Tuesday 22 July will ‘sea’ the Tall Ships Races fleet embark on the next leg of their journey away from Aberdeen following a weekend of celebration in the city. To mark the end of this significant event we will be hosting a drop-in event on the 7th floor of the Sir Duncan Rice Library for any University staff who are keen to catch a glimpse of the ships as they get underway on the Parade of Sail up the coast.
To allow you to view these incredible Tall Ships in amazing detail, Dr Charles Wang, a lecturer in Astronomy from the Physics department, will be setting up a 10-inch aperture computerised reflector telescope, originally installed at the Cromwell Tower Observatory, as well as a 4 ¾ -inch aperture achromat refractor telescope providing a hands-on experience with eye-viewing. We predict that these high-tech telescopes will be much in demand so you may want to bring along your own set of binoculars if you have them.
If that is not enough to ‘float your boat’, then the University Collections team will treat you to a Collections Close-up display featuring some incredibly detailed 17th and 18th Century maps and charts from the golden era of tall ships with locations as far flung as the Bay de Tode los Santos (1627), Gibralta (1726) and the wild seas off Sutherland.
You can even have a go at drawing a tall ship or creating your own imaginary cartography. Drawing materials and a Making Maps drawing guide will be available for this relaxing mindfulness activity.
Also to make sure that you ‘know the ropes’ the Experience, Engagement & Wellbeing team will also be on hand with information on all aspects of staff wellbeing, including the amazing services and benefits available to you. This is a great opportunity to take some time away from your desk, socialise with colleagues and enjoy the spectacle of the Tall Ships making their way up the coast.
Plus, the hardback café on the ground floor will be open as usual should you wish to treat yourself to a tasty snack on the way past to ‘tide you over’. We hope you will be able to ‘cast off’ your work for a bit to join us!
Find out about the other University events taking place as part of the Tall Ships Races programme.