A Rothera Wedding

The week leading up to the 15th July 20017 was not a normal week, as most of us on base had a big to do list. This of course was down to the fact that our two polar field guides, Tom Sylvester and Julie Baum were to be married and nobody was exempt from helping with the preparations.

With natural daylight increasing daily and once or twice the sun very nearly peeking over the mountains, the mood on base certainly seemed more energised. There was plenty to do and having sat down with Tom and Julie previously to discuss the menu, the wedding cake, timings  and a format for the day, it was clear from the start that this was not going to be an ordinary wedding.

  Spectacular view from my window with the daylight starting to appear but still with the moon shining over the mountains.

The Preparation 

Preparations started in the dining hall, with Blair, Steve and Bradders, our field guides putting their knot skills to good use by tying string to the ceiling panels to create a framework of webbing.

String being strategically placed

Then Rio and Joe come in to hang lights along the table

It was amazing to watch as drapes and sheets, that had been ironed and pressed by Julie where hung from the string to form what was to be the wedding Marquee in our dining room.

The tables had been turned lengthwise with the one at the end 

going across to create a top table

So for the next couple of days we would eat our meals under the 

sheets with the sides rolled up

This way you still have access to the servery and all other functions

A big problem being in Antarctica, is that you just can't nip out and get what you want or order things in  that you need, so when it comes to the flowers you have to make them. Jen Doc along with Julie, very cleverly over two weeks made 66 flowers to decorate the Marquee and the ceremonial chapel, as well as the brides bouquet and flowers for the bridesmaids. The flowers for the Marquee, were white and pink, while the brides bouquet and bridesmaids flowers were blue and made out of photographs of things that Julie has done here at Rothera, for example boating, penguins, whales, climbing etc.

Here Jen and Julie are busy making their blooms

Looking very effective in the bucket

These flowers are incredible and were made out of old Antarctic maps

You can just see the maps in the petals

The biggest challenge for me was the making of the wedding cake. Julie wanted three different cakes, a fruit cake which was to be the bottom tier, a carrot cake for the second tier and a chocolate cake for the top tier. This was fine but we had no cake stand, so I approached Paul Samways our Station Leader and explained my dilemma, Paul went away and came back with a solution. If I were to give him the dimensions of the cakes he would make a stand, being skilled with wood he did just that and  it was fantastic. It was made from an old sledge, maple and oak and each base spun as a turntable.

It was now up to me to make the cakes to fill it.

Awesome cake stand

The next challenge I faced was the cakes themselves, I did not have a big enough round cake tin for the bottom tier, so i used a square one and cut it round. The next stage was to marzipan the cakes, but i had to leave one free of marzipan, due to one of the guests having a nut allergy, they are also Lactose intolerant so I left marzipan off the carrot cake, as that one is made with sunflower oil and no butter.

Fruit cake about to be covered

Trimming off the overhang

Three cakes all covered, Fruit cake and chocolate cake covered 

with marzipan and the carrot cake covered with crusting Icing

We have no fondant icing down here, so i had to make my own if i wanted a nice finish to the cakes. The problem being, In order to make fondant icing as well as icing sugar and gelatin, you need liquid glucose and glycerin, neither of which i had. The plumbers came to my rescue as far as the glycerine was concerned as they use that as an ingredient in the STP (sewage treatment plant) I didn't ask! The liquid glucose i had to make by boiling 2 parts sugar with 1 part water and adding a small amount of cream of tartar, this helps to stop the sugar crystallizing. Once i had made the liquid glucose i could make the fondant icing, which would be used to cover the cakes and make some flowers for the decoration.

Fondant icing on the go

Fondant icing made and ready to be kneaded into a smooth rollable paste

All cakes covered, I decided to leave the carrot cake a chocolate colour 

as it matched the cake stand and gave a better contrast

Now the tricky bit, making the roses that will decorate the cake. In order to get the petals thin enough on the edges you need a confectioner's sponge pad and a balling tool, again these are things i do not have. So i asked Theresa our dive officer if she had any spare neoprene in the dive store, she said she would get me some. Once armed with my neoprene pad and a spoon, i started to make the flowers and quickly discovered that because the air is so dry in Antarctica, i had to work quite quickly as the paste started to dry and harden before i had time to mold, this caused a lot of cracking and frustration.

But perseverance paid off and i had some flowers that could be used, bearing in mind that i still had to feed everyone lunch and dinner so all this had to be done in the evening, once i had finished work and i had the kitchen to myself to concentrate. These flowers took me 5 hours to make finishing at 12:45pm. I think they were worth the effort.

Drying out the roses, didn't take long

The roses on the cake, with the cake on the stand

I was pleased with the outcome. Cake done!

The next day was Friday, the day before the wedding and i would have had lunch and dinner to do as well as prep for the wedding plus evening buffet. I was thrown a lifeline when Mabell stepped in and offered to do lunch and dinner that day, he also offered to do breakfast the following day, as it was originally my day off. This was great as it left me all day to do my prep and have a bit of a lie in the next morning. 

Zoe our Marine assistant offered to help with the evening buffet prep, this was good as i could now concentrate on the main event. The first course of the wedding breakfast was Salmon Gravlax, cured in sea salt, lemon juice, beetroot, juniper berries and gin and this had to be done a couple of days before as it needed two days to marinade

Here the salmon has been filleted and pin boned and awaits the marinade

The marinade is pasted on the fish and already the protiens are

breaking down creating juice

With the salmon covered in the beetroot mix it is wrapped in

parchment paper and cling film and placed in the fridge for two

days, turning it every 12 hours

While we were in full preparation mode, others on base were busy

getting their own bits and pieces ready

Looking out of the kitchen window, i saw Tom and Julie with 

Blair our other field guide and official photographer, looking

like they were discussing where to have the photographs

Here Zoe is just finishing the last bit of prep for the evening buffet

The Wedding Day

So on the morning of the wedding, it was arranged for the girls to have their breakfast from 9:00am to 9:45am and the boys from 9:45 onwards. That way the two parties do not meet until the ceremony

When i arrived in the kitchen Mabell (Matt Bell) was all prepared for the girls to arrive, he had done an amazing job. He was in the kitchen nice and early and had already made fresh croissants, and fresh Bagels, laid the table and had bacon, sausage and scrambled egg on the go. Not at all bad for a Generator Mechanic.

Mabell making scrambled egg as the girls arrive

Another bonus for me was Steve, one of the other field guides just happened to be an ex chef who owned his own restaurant in France, he gave it up to pursue his passion for climbing and became a mountain guide. Steve offered to do sushi as canapes on arrival with the champagne and was more or less done by the time i got into the kitchen.

The table set and ready for the girls to arrive

The five girls on base are left to right: Julie, Polar field guide and Bride, Jen, Doctor and Maid of Honour, Zoe, Marine Assistant and Bridesmaid and Maz, Meteorologist and Bridesmaid. The last girl is Theresa our dive officer who was not at breakfast as she had just finished a week of nights and was allowed to be asleep.

Scrambled eggs and fresh bagels

Mabells croissants, they were delicious

everyone enjoyed them

With the girls having finished breakfast, they left to get ready leaving the marquee free for the boys to eat. With seventeen of us, their breakfast was a come to the counter and help yourself, Zac with the beard and white tee shirt is our Boatman and the best man. 

Tom our Polar field guide and Groom, looks happy to be starting the day with a good breakfast.

Steve, rolling the sushi

With everyone having finished breakfast and the Marquee cleared, it was time to lay the tables, set the flowers, arrange the cake and for me to make the bread rolls and hope that i have enough time to get them in and out of the oven with everything ready, in order for me to get to my room, shower, change and arrive at the chapel before the bride. 

The flowers that Jen and Julie made out of Antarctic maps, were presented in primus stoves. Ingenious! They looked great.

Cake in position on the stand and table laid ready

A few finishing touches, with the sides of the marquee being rolled down to hide the kitchen, service and wash areas. It was a rush for me but i managed to get to the makeshift chapel in Fuchs just in time, I was the last one to arrive but made it before the bride. I got myself a glass of champagne and took my seat. I had not seen the room prior to the ceremony and i was amazed how well it had been made up, It was hard to believe we were sitting in the sewing loft of Fuchs House, (which is where Tom and Julie work as field guides) surrounded by strategically placed and ironed bed sheets.

The Ceremony

It was an amazing service, given by Paul Samways our Station Leader and sworn in Magistrate. There were some lovely words spoken and poems read, Tom and Julie's vows were quite emotional and it was a privilege to witness the exchanging of the rings, both of which were made by Tom, made out of brass turned on a lathe in the garage. The following pictures are courtesy of Blair

The rings, on a wedding invitation,

Paul Samways officially marrying Tom and Julie

Man and wife

It's official 

The Photo's

Once the ceremony was over we all got into our boots and headed outside for the official photographs. I hoped it wasn't going to take too long because i had things that needed attention in the kitchen, plus the temperature outside was around minus 9 degrees C, but everyone was in good spirits and a little bit of cold didn't seem to bother them.

Jen Doc walking over to NBH transferring the flowers she had made

The flower lady! The blue bouquets were made out of 

photographs of Rothera activities

Blair setting up the camera, facing the icebergs

The guests start to congregate for the pictures

Zoe holding her Bridesmaid flower

All 5 girls, Theresa, Jen, Julie, Maz, Zoe

Always time for a sexy shot, no matter how cold!

Ben, our Marine Biologist, alias Baby Banana, runs to the front and falls down the slope

We all had to run towards the camera, pretending there was a killer penguin chasing us, this was Julies idea as she wants to photoshop in a killer penguin chasing us!

Paul Samways, Station Leader, Julie and Tom, Bride and Groom, Jen, Maid of Honour, Zac, Best Man

A Beautiful Couple

The wedding dress was made by julie, incorporating and old pyramid tent, she did a fantastic job and looked gorgeous.

The official wedding photo, with all 22 of us.

 From left to right: Matt Bell (Genny Mech) Zac Priestly (Boatman) Ben Keitch (Electronics Engineer) Steve Windross (Field Guide) Alan Messenger ( IT & Communications) Jen Douglas (Doctor) Joe Burton (Electrician) Ben Robinson (Marine Biologist) Matt Washington (Vehicle Mech) Julie Sylvester (Field Guide) Tom Sylvester (Field Guide) Will Van de Wouw (Vehicle Mech) Trevor Hancock (Chef) Theresa Murphy (Dive Officer) Paul Samways (Station Leader) Michael Bell (PLumber) Mairi Simms ( Meteorologist) Bradley Morrell (Field Guide) Zoe Wareing (Marine Assistant) Dan Doran (Electrician) Neil Brown (Plumber) The one kneeling is Blair (Field Guide)

With all Photo's done the wedding guests make their way upstairs to the bar for champagne and sushi, while i make my way to the kitchen and the bride and groom drive off in a snow cat along the runway, for a few more pictures for the media. This picture was taken from the kitchen   

The Wedding Meal

The Menu

On Arrival

Sushi and champagne

Starter

Salmon Gravlax cured with Beetroot and Gin

Intermediate

Mango Sorbet

Main Course

Chargrilled Rump of Lamb

Redcurrant & Port wine Jus

Dauphinoise Potatoes

Buttered Spinach

chargrilled Carrots

Dessert

Bitter Chocolate Tart 

&

Parsnip Ice Cream

The Salmon Gravlax ready to be served

Starters on the table with everyone having a place setting with their names in a champagne cork

The cake didn't look out of place

Zac helping to serve the main course

Dauphinoise potatoes and lamb ready to be plated

Main course served

The dessert went down very well, Chocolate tart and Parsnip Ice cream

Time to cut the cake

The first cut is the deepest

We then had the speeches, which was quite a laugh as the best man had only known the groom for as long as we have wintered together, but he did a great job and there were no awkward silences. Paul Samways started stood up to speak and told a story about an Australian (Will) who approached him in the bar one night with an idea that was pure genius and the two or three of them started to work on it. He went on to talk about the Flag ceremony that we had a few weeks ago, when the sun went down and the flag was lowered and how it was to be put aside to be raffled for one lucky person on base to win.

It was then that he presented Tom and Julie with their wedding gift, which was a frame made from an old sledge and mounted in it was their official wedding photo, plus a piece of the flag, with a picture of all the winterers holding that flag. It was a an incredible gift with a lot of time and effort going into it. But that was not the end of the story, Paul, then presented everyone with a present and after he had finished talking, we were told to open them. 

We were all amazed and speechless at what we found on unwrapping our gifts. We were all presented with a framed and mounted picture of the flag ceremony and a piece of the flag. Emotional! 

That has to be the first time in BAS history that every winterer goes home with a piece of the flag as a reminder of their time at Rothera. Maybe this will set a precedence for future winters. Who knows? 

The perfect hand made wedding gift.

And the perfect gift to remember my winter, especially as i was the one who lowered the flag

MEMORABLE!

The Evening

With the buffet nicely set out in the Big TV Room and the projector on, we all made our way to the bar for the next stage of the wedding. Once we were all in attendance the slide started in the background, showing Tom and Julie's life adventures around the world. It was lovely to learn a bit more about them and to have a little glimpse into the adventures of this awesome couple. 

It wasn't long before the music started and people were starting to let their hair down.

The big screen showing the couples adventures

The cake went down a storm

I still have a couple of roses left

There was a couple of live acts performing one or two numbers for the couple, although most of it was off the cuff as not many of us had time to practice. I have to say it all went rather well with no mistakes and a good night was had by all.

Alan on the guitar and Zac on the beat box accompanying me on the Clarinet

Maz and Samways did a great number

Tom and Julie did a duet which was really good, Tom on the guitar and Julie on the Mandolin.

They are both very good

When everyone retired, Tom and Julie were told they could not go to their room, as a Honeymoon Suite had been specially made for them in the sewing room of Fuchs House. This was the chapel that had now been converted to the bridal suite

All laid out nicely with all the trimmings

Champagne on Ice, Chocolates and a message

What an absolutely amazing day, with amazing people in an amazing place doing amazing things.

There are not many weddings that take place, where all the guests have an input into making the day special by making everything from scratch. We have a very talented team of people here at Rothera and i for one am very proud to be a part of it.

I am extremely lucky to have been part of Tom and Julie's Wedding 

and  feel very privileged to call them my friends.

Congratulations to you both, I wish you lots of happiness for your future together!

With this being the first official wedding in British Antarctic Territories, there was so much media attention from around the globe, here are a couple of links to video footage from the BAS Media press release.

https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/wedding-bells-in-antarctica/

Plus ITV's The Lorraine Show, where Tom and Julie give a live Interview, which meant they had to be up at 4:30am our time to fit in with UK time. It is worth watching!

http://www.itv.com/lorraine/hot-topics/couple-make-history-as-they-tie-the-knot-in-antarctica

The Next Day

Was a Sunday and i was up nice and early in order to get Brunch ready and start prep for the Sunday dinner. It was an easy day and went very smoothly, the daylight is staying with us a bit longer and the sun is teasing us by not quite rising over the mountains. It won't be long, a couple more days and we will be having the flag raising ceremony to mark the sunrise, weather permitting. Below are a few pictures taken these last couple of days. Time is going so quickly.

Midwinter Highlights

With thirteen weeks of our winter gone and nearly seven weeks since my last post, there has certainly been a lot going on with a great deal to catch up on. It has been crazy busy for me and only now is it starting to slow down a little, with all but two of the major events out of the way.

You would have thought that feeding 22 people on a regular basis would be quite straight forward, which it is! Except, that on a regular basis events and themed nights are planned that require a little more effort, more planning and lots more preparation and for me that means more time in the kitchen and less time at the event. There have been one or two activities that I have not been able to attend due to my being stuck in the kitchen, although to be fair everyone is very good at offering help when needed.  i have also lost one or two of my days off,  where i have been needed for things like stocktaking,  gash duties, food moves, chamber training etc.
Who ever said, a winter season is a slower pace with time for yourself to work on projects, was definitely not a chef!

A big hindrance to me so far has been my mishaps, which have slowed me down a little but did not or has not stopped me producing regular meals for everyone. The first thing that happened was just as the ship was leaving, when the bridge in my teeth came away as i was eating a lemon tart. I went immediately to see Jen Doc, as we have no Dentist all doctors that work for BAS have to undergo dental training in order to be prepared for any eventuality, i was happy to help by giving Jen a little more practice!

The Doctors surgery adapted for dentistry (My second home) 

After pictures of the tooth were taken using Jens new dental camera and X Rays done, all images were sent to BASMU (British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit) for their dental consultants to advise on the best course of action. It was agreed that the bridge should not be put back in as it is a specialists job and the glue we have at Rothera is probably not strong enough to hold for a year, the priority was to seal the tooth along the gum line to stop infection.
We booked an appointment for me to be treated the next day, this was going to take approx 3 hours.

I arrived at the surgery where Jen had everything prepared for me, i lay on the bed looking at the big light, mouth open and wearing sunglasses for goggles, Jen started by injecting my gums then drilling and fileing the cavity to clean and smooth the foundations before packing and filling to seal it all. I must have had 10 injections during the treatment which did take approx 3 hours. Jen was amazing with a very gentle touch and really good dentistry skills, the next step will be to arrange for me to go to the dental hospital in Punta once the summer season starts. Until then, the only problem i have is a gap of three teeth with no bite on one side of my mouth. Apart from that i have had no problems whatsoever.

The next two mishaps were a slip and a knock! Six weeks into winter and i slipped doing my laundry and landed on my knee, causing it to swell with water on the knee which was very painful for quite a few days. So off to see Jen again, where i was given an ice pack, a knee support and painkillers, i carried on working hobbling around the kitchen.
Six weeks later or there about, I knocked my foot and broke two bones in the big toe and that was painful, with only three days till the Mid Winter's meal i carried on working with my toes strapped together. Three weeks later and i am walking more or less normally, the toe is still swollen and i get the odd twinge but it is definitely on the mend. The Doctor has certainly had her work cut out with me this season. Thanks Jen!

                                                                                             

Ouch! A little bruised and battered and very similar colours to the sky out of my window that day.

View from my room taken on the 23rd June  at 12:30pm

Since we lost the sun, the days are nearly as long as the nights and the last couple of weeks have been a bit of a challenge. the light we do get starts with Civil Twilight at approx 11:00 hrs and it ends approx 16:00 hrs, actual Daylight is with us for approx 1.5  hours. I didn't think i would have a problem with this, but for the last few nights i have had a problem sleeping and I wake feeling very run down, which stays with me for quite a while. There are one or two others on base experiencing the same thing, the light certainly has a feel good factor to it with an energy boost and i for one am really looking forward to sunrise and the raising of the flag, which will be on 21st July. the days are gradually starting to get longer and today we saw a splash of colour in the sky for about 30 mins, which seemed to lift the spirits.

 The info screen in the dining room showing Sunlight and Moon times
With the temperature at -7.2C but with the 22 knot winds it feels like -17.1C

 This was the forecast for Tuesday (Today)

The forecast for the week

The main event of this season has to be Midwinter's Day and it was such a memorable event, (an awful lot of work but memorable) that i will write a separate post dedicated to the one day. We have also had other activities and theme nights that have been successful, such as a Jamaican night, a crazy golf night and a pub crawl, plus birthday nights and midwinter's week we held Winter Olympics, Skidoo and Vehicle trials and ended the week with a Murder Mystery night.

The next event was Tom and Julie's Stag & Hen do. which i can now talk about as they have had the press release, just in time for the wedding which is this Saturday. The preparations for the wedding are in full swing and this i believe will be bigger than Midwinter's Day. I've written the menu and started the wedding cake, the rest of the prep begins tomorrow! That will be another blog post after the weekend.  

The last event we had was the Burning Man, this is an annual gathering that takes place at Black Rock City- a temporary city erected in the Nevada Desert dedicated to art and community. They build some amazing sculptures and perform some incredible stunts, then burn everything at the end of the festival. Ben keitch our Electronics Engineer is a member and has been to quite a few of these festivals. So last Saturday we created a bit of a festival with a few side show's  and some short films. I did a take away menu by cooking Kentucky Fried Chicken, Corn on the Cob, BBQ Beans, Coleslaw, Chips and Onion Rings which was served in mayonnaise tubs in the bar as a KFC Bargain Bucket Meal. It was a good night and would be a great festival to attend, just Google "Burning Man" It's really quite amazing!

So for now here are a few pictures of what we have been up to these last few weeks just to bring you up to date.

Crazy golf night, where each department set up a golf course and you had to hit your ball using a club of your own choosing round the course and into the hole in as few strokes as you could.
The golf started in the Bonner lab, then a walk to OBH through snow, gales and darkness ready to play the next hole. Here Jen is keeping the score with Theresa using an oar as her putter

Then onto the Garage where the course was set around skidoos and mechanical bits

Brownie the Plumber, dressed for the part waiting to Tee off, with the putter he made from copper pipe

Ben Robinson, 'alias Baby Banana' the Marine Biologist, attempting to guide his ball up the pipe and into the bucket. It took him a few goes with that oar.

Then onto Fuchs building where there was another course to be conquered

Here Ben Keitch the Electronics Engineer, manages to swerve his way round the water bottles laid out down the corridor and gets stuck at the uphill pipe

Tricky to get passed these bottles without knocking them over.













The next event was a pub crawl, where again each department set up a bar and specialised in a beverage and a little entertainment, here Tom is playing at being barman in Fuchs building. As a field guide he has prepared a warm punch heated on a primus stove

   

We all enjoyed visiting the different bars and experiencing their hospitality. The garage had beers on ice where you could just dip in and out, while the Bonner lab did Bailey's ice cream using liquid nitrogen and a game of battle ships. OBH was my favourite, with the room being set up very Retro with a bar in the corner and a big screen showing a very hypnotic black and white spinning image. They had scatter cushions and furs with lots of  LED lighting and the Electronics Engineer had made a table top space invaders and electronic ping pong. A good night was had by all.

 

Next was the skidoo and vehicle training, where you had to drive a skidoo around a made up course and see who could do it the quickest, there was also a little competition to see who could control the JCB digger. A ball on a rope was attached to the bucket and little containers strategically placed within the range of the arm. Using the controls you had to swing the arm, steady the ball and drop it into the containers, the fastest time wins. I believe Julie did the best time.

Zoe at the controls

 Julie looking comfortable in the driving seat

The last event of Midwinter's week was the Murder Mystery night

Here everyone is dressed up and getting into character

 Julie looking radient as she is supposed to be pregnant! i wonder 

If Tom knows?

Who dunnit? It's starting to look serious

Tom and Julie's Stag night and Hen do was next! Zac had been asked to be best man and so began preparations to organise the Stag party. This was to be held in the bar, while Julie was to have her Hen party in the Bonner Lab. 

It was arranged that the boys would eat in the dining room before going to the bar, it was agreed for the meal to be steak and chips. The girls were having a fondue party cooked on primus stoves, so the day before Theresa organised with me all the ingredients needed for the meal.

Tom had a whole day to go before the actual Stag party and was constantly looking over his shoulder. He didn't have to wait long, because at morning smoko three masked men burst into the dining room, grabbed Tom and bundled him into a canvas bag, loaded him into the back of a gator and drove him round base for a while. 

Totally disoriented he eventually returned dressed in a fluffy suit, a toilet seat round his neck a birthday hat and chained to a male blow up doll. He also had a few rules that he had to adhere to, should he fail in any of them he would lose points, which meant forfeits. 

Once dinner was over, a master of Booziness was elected and Zac explained the rules of the night. Which was listed on the board, it was then up to the bar which had been turned into a casino for the night and what a night it was!

 Tom queueing for his lunch, in full regalia 

 Julie didn't get away with it, she was dressed as Super Girl

At the Bar, Ben was our cocktail barman for the night and did 

an amazing Job!

Place your bets on the roulette wheel

Zac on all fours, a punishment for calling a first name.

Tom and Denzel, still standing

Onto the BlackJack table, where Mabell our Croupier 

for the night, deals the chips.

A punishment for Denz, was to go to the Bonner Lab 

and swap clothes with one of the girls, he returned 

In Julie's costume as Supergirl. 

Very becoming 

Jen's Doc school, which takes place every now and then.

The lesson today is how to plaster a broken limb?

And how to use the X Ray machine

This is the skull of a crabeater seal

And finally i thought i would end this post on a real highlight, with the Aurora Australis, which is very rarely seen at Rothera, these are amazing shots that were taken by Neil Brown (Brownie) our Plumber.

I will post Midwinter's day very soon, then it will be the Wedding and after that will be the flag raising ceremony to welcome back the sun. I can't wait to see that sunshine rise above the mountains.

Eight more days, watch this space!