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Polar History

Environment, Sustainable Travel

The Last Great Antarctic Untold Story: Meeting Mark Reed and The Quest for Shackleton’s “Last Cache”

We often fall into the trap of thinking that the golden age of exploration is a closed chapter in a history book. We imagine that the great maps were all filled in during the early 1900s, leaving nothing left for the modern world to uncover.

But this past May, while attending the bi-annual James Caird Society dinner at Dulwich, I was seated at a table that completely shattered that illusion. Another reason why I just love being a member of the that Society, you meet such interesting people, doing incredible things…

Sitting near me was Mark Reed, a modern-day explorer and project founder of a monumental endeavour called The Last Cache. Speaking with him was a thrilling reminder that history isn’t just something we look back on – there are still epic expeditions to be completed, new things to conquer and profoundly historic artefacts waiting to be found.

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July 7, 2026
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Environment, Sustainable Travel

An Evening of Antarctic Inspiration: A James Caird Society Dinner to Remember

Last week, I had the immense privilege of attending the bi-annual James Caird Society dinner, at Dulwich College, an event that always promises a deep dive into the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. This year, however, felt particularly special, leaving me filled with inspiration and a renewed sense of awe for those who braved the frozen continent.

The air bubbled with anticipation as members gathered around the James Caird, many of whom have their own incredible stories connected to polar exploration. The evening’s speaker in the Great Hall at Dulwich, was Bob Headland, a renowned writer and polar historian whom I had had the pleasure of sitting next to at the previous dinner. His address was, as expected, a masterclass in storytelling, ‘Non-existent Islands & Rocks of the Southern Ocean’, bringing to life incredible marine tales of endurance and resilience that define the era of Shackleton, Scott, and their contemporaries.

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May 20, 2025
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