4 of 7 December 2023 The 1805 Dispatches #23.06 ADMIRAL LORD NELSON SCHOOL, PORTSMOUTH: THE 1805 CLUB SPECIAL AWARD FOR OVERCOMING ADVERSITY By Stephen Howarth, MA with Distinction, FRHistS, FRGS, Cert Ed (Oxon) Honorary Secretary The 1805 Club Founded in 1995, Admiral Lord Nelson School (ALNS, ‘the School’) is a secondary comprehensive day school of approximately 1,000 pupils located in Dundas Lane, Portmouth. Its former head teacher, Dianne Smith, was a member of our Council during the chairmanship of Peter Warwick. Like us, Dianne was keen on the educational aspects offered by the Immortal Memory, which we provided in various ways as part of our educational remit. We gave the school a bust of Nelson and a collection of Nelson-related books, as well as a bookcase intended for their dedicated display, and there was at least one ‘Wooden World’ workshop there, presented by former Chairman Peter Warwick and Jerome Monahan. Dianne and Peter agreed that the Club should sponsor an annual award to a student ‘for personal endeavour in overcoming adversity’. This took the form of a silver Cup, 6-8 inches high, with an engravable plaque. The Cup was presented to a student chosen by the school. The student could keep the Cup for one year. Dianne eventually moved on from her post at the school, Peter died, and the Club’s connection there became limited to the presentation as part of the school’s annual awards ceremony. At these events, the Club was represented initially by Gillian Knight, Dianne’s successor as education officer, and latterly by Josephine Birtwhistle, who lives locally. On 19 September this year we received an email from a member of ALNS staff, asking if the Club might be willing to continue sponsoring the Award. Being one of the few active members of Council who remembered the relationship, I took this up. It transpired that the engravable part of the original Cup was full. This prompted me to propose to my fellow Trustees that we should (1) continue to sponsor the Award and (2) change its physical form to an annual Trophy personalised to the individual student, who would then keep it forever, instead of just one year. The proposed design was a vertical plane of crystal standing on a base and engraved with four key elements: the Club’s crest, the name of the Award, the name of the student, and the logo of the school. These proposals were accepted by my fellow Trustees and the school. The manufacturer of the Trophy will be the same company that provides us with the engraved crystal wine glasses presented to our Guests of Honour at Trafalgar Night. The Trophy will be in a satin-lined presentation box for safety. On the evening of the Awards presentations, sponsors and parents arrive at the school at 1800 and report to the reception office. Parking is available. After a drinks reception the ceremony begins at 1830 and concludes at 2000. Many Awards are presented: last year there were 22 special awards and no fewer than 90 subject certificates. Presentation is in the manner of a University degree -- i.e., students approach the stage/presentation area in a pre-ordered queue, names are announced, then one at a time they cross the stage/presentation area, receive their certificate or Award, and depart. Maintaining this Award helps to contribute to the Club’s educational remit at modest expense. The Award’s new and enhanced style as a personal Trophy gives the recipient a proud and lasting record of achievement, which they will probably keep for years. ZWAANENDAEL MUSEUM By Peter Pennington A group of us U.S. Members visited the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, Delaware, on 8 October to see the relatively few artefacts recovered from HMS DeBraak which sank in a squall in 1798. Some greedy b*****s thought there was gold on board and this was before the National Ship Wreck Law came into force. The net result was the loss of a lot of valuable items and information. That said, we looked at some of the recovered items and then went to see the remains of the brig which, as is familiar to many of us in Alexandria, is being soaked in water in a disused shed awaiting funding to be sent to Texas. The most remarkable sight to my eyes was the amount of copper sheathing on the keel that has survived.
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