The
inaugural Treasure Island Cruise took place in July of 2006, where
a party of pupils from Briars Wood school, under the auspices of
locally based charity PROPS took
to the high seas of Bristol’s historic Floating Harbour.
If the Long John Silver Trust were lucky enough to create a Treasure
Island Trail of sculptures around the docks, it would like to see
the Trail also evolve into a waterborne attraction by getting
our own Pirate Ferry boat. This way, the Trust believes, the whole
concept would become totally inclusive.
One of the reasons the proposed artworks are positioned where they
are is to make them both visible from the water and to tell the story
of Treasure Island in sequence.
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Therefore, to try out our theory, we commissioned the lovely ‘Brigantia’ from
the Bristol Ferry Boat Company www.bristolferry.com,
to take us onto the briny. We embarked from the Castle Park Ferry
stop to start our voyage, and the special facilities onboard enabled
us to load up with our happy band of pirates.
Assembled pupils, teachers and LJS Trustees cast off |
A reading of Treasure Island was the main reason for our voyage,
and, as you can see by the pictures below, the narrator was ably
assisted by Blind Pew (too frightening to show) and a hairy Ben
Gunn. After one and a half hours of enjoyable cruising – which
seemed to fly by – we were back at Castle Park.
The narrator and his
assistant begin |
The narrator in full
flow |
As the educational
aspect of our project is very important to us, we would like to
undertake more ventures of this kind. So if any other school, club
or society is interested in a water borne reading of Treasure Island
around the docks, please contact the Long John Silver Trust.
This
particular voyage was sponsored by Brunel Health Care www.brunelhealthcare.co.uk,
to whom we’re very grateful, along with our hosts, The Bristol
Ferry Boat Company.
Ben Gunn arrives to help |
The audience bask in the
sunshine after the performance |
Jethro and Jordan enquire
about the narrator’s hat |
‘Driver’ Mike
from the Ferry Boat Company,
kindly allows the 2J’s to rap over the boats
tannoy.
The lads done good. |
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