This solemn, rhythmic intonation of the shipping forecast on BBC radio is as familiar as the sound of Big Ben chiming the hour. Since its first broadcast in the 1920s it has inspired poems, songs and novels in addition to its intended objective of warning generations of seafarers of impending storms and gales. Sitting at home listening to the shipping forecast can be a cosily reassuring experience. There's no danger of a westerly gale eight, veering southwesterly increasing nine later (visibility poor) gusting through your average suburban living room, blowing the Sunday papers all over the place and startling the cat. Yet familiar though the sea areas are by name, few people give much thought to where they are or what they contain. In ATTENTION ALL SHIPPING Charlie Connelly wittily explores the places behind the voice, those mysterious regions whose names seem often to bear no relation to conventional geography. Armchair travel will never be the same again.

My father was a sea Captain - as a child i could recite all the different weather regeons - and listen rapt as the forecaster intoned all the shipping forecasts for the regions. Was especially precious when my father was actually at sea.

This was a trip down memory lane - and is a great travel book

RELEASE NOTES:

Passed on to amberc as she picked it out of the virtual bookbox

Picked up at today's meet-up.

I loved this book. It was laugh-out-loud funny in places and had me chuckling to myself a lot. There are a few more places I would like to visit added to my wishlist and a few that I don't want to go anywhere near.

Thanks for bringing this book to my attention Sally, it's a real gem.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

August Be An Angel Exchange‏

This looks really good. Thank you amberc. :)

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