My connection with HMS Pickle goes back a long way and includes a lengthy commission for HMS Victory which resulted in some great pictures (several available as heritage prints from page
http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html

Curiously when I was filmed in Nelson’s Great Cabin onboard HMS Victory for the BBC TV programme “The Boats that Built Britain” I found myself being asked by narrator Tom Cunliffe to give a character reference for Pickle’s commander.
See this blog December 5th – http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/2009/12/05/portsmouth-hms-victory-and-pickle/.

Can you imagine the experience to be on HMS Victory early on a December morning when only Victory’s Royal Navy staff are present?

At 07.30 on a chilly 5th of December 2009 morning I found myself in Nelson’s day cabin being asked about the mind set of the sailors after the battle of Trafalgar and giving a character reference for Lt Lapenotiere of HM Schooner Pickle (he of possibly the most miss pronounced miss spelt name in British naval history) ~ and this was to go on National TV?!
My view is that despite desertions and floggings Lt Lapenotiere was a good commander and very fine seaman.

He commanded a very small very wet vessel that must have been seriously unpleasant in winter and he sailed Pickle in dangerous coastal waters with out misshap, with some élan and some distinction.

How Lt Lapenotiere managed this and his men is a story in its self for another time, maybe.

One of my best known pictures features Pickle, “I have urgent dispatches“.
If you wish reproduce this image for the purpose of an educational presentation (only) do go ahead, free of charge.
A credit shown with the image mentioning web site and availability of prints would be appreciated, thank you.
The Pickle in “I have urgent dispatches” is after much research including of similar period vessels, models, other paintings and the only illustration probably overseen by her then commander Lt Lapenotiere is considered by some leading authorities as showing her most likely actual appearance.

Available as a heritage edition in print, signed and numbered, the first copy was presented by the officers of HMS Seahawk mess in 2005 to the Princess Royal in appreciation of her assistance with the commemorative voyage, Trafalgar to Falmouth, of the news of Trafalgar and death of Nelson.
Having made a special study which started in 1994 when I was commissioned to paint to raise funds for HMS Victory , of HMS Pickle, I have a considerable amount of information here about HMS Pickle and other vessels of her type.
I am also keenly aware some books and many web sites present info on Pickle as fact and are simply wrong or at best guessing.
Example: in my view Pickle was probably built at or near Plymouth.

Bermuda is often suggested for which I’ve seen no supporting evidence.

I have a huge respect for the achievements of the men of that period, I feel HMS Victory is still visited by their spirit.

I even felt contacts with these formidable men while painting “Trafalgar Dawn” (http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/trafalgar_dawn.html)

That story is mentioned in Trafalgar Dawn, further reading (picture available as a signed edition exclusively from this web site).

You may also like to know I am currently working on 2 new “Pickle” paintings.

I wish my naval friend all the best with his presentation a copy of which would be of great interest.

I like the idea of a Leading Seaman giving a command leadership presentation to senior officers.
In any event I hope he does let us know how he got on and of any funny stories.

Results included information about a new type of movie camera, ideal for use with U Tube, on web sites and being reminded that tonight is the first night of the famous fete de Vaour.

Jean Marie (on the right in the photo here with Francis ands Alain Maroule) wants to make a film about The Art of Gordon Frickers, how I work and has already started filming sequences that may be useful.

Jean-Marie is a talented still and motion picture photographer, a very amusing person to be around, funny and full of good ideas and also a talented musician.

We discussed my proposed visit to the Monaco Yacht Show in September and the replica frigate Hermione building and almost ready to launch at Rochefort sur Mer.

I intend to visit the Hermione very soon, possibly with Peter Goodwin, author of some 12 authorative books on historical ships (5 more in the making) and keeper of HMS Victory for some 20 years thus the man and talent responsible for the superb restoration to her 1805 condition of HMS Victory.

The Fete de Vaour is famous though out southern France for its live entertainment and wonderful atmosphere, good food, picnicking on the grass, beautiful sunsets, live music and live theater, a meeting place for artisans and the likes of us.

Alain Maroule of Domaine Barry (www.domainedubarry.fr) and Alain of the Hotel du Nord will be there too.

Meanwhile Castelnau de Montmiral is preparing for its major musical festival this week end, 12th to 15th.

Music on the Esplanade will include a disco by Menergy, live music by Kawa, California, TNT, with restauration and Bodega in the square.

The 15th also schedules 9 to 19.00 a Foire au Miel, artisan’s products in a market, products of the terrior – region and an evening dinner together in the open air music by Seranade.

All these ‘fetes’ are free to enter.

Musicians are arriving in their trucks and caravans at CdM, fairy lights are being put up; you get the idea?

Today, I have been working mostly on the remarque drawing which will as per the view of “Trafalgar Dawn” from HMS Victory (available as a signed print from page http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/trafalgar_dawn.html) appear in the margin with the ships on the horizon individually named in order; you do remember HMS Victory?

Here is one of the working studies for the battle of Trafalgar dawn. 

I’ll show you on this blog the actual remarque within the next few days.

Then you can be one of the first people since the eye witnesses to see how the British fleet lead by Lord Nelson appeared at first light on that momentous day.

Since the EP expo, I have made some minor changes to this painting and am waiting for a calm sunny day to re photograph the picture then we can go to print.

The weather here in Plymouth has been mostly wild wet n windy which I have enjoyed as invigorating, the air smells clean and sweet with the scent of the sea

My time in England is rapidly drawing to a close, I’m scheduled to sail on the 4th from Plymouth.

Moving on, you may like to know I’ll be near Redon for a few days 5th to 9th July.

This date has given rise to Pickle Night, originally an excuse for Royal Navy CPO’s at Portsmouth  to commemorate Trafalgar, increasingly an excuse world wide to party, and why not?

The renowned painting, available in print from page http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/urgent_dispatches.html “I have urgent dispatches” is one of 2 Pickle paintings Gordon Frickers produced while commissioned to work for HMS Victory, helping to raise funds for the restoration of the HMS Victory.

Thus this famous picture reproduced in several authoritative books and many newspapers, has several themes, sub plots including communication:

it is about:

The picture dramatically underlines too, the difference in speed and the cost of communications then and now.

Communications by sea in 1805, using the then new flag code devised by Admiral Popham Royal Navy ships were capable of communicating over 3000 words and phrases giving them a useful advantage over their rivals and enemies.

In I have urgent dispatches we see HMS Pickle using this code to communicate with the distant HMS Nautilus (Captain Sykes).

Also by no means least, the day to day courage, endurance  and daring voyage of a typical crew of a very small vessel across one of the world’s stomiest seas.

When origianlly produced, Gordon frickers 2 Pickle paintings were celebrated by a Pickle Night in Plymouth. Guests included the curator of HMS Victory and several square rig sea Captains.

To honour the event 2 very real cannon 1 pounder’s carriage mounted where demonstrated to children of all ages then  fired in the back garden.

Firing only blanks we still found wadding 200 yards away the next day and during the evening the back blast from one of the guns broke a window.

Imagine the insurance claim, question, cause of accident?

Very few copies of I have urgent dispatches will be issued, it is published as a Heritage quality limited signed edition.
If you look lively You can get a purchase on a copy quickly, easily using PayPal, check out how half way down page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html

Any questions?
Use the blog comment below or see the contact us page on www.frickers.co.uk, Pickle party on mates!

A picture showing the progress will appear on this blog soon.
This new painting will make a pair to go with the now renowned “Trafalgar
dawn“, a view from among the crew onboard HMS Victory at 06.05, Monday the
21st of October 1805 and based on eye witness reports and research.

You may recall, “Trafalgar dawn” was painted some years ago as part of a
series commissioned for HMS Victory,
http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/trafalgar_dawn.html ?

That series includes the now equally well known “I have urgent dispatches”
http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/urgent_dispatches.html

Both are available as prestige quality signed limited editions.

The new painting is as yet is unsold unless someone makes Gordon Frickers an offer he
can’t refuse!

This new marine painting is intended to go next year for exhibition
following invitations to exhibit at the European Parliament (the first
marine artist ever invited) and in the City of Plymouth where much research
was carried out.

It is also being suggested “Trafalgar dawn, the French perspective“  is
shown at the Musee Maritime, Paris, also a venue of research, but as I am
not yet know there only time will tell!

This new original painting, 12″ x 48″  shows a scene onboard the French
flagship “Bucentaure” at about 06.20 on Monday the 21st of October 1805
because the French reported they sighted the British fleet  slightly later than
06.05 a.m.

We have not yet decided the final title of this new marine painting.

It took  ages to sort out the British fleet.

Much of the information was conflicting, new research was able to resolve
most of the issues.

Dozens of hours of research, reading, drawing diagrams and cross checking
was required aa well as additional visits principally to “Victory” and the
Musee Maritime..

There were quite a few surprises too including the Official report of the
Admiralty Committee of 1913 got several ships in the wrong place for 06.00.

They failed to notice the British were very roughly in 4 columns at dawn and wrongly placed several ships.
Thus some of the ships logs are wrong? What a bunch of navigators?

Not that they will worry about that, still it would have been a fun debate!

The moment when Gordon Frickers finally had the British fleet marked out as accurately as
possible and stood back was quite moving.

He realised he was the first person to see the sight since those who actually
witnessed the view.

~

The painting of “Nelson boarding Minerve at Gibraltar” is finished except for
some tidying up and the running rigging on Minerve.

This painting fits well our original brief, re the lesser know but
significant parts of Nelson’s career and as a bonus shows 2 of the ships in
which Nelson served.

This story was the prelude to Nelson becoming seriously famous.

This story of which this painting represents is likely surprise people when
they know the story which reads a bit like a “Boys Own” adventure.

Following diligent research, Gordon Frickers found  this part of the Nelson story is barely
mentioned and not at all in many of the books about Nelson.

In essentials, Nelson, then a commodore, was ordered by Admiral John Jervis to supervise
the British withdrawal from the Med which Nelson described to his wife as an
important but not dangerous service.

The frigate Minerve, within days of leaving Gibraltar, in company with another frigate Blanche,
was in a fierce night action against 2 Spanish frigates.

The story goes the ships paired off, when hailed by Minerve her opponent replied, this is a
Spanish frigate and you may begin when you wish!

The Spanish ship was gallantly defended during a fierce half hour action which left the victorious Minerve but quite damaged.

The Spanish commander turned out to be a direct descendant of bonnie Prince Charlie.

Nelson was very impressed by both the defence and the blod line so most irregularly, returned the vanquished Spaniards sword.

The next day the 2 prizes had to be abandoned to escape a superior Spanish
force which almost caught the 2 damaged British frigates.

The British frigates lost their prizes.

Abandoned  prize crews included one Lt Thomas Masterman Hardy.

Nelson completed the rest of his mission during and immediately after which
he showed some of his finest personal qualities.

On returning to Gibraltar he learned a large force of Spanish ships of the
line had just past Gibraltar sailing West.

He pursued; in turn pursued by 2 large Spanish war ships one of which almost
caught Minerve.

Through out this episode in Nelson’s story, an episode not even mentioned in  many ‘Nelson’ books, Horatio Nelson demonstrated many of the fascinating qualities which lead to his eternal fame.

An example being while pusued by the 2 Spaniards, both much stronger ships than the frigate Minerve, a man fell over board.

Upon hearing the dread cry “man over board”, Lt Thomas Hardy gallantly rushed up from below and jumped into the little ‘jolly’ boat which went to look for the lost sailor.

The poor fellow was not found, worse, when the jolly boat tried to pull back to Minerve it was soon apparent the jolly boat was dropping further astern.

Despite the oncoming Spaniard, Nelson exclaimed “by God I’ll not loose Hardy” and ordered the mizzen topsail of Minerve backed to slow her down.

The Spaniard, suspecting a trap, also slowed to allow her consort to catch up.

The jolly boat and her people were recovered, little wonder the men loved Nelson, Minerve escaped.

One of Nelson’s dictum’s was “often the boldest course is the best“.

Not sure if the Spanish fleet were going to head North or West Nelson  was
prepared contrary to orders to abandon his post and sail West to warn the
British in the Caribbean or North to join John Jervis’ fleet on watch off Cadiz.

As luck would have it Minerve sailed right into the middle of the Spanish fleet – in thick fog.

Skillfully extracting herself, the following day Minerve found the British Fleet, Nelson reported to Jervis then rejoined HMS Captain (also shown in this painting).

Very soon after there followed the battle now known to the British as “The battle of Cape St Vincent” during which Nelson disobeyed orders and created “Nelson’s patent  bridge for boarding first rates”; but that is another story and maybe another painting…

The next marine painting Gordon Frickers will be preparing will be a scene from the voyage of the French explorer Laperouse showing the day he met with ‘The first fleet‘ at Botany Bay and that painting to be followed by a new version of the ubiquitous HM schooner Pickle.

This is only a brief account of an adventure in the story of Horatio Nelson.
The full account is even more remarkable.

Gordon has agreed to write more about these two historic paintings soon, discussing the details of the paintings, outlining the finer points of his research, much of it previously unpublished , giving us greater insights into a facinating period of naval history.

If you think I can help you in any other way, don’t hesitate to ask.

Email with your phone number and I’ll give you a call.

As many of of you have contributed to my work, I’d like to share it with you here along with my reply.

Peter wrote:

Gordon Frickers artiste – Peintre 81170 Itzac ~ yep that was it; nothing else and yet the letter (or should I say lettre?) arrived all be it eventually.

Andre Lafargue’s letter reminded my of some thing I read very recently about Horatio Nelson while researching Nelson’s time in the frigate Minerve, I was reading in a book by the noted poet Robert Southey (born 1774).
Robert Southey was also a reliable and versatile writer, including his “The life of Nelson”, first published in 1813.

The story goes, in the days before Horatio Nelson was world famous and not yet an Admiral, he established a formidable reputation at least in Italy, while a captain serving around Italy.
Southey wrote of Nelson, (page 92 in my copy) “A letter came to him directed “Horatio Nelson, Genoa:” and the writer when asked how he could direct it so vaguely, replied, “Sir, there is but one Horatio Nelson in the world”.

We know my art work is much undervalued so has huge investment potential, but a comparison with the rising star of Nelson? To much flattery!

~

Many of the books on Nelson either don’t mention his time on Minerve (some times wrongly refered to as La Minerve) or barely mention it.
And yet the Minerve voyage was a curtain raiser, Minerve lead directly to Nelson’s becoming a famous celebrity in Britain, a knighthood and appointment as Rear Admiral.
I was researching for an article I shall write soon for this blog and my web site about Horatio Nelson, how Nelson’s character is revealed when he sailed on the frigate Minerve, while in the Mediterranean under orders to evacuate British bases.

My new Minerve marine painting shows Nelson at Gibraltar, 10th December 1776 when he transferred from HMS Captain so a bargain!

You have 2 Nelson ships for the price of one!

Minerve as a marine painting has been created from a sketch I drew many years ago one evening over a beer at the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club where for many happy days my family and I were members.
At the suggestion of my friend Chris Boddington it has been adapted for this new work of art.
Adapting has been some what more complicated than I first expected.
Besides extensive re reading and consulting my mate Peter Goodwin on some aspects, I even visited by special arrangement, Her Majesty’s Hydrographic Office at Taunton (see this blog, November 2009) to see period charts and maps of Gibraltar bay.

I also found loads of faults and omissions (mostly very forgivable) in other artist’s paintings and am some what on my metal because I will have to show an unusual amount of rigging with most mind boggling accuracy, well at least it boggled my mind!

The Minerve painting is a continuation of my series, Nelson, Trafalgar, the less known but interesting aspects, originally commenced as a special commission to help raise funds for HMS Victory’s restoration to her Trafalgar condition ready for 2005.
In those days I had the unique honour of carrying a letter of introduction from the then commander of HMS Victory.
Wow did that open doors and archives, fascinating!

Some times research takes a much unexpected turn.
In the case of this painting, several including with regard to the colour of the yellow strip on Nelson’s ships.
My painting of Minerve may be, thanks especially to the research of Peter Goodwin, who you may know as curator of HMS Victory and author of may authoritive, factual  marine books,  the first ever to have the yellow exactly to Nelson’s ordered recipe / formula.
Peter Goodwin found a letter from Nelson specifying the mix and asked me to make some tests which I did, posting the results and notes to Peter.
One of the results is probably 98% of the paintings of Nelson’s ships have the wrong colour including my earlier efforts!
Don’t believe me? Compare for yourself!

That alone makes this new marine painting rather special does it not?

I intend showing this new marine art featuring Minerve and Captain to several galleries for their guidance and retaining it as one of the centre pieces of my forthcoming exhibition next year by invitation of the European Parliament.

Unless some one (again – I recently ‘lost’ Talybius this way…) makes me an offer I can’t refuse!

If you live in GB you can see the programme via the BBC web site on their Ipod and you can add a copy of “I have urgent dispatches” to your collection quickly and securely on page http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html.

The latter also gives you acces via “further reading” to much of the brief yet facinating history of the historic and famous schooner Pickle.

Unfortunately I only found out an hour before the happening via a very kind friend so have not seen it.

Unfortunate for me, I could not view The Boats that made Britain; not while in France because of BBC licencing arrangements with other countries so I’ve not seen it.

I’d like to have seen the whole series and as you probably know this year the BBC is featuring many sea and marine stories as part of a special study.

Ce la vie… I should be back in England on the 28th so maybe I’ll be able to see it then?

You can if you wish see pictures and read about the interview with Forum films in the Admiral’s Great Cabin onboard HMS Victory by visiting this bolg date 05.10.09, enjoy!

I have the marine painting “Cattewater Plymouth, Australia bound emigrants prepare to board the clipper ship Samuel Plimsoll” 98% finished, here is a detail, I’ll show you this complete major painting on this blog any day now.

I have been looking for good photographs of HM Submarine Unique. I found a link that took me to the Submariners Association only the page was blank.

Or was it? I am reminded of the joke about the model of a stealth ship in a museum, it goes some what like this, “The models were wonderful, so detailed until I got to the Stealth ship, the case was empty… or was it?”

Why the  British U class submarine HMS Unique?

I am preparing a painting for the son of her last commander Lt R.E. Boddington.

British U class submarines are not to be confused with the German U Boats.

The U class were a class of 49 small submarines all of which had names beginning with ‘U’, built just before and during the Second World War originally intended as unarmed training vessels.

The boats ( in the Royal Navy submarines are called boats never ships…) mostly served in the home waters and with the 10th Submarine Flotilla based at Malta.

The submarine Unique was part of a second batch, the group included a number of submarines that would  become particularly famous.

There was a grim price though, only three out of the twelve survived the war.

Unique became overdue after being ordered to patrol on the surface off the Spanish Atlantic coast.

Her loss with all hands has never been explained.

My submarine painting will be a special family memorial and tribute to the lads who never came home.

~

I am also trying to find out how to define the ensigns flown by British war ships during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.

We know there were Admirals of the Blue, Red and White so the questions are who flew which ensign, where and why, did the ships under their commands fly the same colour ensign?

I’d particularly like to know which colour ensign was flown at Gibraltar on the 10th December 1796 by HMS Captain and HMS Minerve?

While in that period It would also help to find some or all of the flags and signals of Admiral Popham’s code (published 1803), or at least some of the more famous signals.

One of the reasons for this supplementary question is I am about to begin a marine painting of the action in which the Spanish frigate Mercedes, carrying near a million in treasure, tragically blew up and sank

~

Also on the stocks is a marine painting I have been ‘threatening’ to produce for about 6 years, a new version of Trafalgar Dawn

( http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/trafalgar_dawn.html ) only this time we will see the view not from HMS Victory but from the French Flag ship Bucentaure.

I have the research as complete as I can manage although as usual with historical scenes it is only a best guess all be it a very well informed guess.

Typical of the problem is the French seamen  did not always conform to the regulation book issued by Napoleon in 1803.

Similarly we do not know exactly what the order of the  British fleet was so have to estimate some of the ships and this after reading logs and eye witness accounts ~ unless you know better in which case tell me and I’ll see you have a complimentary copy of the picture, one of our Prestige prints on cotton canvas, numbered and signed, the sort of collectors item you can order from the www.frickers.co.uk Marine Print Gallery (http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html)

~

This week in the Tarn,  following 2 days of some times heavy rain we have had clear blue and mostly vapour trail less skies with temperatures over 10 C at night climbing to the high twenties during the days.

The light has been at it’s luminous best.

This is spring in the Tarn and forests of Siven and Grisigne although to me it feels like high summer in Cornwall.

The birds and small animals here know better and are apt, minds focused on procreational problems, to forget their curb drill so most of us drive at not over the speed limits here because it makes sense and besides the wee beasties lives are hard enough with out some nitwit doning 90 mph instead of 90 kph.

They make a heck of an ‘amoure’ driven racket including at night constantly reminding me I exist very alone.

The bird song here is constant including our first cockoo over 2 months ago and nightingales at night to accompany the crickets and singing of frogs – and for frogs I mean frogs, not the Toulouse Rugby supporter sort, these are more likely to be heron’s dinner sort of frogs,  they can be very noisy in full passion!

This evening about 20.00 I went for an evening run by the lakes at Vere one of which is a summer pool drained over each winter, being refilled now.

I do not kid you, you could hear the joyous frogs at least 300 yards away maybe more!

My only problem is my shared studio is to small for meduim sizes paintings which causes problems while painting any picture over 2′ wide as it is adequat to get to the right viewing distances.

Eventually I’ll have to move but to where and how much will it cost?

I have often wished I was painting landscapes and building on the tan I acquired after Easter at the Antibes Yacht Show however the demands of marine art are holding me in the studio.

The roads are suffering  – again… This time it is shrinkage that is the problem, Chasse Deformer is a frequent road sign around here as surfaces distort some quite dangerously.

Difficult for drivers but it is never a good idea to speed around here not so much because of the flick rather the plants and animal wild life are having a great time particularly the latter.

Went to Gaillac, shopping for food, not exciting ?

The first of the new fruits are “in”. h

Huge baskets of huge succulent strawberries, 1.5 Euro, the first melons a euro each, and lots of other delicious foods are appearing all cheap,  little wonder French women are not fat like so many Brits and Americans.

We have so many very tastey healthy things to eat here in the temperate South West of France; I had half a perfectly ripened melon for breakfast, great start to the day.

It is a novelty for me with my roots in S E England in the aftermath of the second world war, ration cards, oranges a luxury for Christmas, I still think of these foods as luxuries but they are not luxuries here, nor is asparagus, artichoke and a tasty heap of other good eating.
Problems?

Well yes this is a flawed paradise, chocolate melts.

A few days ago and there is a joke in here some where,  I received an email dated February 23, now why did that arrive so late?

The subject, an enquiry, was “H.M. Schooner “Pickle“, carrying the news of the Battle of Trafalgar ~PurchasePrint : yes ~ Message : On prestige cotton canvass~ Message entered from : H.M. Schooner “Pickle“, carrying the news of the Battle of Trafalgar.

You can see and read more of the extra ordinary research and story of  Pickle and this wonderful and renowned picture on web site page http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/urgent_dispatches.html.

Curiously, ironically, given the delay, the joke maybe is this marine print is entitled “I have urgent dispatches“.

This dramatic picture shows HMS Pickle in heavy weather, her equally dramatic dispatch indicated by Pickle flying flags 2214, an 1805 (Admiral Popham’s) code signal when speaking en route with HMS Nautilus, Pickle then carrying  the news which stunned the British nation and is still referred to by the French as “le catastrophe de Trafalgar” .

You may be aware, Pickle is the famous schooner that carried the news of the death of Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Pickle’s voyage was re enacted in 2005 and she is celebrated in the Royal Navy every year on the anniversary of her arrival off Falmouth, Cornwall, 4th October 1805, at the New York Yacht Club and many other venues world wide so now you too have an excuse for a nautically themed party, maybe unveiling your new copy of the acclaimed painting “I have urgent dispatches”!

You can if you wish order yourself a  copy of this historic and renowned picture quickly and easily using Paypal from page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html

When the original painting of “I have urgent dispatches” was finished, my family decided we should have a Pickle party and what a party it turned out to be?

Among our distinguished guests we had 2 square rig captains and the curator of HMS Victory, Peter Goodwin.

We also had thanks to Martin Bibbings of the Trafalgar Gun Company and Nick Dalton of the Maria Asumpta, 2 live cannon which Martin described as the ultimate executive toys.

Our guns capable of firing a 1 pound ball 3 miles, where loaned for the evening from Maria Asumpta and duly cermoniously fired.

Although by the standard of the Georgian Navy they were considered pop guns they made enough very satisfying noise for people around Plymouth to our great glee saying the next day, “there were very load fireworks last night…”

The back blast even broke a window of my house!.

Of course such dangerous weapons must and were handled by experts and with great care.

These same people fascinated the children by allowing them to go through the motions of loading the guns and gave Victory’s curator Peter Goodwin, his first taste of firing a live cannon; a taste he is now some what addicted to!

I painted “I have urgent dispatches” as part of a project to raise funds for HMS Victory.

I chose Pickle partly because I felt while it is hard for modern people to understand the ships of Nelson’s time (unless you visit HMS Victory at Portsmouth but beware, it may be a life changing event!) , I felt Pickle was the sort of size of vessel modern yachtsmen could relate to.

Pickle was the kind of ship which if seen today in port many might say, ‘what a beautiful big ship’ and yet in her day she was considered tiny and only worth a lieutenant to command, not worth a Post Captain…

Luckily for all concerned in the case of this enquiry, the gentleman had included his full contact details so I phoned him a as soon as I found the late email and spoke with his very charming receptionist.

A few days later we spoke man to man and an interesting conversation it was too.

He said he owns a yacht named, go on, guess?

YES!, Pickle!

Why? Well why not own a yacht if you can run to that?

In this case the former owner twice removed was my old friend Admiral Bob Gerkin.

Bob was naturally known in the Navy as “Pickle” hence the name of the yacht.

So why contact Gordon Frickers Marine Artist?

Yes you are probably ahead of me!

Having seen the picture “I have Urgent Dispatches” of HMS Pickle, on my web site this gentleman decided one of my Prestige quality prints on cotton canvas would make a welcome and appropriate addition to the interior of his yacht Pickle.

True to his word, a few days later a very welcome message was recieved from PayPal,

22 Mar 2010 19:49:07 GMT

Hello G S A Frickers,

A/ Standard Size Prestige Limited Edition Print on Cotton Canvas of “I have Urgent Dispatches”
Item Number ********************

You received a payment of £147.00 GBP
Thanks for using PayPal. You can now send any items. To see all the transaction details, log in to your PayPal account.

Thus another copy of “I have urgent dispatches” will be despatched soon; to what I hope you agree is a most appropriate home?

For a picture of enduring worth, it is quick, easy  and very secure to order any print from our collectors range by visiting web page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html

Good luck to you and enjoy.

~

P.S. By the way, The Trafalgar Collection, paintings by Gordon Frickers,  are now after some 15 years, up for sale.

This is a unique opportunity to by a set of well researched Nelsonian paintings.

The owners will consider offers from £10,000.00 per painting but would prefere the set to be sold as a set.

If interested, contact Gordon Frickers