What a great story by Neil Drysdale about Franklin’s doomed expedition.
I remember seeing the statue of Sir John Franklin as a boy.
The Royal Navy produced some great pioneers, with Franklin and his successors Scott and Shackelton all being remarkable men.
Sadly, the polar climate took the lives of Franklin and his entire crew, as did the South Pole with Scott and his party of four, with the legendary Titus Oates sacrificing his own life to give his companions the chance to survive.
Shackelton, without doubt, attained legendary status when his ship was crushed by ice. He and his crew walked for god knows how far, pulling two whalers, then he rowed and sailed to South Georgia, where he then had to traverse a mountain to find help. Not one member of Shackelton’s crew died, thanks to his incredible skills and endurance.
Franklin and Scott were heavily criticised for bungling at the time. Far from it – these guys were the ultimate pioneers, and extremely brave men.
Andrew Lamb, Fraserburgh
Shameful state of city
I can’t believe the state of the city centre.
I’m a born and bred Aberdonian and was always proud to say where I came from, but now it is a disgrace.
Where did all the oil money go? It certainly wasn’t spent on improving the city.
They are now trying to close the door after the horse has bolted. We have waited so long for improvements to make the city somewhere we could again be proud of.
They want to build a football stadium at the beach – ridiculous, that would just be a big blot on the landscape. If the truth be told, the beach has probably been a lifesaver for lots of people during this pandemic. Building a huge play park for children on that ground would make more sense. We need to try to encourage holidaymakers, not football games.
I have little faith that the Aberdeen I knew will ever return.
Roy
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