Scuttlebutt
A
Torbay Inn supports local lifeboat
great tale of Devon’s charitable pirates appeared in community newspaper ‘Torbay Weekly’ last year and its Editor, Jim Parker, has agreed to the story being published in ‘Scuttlebutt’. A successful Pirate Day was held at Paignton’s oldest pub, The Torbay Inn, on 14 August to raise funds for the RNLI Torbay Lifeboat. Organised by landlords Dave and Sue Ballinger, the Friday night Pig Race raised some big money and more cash rolled in on Saturday when staff and customers became pirates of Devon if not the Caribbean! Beltane Border Morris, a side that can be more frightening than many pirates, danced up a storm alongside the pub whilst local singer/guitarist Bob Thomson performed inside the bar. A
Landlords Dave and Sue Ballinger hold the giant cheque made out to the RNLI flanked by Stormy Sam and Lynn Spillett.
karaoke session was held in the evening when ‘singers’ paid to perform whilst the audience either paid to remove them from the stage or, in the case of those with any talent, donated to keep them singing. A massive cheque for £1,506.40 was subsequently presented to Lynn Spillett, Chair of Torbay Lifeboat Fundraisers, who was accompanied by Stormy Sam, their mascot.
Helen and Heather from Beltane’s side are scary enough, but you should see the men!
4
Pirate PiratePlunder Plunderc cMay May2022 2019
Certified pirates
The MIT Pirate Certificate became available from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Autumn, 2011. It is only issued to students who have completed archery, fencing, Pistol (air pistol or rifle) and sailing courses. In 2016, Matt Damon received an MIT Pirate Certificate from the school’s President Rafael Reif. The American actor attended Harvard, but never actually graduated and his certificate was awarded following his keynote speech to the class of 2016 as he had described himself as a space pirate for his role in ‘The Martian’, a hit film released the previous year. The Institute stresses that the MIT Pirate Certificate is for entertainment purposes only and does not give the recipient license to engage in piracy or any pirate activities!
It’s a fact It wasn’t all booty, rum and wenches (not necessarily in that order) for pirates and keeping a pet on board ship was not unknown. Despite what you may have seen in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ films, keeping a large pet such as a monkey could cause problems and dogs had to be taken for walkies! Cats (particularly black ones), however, were believed to ensure good luck on a voyage. More practically, they killed rodents, which would otherwise despoil victuals and chew on the rigging. Another option was a parrot, which added bright plumage against the monotony of sea and sky and could learn to repeat phrases, often using bad language, for entertainment purposes. Cheap to acquire in the West Indies or Madagascar, they often outlived their owners!
