Ben Edwards written 10 Aug, Laptev Sea
The second important thing that happened yesterday was is was Nikolai’s sixty first birthday. If you remember in an earlier blog I said that we were visited by a lady named Margaret Gorely in Bristol. What I don’t think I told you is that she shares the same birthday as Nikolai, so happy birthday Margaret. In Bristol she/you gave me a bottle of champagne for either the baring strait or Nikolai’s birthday. I kept the bottle a secret until today, I had is cunningly disguised as a very uncomfortable pillow for over two months and I’m sure we’re all very glad that I gave it to Nikolai today and he greatly appreciated it. Barbara made another cake for Nikolai and for dinner we had fishcakes and mashed potato. Margaret had asked me to save the cork from the bottle and keep it on the boat, so I’ve done that it’s now keeping the Minecraft skeleton horse company. Some of us had got Nikolai birthday presents , I got him a puffin hat and The Mother gave him a bottle of whiskey. The watch I’m on now is quite difficult, we’ve got a lot of ice around and the air temperature is less than half a degree above zero.
Happy birthday Margaret.