Pirate Plunder is an independent title published thrice a year in May, August and November for The Pirate Brethren of the British Isles. It aims to encourage the fundraising activities of pirate crews by promoting pirate festivals and other events where charitable pirates are to be found.
Thanks are due to Raven Red of The Jolly Rogers – Dorset for the report on page 7 that their crew joined the Pirates of Poole at the beating of the town’s sea bounds. The tidings were much appreciated and I’d like to remind all members of The Pirate Brethren, whether they are a member of an active crew or not, that this magazine is published for you and the ‘Scuttlebutt’ pages are free to tell the pirate community about your activities and achievements, particularly if they are of a charitable nature. Ways and means to raise money for the charities you support may, if proved successful, inspire other crews to adopt similar methods.
I therefore look forward to receiving some entertaining and informative stories for the next issue, which will be published in November.
This month, I’m taking a look at what is said to be us pirates’ favourite drink – rum, although I prefer to sip a nice elderflower cordial (only kidding). My personal favourite is RedLeg Caribbean rum, which my youngest son, Captain James Summer, whose exploits continue on page 12, introduced me to some time ago.
from
Quay. Inset: Languishing
is Liz
Scuttlebutt 4
News and rumours from The Pirate Brethren of the Seven Seas.
Broadside
Messages were received from the author of the Flying Dutchman trilogy, Bleak Future, and from a reader enquiring whether I had made Brixham this year.
The Pirate’s Rum Bible 10 inspired by BPF
This group shares a love of the pirate lifestyle and also appreciates the enjoyable benefits of drinking rum in all its different varieties.
Captain’s journal
The search for a voodoo man to lift the ship’s curse resumes when the Captain is invited to see a man who provides proof that he is sincere.
Rum – a guide to grades
Short article explains the terms that are frequently used to describe various types of rum.
The history of rum and its
association with pirates
Perhaps the most enduring association between rum and pirates is the romanticised image of the swashbuckling buccaneer with a bottle of rum in one hand and a cutlass in the other.
Festival focus
Brief reports from six pirate festivals held during the previous three months are given in chronological order.
Inn for smuggler s (and ghosts)
The Schooner Hotel is a listed 17th century coaching inn in the village of Alnmouth, Northumberland, which was a legitimate trading port, but also a haven for smugglers and vagabonds.
Shantyman
A list of six forthcoming sea shanty festivals includes details of the Mevagissey Shanty Festival in October and the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in June, next year.
Trading post
Weapons, clothing, boots, hats, eye patches, earrings, tankards for grog and all manner of gear for pirates.
How to become a pirate
List of active pirate crews from the coast of South Devon up to the shores of the Forth and Clyde.
Where to see pirate action
Calendar of festivals or re-enactment events either organised by pirates or likely to be subject to a pirate attack.
Front Cover. Main image: Firing
flintlocks, pirates sail
Poole
in the stocks
Adams-Brown, whose father John Brown (AKA Long John Silver) was a member of the original Jolly Pirates of Poole (both pictures courtesy of The Society for Poole).
Scuttlebutt
Galeón Andalucía to visit Cowes
Areplica of the ship used by the Spanish during the 16th to 18th centuries in the nation’s maritime expeditions of discovery and interoceanic trade between Spain, America and
the Philippines of the so-called fleets of the Indies will be docking at Trinity Landing, Cowes, from 3-8 September.
A trip aboard the Galeón Andalucía consists of a self-guided walking tour where you are free to wander its five decks, talk to the actual crew members (real sailors living on board) and view dozens of interactive exhibits, videos, projections and historical documents. There is no restriction on taking photos. Tickets can be obtained from: www. tickets.velacuadra.es
Raising cash for village hall
Port Isaac Shanty Festival took place over a fair weekend from 19-21 April, this year, raising an amazing £22,290 for the village hall to make it the best it can be for everyone that uses it.
Built in 1895 as the Temperance Hall, Port Isaac Village Hall is at most just a ten minute walk from anywhere in the village. With its own garden, the Hall has a view to die for looking out over the old village, Lobber Cliff
and out to sea. It can comfortably seat 100 people and holds up to 150 for less formal events.
The Shanty Girls (Cheryl, Sharon, Dee and Liz) thanked every single person who helped or was involved in any way for their support and commitment, which made the event such a success. They are now taking a year off, but will keep the community informed of their future plans.
It’s a fact
At the dawn of the 19th century, a former prostitute from a floating brothel in the city of Canton was wed to Cheng I, a fearsome pirate who operated in the South China Sea during the Qing dynasty. One of the names under which we now know her, Ching Shih, simply means Cheng’s widow, but the legacy she left behind far exceeded that of her husband’s. Following his death, she succeeded him and commanded over 1,800 pirate ships, and an estimated 80,000 men. In comparison, Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates.
Ching’s husband was the formidable commander of the Red Flag Fleet of pirate ships and it is rumoured that Ching Shih demanded equal control of the pirate fleet as a condition of her marriage in 1801. Her husband died at 42 and control passed to his adoptive son and heir, Cheung Po Tsai, who was designated to inherit control of the Red Flag Fleet. Within weeks of
Cheng I’s death, Ching Shih had taken Cheung Po as her lover, eventually marrying him. It did not take her long to manoeuver herself back into power and regain leadership of the fleet.
Ching Shih unified her enormous band of pirates using a strict code of laws – any pirate giving his own orders or disobeying those of a superior was to be beheaded on the spot!
The Red Flag Fleet under Ching Shih’s rule went undefeated, despite attempts by Qing dynasty officials, the Portuguese Navy and the East India Company to defeat it. After three years of notoriety on the high seas, Ching Shih finally retired in 1810 after accepting an offer of amnesty from the Chinese government.
She died in 1844 at the age of 69 (old for the time). The legacy she left behind still resonates today as she was the inspiration for a character in the The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: the powerful Mistress Ching, one of the nine Pirate Lords.
Barbary corsair shipwreck
After almost 20 years of secrecy, Floridabased Odyssey Marine Exploration has finally revealed details about a centuries-old pirate shipwreck discovered 2,700 ft down in the Mediterranean. The group of treasure hunters located the 45 ft long vessel that was once manned by Barbary corsairs in 2005. These were Muslim pirates and privateers, who operated off the coast of North Africa and often attacked European ships even travelling as far as
Southern England. Found in international waters between Morocco and Spain, the wreck was linked to Algiers, the present-day capital Algeria, which was once known as the centre of Barbary Coast piracy. The city was a tributary state to the Ottoman Empire
and also attracted Muslim refugees from Spain and Christian converts to Islam, who dreamed of becoming rich through piracy – one was English pirate John Ward from Faversham, Kent! The wreck was discovered by accident as Odyssey was actually
looking for the Royal Navy’s 80-gun warship HMS Sussex, which was lost in a storm in 1694. Odyssey’s research vessel served as the base to study the corsair, using a remotely-operated vehicle to search the wreck, discovering pottery, glassware and weapons, including four large cannons, ten swivel guns and a number of muskets, which can be directly linked to Algiers. It is believed that the small ship foundered in a storm whilst sailing towards Spain where it would have plundered other craft for goods and taken slaves for ransom.
Long title for an epic tale
Published by Pegasus Books in June this year, The Pirate King: The Strange Adventures of Henry Avery and the Birth of the Golden Age of Piracy by Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan is the incredible story of the Devon
seafarer, who learned his trade in the Royal Navy between 168990. He then took a position of first mate on board a Spanish warship in 1693 and after there was a mutiny (almost certainly instigated by him) he was elected Captain and renamed the ship Fancy. Six months after taking
charge of the vessel, he pillaged a fortune from a Mughal ship, Ganji-i-Sawais, off the coast of India and then vanished into thin air – and into history.
Avery was now the most wanted criminal on earth. To the authorities, he was the enemy of all mankind. To the people, he was a hero. Rumours swirled about his disappearance. The only certainty is that Henry Avery became a ghost. More ballads, plays, biographies and books were written about Avery’s adventures than any other pirate, often weaving fact with fiction to create a legend that was perpetuated by Daniel Defoe’s story The King of Pirates written in 1719.
What happened to the notorious Avery has been pirate history’s most baffling cold case for centuries. Now, in a remote archive, a coded letter written by Avery himself, years after he disappeared, reveals a stunning truth. He was a pirate that came in from the cold!
In ‘The Pirate King’, the joint authors brilliantly tie Avery to the shadowy lives of two other icons of the early 18th century, including Daniel Defoe, the world-famous novelist and – as few people know – a deepcover spy with more than 100 pseudonyms, and Archbishop Thomas Tenison, a Protestant with a hatred of Catholic France.
Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan’s book brilliantly reveals the untold epic story of Henry Avery in all its colourful glory, including his exploits, his survival, his secret double life and how he inspired the golden age of piracy.
Sea ‘bounds’ beaten in Poole
Raven Red of The Jolly Rogers – Dorset reports that their crew joined the Pirates of Poole on 7 July to attack the Mayors of Wareham and Poole at the beating of the sea bounds in and around Poole harbour and along the Quay. The original purpose of the Beating of the Bounds of Poole Harbour was to check the various marks and boundaries of the original Winchelsea Certificate, awarded to Poole in 1364, to see that the ‘bounds’ or boundary markers still exist, that they are in the correct position and that there has been no encroachment upon waters belonging to the Port of Poole.
The Winchelsea Certificate was of prime important to Poole as it confirmed the limits of the town’s maritime jurisdiction over the port. The Mayor being ‘Admiral of the Port’ it was he who presided over the locally-held Admiralty Courts and it was essential to
know his jurisdiction.
In 1661, it was recorded that an event to ‘beat the bounds’ was done for enjoyment and public participation. Some 20 boats set out with drums beating and colours flying, and the town was saluted with a gun. In 1778, ha’penny pieces were for the first time thrown by the Mayor to children and music started to be played.
The event continued to grow and in 1821, several thousand were noted to be assembled at North Haven and a 21-gun salute fired from Brownsea Island. Indeed, the Council provided dinner for 500 people and a fireworks display was seen at Heckford Field lasting until midnight. Unfortunately, the ceremony lapsed in 1834, but was revived in 1921 as a consequence of legal action taken against local residents for trespass on parts of the Harbour Shores. Since then, the ceremony has been undertaken many times with hundreds of boats escorting the Mayor and
with parties and entertainment provided. In 1961, the ceremony was joined by the Pirates of Poole, who added spice and fun to the event, whilst collecting for the Mayor of Poole’s Charities.
The Society for Poole, which was then The Society of Poole Men, has played a pivotal role in all ceremonies since 1924 by providing Jurors escorting the Mayor on his journey across the waters of the Harbour and also supporting each Mayor on every Organising Committee. The Society aims to reestablish the event on Poole’s event calendar, restoring this ancient ceremony, unique to Poole, by creating the pageant, a spectacular and fun event with sea shanties and stalls along the Quay, as well as Pirate ‘fights’ and the Jurors’ parade.
This year, some of the pirates were arrested by the Wimborne Militia and either put in the stocks or in jail. “A travesty if you ask me,” complained Raven Red, “but a great day was had by all”.
Broadside
The first book in The Flying Dutchman trilogy, Bleak Future, is now out as an E-Book in all sorts of E-Book formats from various E-Book providers for a very friendly price.
All royalties earned in 2024 (about 75% of what you pay for the E-book) will be donated to Dick McNally so he can pimp up the fantastic mobility scooter that he was able to purchase with the proceeds of his fundraiser. This is because Dick McNally is featured in the book as a character called Boatswain Walter Zundert and I need to keep him on his wheels in the second book. This will
allow me to murder him most foully in book three (oops, spoiler).
So please help a weather-beaten old pirate keep his independence and gain a smashing nautical tale that is an origin story of that most famous phantom ship in return. The best of both worlds – savvy?
Nils Visser, Brighton, East Sussex
Did ye make it to Brixham this year? (Editor: indeed I did and was able to meet many friends in person for the first time!)
Black Rat and me wench joined the famous Cap’n Blackheart o’ Brixham aboard his ship. It was a great day out!
Phil (Black Rat) Pepworth, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset
While walking on the South West Coast path a couple weeks ago we came into Brixham and saw this rather splendid ship - the Golden Hind (I know it’s a replica)!
We also met the equally spendid Blackheart o’ Brixham.
We’ve not been to the Brixham Pirate Festival, but it’s a deffo for next year!
Anthony Wiffen, Chard, Somerset
I do not profess to be a historically correct pirate. I’m my own version of a pirate.
Bringing joy and smiles to folks that see us at events we get invited to attend – mostly to raise money for local charities – is the greatest part of doing what we do as Blackwater Pirates.
Paul Dudley (AKA Commodore Clyde Jackdaw), Southend-on-Sea, Essex
The Pirate Shop in the North Wales town of Conwy is the UK market leader for swords, daggers, guns, clothing, flags and accessories.
A global distributor for Red Dragon Armoury, we sell the products of major international manufacturers such as Deepeeka, Windlass, Art Gladius, Medio Evo and Marshal Historical in the UK. We also stock other wellknown brands such as Hanwei, GDFB and SPES.
On-site facilities at our 12,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution centre only five minutes from the centre of town include a trade showroom and a product development studio.
The Pirate’s Rum Bible inspired by BPF
Following a visit to the Brixham Pirate Festival (BPF) in 2021, Ian Cox was inspired to set up a group for pirates and smugglers that shared a love of the pirate lifestyle and also appreciated the enjoyable benefits of drinking rum in all its different varieties.
The Pirate’s Rum Bible is a safe place to have a laugh and share the love of being drunken pirates without being admonished for being inappropriate. However, the group will not tolerate anything considered to be below the belt!
The principal aim is to share and review rums that people like, help promote new companies trying to get a foot in the rum world and discover advantageous deals and obtain discounts for its members.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s wellknown pirate adventure, Treasure
Island, praises rum and the infamous pirate crew led by long John Silver consumes vast amounts of the liquid – his song Dead Man’s Chest is renowned for its lyrics about a pirate’s love of rum.
Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest –…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest –…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
The Pirate’s Rum Bible also tries to organise a raffle once a year, which has supported Mind, the mental health charity, and cancer research. This year, the most successful effort so far was for MacMillan Cancer Support. The charities are chosen by Ian or other administrators due to personal experiences.
The group held its first admin meeting this year and, hopefully, will repeat next year and perhaps become a regular get-together with all members one day, but this revolves around Ian’s full-time job as a scaffolder and raising three young children.
The group’s long-term plan is to keep growing until its aims are better-known and keep enjoying themselves.
More information from www.facebook.com/ groups/3461839360611139
Front row left to right: Gav Gav Sav, Skye the lama and Zoe Sergeant. Back row left to right: Ian Cox, Morgan Bourbonson and Tina Cox.
FCaptain’s journal 3 rd April, 1674
ollowing our interview with ‘mountebank Madiba’, we laid our lines and waited for the next (hopefully less false) sorcerer to render themselves serviceable to our cause. Chalky, Davy and I have kept the crew in the dark concerning Matthew’s visitation. We feel this would be the drop to make the cup run over and a crew of three is no crew at all, especially since (as previously mentioned), I’m largely decorative. I lament the loss of simpler days. In times gone, by I could sail the barque of life through the roughest of waters, with ease and joy, and few vexations. Excluding the horror on Somers Isle, nothing I encountered outstripped my scope and existence was a feast of freedom. The only spirits I need concern myself with in those days were warm and brown and stoppered by cork, now I am bound to this wyrd – trapped in uncertainty and fear.
4 th April, 1674
Apologies for the last entry faithful reader, maudlin had me in its grasp. The sun has been uncommonly hot this week and the winds are chambered with barely a puff. It was after penning the previous, nauseatingly selfindulgent entry that I decided to head into the nearest town to drown my sorrow with beer and rum (this is not more self-indulgence, merely good sense). The Drunken Monkey was
stiflingly hot, the shade was welcome, but the warmth bore in from outside, too hot even for the customary bar brawls these conditions often spark thank goodness. I had posted up in a corner table where stray shot had left a fist-shaped hole, hidden under the table, in the wall to the outside. Noting this during cooler times, I had wedged it with parchment and stone, which I removed whenever the weather attempted to broil me in my own clothes, giving me a pleasingly cool draught around my nether regions while I drank.
or if our interest was a passing fancy. He now wanted to see me as soon as I could come. Leaning forward I fixed the lad with as stern a gaze as I could muster.
“You’ve fooled me once, but a wise man is not mocked, the mocked man is the mocker or, wait...”
I tried again. “Look, last time you sent me somewhere there were screaming men and flying midgets and not an answer to be had. If I do this again I want to be on my ship where I can be sure there are no traps I haven’t set myself.”
The lad held out a piece of parchment. “He said you’d say that, he won’t cross running water so you’ll have to come to him.”
After several beers and a half bottle, I lay back to enjoy the swimming of my head and the chilliness of my trouser area when a hesitant knock on the table brought me back to slightly muzzy consciousness.
“What, yes? I wasn’t doing anything,” I guiltily mumbled while my eyes focused on, I swiftly realised, the young shave-headed lad who’d taken us to Madiba.
As it transpired, he knew and worked for the real voodoo man and had been instructed to take us to the fool to see if we were serious
Accepting the scrap of vellum, I queried, “What’s this?” to which he replied, “Proof that he is sincere”.
Once he’d left. I opened the paper. On the page was an expertlyrendered image of Matthew’s face as I’d last seen it, swimming from the shadows of my haunted Captain’s cabin.
Voodoo man won’t cross running water.
Rum – a guide to grades
The grades and variations used to describe rum depend on the location where the rum was produced, but despite these variations, the following terms are frequently used to describe various types of rum:
1. Dark rums, also known by their particular colour, such as brown, black or red rums, are classes a grade darker than gold rums. They are usually made from caramelised sugar or molasses and are generally aged longer, in heavily charred barrels, giving them much stronger flavours than either gold or light rums and hints of spices can be detected, along with a strong molasses or caramel overtone. They commonly provide substance in rum drinks, as well as colour. In addition, dark rum is the type most commonly used in cooking. Most dark rums come from areas such as the Bahamas and Jamaica.
2. Flavoured rums are infused
with the taste of fruits, such as banana, coconut, lime, mango, orange, pineapple or starfruit. These are generally less than 40% ABV (80 proof). They are mostly used to flavour similarly themed tropical drinks, but are also often drunk neat or with ice. This infusion of flavours occurs after fermentation and distillation.
3. Gold rums, also called ‘amber’ rums, are mediumbodied rums that are generally aged. These gain their dark colour from aging in wooden barrels (usually the charred, white oak barrels that are the by-product of Bourbon whiskey). They have more flavour and taste stronger than light rum and can be considered midway between light rum and the darker varieties.
4. Light rums, also referred to as ‘white’ rums, generally, have very little flavour aside from a general sweetness. Light rums are sometimes filtered after aging to remove any colour. The
majority of light rums come from Puerto Rico. Their milder flavours make them popular for use in mixed drinks, as opposed to drinking them straight. Light rums are included in some of the most popular cocktails, including the Mojito and the Daiquiri.
5. Overproof rums are much higher than the standard 40% ABV (80 proof), with many as high as 75% (150 proof) to 80% (160 proof) available.
6. Premium rums, as with other sipping spirits such as Cognac and Scotch whisky, are in a special market category. These are generally from boutique brands that sell carefullyproduced and aged rums. They have more character and flavour than their ‘mixing’ counterparts and are generally consumed straight.
7. Spiced rums obtain their flavours through the addition of spices and, sometimes, caramel. Most are darker in colour and based on gold rums. Some are significantly darker, while many lower cost brands are made from inexpensive white rums and darkened with caramel. Among the spices added are cinnamon, rosemary, absinthe/aniseed, pepper, cloves and cardamom.
The Caribbean islands produced an enormous amount of sugar in the 18th century. Sugar cane fields stretching as far as the eye could see dotted the landscape and where there was sugar, there was rum. Pure cane sugar made the most soughtafter product, which was harvested, crushed and boiled to create molasses, but rum can be made from almost anything available. Molasses and sediment left over from sugar production, known as ‘Dunder’, can be converted into an inexpensive beverage. A history of rum would not be complete without
The history of rum and its
pirates, who were a dominant force in the Caribbean when the growth of sugar cane on
various islands and rum production increased. In fact, rum was often used as a form of currency,
with pirates and other seafarers trading barrels of rum for goods and services. An advantage
This consignment of rum barrels was left on the shoreline.
Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum began its first distillation in 1749.
association with pirates
was that fresh water would spoil within days of embarking whereas rum enjoyed a long shelf life!
According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, the Golden Age of Piracy ran from 1650 to 1720 and most historians consider it the heyday of pirate activity. Rum production for the Caribbean hit its stride in the early 1700s, so the two periods of growth overlapped.
Modern producers such as Appleton have roots dating back to the mid1600s on the island of Jamaica. Many wellknown rum brands that exist to this day began operation during this period.
Pirates operating out of islands such as Port Royal, Jamaica, Tortuga and Haiti had access to the best rum on which
they relied to help them cope with the harsh conditions of life at sea.
Rum was a cheap and readily available source of alcohol that could help alleviate boredom, relieve stress and provide temporary relief from the physical pain of scurvy and other ailments. Pirates would often mix their rum with lime juice or other ingredients to create a variety of cocktails, some of which are still popular today.
Perhaps the most enduring association between rum and pirates is the romanticised image of the
swashbuckling buccaneer with a bottle of rum in one hand and a cutlass in the other. This image has been perpetuated in popular culture through books, films and other media, establishing the link between pirates and rum in the public imagination.
“Why is all the rum gone?” queried Captain Jack Sparrow while stranded on a deserted island. Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl gave impetus to a rum renaissance, not just among pirates. Sales of the spirit shot up
following Johnny Depp’s portrayal of a pirate drinking and mourning his favourite beverage.
The portrayal of rum and pirates goes back quite a few years before the POTC franchise. It plays an integral part in the 1961 Elvis Presley film, Blue Hawaii, which spawned a rum-based cocktail of the same name. In 1962, Captain Ron, starring Kurt Russel as a rum-soaked captain, featured a run-in with modern pirates.
It remains a well-loved spirit amongst today’s more charitable pirates of both sexes.
Pirates share a tot on the Devon Rum Co’s stand at the Brixham Pirate Festival.
Festival focus
Six of the best recent events
Pirate Plunder received feedback from six pirate festivals held during the previous three months. These two pages feature a brief report on each of these events in chronological and, where available, a picture.
Swanage: Brilliantly organised by the husband and wife team of Colin and Dawn
Honey, the Swanage Pirate Festival on the last weekend in May offered living history talks, battles galore on the town’s Banjo Beach and the festival field, and cannon displays by the Wimborne Militia, which all took place under cloudless Purbeck skies. Unfortunately, this will be the last festival under the control of the present team and their hard work
and perseverance in arranging the event will undoubtedly be missed.
Conwy: The free-toattend Conwy Pirate Festival held in the shadow of the North Wales town’s medieval castle, which was completed in 1287, improves every year and is notable for its action set pieces, both in the harbour and on
land, and the quality and variety of its stalls. Visitors were quick to thank the organisers, Conwy Pirates CIC, which consists of five directors backed by a dedicated committee and lots of helpers. Everyone does what they can to make the event happen, so praise is due to the whole team.
Colin and Dawn Honey at Swanage.
Pirates in action at Conwy Pirate Festival (picture courtesy of Combat Wombat Inc).
Councillor Josh Rowlands, the Mayor of Faversham. Two of Yorkshire’s tallest pirates.
Poole: Harry Paye Day took place on 15 June when Poole’s most infamous son was celebrated once again, but this time for good causes! Organised by Pirates of Poole, there were the usual piratical shenanigans, including a parade, live music, fairground rides, cannon fire, the chance to meet Jack Sparrow and pirate surgeon Sawbone Coffin (not for those of a squeamish disposition). Young buccaneers were catered for with a Children’s Fancy Dress competition and Treasure Hunt.
Faversham: The Town Council and, particularly, its Events Officer Clare Elliott must be commended for an extremely wellorganised launch of the Faversham Pirate Festival on 7 July. Ably supported by Sheppey Pirates, there were demonstrations of swordplay, muskets and cannons, and music from the Raven drumming band (pictured on page 4 of previous issue). The encouragingly large number of visitors for a first-time event was also entertained by sea shanties, folk and blues music.
Withernsea: Lin Wilson, who relaunched the Withernsea Pirate Festival on 20 July, reports that the pirate
festival went very well. She has had excellent feedback and learned some lessons for next year. The event was very much a day for all the family, with games, music, food and drink – plus two of Yorkshire’s tallest pirates!
Festival focus
Hastings: The East Sussex town became pirate central once again from 20-21 July. After a day of renewing old friendships and much conviviality in the town’s many taverns on Saturday, the Great Buccaneers Procession left the
town centre at noon on Sunday heading for the Old Town. There was then live music at the Stade, along with Blackbeard’s Market, side shows, pirate acts, storytelling, games and treasure hunts, as well as a wide choice of delicious food.
har ry paye day
saturday 14th june 12 noon - 6pm poole quay - dorset 2025
Pirate Parade at 12 noon, all pirates welcome to join... Live Music – Fairground rides – Wimborne Militia Cannons Meet Jack Sparrow and our very own Pirate Surgeon Sawbone Coffin Children’s Fancy Dress Competition & Treasure Hunt Stocks – Tombola – Stalls – Ball & Chain – Aunt Sally Boards Face Painting & much more – Pirates of Poole Shenanigans for all!
In support of three local chosen charities, nominations now being considered
Organised by: Pirates of Poole piratesofpoole@yahoo.co.uk – Activities subject to change –
Inn for smugglers(and ghosts)
Steeped in history, The Schooner Hotel is a listed 17th century coaching inn near to an unspoiled and beautiful sandy beach in the picturesque coastal village of Alnmouth, Northumberland. It is close to a number of golf courses, Alnwick town and its famous castle, and only 40 minutes’ drive from Newcastle. The hotel is the ideal base for guests wishing to experience all that the Northumberland Countryside has to offer.
The name Schooner derives from a type of sailing ship (using fore and aft sails on more than one mast), first used by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries and then developed in
the Americas from the 18th century onwards. Schooners were cargo vessels, capable of both coastal and ocean voyages.
As well as a legitimate trading port, the village of Alnmouth was also a haven for smugglers and vagabonds. Such was the reputation of Alnmouth that John Wesley, the founder of The Methodist Church, commented that it was “a small seaport town famous for its wickedness”. It is alleged that there was once a secret passage for smugglers from the hotel to the beach.
The history of the
hotel is well-documented and there are many stories of murders, suicides and massacres. Perhaps because of this, it is said to be one of the most haunted in the UK and The Poltergeist Society has twice given the hotel
the title of ‘The Most Haunted Hotel in Great Britain’. It was televised on the ´Most Haunted’ programme twice and it is listed on record as having over 60 individual ghosts. Famous figures such as Charles Dickens, John Wesley, Basil Rathbone and King George III are all said to have stayed there.
It offer spacious single, double, triple and family rooms, all of which have en-suite, tea/coffee and television facilities and the hotel’s well-stocked bar offers fine ales from The Alnwick Brewery such as ‘Fair Wind’. Internet services are available and there is on free on-street parking throughout the village. More information from www.theschoonerhotel.
Sea shanty festivals
Now in its fifth year, the Mevagissey Shanty Festival, supported by Keltek Brewery and the Mevagissey Harbour Board, features 440 singers and promotes sustainability through education and community involvement. It also helps to boost off-peak
The Bristol Sea Shanty Festival
City and County of Bristol 28 September, 2024 www.bristolshantyfestival.co.uk
Harwich International Shanty Festival Harwich, Essex 11-13 October, 2024 www.harwichshantyfestival.co.uk
commerce and community spirit in this Cornish village and, to date, has raised over £10,000 for local causes.
The long-established Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival attracts over 65,000 visitors, who flock to the town to hear some of the finest shanty crews in the world. Held at the same times is the
Mevagissey Shanty Festival
Mevagissey, Cornwall
11-13 October, 2024 www.mevashantyfest.co.uk
St Ives Shanty Shout St Ives, Cornwall 22-23 November, 2024 www.stivesshantyshout.co.uk
Falmouth Classics, which features three days of enjoyable racing and a spectacular Parade of Classic Boats and the Small Classic Boat Parade. Since it began in 1987, this has steadily grown to be one of the largest Classic sailing events in the UK and there are many vantage points for spectators to view the craft in action.
Sea Shanty Festival
Cutty Sark, London 23 November, 2024 www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/cutty-sark
Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival Falmouth, Cornwall 13-15 June, 2025 www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk
Authentic replica of museum cutlass Trading post
Based on an original, this pirate cutlass from Southern Swords is accurately sized and antiqued to replicate a museum piece. The fullytempered, high carbon steel blade has a distal taper, with fullers on both sides along the spine, and is light and quick. The hilt fittings are cast in solid steel and blackened, matching the locket and chape of the leather-covered scabbard.
Pirates typically carried a few flintlock pistols and a cutlass or combinations of both. The short-bladed cutlass
was at home among the rigging and cluttered decks of a sailing ship, where a longer sword would have proved a disadvantage. Many a bloody-handed pirate of the 17th century clambered over the side of a gold-laden galleon armed with this type of cutlass.
The overall length is 78 cm, with a blade of 63 cm and a blade width at its widest of 3.5 cm.
The point of balance is 13.5 cm. It weighs 0.85 kg and when in its scabbard, the total weight is 1.1 kg.
It is supplied with a dull edge that can be sharpened in the armourer’s workshop for a cost of £25.
More information from www.southernswords.co.uk
New album from The Captain’s
The third album from The Captain’s Beard –Cannonballs Deep – is available as a CD and was launched on all streaming channels from 13 August. It features rocked-up sea shanties, as well as the Beard’s own bombastic and completely unhinged original songs, including Henry VIII (Off with his Head) and the pain of owning a second-hand van (Get in the Van).
Other tracks are: Press Ganged; The Leaving of Liverpool; Sussex Folk; Captain Swing; Pirates
Beard
of Barbary; Whiskey and Wine; Liverpool Judies; Pirates of Swing; and Leave her Johnny.
The syncopated melody sections and use of the harmonic minor scale in Pirates of Barbary were influenced by Captain Clement’s passion for Algerian traditional music. His idea for Pirates of Swing came to him some years ago and is a ‘swing’ song about pirates swinging from the hangman’s noose!
More information from www.thecaptainsbeard.co.uk
Weapon ring
A simple, but wellmade three-inch ring on a leather belt loop is offered by Darkblade (UK). The loop can be applied to belts widths of up to 50 mm.
It is available in either black or brown leather. More information from www.darkbladeuk.co.uk
Boarding axe
Epic Armoury’s boarding axe (Reference WP9774) is a heavy axe designed for pirates and swashbucklers. It has an axe-blade of 15 cm and, along with its spike, is great for both attacking your enemy and chopping down doors when attempting to commandeer a ship!
The short hooked axe head is hand painted to look like real metal although it is made of durable closed cell foam around a solid 10 mm fibreglass core and finished with a strong
latex coating. The axe head is attached to a handle designed to look like weathered wood. It is 62 cm in length and weighs 2 kg.
More information from www.larpinn.co.uk
OLD HARRY’S LOCKER
in Swanage, Dorset, for Nautical Curios Antiques and Collectables
Tel: 07961 572032
E-mail: cw1@gmx.co.uk
The spirit of Anne Bonny
Born in Ireland around 1697, Anne Bonny became one of the most captivating figures of the Golden Age of Piracy. With an indomitable spirit and a fiery temperament, she found her calling alongside the infamous pirate Jack Rackham, known as Calico Jack. Together, they formed a formidable duo on the Caribbean seas.
Anne, often disguised as a man, fought alongside her companions, forging her own legend as a fierce and independent pirate until her adventures came to an end in 1720
when she was captured by a British vessel. Although spared from execution (by claiming to be pregnant), Anne Bonny’s fate
remains a mystery. Capturing the adventurous spirit of its namesake, Anne Bonny Spiced Rum is a lively blend of the finest quality Caribbean rums from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and the island of La Réunion, which have been matured in French oak barrels to enhance its flavour and complexity.
The result is a gold rum, with notes of vanilla, caramel and praline, and a bold, elegant character. It is 40% ABV and sold in a 70 cl bottle.
More information from www.nauticalia.com
LMary Read women’s pirate shirt
ight in weight and comfortable, this romantic blouse (Reference SKU: 101020) features dainty lace trim at the cuffs. The lace has a classic floral pattern, drawing attention to the billowing sleeves with pleats at the shoulders.
Made from 100% polyester, the deep neckline slit closes with a button located at the left beneath the stand-up collar with frills. The buttons at the cuffs are decorative, but also functional.
It is available in small, medium, large and extra large sizes.
More information from www.thepirateshop.co.uk
Unless ye intends to steal a ship or become a mutineer if ye are already on one, then the best course of action is to sign on with one of the active pirate crews listed on these two pages. If retired from a life of piracy, then ye’ve a duty to keep faith with The Brethren by celebrating ‘International Talk Like a Pirate Day’ on 19th September every year!
Whitby International Pirate Society www.whitbypirates.co.uk
The Pirate Guys
All around the world and even hundreds of miles above it on the International Space Station, people celebrate ‘International Talk Like a Pirate Day’ on 19 September. To see how it began in 1995 visit:
Vectis Buccaneers
Sea Dragon Pirates
John (Ol’ Chumbucket) Baur
Mark (Cap’n Slappy) Summers
Where to see pirate action
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this calendar, but like the weather, dates August be subject to change, so you are advised to check the forecast with the organiser’s website afore setting sail. The Editor of Pirate Plunder would also be much obliged if those arranging festivals would let him know of any changes to location, duration or even cancellation of their events due to battles with bureaucrats, plagues from Far Cathay or other circumstances beyond their control.
