Radio revelry
Barques, Sparks and Sharks, an Orcadian at Sea by Len Wilson
Seafarers are known for their story-telling abilities, and Orkney-born Len Wilson does not disappoint. He vividly recounts four years of 'crossing the equator 10 times', all before the age of 22, while working as a radio officer from 1957 to 1961 on a variety of vessels – from swanky passenger ships to tramp steamers.
The author offers fascinating insights into the era of Morse code for communications at sea. Radio officer tasks in that day included compiling an onboard daily news roundup for passengers featuring cricket scores, football results and the stock market – in that order. Listening out for crucial chatter, distress signals across the ocean, and even where your next assignment would be was also a feature of the job.
In addition, the memoir references Wilson's long line of seafaring ancestry back to the Vikings who settled in Scotland and onto more recent family, whose contributions to seafaring are recognised in the Epilogue. Settle in for a great yarn!
Barques, Sparks and Sharks, an Orcadian at Sea
By Len Wilson
Orkneyology Press, £12.99
ISBN: 978 19150 75154
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