Recent News / Events
Courage on the high seas
Mon 17 May, 2010
On Friday our Year 6 children had the honour of a visit from Anne Barnes Graham, who sailed the Atlantic and back again single-handed when she was just 21. Her inspirational talk about conquering the perils of the great ocean captivated her young audience, who sat enthralled as Anne recounted tales of capsizing in hurricane force winds and colliding with a super tanker. The children were also fascinated to hear how her feisty 'ship's cat' (Pooh) coped with a life on the ocean waves.
Anne's talk brought home the harsh reality of what it is like being on your own on a small craft thousands of miles from the safety of harbour. The children have all been reading Michael Morpurgo's novel, 'Kensuke's Kingdom', an enjoyable seafaring yarn about a family who abandon the comforts of home for a life on the high seas.
Anne's exploits are recorded in Tom Lochhaas's 'Intrepid Voyagers' along with the tales of other famous sailors, including Ellen MacArthur and Francis Chichester. Her talk showed the children just how much can be achieved if you have the determination to really work at something and overcome your fears. There's a moral here for everyone!
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