Royal Prince 1666, does that interest you?

“The surrender of the Royal Prince 1666 ‘, does that interest you Mr. Frickers? … a new painting?
In the wake of this yes very interesting inquiry from a Dutch gallery about the Royal Prince, captured from the English by the Dutch, I have updated the two pages about Zeven Provinciën, Netherlands Navy, available as a limited edition (50 remain) signed print.

Zeven Provinciën, Netherlands Navy
Zeven Provinciën, Netherlands Navy

Zeven Provinciën, a Dutch eighty gun Ship of the Line, on my web site.

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Angry Brits:

Look out: My son, one of th e 75 % of under 30’s who feel disinherited by the E U referendum ‘out’ vote wrote to me: “I figured if all signing the petition does is make a few of my European friends feel a bit less unwelcome here it’s probably a good thing, here’s the … Read more

Britexit

Britexit? Even the weather this morning seems to reflect how most people here feel about the Britexit vote. I am reminded of Horace Walpole (19.10.1739) who said sadly “They are ringing their bells now, they will be wringing their hands soon!”  From a murky Castelnau de Montmiral in the Tarn, people here are asking me … Read more

From the taffrail

I’ve been working on a proposal requested for The Plymouth Mayflower 400 Committee, almost complete, ready for editing, with accompanying sketches and a photo of the Mayflower II model I’m building as an aid to perspective.

Meanwhile, I’ve opened a new page on my site, “the Brotherhood of the Sea” a place for a sea yarns that surface during research, seem to good to loose, many will brighten a day, all will be insights into a way of life we will never see again. 

The clipper ship Samuel Plimsoll loading at Plymouth
The clipper ship Samuel Plimsoll loading at Plymouth

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Tales from the merchant marine

“Life on the ocean wave“… Tales from the merchant marine, these series of yarns to me seem to good to loose, are shared to amuse. To spin a yarn was a phrase much used by sailors, derived from, to sit together working on ropes and chatting. The yarns are individual insights into the characters and world of a vanished … Read more

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Thinking about The Mayflower

Our weather here in the Tarn has decided to remind me of distant Atlantic storms with a light gale force 7 from the North East.
Corn ripples in the wind; hills, farms, forests appear and disappear in mist, squalls and rain to re emerge and be kissed by the warm Gaillac sun as if with lives of their own.
Yet the magical light here remains strong enough to paint by. Tarn 13.06.16 IMG_6938
We get more than treble the hours of good painting light here as compared to my former homes in Devon and Cornwall which equals increased productivity.

Britexit? The cost of living here is significantly less than in GB, 20 % less if one is sensible and lives like the locals, the food is ‘gourmet’, people here in the land of l’Occitane smile more, know how to have fun and generally live longer than N Europeans.

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A risky business?

A little news of my activities re ‘The Mayflower Project Proposal’ and the Painting School of Montmiral.

Together with my ‘team’ in particular Bob Brennan of Plymouth, we continue to gently research our quest to get as close as possible to the time of ‘Mayflower’ at Plymouth (1620).

Old Plymouth
A very inaccurate map of old Plymouth

Having lived and loved at Plymouth for 25 years I consider Plymouth my home port. I have  sailed and raced regularly on Plymouth waters,  I’m familiar with the history, typography, the complex currents, tides and how Plymouth has changed with the flow of centuries; that significantly helps our quest.

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Updated “Emigration, Plymouth Cattewater”

Ports series page and the fascinating ‘further reading’ (a forgotten history) thoroughly updated.

Emigration, Plymouth Cattewater
Emigration, Plymouth Cattewater
https://www.frickers.co.uk/art/marine-art/ports/emigration-plymouth-cattewater/
 
“Emigration, Plymouth Cattewater”; Ports série, page et le fascinant «davantage de lecture» (une histoire oubliée) entièrement mise à jour.

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