Scott plaque unveiled at historic Royal hotel

23rd June 2011

John Evans, the grandson of Petty Officer Edgar Evans, the Welsh explorer who perished with Captain Scott after reaching the South Pole in 1912, has unveiled an historic plaque commemorating the expedition’s links with Cardiff’s Royal Hotel. 

The ceremony on June 15th marked the anniversary of Captain Scott’s departure from Cardiff in 1910.

The plaque, next to the Hotel’s St Mary Street Entrance, commemorates the Captain Scott’s famous farewell dinner at the hotel on 13th June 1910, the expedition party’s final public banquet before sailing.

The farewell dinner was hosted by Cardiff Chamber of Commerce in the Alexandra Room –  subsequently renamed The Captain Scott Room.

Following the discovery of the original menu by the hotel in 1982, The Captain Scott Society was founded and holds an annual dinner featuring the original menu in same room to commemorate the occasion.

John Evans, whose famous grandfather came from Middleton, Rhossili, aims to take part in The International Scott Centenary Expedition 2012 (ISCE) to the Antarctic next year. John along with relatives from all five families of Scott’s Pole party, will fly out to hold a memorial service for the nation, at their final resting place.  

Jon Swingler, Manager of The Royal Hotel said: “It is incredibly important for us to play our part in commemorating the historic connections between Cardiff and Captain Scott. Having exhausted routes to locating the old plaque we decided to fund this replacement which returns to its rightful place for the citizens of Cardiff, as well as visitors to the city from all over the world.”

John Evans said: “I am honoured to have been invited to unveil this marvelous plaque in memory of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13. I am looking forward to fulfilling my life-long ambition to walk in his steps in Antarctica, to see some of the sights he experienced, where my grandfather both conquered the South Pole and sadly lost his life along with the Pole Party.”

The failed search for the original plaque which disappeared 11 years ago, resulted in one success, when nuns from a convent set for demolition contacted The Royal Hotel to say they had wall panels from the Terra Nova ship. The hotel subsequently saved the panelling and it now holds pride of place surrounding the bar of the Hotel.

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