February 2025

The City of London from Waterloo Bridge (February 2025)

The Endurance Shipwreck (c.1915)

Frank Hurley & the National Geographic

Why Cats Make Great Sailors -

National Geographic (January 2025 Issue)

Frank Wild (Ernest Shackleton’s second-in-command) and his sled dogs.

(Photo credits - Frank Hurley & the National Geographic)

The music I'm listening to:

Two songs from early in February where I was really into some old-timey, crooner goodness -

• Fools Rush In - Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

• I Left My Heart in San Francisco - Tony Bennett & Dave Brubeck (The White House Sessions Live 1962)

A lovely little song I stumbled upon, thanks to some of Spotify’s magic-dust -

• So My Darling (Acoustic) - Rachel Chinouriri

This next one resurfaced for me after about 15 years, and it's quite amazing how some songs, sounds, smells or tastes, can serve as inadvertent time capsules, storing the outer silhouettes of memories - this song was that for me and reminded me of long, lazy summers in Mangalore.

• You - Schiller and Colbie Caillat.

And one I overheard at my local coffee shop (The Roasting Plant, London Bridge) on a lovely Friday morning.

• Used to Me - Like Chiang

Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition:

I’d heard of Ernest Shackleton over the years (thanks, BBC Radio 4), but I never quite grasped the sheer magnitude of his expedition—or the immense bravery and leadership he and his crew demonstrated—until I read his story as part of the feature in the January 2025 issue of National Geographic.

Although the main feature was about finding the shipwreck, the story of the expedition was given the full NatGeo treatment, complete with incredible photos from the expedition, taken by Endurance photographer Frank Hurley and stunning infographics, showcasing the case of the incredible journey.

I couldn’t find a link to the article online, so you may have to buy a copy or I could loan it to you!

A fitting tribute to the man who first "discovered" Pluto -

I came across this piece in a NASA newsletter marking 85 years since Pluto’s discovery. While I don’t have too many thoughts on Pluto itself, what caught my attention was this detail: NASA sent Clyde Tombaugh’s ashes onboard the New Horizons spacecraft as it flew by Pluto.

A remarkable tribute to the man who first spotted the distant world. Also see the incredible photos of Pluto taken by the the New Horizons spacecraft here.

Why Cats Make Great Sailors:

Building on the nautical theme, another story from the Nat Geo about 'Why Cats Make Great Sailors' -can you tell I love Nat Geo?