Attention All Shipping cover art

Attention All Shipping

A Journey Round the Shipping Forecast

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About this listen

This solemn, rhythmic intonation of the shipping forecast on BBC radio is as familiar as the sound of Big Ben chiming the hour. Since its first broadcast in the 1920s, it has inspired poems, songs and novels in addition to its intended objective of warning generations of seafarers of impending storms and gales.

Sitting at home listening to the shipping forecast can be a cosily reassuring experience. There's no danger of a westerly gale eight, veering southwesterly, increasing nine later (visibility poor), gusting through your average suburban living room and blowing the Sunday papers all over the place and startling the cat.

Yet familiar though the sea areas are by name, few people give much thought to where they are or what they contain. In Attention All Shipping, Charlie Connelly wittily explores the places behind the voice, those mysterious regions whose names seem often to bear no relation to conventional geography. Armchair travel will never be the same again.

©2004 Charlie Connelly (P)2004 Hachette Audio UK Engineering Sailing Sailing & Boating Travel Writing & Commentary Water Sports Sports Shipping Forecast
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I listened to the Preview but wondered how it was going to keep me transfixed for the duration on such an unusual repetitive yet ever changing climatic report. I was therefore totally surprised that the content immersed me in the enthusiasm and passion of the authors journey around the British Isles. The easy and communicable relaxed style of the author / narrator in his travels makes for an amusing and informative jaunt that will want you to mimic the journey. However having experienced rough seas of lesser duration I recommend that you immerse yourself in this book which is full of colour and expression. You can almost taste the salty air.

Absolutely Fantastic

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My boat is moored in Ipswich and I have a great fascination with Sealand. One of my friends who is a channel swimmer gained permission to go onto Sealand as she swam there. It was arranged prior. I believe they now hold swimming competitions to Sealand and around and back from Felixstowe.

Loved the book

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Informative , not too serious, easy listen narrated by the author and leads me to look for similar reads …

The subject

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If you've ever wondered about the mysteries of the shipping forecast, wonder no more. This is an enjoyable romp around the sea areas we know and love.
It does have a laddish tone about it, and the narration feels that way too. I would have liked a little more about the forecast itself, but our man with a plan raises more than a few smiles along the way.
Connelly...4..South East, Good, becoming excellent

An Enjoyable Romp

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A good humoured, enjoyable read which is made even better by the self narration. A great travel writer who has an ability to meet the most interesting person or find the best story in each location.

Lovely travel and marine book

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