A neighbour and friend just shared something on Facebook about an event at our local theatre, The Blakehay, in Weston-super-Mare. Thank you Wikipedia for this information about the Blakehay:
The theatre building was Weston-super-Mare’s first Baptist church, built in 1850 as Wadham Street Baptist Church, and was also the town’s first public building. In 1862 Hans Price, who became the town’s leading architect, was commissioned to adapt and enlarge the building. The name comes from “Black Hay”, a field that originally lay between the High Street and Wadham Street. During World War II the theatre was hit by incendiary bombs. After the war it was rebuilt inside the original Victorian shell. In 1985 the building ceased to be a place of worship. In 1986 the Blakehay was saved from demolition and replacement with a block of flats by the actions of the Weston-super-Mare Building Trust and run by the Civic Society who converted it into a venue for amateur and professional events and public meetings. In September 2004 Weston Town Council purchased the theatre for £195,000
It’s an adorable small theatre with excellent acoustics, I most recently went a couple of months ago – actually it was probably longer ago, to hear a talk on nineteenth century women horror writers. The new event which my friend drew my attention to, and which I’m going to get tickets for tomorrow, is “Attention All Shipping:” – a title which some of you might instantly recognise and guess what the show will be about. The subtitle gives more of a clue “A Celebration of the Shipping Forecast” – if this isn’t clue enough, here is an explanation:
The Shipping Forecast is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The forecast dates back over 150 years. There are currently two or three broadcasts per day, at 00:48, 05:34, and 17:54 (weekends only) UK local time. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio on 4 July 1925.
Now you might wonder what a theatrical performance about a shipping forecast could possibly be like. I am guessing that most of the audience will be an older demographic, and will have, as children when listening to the radio heard the forecast broadcast. It details in recitation, the wonderfully named coastal and maritime areas and what the weather was likely to be. For sailors, fishermen and mariners in general, knowing this would be of vital importance to the safety of their vessel, crew and cargo. Most of us could chant the names, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight – we had no idea where these areas were, Viking, Cromarty, Fair Isle…
This is what the flyer for the show tells us:
As the shipping forecast embarks on its second century, Charlie Connelly’s hilarious and informative show brings the quirky broadcast vividly to life, celebrating what he firmly believes to be the greatest invention of the modern age. How did a weather forecast for mariners capture the hearts of a nation, from salty old sea dog to insomniac landlubber? How is it possible for ‘rain later’ to be ‘good’? And where the hell is North Utsire? Delving into the history of the forecast and the extraordinary people who made it, Charlie explains what all those curious phrases really mean, celebrates its wide cultural impact, shares riproaring adventures from his own extraordinary journey through the 31 sea areas and presents his case for the shipping forecast being our finest
Lois Elsden 
I often sit at the end of the night accompanied only by a cup of Horlicks and the Shipping Forecast.
Long after all my family and friends across the country have surrendered to sleep, I bat on and from under the warmth of my super deluxe duvet I travel the 31.
They are the sea areas covered in the shipping forecast with magic names like Trafalgar, Irish Sea, Shannon, and Fair Isle, and my own favourites of Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne and Dogger, each with their own unique history and geography.
Only bettered by FitzRoy, named after Vice-Admiral Roy FitzRoy, who is credited as the first professional weather forecaster, captain of HMS Beagle and founder of the Met Office.
I could go on and name all 31 but where would the fun be when anyone one can experience the full rich list of them all while moving clockwise around the British Isles?
Although I do have to point out that Trafalgar, is only included in the 00:48 forecast, except when gales or more are due there.
But I digress Lo from your excellent story which weaves its way as all good stories should do around and around a series of fascinating observations to end almost where you began.
And as I ponder your blog and my journey from Viking to Biscay in the early hours I wonder what is your favourite and whether this night of all nights you too will be listening?
And I am curious if you also have a special coastal weather station, and a spot amongst the Inshore waters.
I veer towards Aberforth and Valentia with a curiosity for Tiree Automatic, and have long imagined myself passing Cape Wrath, and Gibraltar Point before arriving at Selsey Bay, all storm tossed and bothered.
But enough …..
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They are absolutely magical, as a child I only heard them during the day, perhaps at the end of the news and before Listen With Mother, or later Children’s Hour with Uncle David. Later as an adult listener – especially when I was with John and Mike and the radio was on all the time, they would be broadcast in the evening and early hours. I have a feeling there is a recording with one of the classic voices reciting an imaginary forecast, topped and tailed by “Sailing By” which I have just discovered was only written in 1963.
I feel a blog coming on – have you ever written one about it?
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I will wait for yours ….. Sailing By was played at the funeral of a friend, less because of the possible message and more just because it was a quirky thing he liked.
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Brilliant!! Now you’ve said that, I think I was at a funeral where it was played, can’t remember which, unfortunately there have been a few over the last year.
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