First ever wedding takes place in British Antarctic Territory
The first ever wedding has taken place in British Antarctic Territory this weekend, with the bride sewing an orange piece of tent on to her dress for the “something old”.
Polar field guides Julie Baum and Tom Sylvester got married in sub-zero temperatures, with a two-day celebration including a champagne breakfast.
The wedding guest list was made up of couple’s 18 colleagues who live and work at the British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) largest research station during the winter months, including the plumber, electrician and chef.
It is the first official wedding took take place on the territory in Adelaide Island, with magistrate and Rothera Station Leader Paul Samways performing the ceremony over the weekend.
“Over the last 10 years Tom and I have been working and travelling around the world,” said Ms Baum, 34, from Birmingham.
“Getting married in Antarctica feels like it was meant to be. There is no better place really, I love snowy mountains and spending time in amazing places with awesome people.”
The mountaineering couple were selected joined the BAS to manage deep-field science expeditions in 2016.
Sylvester, 35, from Sheffield, added: “Antarctica is an incredibly beautiful place and we have made such great friends here, so the setting couldn’t be better.
“We have always wanted to have a small personal wedding, but never imagined we’d be able to get married in one of the most remote places on Earth.”
Station Leader Mr Samways said: “Having spent time with Julie and Tom over the Austral summer and half of the Antarctic winter I feel amazingly privileged to be able to be part of their story.
“They are amazing people, and being responsible for joining them in marriage is an incredible honour.”
The couple first met at an outdoor instructor apprenticeship scheme at the Plas Y Brenin Outdoor Centre in North Wales.
They both worked as expedition leaders around the world including Northern India, Nepal, Peru, Ecuador, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Borneo, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Rothera Research Station is a centre for biological research and a hub for supporting deepfield and air operations sited on Adelaide Island to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula. WARSAW: Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate were led by two Jewish survivors on a visit to the World War II Nazi German concentration camp of Stutthof on Tuesday, at the start of the second day of their trip to Poland.
The royal couple are on a goodwill trip to Poland and Germany that is aimed at underscoring Britain’s intention to maintain friendly relations with the European Union after it leaves the bloc.
They flew to northern Poland in the morning from Warsaw, where and their children are staying at the Belvedere Palace.
At the Stutthof museum they were guided by two survivors of the camp, Manfred Goldberg and Zigi Shipper, both 87, from north London.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were shown discarded shoes, clothing and other personal items that were seized from the inmates on arrival at Stutthof. They were also shown the gas chamber where those too sick to work were killed.