Latest news with #RRSDiscovery
The Courier
14-06-2025
- General
- The Courier
Behind the scenes with Dundee restoration team fighting to save RRS Discovery
The rhythmic clang of metal-on-metal echoes through the belly of the RRS Discovery, bouncing off 124-year-old timber and reverberating through the ship's timeworn bones. It's a cramped, dimly lit space where visitors duck instinctively to avoid thick beams and breathe in the scent of aged oak. But here, in this tight chamber deep below deck, two figures are locked in a careful dance with history, attempting to coax rusted bolts from the ship's ancient rudder shaft. For Nell Bond, 24, from Speyside, and Craig Doig, 39, from Dundee's Kirkton, it's noisy, painstaking work. But for these two – part of the team behind the multi-million-pound restoration of Captain Scott's iconic Dundee-built polar ship – it's also a dream job while helping to revive old skills. 'I first met a wooden boat in a museum in Shetland and fell in love,' grins Nell, who now lives in Stirling. 'Now I'm here in Dundee, working on the RRS Discovery – and getting paid to do it. That's almost unheard of in Scotland.' Nell, a labourer with boatbuilding experience, mostly focuses on woodwork. She spends her days caulking – wedging oakum between planks to keep the ship watertight. It's hands-on heritage, using skills once passed down through generations, and now being revived. 'This is the first time I've been paid above minimum wage to do boat building in Scotland,' she says. 'Everything here is usually voluntary-led, so to be doing this professionally feels amazing.' Craig's path was less direct but just as meaningful. A former pupil of West March Primary and Kirkton High School in Dundee, he started out dismantling fridges at Shore Recycling in Perth. He then spent a decade in Fife's timber trade before returning to Dundee and retraining in mechanical engineering. 'I've been doing this about a year now,' he says. 'I'm learning skills I've never used before – like caulking. It's old-school stuff, but really satisfying to get into.' Craig visited RRS Discovery 'once or twice' as a child but didn't remember much. Now he's a vital part of the crew breathing life back into her bones. Today's task? Wrestling corroded bolts from the rudder post so the structure can be levelled. It's hard, sweaty work in the bowels of the ship, where each bolt tells a story. Still, there's pride in it. Visitors often peer curiously below deck, and Craig is happy to show them what's happening. Leading the restoration is Jason Struthers, director of JPS Restoration and Consultancy – a conservation engineering firm from Alloa now spearheading this ambitious project. 'This isn't just a ship – it's a massive timber engineering project,' says Jason, 51. 'It looks like a boat, but to us, it's a structure. What we're doing is really complex conservation.' JPS may not be a traditional marine company, but their experience with historic sea gates, windmills, and large-scale work makes them a perfect fit. Working closely with Dundee Heritage Trust, the team has uncovered more hidden damage than expected. 'From the outside, Discovery looks fantastic,' Jason says. 'But water has seeped in over decades, damaging the inner layers. We peel one section back, only to find more rot underneath. It's like opening a box of secrets.' Materials for the restoration include Scottish oak from Scottish Sawmilling Services in Fife, European softwoods, and even Siberian pine to replace historically rare timbers like pitch pine. Some parts, like the oak stanchions that support the outer handrails, stretch deep into the hull – requiring major dismantling just to access. 'There's an island in Sweden planted centuries ago to supply oak for warships,' Jason says. 'We're even looking at sourcing timber from there. That's the scale of what we're doing.' But the work goes beyond wood and bolts. For Jason, it's about reviving disappearing skills. 'We're in line to get an intern from Historic Environment Scotland, and we're building a team from the ground up. These skills – caulking, steam bending, traditional joinery – are dying out. It's vital we pass them on.' Visitors to Discovery – still open to the public throughout the restoration – can often witness live demos. 'Steam days,' as Jason calls them, are especially popular. 'They see us bending timber, fitting planks, doing things most people haven't seen done in a hundred years.' The team is also staying true to Discovery's original craftsmanship. 'She's concreted in here now, so she'll never go back to sea,' Jason says. 'But we're restoring her in the same traditional way she was built. The ultimate goal of conservation is to retain as much as possible – and make everything we do reversible. You never do anything to this ship that can't be undone.' Back out on the quayside, Dundee Heritage Trust ship and facilities director Ali Gellatly points towards the towering yellow steel braces holding the stern of RRS Discovery in place. The temporary supports, stark against the historic wooden hull, hint at the massive and painstaking multi-million pound conservation effort underway. 'It's the biggest conservation project in Discovery's modern life,' says Ali, 41, who grew up in Douglas, Dundee. 'We've brought her back into alignment – essentially preventing the stern from drifting further. 'She's held in place while we replace structural timbers and carry out major caulking and deck repairs.' Ali leads The Courier into the dry dock below, where the view under the ship is both humbling and fascinating. There, etched into the wood, are long, pale gouges – the scars left by encounters with Antarctic ice a century or more ago. 'It's incredible, isn't it?' he says. 'You're looking at history you can touch.' Not surprisingly, history is very much on Ali's mind with June 13 marking exactly 100 years since the Discovery was formally designated a Royal Research Ship – work being carried on today by her modern counterpart. The original was already a legend, thanks to her pioneering voyage to the Antarctic from 1901–1904 under Scott and Shackleton. But it was in 1925, after years of commercial work and wartime service, that she was reborn as RRS Discovery, a vessel dedicated once again to cutting-edge scientific exploration. 'Her life didn't stop with the Antarctic,' Ali says. 'She went on to carry out groundbreaking oceanographic research. What we're looking to do now is tell that story in the galleries while conserving the ship as an object.' For Ali, RRS Discovery has been part of his life since childhood. Born in Dundee, he went to Powrie Primary and then Craigie High School. He was on Broughty Ferry beach as a toddler in 1986 when the Discovery was towed up the Tay aboard the Happy Mariner, and again watched her final short voyage from Victoria Dock to her permanent berth in 1992. Even back then, the ship had his imagination. 'I've got an entire bookcase at home just for polar exploration,' he laughs. 'Scott, Shackleton, Discovery – I've been fascinated by it all my life. It really is like our version of going to Mars.' His path to this dream role wasn't exactly direct. He worked in pubs in Broughty Ferry before moving into banking, then served four years as a police officer with Tayside Police, working beats in Hilltown and Downfield. But the draw of heritage work brought him to Dundee Heritage Trust a decade ago, first as a trainee through a Museums Galleries Scotland diversity programme. He's since done everything from front-of-house and education to ship's crew and social media before eventually taking on the operations and facilities brief in 2021. 'This is absolutely the best job I've ever done,' he says. 'It's rare to have a job where you genuinely look forward to going in every day, even when it's a challenge.' The current restoration project is the first of two major phases, with the financial challenges and ambitions recently explored by The Courier. The initial £1.4 million phase – delayed and inflated in cost by the pandemic – is tackling urgent structural issues in the stern, including failing keel blocks, horn timbers, and long-deck beams. Work is being done using traditional shipbuilding methods: oakum and Stockholm tar for caulking, steam-bent timbers, and even century-old teak salvaged from a shipwreck. 'This isn't just ship repair – this is conservation,' Ali says. 'Wherever possible, we use like-for-like materials and the methods she was built with. That's how you respect the heritage and ensure the repairs last.' The second phase, due to start in August, is estimated at £1.9 million and will cover more hull planking, steelwork in the engine house, and structural elements like bulwarks that support the rigging. As with any old ship, more issues could be uncovered along the way. Essential fundraising is ongoing. 'There's always that fear – you take off one plank and find a dozen more problems,' he admits. 'But that's why we're working to a 100-year conservation plan. This isn't about patching her up for a decade. It's about making sure she's still here in another hundred years, inspiring future generations.' Alongside the physical conservation, Ali is passionate about expanding the story told inside Discovery Point. While the heroic age of exploration is well covered, the galleries are being reimagined to showcase the ship's oceanographic legacy – whale studies, deep-sea dredging, and early climate data collection that modern scientists still reference today. 'Modern Royal Research Ships still use net gauges designed to match Discovery's, so that comparisons over time are scientifically valid,' he says. 'The legacy of Discovery is real science, not just history.' Back on the quayside, the ship looms large. Masts, rigging, and all, she's unmistakably the same vessel Captain Scott and his crew would recognise. 'She's changed a bit – wider bridge, extra bunks – but the bones are all still here,' Ali says. 'And we want to keep her that way.'
The Courier
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Visit Dundee in 1988 thanks to colour photos pulled from the archives
Welcome to Dundee in 1988. The images, captured on colour reversal film by DC Thomson photographers, were actually part of a modernisation process at the firm. These were part of a recently discovered stash which has been digitised. They show red post boxes in the City Square and vanished views of the bottom of the Hilltown before the demolition of buildings opposite the Little Theatre. Big crowds at Samuel's Corner greeted the floats at the Dundee Festival. The RRS Discovery and the Unicorn were berthed in Victoria Dock and fresh mussels and pheasant were on the menu at Miguel's in Broughty Ferry. This retro photo gallery captures life in Dundee as it was back in 1988. What will you remember? Barnhill Rock Garden looking resplendent in the sunshine in 1988. The garden occupies the site of the former nine-hole golf course at Barnhill. It rose from modest beginnings as a rockery display at the starter's box in 1964. People feeding the swans at Broughty Ferry Harbour in 1988. The seagulls joined the Ferry's resident swans in looking for bread. Let's hope nobody went overboard. Scotland's National Bard sitting outside McManus Galleries in 1988. The Robert Burns statue was mounted on a pedestal of Peterhead granite in Albert Square and 100,000 people watched the unveiling in October 1880. The zoo at Camperdown Park has always been a popular attraction. In 1988 the public was given the chance to adopt every animal in the zoo. Among the residents in 1988 was Jeremy the Bear, who used to advertise Sugar Puffs. The Christmas tree in the City Square in December 1988. The civic decorations and lights were even more spectacular in 1988 thanks to a £3,000 cash boost donated by Alan Craig on behalf of the city traders. The big switch-on was conducted by the cast of Beauty and the Beast. A view of the bus stop at the Nethergate outside City Churches. A display of flowers from the parks department are behind the Mercat Cross. The cross was moved to the Nethergate in 1874. A view of City Square in the summer sunshine in June 1988. Two red post boxes can be seen in the foreground and the Caird Hall, in the background, was about to host the two-day Tayside Women's Health Fair. The event explored everything from diet and exercise to the menopause. Another view of the City Square in June 1988. These were the days when the fountains were actually filled with water. The sculptures represent fire, water, earth and air. The Loch Ness Monster and the Scottish Hydro-Electric float approaches Samuel's Corner on the High Street in July 1988 during the Dundee Festival parade. Dozens of floats and marching bands took to the streets in a gigantic parade. The first Dundee Festival took place in July 1978. This is an aerial view of Dundee Harbour. Ocean Odyssey took up temporary residence later in the year. The rig was declared an insurance write-off. The war memorial at the top of Dundee Law. After much debate, it was agreed the words on the memorial should read: 'To the memory of Dundee men who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918.' A foundry in Cheltenham completed the job. A view along Fisher Street in Broughty Ferry. The RNLI lifeboat station is on the left and the Ship Inn is on the right. The Ship Inn is more than 200 years old. Looking down Gray Street and over the level crossing in 1988. Do you remember Miguel's? In 1988 the restaurant was serving up a varied menu including 'pheasant, venison, steaks, pasta, fresh veal, crayfish, crevettes and fresh mussels'. Last orders at the Hawthorn and Top O' The Steps public houses. The buildings were condemned to demolition by Dundee District Council. The Hawthorn was formerly called the Rowan Tree and the Maple Leaf. A digger pulled down the adjoining buildings, which were deemed unsafe, in February 1988 to make way for Dundee's £14 million inner ring road. Hawthorn Bar mine host Tom McMahon was one of Dundee's oldest publicans. He mourned the loss of the iconic boozer. The approach to the Ninewells Hospital site in 1988. When it opened in 1974, hospital porters said they were having to walk 15 miles a day around the 230-acre site, while rumours spread that doctors and nurses were using roller skates and scooters to get around. Aerial view east along the River Tay on a beautiful day. The road and rail bridges shape the picture and prominent in the skyline are the Hilltown multis, Tayside House and Dundee Gas Works. Looking east along Riverside Drive. The stretch remains a popular spot for cyclists and joggers. Ariel view showing Dundee Law and the Tay Road Bridge. The bridge was designed by William Fairhurst, who was an accomplished chess player. David Annand won the public art competition at Dundee's Technology Park in 1986 and the leaping deer he created was greeted with public acclaim. Annand went on to complete a number of public sculptures including the bronze tribute to Formula 1 driver Jim Clark in the quiet Fife village of Kilmany. The Discovery and Unicorn were berthed in Victoria Dock in 1988. In 1992 the Discovery was moved to Discovery Quay where it is now in dry dock. Sailors take advantage of the good weather to sail their yachts at West Ferry. The Beach Club House at West Ferry is home to Royal Tay Yacht Club. The club was established in March 1885.
The Courier
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Chance to have lunch with Lorraine Kelly in Dundee at 'exclusive' event
Fans of Lorraine Kelly will have the chance to dine with the TV host at an upcoming event in Dundee. Dundee Heritage Trust will host the exclusive £80 per person Lunch with Lorraine event at Discovery Point on Saturday June 28. Lorraine, a patron of the trust, will meet and greet fans at a drinks reception before taking them to the Falcon Scott Suite. Then guests will enjoy a three-course meal prepared by Strathearn Food Company. After the meal, RRS Discovery's director, Ali Gellatly, will take guests on a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship. Everyone who attends the event will receive a keepsake edition menu to remember the day. This 'exclusive opportunity' is part of Whale of a Weekend, a series of events along the waterfront from June 27-29. The 'fun-filled festival' celebrates 'stories of the wonder of whales from around the world'. Family-friendly activities include a talk from TV historian Dan Snow. Tickets for Lunch with Lorraine, which takes place from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, cost £80. Money raised from the lunch with Lorraine Kelly will go towards the continued conservation of RSS Discovery, berthed in Dundee. Meanwhile, The Courier has explored Lorraine's links to Dundee and why she loves the city.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists stunned as deep-sea camera captures elusive creature nearly 5,000 meters below the ocean's surface: 'The animal disappears from view'
An amazing creature that lives deep in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean was captured in time-lapse photographs, allowing scientists to learn more about the role it plays on the seafloor. They found the small endomyarian anemone is perhaps the most prevalent animal on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain — making up about half of megafaunal density — and studied its feeding and burrowing habits. It lives 4,850 meters below the surface, and its diet includes a much bigger polychaete, or marine worm. The beings also spent hours creating new burrows. "In each burrow move, the animal disappears from view by retreating into its burrow, then a small mound appears a short distance from the original burrow," the researchers wrote, as Discover Wildlife reported. "This mound grows and is broken along the crest before the animal emerges from the apex of the mound, tentacles first, and establishes itself in the new burrow with its disk flush with the sediment surface and tentacles extended," the study continued. The study was published in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. It followed 18 specimens over 20 months at eight-hour intervals and one individual over two weeks at 20-minute intervals. The RRS James Cook and RRS Discovery used towed-vehicle cameras to take 29,016 usable photos. One anemone reached 109 millimeters (4.3 inches), while the average oral disk diameter was 32 mm (1.3 in). They have 24 tentacles. The creatures not only feed on phytodetritus from the seabed but are also predators, which is contrary to previous thought. The researchers said Iosactis vagabunda, which they called "dominant" in the title of the paper, is not a suspension feeder or even an opportunistic omnivore but a "significant" predator. In one instance, a 22-mm anemone spent three-plus days on camera before it ate a 105-mm polychaete over 16 hours. It spent the next 56 hours fully extended above its burrow, stretching to that maximum length of 109 mm. The chaetae, or bristles, of the worm "were visible through the body wall of the anemone," per the study. The anemones observed spent 19 days in their burrows on average, and the scientists tracked one individual for nearly 10 days. In one sequence, it took 22 hours to move to a new burrow. After disappearing from view, it started building a mound from under the sediment nearly 10 hours later. It did that for almost five hours until breaking through, and it took eight more hours to emerge and establish itself. It spent six days there before moving again. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "This hemisessile lifestyle, with frequent burrow relocation, may be to allow more effective exploitation of resources and thus be linked to feeding behaviour," they wrote, noting the invertebrates' movement was unique among predatory anemones in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain, as others are immobile. The researchers said the anemones may be "critical" carbon cyclers, as their observations showed an impact two to 20 times greater than another study of sea anemones at the plain. This and similar discoveries, including seagrass' heavy metal sequestering potential, prove the value of scientific exploration of the ocean. Amid rising global temperatures, seawater is absorbing much of the atmosphere's excess heat, revealing the consequences of humans' burning of dirty energy sources — and what can be done to rebalance Earth's ecosystems. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- BBC News
Dundee attraction Discovery Point receives £3.55m funding boost
A popular Dundee tourist attraction exploring the city's maritime history has been awarded £3.55m for the next stage of its Point includes Captain Scott's Antarctic exploration ship RRS Discovery, which is currently undergoing a major restoration Heritage Fund money will also go towards two new exhibition galleries and a restaurant in its visitor Heritage Trust said it hoped the funding would help secure the ship's future as "one of the world's most-important historical vessels". RRS Discovery was purpose-built in the city to take explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott to the Antarctic in the early ship returned there in 1986 to a permanent home in the year the Hope Cross, a poignant memorial to polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton from his crew, went on display at Discovery Point after a journey of more than 7,000 miles from the South new attractions add to a 360° virtual recreation of Dundee in 1901 that was opened in the centre in new exhibitions will shed light on the early explorers' fascination with Antarctica and how Discovery's pioneering voyages continue to shape global climate work on the project is expected to begin next year and conclude in 2028. Dundee Heritage Trust chairman David Henry said: "The next stage of Discovery Point Transformed marks an exciting new chapter in our ongoing mission to preserve and celebrate Discovery's extraordinary legacy."By combining innovative exhibitions with essential conservation work, we will ensure that RRS Discovery continues to educate and inspire for the next century."
