H.W. 'Bill' Tilman Remembered

I have just retrned from a fine event arranged with great tenacity and dedication by Nick Parker, my good friend and friend to many. Appropriately called "The Tilman Experience" , the event was a 50th anniversary commemoration of Major H. W. 'Bill' Tilman’s final departure aboard his Bristol Channel  Pilot Cutter 'Baroque'.  The programme proved to be a memorable and deeply enjoyable weekend experience. 

The event brought together former crew members (including Nick himself, John Shipton and Bob Comlay), admirers of Tilman’s achievements, and friends old and new, in a spirit of companionship, shared remembrance, and adventure.

The event, May 15th to May 18th, centred around the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter 'Letty', with two separate southbound and northbound passages out of Barmouth. Former Tilman crew members,  accompanied one or both of these trips, offering participants a rare opportunity to share first-hand recollections of sailing in Arctic waters during Tilman’s later expeditions.

On Friday evening, the programme at the Dragon Theatre in Barmouth provided both historical depth and personal reflection. I was glad to have been able to attend the evening with my wife. A talk by Bob Comlay after Nick's introductory remarks (in Welsh and in English) traced Tilman’s remarkable life from the trenches of the First World War to the Himalayas, wartime operations in Europe, and his celebrated Arctic and Antarctic voyages aboard Mischief and Sea Breeze. 

Bob was one of a very select few who travelled on two separate voyages with Tilman, and so was well-placed to capture Tilman’s characteristic simplicity of approach, summed up in the famous observation that “any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope". Bob also shared some of the letters Tilman had written to him which demonstrated a no-nonsense approach to recruitment planning.

The interval allowed attendees to mingle socially while viewing exhibits of traditional navigation and photography from the pre-GPS era, alongside reprints of Tilman’s books. The second half - which sadly I could not attend - featured John Shipton’s perspective on Tilman through the experiences of his father, Eric Shipton. This was  followed by warmly received recollections from surviving members of Tilman’s crews from the Baroque years between 1971 and 1975.

Saturday’s sailing aboard Letty gave participants a practical sense of the type of vessel and seamanship associated with Tilman’s voyages, while Sunday’s minibus excursion to Bodowen, Tilman’s former home above the Mawddach estuary, provided a fitting conclusion to the weekend. 

The kindness of Bodowen's current owner, Chris Harrison, in welcoming visitors to the house was greatly appreciated. His hospitality extended to a fine buffet spread, cocktails in beautifully presented goblets and a souvenir gift for all. I was pleased to join the several participants who completed the weekend with a guided walk from Bodowen back to Barmouth via the Panorama, enjoying fine views of the estuary and coastline that Tilman himself knew well.

Barmouth at the conclusion of the Panorame walk

Throughout the weekend there was a strong sense not only of commemorating an extraordinary explorer and seaman, but also of celebrating the enduring fellowship, curiosity, and spirit of adventure that Tilman inspired in others. The occasion combined history, storytelling, sailing, landscape, and friendship in a way that would probably have bemused Tilman himself, but was nevertheless a humble and fitting tribute to his memory.

Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter (Impression)

Confucius, China, and the Question of Influence: A Reflection Six Years On

 In the second half of one of my 2020 lockdown pieces, ( Churchill and the World as a Struggle against Totalitarianism (link opens in new tab)) I wrote about China’s influence in the UK — particularly through its education system and the pressures placed on Chinese students studying abroad. 

At the time, my concerns were framed in fairly robust terms: ideological conformity, academic freedom under threat, and the long reach of a totalitarian state. Looking back now, six years later, I can see that my instinct was not simply geopolitical – it was closer to Confucius than I realised. 

Churchill, Confucius, and the Question of How We Judge the Past

Today, on VE Day, I’ve been reflecting on how we might look at Churchill — and leadership more broadly — through a Confucian perspective that asks not for perfection, but for the fulfilment of one’s role with integrity, courage, and a sense of the moment.

That reflection is outlined here. It’s not about defending or condemning Churchill, but about asking a deeper question: How should we judge the past, and what do we owe to those who carried burdens we can barely imagine?