I'm going to contact a variety of people who have jobs and passions surrounding the Shipping Forecasts. The people contacted are as follows:
Charlie Connelly: BBC Radio 4 presenter, including the shipping forecasts, author and TV presenter. UIT Publishers: (On behalf of getting hold of Petter Jefferson, ex reader of the shipping forecasts). Peter Collier: Watercolour Artist inspired by scenes of the British Isles and the Shipping Forecasts. Kevin Riley: - The Operations Manager at Exmouth Lifeboat centre, part of the RNLI association Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station: Part of the RNLI association, not sure who the contact was. Zeb Soanes: Current Radio 4 presenter and todays voice forecasts. Met Office Archives: (Contacted "enquires" every things hush hush..) The questions, although having the same framework were personalised to the individual. Questions as of right. |
1) Why isn’t there a supporting visual language to the forecasts like that of the weather forecast?
2) What is your opinion on the Shipping Forecasts relevance in the 21st century when there are such advanced technologies onboard boats? 3) Where do you see the future of the Shipping Forecasts? Is the radio a dated and dying media, where might it go and what is its potential? 4) Do you think a visual language to match the powerful verbal language of the forecasts is necessary? 5) For what reason would you listen to the Shipping Forecasts and how would you describe your emotional response when listening? 6) Whats your opinion on the emotion and calming nature of the forecast on land based listeners, what makes them listen repeatedly and why is there this attachment? |
1) Why isn’t there a supporting visual language to the forecasts like that of the land weather forecast?
I'm not sure I quite understand what you mean by a 'visual language', but if you mean things such as maps and symbols the nature of the shipping forecast is such that is doesn't need them. It's always been intended as an audio medium, a short term, six hour forecast in a specific format and language that renders any visual props largely unnecessary beyond a basic knowledge of the geography of the sea areas. It's basic, vital information delivered in the most straightforward manner possible for those who need it. 2) What is your opinion on the Shipping Forecasts relevance in the 21st century when there are such advanced technologies onboard boats? The long-wave radio signal is less fallible than computer technology so it is necessary even as a back-up in case other systems go down. Also, many smaller craft are not equipped with advanced technology and rely solely on the radio broadcasts. 3) Where do you see the future of the Shipping Forecasts? Is the radio a dated and dying media, where might it go and what is its potential? The shipping forecast will continue in its current format for the foreseeable future as, for all the romance and poetry attached, it's there in order to save lives at sea. The nature of the way radio is delivered is changing and evolving, but it's still a strong medium with a bright future. |
4) Do you think a visual language to match the powerful verbal language of the forecasts is necessary?
No. 5) For what reason would you listen to the Shipping Forecasts and how would you describe your emotional response when listening? I tend to catch it more than making a point of listening to it, and my emotional response is probably atypical as I'm fortunate enough to picture places and people as the sea areas are listed, having travelled through all of them. OVERVIEW The response I got from Charlie Connelly is very relevant as he is a presenter of the shipping forecasts. When he says about the intention of the forecasts being "basic, vital information delivered in the most straightforward manner possible" in connection with its other intention of being an audio medium in which "renders any visual props largely unnecessary beyond a basic knowledge of the geography of the sea areas". Connelly's point of view is from an academic angle so it is interesting to see that he see's there to be no visual side to the forecasts, other than the map. When the language is so emotive and the forecasts are enjoyed by far more than those at sea it is interesting to see that these people are quite uncounted, and almost become invisible. Connelly makes it obvious though that the forecasts are here to stay, as i thought with huge listening figures. |
"I hope the following online fact sheet on the shipping forecast will provide you with the information you require.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/1/f/Fact_sheet_No._8.pdf If you have any specific questions that this does not help you with, please get back in touch and we will try our best from the material we hold in our collection to answer your questions." OVERVIEW Despite not getting the questions answered I now know that this is going to be a contactable source with a great source of knowledge on the forecasts if I need to find anything more out. The PDF and link sent is hugely informative giving me in-depth information on mapping in different ways and how its evolved. This is really helpful to one strand of my research presenting me with a lot of research that I needed to find out. It also helps with terminology and an overview of the forecasts. There are also other fact sheets in this series, this being number 8 with, which might also be quite useful. |
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"Hi Charlie, To make sure I am interpreting your questions correctly I think it might be best if we do this over the phone.
The only person I know of who is a thinker when it comes to such things is Sean Street, the poet who wrote something about the shipping forecast for Radio 4. Until last year he taught at Bournemouth on the Radio Broadcasting course, but has now retired. He used my book as a teaching aid, to show that radio can have a life beyond just the words coming out of a box. If you think he might be of use I could contact him and ask if it is ok to pass his email address onto you. Best wishes, Peter" |
OVERVIEW
I am going to contact Peter in the next couple of day's to speak to him about the forecasts. It will be interesting to interview a person with a creative point of view on the forecasts and someone that will be able to understand the creative potential of them. He has already experienced this with the poet Sean Street, someone I am also going to get in touch with, when he says that "radio can have a life beyond just the words coming out of a box". Having the opportunity to speak to him over the phone will allow me to expand on my questions and ask more about the forecasts on his work and his opinion on both the words that come out of the box, and there creative potential. |
PHONE CONVERSATION
Inspired by Portland, he was in his car and heard it by random, not until a couple months later he acted upon it. Everyone that listens to radio 4 knows of the forecasts, although only knowing it as a collection of names. A very complex verbal language. Doesn’t mean what it does in a visual sense. The forecasts have become a weird and cultural definition of Britishness, being played to millions of people at the Olympics ceremony. Specialist piece of information, the people who need it are trained to read it. They are trained to chart it and depict and understand what we hear as an enigmatic poem. Our visual language for weather is for an untrained general public, hence having symbols and images to depict it. Not heard by most people but those that need it. Comforting, when inside listening to the storms and gales that surround us. The audience for the forecasts tends to be of an older, retired generation, some people aren’t introduced until they listen to radio 4. Technology on boats of today invalidates the information given by the forecasts. Boats are channeled into NAVTEXT, printing out any information and the shipping forecast hourly. |
The forecasts information is obsolete on radio because of this technology, is it being kept for the mass of land based listeners and a heritage to Britain it belongs?
The general public doesn’t need the information; to them it’s unnecessary. Strange combinations of half phrases, which take on a language of their own. A form of magic not knowing what it is, what it means or where these places are. There is a comforting and mesmerizing nature Code telling in the war: people didn’t know what meant what they had no idea, its listening to information for the sake of it, in this case a poetic novel. People are fascinated by the forecasts, the only visual is the map, and some people don’t know about that. Reminders of us being islanders, being a big island we can sometimes get lost in it and forget about the seas. Interest in demystifying it, finding out what it is. OVERVIEW The conversation was too long to re script however I've bullet pointed key things mentioned so I can come back to. Very interesting man and someone who would be interested to get more involved and someone more than happy to help at any stage. Our conversation has made me think more about the complexity of the information and the depth to the knowledge of it, how much it all actually means and how vital it is. Due to onboard systems today the radio, for the shipping forecasts is unnecessary however the mass of land based listeners out there gives there a purpose, even if not for its original purpose. The forecasts has a future, but is radio as necessary for it and is it to target sailors, to try and save a life, when they don't really listen to it, they use softwares like NAVTEXT to print it off. |
"Very happy to help you. I’ll scribble some thoughts (in BOLD) in answer to your questions in your email below and we can take it from there.
I’ll think of some other contacts – I presume you have someone at the MET Office already?" 1) Why is there no supporting visual language to the shipping forecasts like that of the land weather forecast? The Shipping Forecast text is incredibly rich in imagery: north sea squall, light icing, hurricanes, and the imagined landscape of the enigmatic-sounding locations themselves: Rockall, Channel Light Vessel Automatic etc ... 2) What is your opinion on the Shipping Forecasts relevance in the 21st century when there are such advanced technologies onboard boats? We have recently conducted extensive research on this and I will get hold of a copy of the results for you. In summary, even though other technological means are perhaps more convenient many sailors value the Longwave forecast, particularly in emergencies as phones and other systems can die or fail to have a signal. 3) Where do you see the future of the Shipping Forecasts? Is the radio becoming a dated media, where might it go and what is its future potential? Radio, in general, contrary to what you might imagine in a multi-channel/media world is actually enjoying higher listening figures than ever. This was a surprise to us as TV channels expanded and multiplied. Radio’s great advantage is that you can listen to it whilst doing other things: driving, cooking, working. iPods/Phones have made podcasts a new way of receiving BBC radio content and our download figures are at a record level currently. |
4) Do you think a visual language to match the powerful verbal language of the forecasts is necessary? What are its listeners after on land and at sea?
You’ll need to clarify what you mean by ‘visual language’ for me here. Sailors have charts which they notate our forecasts onto allowing them to visualise the weather systems. 5) Whats your opinion on the emotion and calming nature of the forecast on land based listeners, what is it that makes them listen repeatedly and why is there this attachment? It is a nightly census of the waters that surround us as the announcer ‘checks-off’ each location. It is comforting to the land-lubber tucked-up safely in bed imagining all the boats and oil-rigs around our coasts. It reminds us that we are and island-people with a proud sea-faring past. The enigmatic names of all of the locations conjures up a wild seascape of the imagination as people try to picture what each area looks like. For those with little understanding of the meterological content of the forecast it provides abstract poetry – but it must never be read as poetry. It is vitial meterological data and must be delivered primarily for that purpose, the poetry is incidental. It is part of its charm and enduring appeal. OVERVIEW I've responded asking for the possibility of a firm contact in the MET Office, and whether he knows himself of anyone that would have any information on mapping, for the forecasts and general nautical. I've asked for an expansion of his knowledge on 'land lubbers' and about there research conducted on the forecasts relevance against technologies. This response was brilliant, something that would be interesting to investigate is looking into the charts that Sailors use to visualise the weather systems, is this a pre existing visual language? |