Home and Thanks

15 November 2007

Well I made it home to Catherine (and flower) and Truffle (with a new blanket). It's been several months now since I was in London and thought I should make a final entry. I have many people to thank for this project:

Acknowledgements

On the morning of January 28, 2005, a copy of Caroline Alexander’s extraordinary book Bounty: The True Story of Mutiny on the Bounty arrived at the London residence of Dr. Cuillin Bantock. This was the beginning of the exhibition Bounty: A Case of Preposterous Optimism (www.bountyexhibition.org/) which was to open on October 4, 2007.

An exhibition of this size and complexity does not just fall into place. The keystone to the project has certainly been Cuillin Bantock (www.cuillinpantockpaintings.com), whose focus, energy and determination, especially around fund raising made it happen. I owe him an inordinate amount of thanks not only for his leadership on this project but also for his extraordinary friendship. I wish to extend this thanks to his wife and son, Helen and Tristan Bantock, who also helped me with this project and whose support and friendship greatly helped my completion of it.

A project of this size requires the energy and involvement of many people. I wish to thank Liz May, APT Studio Manager and Charity Administrator, for her help and assistance in managing this project, and the 11 other artists involved in the project. I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Hugh Jenkins, Volunteer, Museum of Garden History (http://www.compulink.co.uk/~museumgh/grave.htm) , Lambeth Palace Road, London, UK, whose passion for and involvement in the Bounty saga contributed to my greater understanding of the story, especially as concerns William Bligh.

I wish to acknowledge the financial support for the exhibition by several British organizations:

The Art in Perpetuity Trust (www.aptstudios.org)

The Arts Council of England

The National Lottery/Awards for All

London Borough of Lewisham and

The Ernest Cook Trust

Trinity College of Music (www.tcm.ac.uk)

Laban Dance Centre (www.laban.org)

I would like to thank the British Library for their help in my research.

My home away from home was the Arran House Hotel, 77-79 Gower Street, Bloomsbury, London (www.arranhotel-london.com/). This would include Mr. John Richards, Managing Director, Carrol- Anne, Tamlyn and Vicky, his administrative staff, and John's very kind Portuguese housekeeping staff.

I would like to give special thanks for my personal support in this project to Langara College (www.langara.bc.ca). The college provided me with both the finances and time to fully engage in this work by awarding me an Education Leave. Without this tremendous support, my involvement would have been a fraction of what was possible. I would like to thank Linda Holmes, President and CEO of Langara College, who approved this leave; Members of the Education Leave Selection Committee; Linda Arnold, Dean of Instruction; Lynn Carter, Vice-President Langara Faculty Association; Wendy Low, Division Chair Representative; and Maureen Maloney, Member-at-Large, Langara Faculty Association.

I would also like to thank and express my deep love for my wife, Catherine Plear, whose immense editing skills kept my painful writing coherent and whose love and support were, as always, constant, especially during my prolonged absence from her while in London.