Local historian Chris Hare and sea shanty group The Duck Pond Sailors help Worthing celebrate Trafalgar Day

By Elaine Hammond
Published 27th Oct 2022, 14:22 BST
Updated 2nd Nov 2022, 09:14 BST
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Sea shanties from The Duck Pond Sailors helped celebrate Trafalgar Day at The Ardington Hotel in Worthing.

Local historian Chris Hare, a member of the group, explained the local and national effects of Nelson leading the Royal Navy to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Worthing town crier Bob Smytherman opened the proceedings on Friday, October 21, with a short poem written by Goring author Wendy Greene. The shanties were then interspersed with explanations from Chris, who also read relevant passages from his book Historic Worthing – The Untold Story.

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Wendy said: "What a wonderful evening we had with The Duck Pond Sailors. The Ardington kitchen put on a lovely spread of crusty bread, ham, cheese and pickles."

Sea shanties from The Duck Pond Sailors were interspersed with explanations from local historian Chris HareSea shanties from The Duck Pond Sailors were interspersed with explanations from local historian Chris Hare
Sea shanties from The Duck Pond Sailors were interspersed with explanations from local historian Chris Hare

The event also celebrated Pickle Day, honouring HMS Pickle, an armed schooner built privately in Bermuda and purchased for the Royal Navy in 1800. Lieutenant Lapenotiere was chosen to take Lord Collingwood’s despatches with the news of Trafalgar to England.