Serious Thoughts?

Perhaps I ought to start by extending to the Catalan people on their National Day the heartfelt apologies of the British People for leaving them in the lurch when supporting the wrong side in the War of the Spanish Succession when we assured them that we would never desert them. I’m not sure that our support for the Hapsburgs was any great shakes anyhow and our policy of never interfering in Europe (unless we had to) was one which should not have been ignored. Only ourselves to blame really. Though the effects of loosing on Catalonia were slightly catastrophic. Still, all a long time ago now; have another glass of Cava!



My contributions to the celebrations of Catalonia’s National Day were restricted to lying in the sun; glancing at the wispy cloud and starting to read “This Thing of Darkness” by Harry Thompson.

The book follows the career of Robert FitzRoy – the inventor of the shipping and weather forecast; pioneer of the use of lightning rods on ship;: introducer of the word “port” for “larboard” to eliminate confusion; constructor of meticulous navigation charts for Patagonia, Chile, the Falklands and Tierra del Fuego; introduced a system of masters’ certificates for ships’ officers; pioneered the use of the Beaufort Scale and introduced the word “dinghy” for what used to be called the “jolly-boat.”


But what he will actually be remembered for is that he commanded the “Beagle” and took Charles Darwin on the voyage which eventually resulted in the production of “The Origin of the Species.”


This is a fascinating read. Its 700 pages read like a novel (and the author has taken some liberties in the actual historical facts) but it packed with convincing detail and the author gives an assurance that he has done his research to make the casual descriptions as realistic as possible.


This is a novel of contrasts – not only in the dramatic action of the narrative, but also in the conflicts of personality, politics, religion and society that make us this monumental read.


Although flawed by his adherence to a view of religion Fitzroy shows himself to be an amazing character with firm adherence to a rigid set of moral, religious and social attitudes. His sense of duty is astonishing and his achievements remarkable. And he is a worthy “hero” in this novel/biography. Although the reader is, unsurprisingly, drawn to the iconic figure of Darwin, he is presented in such a way that his essential egoism and moral cowardice lessens him as a figure when placed beside the relatively unknown commander of the boat whose professionalism and honour shine out from the page.


The title of the book is a quotation from The Tempest a reference to Caliban by Prospero: “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine.” “This thing of Darkness” is a remarkably apt title for something which charts the journey (literal and spiritual) of two friends who come to markedly different conclusions about the way that life developed. For FitzRoy the “darkness” could be a reference to the illness that he had, diagnosed as manic depression by doctors long after his death, but it could also be a reference to the fact that he facilitated Darwin’s journey and through that encouraged Darwin’s developing thought which veered away from the religious principles that FitzRoy kept to throughout his life.


This is also the story of a clash of cultures in a more widely spaced geographical sense as the British brig comes into contact with “savages” whom FitzRoy believes can be brought to Christianity and Civilization, though his aspirations are doomed to failure.


This is a gripping read where insight and adventure appear in almost embarrassing confusion and whose length is fully justified by the content.

I have also read “The Deathwood Letters” Three Tales with a Twist by Hazel Townson. These are empty stories whose selling point is that they give a modern twist to the epistolary novel. They are slight and unconvincing and not what I thought they were going to be like when I ordered an inspection copy. Ah well, a decent reader for the first couple of years of English learners will have to wait for another and better written book.


Tomorrow sees the final day of classes that make up my week. Unbelievably we have only had four days with the students and this Monday will finally mean that I will have seen all my classes. In fact I am still waiting to see one class which I take for two periods on a Tuesday afternoon as my first meeting with them was hijacked by the science department as an introduction to robotics!


Wednesday sees a trip into Barcelona to visit the photographic exhibition which I visited with Suzanne before the start of term. My accompanying the students on this trip has to be justified with a handout from media studies; which is now my subject for two periods a week!


In theory I have some free time tomorrow to get lessons up and going but my possible loss of two teaching periods because the paucity of students in those classes will be driving the management up the wall with anxiety to find something punishing to take their place. The only thing you get for nothing in our school is indeed nothing. I dread to think what they will find.


But find out I will in short measure!