2 THE CHAIRMAN’S DISPATCH! - THE HERO OF THE TYNE The sons of Tyne, in seas of blood, Trafalgar’s fight did join, When led by dauntless Collingwood, The hero of the Tyne. Taken from the song ‘Coaly Tyne’ “Now, gentlemen, let us do something today which the world may talk of hereafter.” This strap line, chosen for the Collingwood 2010 Festival, is taken from Collingwood’s own words. What a fine mission statement it is. The spirit of its meaning inspired The 1805 Club, the Royal Navy and those in Northumberland to create a magnificent weekend of events between 5 and 7 March. They now represent the keelson of the Collingwood 2010 Festival which runs until the 24 October. The 1805 Club may have initiated events in the North East but appropriately for a local hero, as opposed to a national hero like Nelson, it has been the Northumbrians who have come together so splendidly to celebrate one of their own. As the initiative grew, the Club passed the chairmanship of the organising committee to Captain Stephen Healy, the Deputy Master of Trinity House Newcastle. He has since worked tirelessly to co-ordinate the involvement of Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas Newcastle upon Tyne, Morpeth Town Council and the North East Regional Office of the Royal Navy. He has also secured sponsorship from various local sources, notably Port of Tyne. The 1805 Club has remained intimately involved throughout and has also sourced significant sponsorship for the Festival from both Trinity House London and The Drapers’ Company. Collingwood was made member of the Drapers’ in 1806. Many other organisations, bodies and museums have become involved along the way and the Festival Committee established a number of important sub-committees for the naval, civic, educational and media activities which continue to manage the rest of the Festival Programme. You can see the details at www.collingwood2010.co.uk. The 1805 Club is proud to be a member of ‘such a fine sett of fellows’ and applauds the wonderful atmosphere between everyone involved. This sits well with the sentiments Nelson expressed to Collingwood thirteen days before Trafalgar: “I send you my Plan of Attack... But, my dear friend it is to place you perfectly at ease respecting my intentions, and to give full scope to your judgement for carrying them into effect. We can, my dear Coll., have no little jealousies.” I should like to mention in dispatches two Club members who have also played key roles: Mark Thorburn for being such a marvellous frigate captain by being the ‘eyes’ and voice of the Club during the two-year build-up, and for being such a brilliant guide on Saturday, 6 March; and Lynda Sebbage, who designed the Order of Service for the bicentenary commemoration of Collingwood’s death at The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas held on Sunday, 7 March. In his Address at this service Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, felt that if Lord Nelson had been present he would have been the first to pay tribute to Lord Collingwood. Let us imagine he had been. What would Nelson have said? We get some idea from his written words. One telling sentence that marries Collingwood’s professional and personal attributes praises “The brave and good Collingwood”. Given Nelson’s undoubted respect for Collingwood as a professional seaman and naval officer, it is probably no surprise that when asked by Prime Minister William Pitt in September 1805 who best could lead the British fleet against the Combined Fleets of France, Nelson replied, “You cannot have a better man than the present one – Collingwood.” Left to right: Ian Whitehead, curator of the Discovery Museum’s special Collingwood exhibition, Mark Thorburn and Peter Warwick.
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