About four years ago, my wife and I moved home to a house with a stained-glass front door showing a ship, complete with masts and sails.
About a year later, the company I worked for went into liquidation, and I was made redundant. While I searched for new job opportunities, I did not want to stay idle. Living in the Cleveland / North Yorkshire area, I decided to visit local Captain Cook museums and sites to learn more about his life and times. After visiting a museum or two, I began reading and absorbing books about him. I was hooked! During this early period of research and discovery, I came across the website for the Captain Cook Society. It looked like a great source of information, so I quickly decided to become a member to further my knowledge.
I received a very quick and polite email reply from Cliff Thornton, the Secretary at the time. As our digital conversation developed, he invited me to attend the Society’s UK meeting, usually held in Marton around the time of Cook’s birthday in late October. Unfortunately, the first meeting I was invited to was cancelled, so I had to wait another year to attend.
I was able to go in 2024. Naturally, I felt a little anxious, after all I would be among people with immense knowledge, but I hoped I would fit in. I need not have worried. Everyone was welcoming, taking the time to speak with me, to get to know me, and to ask how my interest in Cook began.
So, was the stained glass ship a sign of fate? After meeting the good people of the Society, I would like to believe it was.
In 2025, I was able to attend my second meeting. Once again it was held at Marton, just a few miles from where I live. This time, the meeting was in the smaller of the two meeting rooms, making for a more intimate session.
In the morning, we had two talks about Elizabeth Cook and her family. Carmel Summers took us on a trip around the world as we followed her researching Eliza in various museums and the places where Eliza had lived. Then Wendy Wales talked about Elizabeth’s extended family, and the links among them. After lunch we had the opportunity to visit the Marton Parish Church, where James Cook was baptised in 1728. The afternoon talk about Longitude was given remotely over Zoom by Rebekah Higgitt and her colleague Richard Dunn. Then, Ian Stubbs talked about his extensive postcard collection, which he had brought along, giving us the chance to browse through it.
My wife Nicola joined me for the day, and though she is not a Cook enthusiast she did enjoy the whole experience. I did not need to stay overnight in a hotel as many other members had to do. However, I did join them for the evening meal on Saturday, and could continue conversations started during the day.
If you get the chance to go to a future CCS meeting, please do so. I hope to see you there.
Steve J Furlong
Originally published in Cook's Log, page 3, volume 49, number 1 (2026).
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