 Star, Pearl and Kitty are investigating if Spring Heeled Jack was a Hero or a Villain. Crabby suggests that the terrific three should start by looking at comics, posters which were published in the 1800s along with books. He advised them all to visit the places where Spring Heeled Jack was sighted. As it will be unlikely that they will find anyone who witnessed what Jack did or said, they will have to rely on such reports.
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 Poet has read about a group of writers and poets who used to meet at the Mermaid Tavern in the 1600's. For some reason they were known as the 'Sireniacal Gentlemen.'
Ben Jonson and possibly William Shakespeare were members! Did The Water Poet spend his evenings alongside this group? Barnacle and Poet are going to tootle along the cove to Lighthouse Corner, they hope to find a few books there to assist them in their quest for information.  After showing the merry bunch this ghostly old image which had been found further along the cove near to Lighthouse Corner; he asked the Boggles if they might just be interested in investigating the tale of behind the picture! Delighted at the prospect all agreed without a moments hesitation.
 Having though long and hard about who should research what, when,where and how; Crabby has asked Rainbow to find out if the phantom flying machine of Shibden Valley could have been an ornithopter. In 1485 Leornado Da Vinci first drew one after researching how birds flew. Even earlier bamboo type copters are thought to have been developed in China around 400 BC.
Next Muscle has been sent along the coast to collect some stiff paper, or cardboard. The others will be allotted their adventures once they have said their cheerios to Rainbow and Muscle.  Jack's Tale. Jack Crawford was born in Sunderland in 1775. He first worked as a 'keelman' ferrying coal out to sea going ships. He next joined the crew of the Peggy, but in 1796 he was press-ganged and forced to serve on HMS Venerable. He served under Admiral Duncan the Commander in Chief of the Royal Navy in the North Seas.
Britain was at war with Spain, France and Holland in 1797. On the 11th of October a battle between the Dutch and British navy took place near to Bergen. During the battle HMS Venerable's main mast was broken. Jack climbed the damaged mast and bravely managed to nail the Union Flag to it. The British fleet had been split into two by Admiral Duncan to break through the Dutch vessels. This victory prevented the Dutch ships from joining the French to attack Ireland and then Britain. Jack was hailed as a hero and presented with a silver medal. He was presented to King George lll and granted a yearly pension of £30. Prior to modern methods of communication, sailors used flags to communicate with other ships. The Union Flag was extremely symbolic, it showed the rest of the fleet that it was commanded by the Admiral of the fleet. The phrases 'show your true colors' and 'nail your colors to the mast' originated from these practices. |