Thoughts on Our Food Culture

Patrick and Catherine attending a wedding in the 1930s

The debate about good food usually begins with a grouse about social ills and ends with a lament for home cooking, but it goes much deeper than this, as it starts with the nutrient quality of our soils and our animals being able to graze on pasture instead of grain and soy..

'I’ve supported Pasture for Life ever since reading ‘Grass-Fed Nation’ a while ago, but few still realise the value of making sure that what we eat has a decent amount if omega-3 in it. Anything one can do to improve children’s nutrition is worth it - but Jamie Oliver didn't last long with his brave and sensible school food initiatives. And that Panorama programme a couple of week’s ago about the chap who ate UPF (Ultra Processed Food) every day for a month was an eye-opener - not least because living off that stuff saves both time and a lot of money! But his brain scan before and after showed that he’d actually become addicted to it. What price good fresh children’s food? The problem is that the link between UPF and health hasn’t really been made explicit enough for hard-pressed families and, schools and hospitals to change and spend more on fresh food. I really don’t know how to do this with UPFoods being advertised as heavily as they are and anyone in authority speaking about a return to healthy eating being derided as elitist. Our whole food culture has gone wrong. I’m afraid we don’t even do cafe culture properly; the availability of sweet or carb-heavy foods is so great and our knowledge so poor that practically everyone you see now is carrying too much weight. Kei has recently realised this and has taken herself in hand and lost 7kg by eating more carefully and running. Have a look at this photo of my father and his first wife going to a wedding in the 1930s. Look how slim all of them are (and he never carried any extra weight). A photo of wedding guests today would look very different, as I know from the weddings that are held here at the Grosvenor. 

This was a piece I wrote some time ago about Winchester’s food shopping which contrasts badly with Stockbridge, which fortunately is pretty good!'

From a note to Genevieve Riviere in June 2021 

Return to Food Shopping in Winchester

Return to The Scourge of Intensive Farming 

The Livery Companies' Initiative during the Pandemic 2020 - 2021

The scope of the Livery Companies' Initiative

 
When the pandemic struck in early 2020, the Master of the Drapers' Livery Company, Tim Orchard, and Liveryman of the Drapers' Livery Company asked themselves what they could do by way of giving practical help during the first lockdown, and they decided that the best way was to use the considerable in-house catering capacity of Drapers's Hall (which of course was closed for its normal function) and cook meals for the staff of the City's hospitals. 

The Clerk, Col Richard Winstanley, took up the reins and found support and connections with several other Livery companies as well as links to the City's hospitals and by 16th April, the first batch of 200 meals was supplied to the Royal London Hospital, transported by London cabbies through the Hackney Carriage Drivers' Company. The Grocers', Merchant Taylors' and Fishmongers' Companies all joined in and eventually more than 60 companies contributed to an initiative that provided more than 170,000 meals for tired and hungry workers of Bart's NHS Health Trust as well as community projects in East London. 

The Drapers' have published a cookbook which, although not necessarily of the very meals that were supplied, are created by the team of chefs who cooked all the thousands of meals produced as part of this initiative, which has been so much a natural outset for the Livery Companies' philanthropic mission. 

The Chefs - Selva Muthusamy, Merchant Taylor's, Stefan Pini, Fishmongers. 

Mark Page, Drapers, Graham Pratt, Grocers and Emma Spofforth, Party Ingredients seen in front of a painting of the Queen (who is Member of the Drapers Livery Company) in then Court Dining Room at Drapers' Hall. 

The Livery Company Cookbook was born out of the Livery Kitchen Initiative, seen here with a Drapers' Raphael Seat in the background. To order a copy, e-mail events@thedrapers.co.uk  

Return to Journal Index

Return to The Drapers' Livery Company.

An Astonishing Sale of Clocks Collected by John Taylor 2021

A Congreve Rolling Ball Clock

As a schoolboy, I used to stand outside Marsh's shop (now Carter, Marsh) in the Square, Winchester, watching the ball roll down the tilting brass tray of a clock in the window, enthralled. 

Many years later I read Deva Sobell's brilliant book 'Longitude' and marvelled at at the skill and ingenuity shown by the clockmakers of the C17th as they competed to win the Admiralty's prize for an accurate ship-borne chronometer that finally allowed sailors to work out where they were on the ocean.

Since then, my knowledge has been enhanced somewhat through a friend who is a life-long collector, and have come to understand his passion for the sheer beauty and engineering brilliance of early clocks. However, even with his guidance, I wasn't prepared for the quite astonishing quality of this famous collection of clocks being sold by Carter. Marsh in June and July 2021. 

A beautiful catalogue has been prepared for the sale and a shorter electronic version can be found here 

The John C Taylor Collection ‘An Inventor’s Passion for Time’

We are enormously excited and hugely privileged to be selling the most important private collection of English clocks ever to come onto the market in the UK - to be sold over several catalogued selling exhibitions from our Winchester premises. Many of you will know Dr Taylor, or heard of his ubiquitous kettle and motor switches - in fact, it is highly likely you are using one of his inventions every day. John’s horological passions have never been confined to a single area; innovation and quality has governed every acquisition, with many of the items needing little introduction, as their significance is both recognised and well documented.    The John C Taylor Collection - Part I  To kick off, we have produced a 240 page full-colour printed catalogue of 46 exhibits, normally costing £35 but FREE to our subscribers on request from info@cartermarsh.com. The Part I catalogue is also available online and contains a cross-section of extraordinary and interesting horological items, reading like a Who’s Who of English clock and watchmaking, and ranging from iconic examples by Fromanteel, East, Tompion and Graham, through to outstanding works by, amongst others, Knibb, Jones, Quare, Mudge and Earnshaw – with prices ranging from £2,750 to £3,500,000. We will be opening first at 26 Bruton St, Mayfair for one week only, by kind courtesy of Simon Phillips of the English furniture specialists, Ronald Phillips Ltd - showing Highlight exhibits from the Part I catalogue, together with some additional items to be included in future exhibitions.   Save the two Selling Exhibition dates: Wed 23rd June to Wed 30th June 2021: ‘Highlights from The John C Taylor Collection’ at Ronald Phillips Ltd. 26 Bruton St. W1J 6QL - opening times: 10am to 6pm, every day Sat 3rd July to Sat 24th July 2021: ‘The John C Taylor Collection - Part I’ at 32A The Square, Winchester - opening times: 10am to 5pm, every day except Sundays   Now for just a few of the juicy bits that will be on offer, with links to our website when you click on the images… The Spanish Tompion circa 1702-4 is a most remarkable turtleshell and gilt brass mounted Grande Sonnerie striking royal bracket clock. It was commissioned during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) for presentation by Queen Anne to Archduke Charles von Habsburg, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor, and the Grand Alliance’s pretender to the Spanish throne. Tompion was tasked with creating a brand new style of English clock with the most complicated striking facility possible, Daniel Marot (1661-1752) designed the spectacular case, which features the first true break-arch clock format and, as the archduke was styled as ‘Carlos III of Spain’, his clock celebrated this with indications in Spanish. In December 1703, Charles von Habsburg made a state visit to Queen Anne in London, when this royal gift was commissioned. However, ‘Carlos III’ was never to be installed on the Spanish throne, the French Bourbon candidate won out under the Treaties of Utrecht (1713-1715).  The exquisite and early Time Museum Knibb is also full Grande Sonnerie striking, and absolutely ingenious for circa 1672. Until this example was made by Joseph Knibb, the few highly prized clocks of this complexity were all large and immovable objects. Clearly borne out of his customer’s desire to be able to carry and ‘show off’ his new impressive clock around the house, this Grande Sonnerie striking movement, whereby the time, quarters and hours operate from just two trains is of uniquely small size. No other clockmaker appears to have attempted a truly portable two-train Grande Sonnerie table clock again until Tompion, in a commission for Charles II, some five years later. The Scottish watchmaker David Ramsay was trained in France, coming to London in circa 1610 by specific invitation of the Scottish King James I of England. In 1631, Ramsay was made the first Master of the newly founded Clockmakers’ Company. Although he was based in London, it is pointedly signed David Ramsay Scotus me Fecit, re-affirming his proud Scottish roots, as well as his favour with the Scottish king. This circa 1620 example is now 400 years old and one of only four Ramsay watches known outside museums; the last of these to come on the market was a royal example, commissioned by James I. This unique and exquisite miniature horizontal table clock by Daniel Quare, circa 1700, was probably originally destined for the boudoir of a continental grandee’s wife or mistress. At only five inches square, the hour strike can be switched off at night so the restless owner could make use of its pull-quarter repeating feature without fumbling to light a candle, but still safe in the knowledge that its alarm would awaken the fortunate recipient, perhaps for her next liaison with her generous benefactor.  Continuing the theme of sleep, or the lack thereof, the Hurst Night Longcase clock circa 1669 is a unique early long pendulum survivor. The first English ‘night clock’ was recorded by Samuel Pepys in 1664 in the bed-chamber of Charles II’s wife, Catherine of Braganza - but having a naked flame enclosed in a wooden box, these clocks have an inherent danger of catching alight, and after the Great Fire of 1666 it is not altogether surprising that demand was relatively small! This is one of only two examples that survive with their original long cases; being from the 1660s, this one is 20 years earlier than the other by Tompion, and it has an absolutely ingenious ‘silent’ mode that switches off the hour striking when one ‘precariously’ lights up and inserts the oil lamp.    The John C Taylor Collection Part II ‘An Inventor’s Passion for Time’    Carter Marsh & Co present the second part of the world’s most significant private collection of English clocks  An important Selling Exhibition in Winchester from 6th to 27th November 2021 Assembled over several decades by the multi-millionaire inventor and philanthropist, Dr John C Taylor OBE, the collection features the finest examples from the historical clock and watchmaking world - some of supreme historical importance and museum quality, but also including exceedingly rare, unusual, and surprisingly inexpensive items. Many of you already know about Dr Taylor and his ubiquitous kettle and motor switches - in fact, it is highly likely you are using one of his inventions every day.  ‘There are three essential ingredients to starting a successful collection: Time, Inclination and Money – and I was lucky enough to have all three - but now I’m approaching 85, I believe it’s time to share these wonderful objects with others.’  Dr John C Taylor OBE  The John C Taylor Collection - Part II selling exhibition represents the climax to a quite remarkable year for us at Carter Marsh & Co, despite COVID challenges affecting our customers worldwide, the summer of 2021 was exceptionally busy and successful, which is entirely thanks to your continuing passion and interest – thank you!   The John C Taylor Collection - Part II We have produced a 232 page full-colour printed catalogue of 48 exhibits, normally costing £35 but FREE to our subscribers on request from info@cartermarsh.com. The Part II catalogue is also available online and contains items by particularly well-known makers East, Tompion and the Knibb brothers, but also there are many interesting and affordable items besides, by the likes of Sutton, Hilderson, Knottesford, Jones, Puller, Massey, Gould, Ellicott, Shelton and Brock – with prices ranging from £500 to £950,000. ‘What is particularly exciting about this section of the collection is that there are exhibits here of extraordinary rarity for every pocket - just as they were at the time - from Knibb’s humble Oxford ‘farthing’ trade token to one of the first pendulum clocks ever made.’  ‘The John C Taylor Collection - Part II’ Selling Exhibition dates:  Sat 6th November to Sat 27th November 2021 at 32A The Square, Winchester SO23 9EX Opening times: 10am to 5pm, every day except Sundays   Now for a quick taster of just a few of the delicious items that will be on offer…   At first apparently anomalous to this English collection, this supremely important and historically significant timepiece by Salomon Coster was made in The Hague and is dated 1658. Coster was given the ‘Privilege’ to make the first pendulum clocks by his fellow countryman and patentee, Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) - but the story doesn’t quite end there, because Coster employed London’s John Fromanteel to work with him from September 1657 to May 1658, under a now famous contract. The wording is in ‘Old Dutch’ and at best, imprecise, so there remains a very ‘healthy discussion’ between the Dutch and English as to his exact role. Perhaps unfairly, being English, it is clear to us that our man’s presence was hugely significant but, whatever the true circumstances, it is more than possible that this rare clock was actually made by John Fromanteel while he was in Coster’s workshop. It is one of only five surviving Coster early pendulum timepieces three of which are in museums: two in Holland and one in the Science Museum, London.    The Lennox Pluvier circa 1664 is a remarkably beautiful gold and enamel pre-balance spring calendar watch with a super-rare subsidiary seconds dial – possibly the first on an English watch. It was appropriately first owned by Frances Stuart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (1647- 1702), who was renowned as ‘La Belle Stuart’. Samuel Pepys had a famously‘roving eye’ and recorded her as ‘the greatest beauty I ever saw’, while Charles II was completely infatuated by her. The king spent four years between 1663 and 1667 trying to make her his mistress, but she consistently denied him, further inflaming his desires. As the Huguenot maker, Isack Pluvier, died in the Great Plague of 1665, it is possible that this was a love-token from the smitten king, the like of which he was celebrated for.   The known provenance of the majority of Tompion’s famous Grande Sonnerie clocks reads like a ‘who’s who’ of contemporary English and European sovereigns - but only three longcase clocks from the series survive. One remains in the Royal Collection, while this example, The Pearson Grande Sonnerie Tompion, is the last of the three and the most mechanically sophisticated. Sadly, we don’t know its original owner, but it was made soon after Queen Anne’s succession, when her husband, George of Denmark, finally had access to the funding that enabled him to become Tompion’s leading patron and clocks from this series were certainly on his ‘shopping list’. By the 19th Century it was in the unlikely ownership of a Victorian railway stationmaster, whose descendants sold it at auction in 1979. The case is also exceptional, with burr-walnut veneers and construction features that confirm that it too was specially commissioned to complement the complex Grande Sonnerie repeating movement.    Modest 17th Century wall clocks have long been considered the poor relations to their usually more glamorous table and longcase counterparts, they often indicate time with a single hour-hand and are described for use on the ‘back stairs’ by the household servants. However, the two Oxford examples by John Knibb go against the grain; the first is a superb and very rare striking lantern clock which not only has minute indication but also, most unusually, has an extra train with two additional bells that ‘ting-tang’ at every quarter. The second is an apparently simple two-handed timepiece with an alarm, but actually it has a sophisticated plated movement housed in the most superb hooded walnut case with an original and exceptionally well-carved cresting, centred by a cherub’s head. Featuring in many of the most important horological publications of the last 50 years, it was first illustrated in RA Lee’s definitive book, The Knibb Family, Clockmakers, in 1964. Both examples are archetypal of the best work emanating from the Knibb brothers in the 1670s and 1680s.    There is no shortage of glamour in Dr Taylor’s collection, but surely one of the most sensational is the Henry Masseytable clock of c.1695 - veneered in stunning scarlet-backed turtleshell it is befittingly mounted in solid silver. Apart from being dressed in this astonishing finery, it also contains an appropriately complex movement attributed to Daniel Quare. Striking the hours, it pull-repeats the quarters on a peal of 6 bells but, critically, it also has a massive and sensationally engraved secondary ‘keyhole’ backplate, for which Quare was renowned, that pleasingly takes up the whole of the rear of the case. It doesn’t stop there – the gilt dial has gorgeous silver repoussé spandrels, with a very rare seconds display to the centre, below the rise and fall regulation dial.    Meanwhile, one of the most mechanically astonishing table clocks from this part of Dr Taylor’s collection is the miniature Jonathan Puller of c.1693. Utilising Knibb’s renowned style of Phase III case with Tompion’s style of twin repeat levers, we are immediately aware this clock is something special. Miniature 17th-century table clocks are exceedingly scarce anyway, but when combined with an 8-day, split-plate, full Grande Sonnerie striking and repeating movement, they are unknown to any other maker at this time. When compared to its diminutive dial, this complicated fully latched movement is massive, and to fit it into a case proportional to the dial, it required Puller to use every single bit of available space inside, so that when viewing this extraordinary table clock one is completely deceived by its simple and elegant outward appearance - all in miniature.   The rare marquetry longcase by William Prevost is also remarkable, not only is it the earliest recorded provincial year-going clock, but it is hour striking too – this is above and beyond most London examples of the period, which are generally timepieces, and so this example additionally requires the bell to be struck a minimum of 56,940 times during its duration. This clock is believed to have resulted from a competition in 1698 between the two most accomplished makers in Newcastle, Prevost and Deodatus Threlkeld. Tradition has it, that the two had a contretemps in a local tavern as to who was the better clockmaker, a wager ensued, and each agreed they would build a clock and return one year later. The two makers initially approached the Clockmakers’ Company to adjudicate but their records show they declined to take part, however Samuel Watson and Edward Burgis agreed to judge in their stead. On the appointed day, the judges surprisingly chose Threkeld’s clock over this one. Sadly that clock does not appear to have survived but to win over this example, it must have been extraordinary indeed. The story didn’t quite end there, with accusations of cheating - because, suspiciously soon after the wager, William Threlkeld (Deodatus’s son or nephew) became engaged to 'judge' Samuel Watson’s daughter.   We look forward to welcoming you in Winchester to show you these and many more extraordinary horological gems from The John C Taylor Collection – Part II, in the meantime should you like a copy of the catalogue, or to discuss any of the exhibits, please do not hesitate to contact us. Jonathan & Darrell    Jonathan Carter                                    jonathan@cartermarsh.com              +44 (0)7968 267528 www.cartermarsh.com Darrell Dipper darrell@cartermarsh.com +44 (0)7976 301886

The Bishop of Winchester 'Steps Back' - 'Dakingate' 2021

 Announcement by the Suffragan Bishop of Southampton. Deborah Sellin in May 2021 

Dear Friends, I wanted to contact you all directly with an important update. Bishop Tim has today informed me that he will be stepping back from his role as Bishop of Winchester for the next six weeks, so that he can focus on discussions about future leadership and governance reform in the Diocese. I fully support his decision. Bishop Tim and Lambeth Palace have requested that, over this period, I temporarily take responsibility for the Diocese and I shall be working with the team at Wolvesey to ensure full continuity. I realise that, even before today’s news, this has been an enormously challenging 15 months for us all as a diocese and as a church - as it has been for the entire country. On behalf of Bishop Tim and the team, I wanted to thank you once again for all you have been doing for your parishes and your communities, in such trying circumstances. As the country begins to emerge tentatively from the long shadow of COVID-19, our anticipation continues to be tempered by necessary caution. We will, of course, continue to be led by Government and National Church of England guidance, so that we can all stay as safe as possible. Finally, during these next weeks, every Monday morning at 9am from 24th May, I will be offering Diocesan Prayer on Zoom, with the exception of the Bank Holiday. You are very welcome to join me if you would like to do so, and further details will be circulated in due course. With my prayers for you all,   Bishop Debbie

This anodyne announcement has been followed by much more specific accusations;

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/21-may/news/uk/bishop-of-winchester-steps-back-after-diocesan-rebellion

https://archbishopcranmer.com/was-tim-dakin-made-bishop-of-winchester-without-being-validly-ordained-priest/

https://ashenden.org/2021/06/25/quis-custodiet-ipsos-custodes-how-will-the-church-of-england-rid-itself-of-its-bullying-crisis/

Finally, her resigns. 

Bishop Tim’s video message to the Diocese can be viewed here. The text of the message is below.     Dear Friends   I have now received confirmation that Her Majesty the Queen has accepted my retirement as Bishop of Winchester. I wanted you all to hear my decision as directly as possible – and doing it this way rather speaks to our times. Some formalities and details need to be finalized but I’ll be leaving the Diocese in early February and handing over my responsibilities to others in the meantime. Please pray for all involved in this transition process.   Mahatma Gandhi said that “unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking.” I have always been clear that, as your Bishop, I should be there to build and foster togetherness across our Diocese, focused upon our life together in Christ, and upon our joint mission to serve Christ in our communities and to sustain Christian witness in daily life. Sadly, it seems it is no longer possible for me to fulfil this role.   The last eighteen months have brought enormous pressures to bear on us all, individually, as a country, within our families and communities, and as a Diocese. The painfully difficult financial decisions made over the last year have caused real anguish. In trying to secure a sustainable future for the growth of the Diocese, it is clear that I’ve not done enough to acknowledge what we have lost in this process. To those I’ve hurt or let down, I am sorry.   I realise that the steps taken to stabilize the finances continue to cause upset. Bishop’s Council has received full reports in recent weeks from the Diocesan auditors and legal advisers, explaining and corroborating the decisions made by the Diocesan Board of Finance. None of this makes those decisions any easier to take. Nevertheless, I hope there is some comfort in the clarity now provided, and that faith can be restored in the relevant Diocesan staff and functions as the pastoral reorganisations proceed. Please continue to pray for all those involved. Pray too for all serving in the parishes and various projects: that the church and its witness may grow in the Diocese.   I could not have come to my decision, or indeed found a way through this recent period, without the love and support of Sally, my children and close friends. While I have not seen much of what has been said about me, my family and friends have seen more, and I have seen the effect it has had on them.  They are the people who know me best, of course – and I’ve drawn upon their love and their view of me during these difficult times.   It has been a privilege to serve a Diocese that has Companion links across the world. I’ve been reminded of previous ministry experience: of the need to live on other people’s terms to see the world they see and to know the Christ they follow. I hope these links will continue to grow in strength and in significance. It’s also been a great joy to be part of a Diocese where education is taken seriously at all levels, not least, Further & Higher Education. All of us are called to pray and witness in such a way that the coming generations will find fullness of life in Christ.   I will remain proud of what has been achieved across the Diocese over the past 10 years. For there to have been a record number of ordinands at the Cathedral recently is a wonderful achievement for those involved in the School of Mission and in the parishes. I believe each and every one of our new clergy – and the many lay people who’ve received the Bishop’s Commission for Mission – will have a valuable role to play in the next stage of the Diocese as it witnesses to Christ’s mission in this region, in the life of the nation and across the Anglican Communion. The new national strategy for the Church of England offers an inspirational trajectory for such future developments.   As for me and Sally, we are planning a move to Plymouth, and we’re looking forward to making new friends, as well as to visits from old friends and from our growing family. Thank you for all we have shared. We will miss you. God bless you.   +Timothy Winton

Bishop Debbie is made 'Acting Bishop of Winchester'

That's all for now folks! 

 

Old Swan House Garden in May 2021

After such a difficult start to the year - a wet and cold winter, a totally dry March and April with frosts and then weeks of heavy rain, the garden has emerged into early summer surprisingly well.

 

Adam Roud - Sculptor

 Adam Roud is a fine sculptor and painter who has an exhibition at he LightRoom, Arlesford in May and June 2021. I have admired his work since encountering it at an exhibition at Turner & Thom in Stockbridge and have commissioned him to make a bust for me, as a memento for my children. 

Adam Roud

His exhibition is accompanied with a catalogue bearing an interesting and highly complimentary forward by Edward Horswell of Sladmore Gallery.

For more photos, click here 

           

Hardy's Cottage Plants Chelsea Display in May 2021

I  had my own early visit to Chelsea today. Rosy Hardy, who has won gold for her displays, had prepared for the May show which is now postponed until September. She says she can't change it as the plants take about two years to prepare, so she set up her stand at Hardy Cottage Plants in Whitchurch and allowed us to visit by booking. It was a wet day but the rain just held off and it was a delight to be able to go round the stand in the open air (it is usually in a tent which means weaker filtered light) and without the usual crowds. The stand was exceptional with masses of plants in perfect condition, beautifully displayed. I particularly liked the irises. For a few photos, click here https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVFYKs4

What Makes a Happy Home?

"Want to know what makes a happy home? The findings of a new study might surprise reveals @thetimes in a recent article on the subject. “It’s not about owning your home, but knowing you can live there for as long as you need. It’s not about having big windows with lots of light, but whether you can see nature through them. And it’s not about buying that trendy blue velvet sofa, but how much your home reflects you.” No one’s ever really tried to scientifically study how good design enhances your happiness at home says Alex Depledge who commissioned the study for Resi which identifies six key qualities of a happy home. The findings might surprise you. One of the strongest finding is that you’re far happier when your home is unique to you and reflects who you are. How satisfied you are with the views from your windows is another big predictor of happiness. For the longest time, everyone’s talked about how we need lots of natural light pouring in, but the view outside and connection to nature is far more important".

                                                             A favourite house by Philip Johnson

NGS Booklet -The Little Yellow Book of Gardens and Health

 

The NGS have produced an inactive booklet 'The Little Yellow Book on Gardens and Health' that can be read as a pdf document here 

See also - The Therapeutic Power of Gardens by Oliver Sacks

Treating Seafarers Decently by Michael Grey

Go on, stop on

By Michael Grey

There could, I was reading the other day, be something of a societal change taking place as we emerge from Covid, to a kinder, greener and more inclusive world. This was evidenced by several of the most prominent finance houses and management consultants suggesting they would move away from their more inhuman practices such as making junior members of staff work long and antisocial hour.
Responding to objections from post-millennials, who would like some time off on their career path en-route to ludicrous rewards, it has been suggested that they might get the odd weekend to themselves. The Scots have been toying with the notion of a four-day week, although that might have something to do with an upcoming election.

Forecasts of societal change are perilous and natural sceptics will suggest that once we get back to something approaching normality, old habits will re-assert themselves. But it would be nice if the outbreak of universal kindness over the world of work could be exported to the maritime world, where there are few signs of it, thus far. True, there are all sorts of supportive messages about the need to consider the mental health of seafarers, just as long as its cost doesn’t appear on the ship owner’s balance sheet.  My old secretary, who was fond of killer put-downs, might have suggested that such are “all mouth and no trousers”.

But there is no evidence whatever that the frequently voiced complaints about exhaustion, fatigue and the dubious compliance with MLC rules, are producing any changes. Both the recent World Maritime University and Cardiff University studies on compliance with regulations on work and rest hours ought to have rung warning bells about an industry operating on the edge of legality. These reports, along with the effects of the pandemic, seem to have stimulated a certain amount of debate among seagoing professionals, mostly in the form of correspondence to their various organisations.

One rather shocking letter published in the Nautical Institute’s Seaways magazine tells of a tanker officer who suffered a heart attack after working 84 hours without a break. The same correspondent writes that on every ship he had served on, “hours of work were regularly exceeded due to the demands of compliance with other safety and operational matters”. Another, in the same issue, notes that none of his older colleagues seem to be surviving into old age following a working life of disrupted circadian rhythms and fatigue taken for granted. The old jokes about ship’s officers being woken up by officials checking up on the hours of rest really aren’t funny anymore.

It is obvious that firstly, there are not sufficient people aboard most ships to deal with the work that needs to be done, that the operational and bureaucratic burden on a few senior officers has become unbearable and that the pace of modern ship operations has become ridiculous. And none of this is going to be remotely improved by clever apps on smartphones or even software that will keep ships’ officers’ noses stuck in front of their screens inputting garbage that somebody demands ashore. Sure, we might get all the machinery wired up to transmit data to the engine manufacturer and wonderful “digitisation” that is said to be the cat’s pyjamas. Will any of this reduce the incessant demands upon a few exhausted people aboard ship? There needs to be a realistic assessment of the work that needs to be done, and the people available to do it, with proper leeway for illness, emergencies and the frequent untoward demands. There also needs to be a more rigorous application of the rules – the airlines would be an excellent example to follow, where there is no elasticity whatever. Or we could just slow down to a reasonable pace – we are not fighting a war here, but maintaining world trade and that shouldn’t be at the expense of anyone’s health. That’s what society seems to be saying, but will shipping shut its collective ears?

Michael Grey is former editor of Lloyd’s List.