The Cutty Sark

Some ignorant bastard has devastated the heart of Greenwich. On May 21 an arsonist torched the Cutty Sark, a fine three-masted square-rigged vessel built for long distance racing. This magnificent clipper was built in 1869 and at the time was one of the fastest ships in the world. She was dry-docked in 1954 and for more than half a century this ship has defined London's south east edges. But this relic from the golden age of sailing ships, when Britain had the world's greatest navy, is no more.

The loss is personal for me. I remember visiting the ship with my mother and late father in the summer of 1974. What a great adventure that was. My first trip abroad had taken us from Africa to Munich, Bodensee, Copenhagen, Roskilde, Manchester, London and Horley and my father (who had worked as a Fleet Street journalist in the late-50's) took pride in showing me the sights. One of them was the Cutty Sark. She was not just a reminder of the great age of sail, but also of Britain's history as an island nation whose success depended on maritime prowess. As a gifted raconteur, my father conveyed this to me in the most exciting and memorable way, spinning yarns about the last of the tea clippers and the lucrative race across the globe to bring the first tea of the year from China to London. My father is no longer with us, but the Cutty Sark was still there...until last week. And I feel the loss.

My young son unfortunately never had the privilege of meeting his grandfather, but last summer we did connect a few of the dots. I took him to Greenwich and showed him the Cutty Sark. OK, he was only a year old at the time (and I did not take his pram into the ship), but I wheeled him around this beautiful memorial to those killed in the two world wars and flashed back 32 years to that fine afternoon with my father...my tutor...my friend. I'm glad that I got pictures of my boy with the old clipper before she was cruelly defiled, but I have no doubt that she will rise like the phoenix from the ashes. Luckily more than 50% of the ship's timbers were undergoing off site restoration and if the iron hull of the vessel is not buckled, they should be able to rebuild her. But if they do, she will no longer be original fabric, and we will have lost some of the history itself. And some of my history too.

At the end of our month abroad in 1974 I also remember flying from Heathrow airport. At duty free my father bought two bottles of whisky with bright yellow labels. And the brand name? Cutty Sark! At the time I thought the label was cheap and tacky, but he seemed to enjoy the tipple when we got home!

In any event, I hope they catch the yellow bastard that wiped this genuine icon of London from the face of the tourist map, and I look forward to its rebirth.

Cheers, MAlfaRK