this common habit can turn your device into a haven for dangerous microorganisms, a scientist warns. Dr Primrose Freestone, professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester, says fecal bacteria can easily reach your phone in the bathroom. This includes E. coli, which can result in nasty diarrhea and stomach cramps, and Pseudomonas, which causes infections in the blood and lungs. Even after you've washed your hands with soap, these bugs can travel back to your hands once you touch your phone again. As a result, phones should be kept out of the toilet altogether, and regularly sanitized with alcohol wipes. 'The phone will at some point get contaminated, so periodically disinfecting your phone is a good idea,' she told MailOnline. 'My Nokia gets a disinfectant wipe over twice a week.' When we flush a toilet, a plume of tiny liquid droplets containing bacteria and fecal matter, invisible to the naked eye, is violently ejected. According to prior research at the University of Colorado Boulder, this so-called 'toilet plume' can travel 5 feet (1.5 metres) in eight seconds. Therefore, anything that is within five feet of the toilet bowl can become contaminated, whether it's the floor, the wall or a nearby book. Research also suggests that this dreaded plume still escapes when we've got the toilet lid closed. As a result, Professor Freestone urges people to keep their phone well away from the toilet, or even better, out of the bathroom entirely. 'Toilet areas adjacent to toilets, because of the toilet spray trajectory, are pretty contaminated,' she told MailOnline. 'It does not matter where you go, there will be faecal bacteria on lots of [bathroom] surfaces. 'So soaps and taps, toilet and wash basin surfaces, door handles, bath mats – the list is long.' If you're holding your phone while you empty you bowels, putting it on the floor before flushing is one of the worst things you can do. That's because fecal matter whizzes out of the toilet upon flushing and eventually settles onto the floor. 'The floor around the toilet will – if not disinfected regularly – have traces of faeces with lots gut bacteria, which will stay alive for hours and days,' said Professor Freestone. 'So I would not put your phone on the floor next to the toilet as it is likely to pick up the faeces and the bacteria associated with the waste product.' Even if you put your phone on another nearby surface, such as the cistern or the nearby windowsill, it could risk contamination too. Professor Freestone acknowledges it can be hard to be separated from your phone, even for the relatively short time it takes to use the toilet. In extreme instances – such as not wanting to miss a very important phone call, for example – she suggests keeping it in your pocket for the whole time. Even though we may not appreciate it, phones are high-touch items particularly at risk of bacterial contamination just like doorknobs, light switches and taps. Therefore, we should be washing our hands much more often before or after touching them, while also keeping them sanitized, she added. Using a 70 per cent alcohol wipe or a mild soap and water mixture are good options, but don't submerge it if it's not waterproof, or use harsh chemicals like bleach. The specialist in home hygiene and food safety has also weighed in on the best way to position your toilet paper. In the 'over' position, the next square of toilet paper is facing the user, while in the 'under' position, the next square of toilet paper is facing the wall. Aerosol droplets containing urine, faeces and vomit stay in the air for up to 20 seconds Tiny droplets carrying traces of urine, faeces, vomit and viruses float into the air at mouth-level after a toilet is flushed, a 2021 study warned. It showed that tens of thousands of particles are spewed into the air by a flush and can rise several feet above the ground. Droplets were spotted floating around five feet (1.5m) in the air for more than 20 seconds, with researchers pointing out this poses a risk of inhalation. Small droplets and aerosols are so light they can float around in the air on tiny draughts, before settling on a surface. Researchers say that they can also act as vectors for diseases. SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid, for example, has been found alive in human faeces. Therefore, scientists warn that flush-propelled particles from an infected person's faeces could float into the air, be sucked in by a passer-by, and infect them.
