NEWS
“Vertical” round the world solo yachtsman to give fundraising talk for local RNLI lifeboats
Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:41:24 +0000

Adrian aboard Barrabas off the Siberian coast Date: 11/11/2008 Author: Adrian Don, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Reference: Tynemouth 045 2008 Tynemouth and Cullercoats RNLI lifeboat stations are asking people to join us for an extraordinary event. Adrian Flannigan, solo yachtsman, will re-live his adventures to raise funds to help keep our lifeboats saving lives at sea. Adrian has a reputation for [...]

Over The Top
Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:30:54 +0000

This is an inspiring story and it holds the reader from the first page. Good books inform and entertain. This is a good book. The author is a writer who embarked on an extraordinary adventure. The result is a well-written book. The adventure was the first attempt to complete a vertical or bi-polar circumnavigation by sea. [...]

The Voyage of the Beagle
Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:50:27 +0000

This book is both a fascinating account of one of the events that changed the world, and fine art. The publisher has produced a handsome volume with printed linen covers and high quality paper. The work is lavishly illustrated with art, photographs, sketches, maps, facsimile extracts of newspapers and advertisements. The production standard is very [...]

OVER THE TOP
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:28:14 +0000

The First Lone Yachtsman to Sail Vertically Around The World by Adrian Flanagan Published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on 6th November 2008, at £16.99 In May 2008, Adrian Flanagan made history when he completed the first ever single-handed ‘vertical’ circumnavigation of the world. Over The Top tells the story of this remarkable voyage. In 1975, when [...]

BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF BRITISH NAVAL AVIATION
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:05:24 +0000

“One Hundred Years of British Naval Aviation” Nighthawk Publishing, Available November 2008, eBook, £9.99, ISBN 1-84280-118-X The British Government has selected 2009 as the Official Centenary of the Fleet Air Arm. This is an arbitrary date that can be justified on the basis that the Naval Estimates for 1909 included funds for the construction of the ill-fated HM [...]

AGX - Mission Accomplished
Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:05:30 +0000

The final Broadly Boats Special in the Alpha Global Expedition series is now available as a free download from: tinyurl.com/59vkxp The book “Over The Top” by Adrian Flanagan will be launched by Orion in October 2008. bb.firetrench.com ftnews.firetrench.com agx.firetrench.com nighthawk.firetrench.com ftd.firetrench.com

The Tall Ships’ Races 2008 got off to a flying start
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:56:11 +0000

HMS Mersey will be following the fleet. Above, earlier this year when HMS Mersey welcomed first vertical (bi-polar) cirumnavigator Adrian Flanagan back to British waters after his transit of the Russian Northern Sea Route The Tall Ships’ Races 2008 got off to a flying start yesterday as the race got under way just off the northern [...]

Alpha Global meets Exercise Midnight Sun
Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:36:54 +0000

pictured left to right: Mark Giles, Andy Whitmore, Adrian, Paul Molyneux and Warren Beresford On Wednesday Adrian & Louise met with four members of the Territorial Army who are taking part in Exercise Midnight Sun which is the Royal Signals TA expedition to Greenland, one of the planets last great unspoilt wildernesses, in August 2008. The [...]

FAVOURITE PICTURES
Sat, 31 May 2008 14:18:40 +0000

We’ve finally made it home after 2 weeks on the Hamble. And what an incredibly memorable 2 weeks they have been. Of the many hundreds of pictures taken on the 21st May, these are two we particularly like. The family portrait is taken by our good friend Tina Hadley, the other by Sara Coombes [...]

AGX - PHOTOS
Mon, 26 May 2008 12:01:06 +0000

Below are a selection of family photos taken over the past couple of days - please feel free to use them. For publication purposes, a photo credit will suffice (Louise Flanagan) Reading The Times at breakfast on Thursday morning!


Over The Top
News Archive

27 June 2006
29.40N 149.40E
The music that keeps Adrian company

'Creative gave me two Zen Sleek MP3 players which Louise loaded with music, spending hours ripping CDs and sequestering music from everyone she  knew - the result is an eclectic compliation. To complete the sensaround experience, I bought an amplifier and hooked that up to the ship's speakers. The Zens plug into the amplifier and I can then adjust volume to suit my mood. So much for the hardware.

I had thought that music would be an indispensible part of my days and nights, but  it has transpired  to be less so than I had imagined. First was my concern about power consumtion - the amplifier is relatively thirsty, but more than that, the sea sings it's own song, it's tempo, pitch and volume as varied and infinite as the potential for any composer with a handful of notes to arrange.

There are of course my favourites - music of  the seventies' generation, among them The  Eagles, unquestioningly (in my opinion) the finest group ever to  strike a drum and  strum a guitar. 'Desperado' was selected by a friend of mine as my theme tune (it was even played at my wedding). The indefatigable "Stones" and the  timelessness of Billy Joel, The Kinks, Marmalade and of course "The King" all remind me of a partially mis-spent youth.

In more mellow mood,  I enjoy George Michael - a fabulous voice and the ability to match it to the right lyrics: Eva Cassidy, who sadly never won the recognition she deserved while she was alive - "The Water is Wide" is a beautiful number: Roberta Flack's rendition of "Killing Me Softly" always touches me: Bond's classsic rock variations, Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John...the Bhuddha Bar collections.

On clear nights with the stars pinholing black velvet, I can become contemplative. Then  its Albinoni's Adagios, choral music - I particularly like Gabriel Faure's 'Pavane'. Prokofiev's 'Spartacus - Romeo and Juliet' is beautiful. The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia (the theme to the 70's TV series 'The Onedin Line') is a particular favourite together with the manic  'Sabre Dance'.

I tend to sail the boat more aggressively in harsher  weather. Then it's time, at maximum volume, for Gun's 'n' Roses and The Manics (who play the best version of 'Suicide is Painless').'

When I need pumping up, there is one number that never fails to deliver
- Bon Jovi's 'It's My Life'...'I just want to live while I'm alive...'

The music of the Gipsy Kings is as evocative as it is unique - for some reason, I am always reminded of  driving around in a red, soft-top BMW...

Filtered in among all these are the show tunes, Bernstein's America and the triumphalism of Edward Elgar. There is one song from the stage production of Bombay Dreams - I think of my sons - 'The Journey Home Is Never Too Long'...