Ahoy, me hearties
FROM World Book Day to Fair Trade Fortnight and even National Chip Week, it seems there is a national day for everything.
One of the most unusual, however, has to be International
Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19).
I sail to work across the river on a ferry. Ok so it’s not quite the Black Pearl (and the ferrymen, despite their charms, are not Johnny Depp) but I still feel like I’m on an adventure.
What would it be like to crew a galleon moving ahead full sail to Tortuga, skull and crossbones flying? When it comes to tips about all things pirate, Gem from CBeebies’ Swashbuckle, aka presenter Gemma Hunt (pictured), has plenty of aaaadvice…
What’s it like to be a pirate?
BEING a pirate is so much fun, because you can be a little bit cheeky but get away with it. Actually, out of all the pirates in Swashbuckle I’m the good one. So it is nice to be a good pirate doing good things like playing games and having lots of fun.
If we wanted to be pirates, how could we go about it?
FIRST find something to put on your head for a bandana. You could use a tea towel or a scarf and tie that round your head, that’s really cool. And look for stripes. They are always a winner if you want to be a pirate.
You might have a pet parrot, maybe a little sea dog, a captain’s cat or something. It’s quite fun to try and dress them up as well – get a little handkerchief maybe, give them a little bandana too.
It’s all about having lots of fun and doing good… not being too naughty!
You have to deal with some very troublesome pirates on the show, especially Cook and Line. Do they ever get away with being naughty?
THEY do get away with it sometimes. When we play the games they make it really tricky for swashbucklers to win all the jewels back so they get to keep them for that episode. But hopefully the next team will come and help me win them back again!
What’s your favourite piratey word or phrase?
I THINK mine is ‘Ahoy there me hearties’, because that’s what I say when I arrive down the slide of the Scarlet Squid.
‘Yo ho ho’ is a delightful pirate cheer, it means we are really happy.
What do you on your day off?
I LOVE reading. Ten Little Pirates is a favourite of mine, so is Captain Yellowbelly and also Captain Pike Looks After the Baby. There are some amazing pirate books out there that I thoroughly enjoy.
CaTCh Gem and the gang in the new series of Swashbuckle on Cbeebies and BBC iPlayer.