Cutty Sark 150 Challenge

The events year kicked off in style on 2 April 2019 at Cutty Sark with the CS150 challenge, a fundraising table quiz masterminded by Senior Membership Manager Chloe Shepherd. The evening, MC’d by comedian Jon Culshaw marked 150 years since The Cutty Sark was built and launched the appeal to raise £50k to recarve Nannie, Cutty Sarks iconic figurehead.

The Sark is synonymous with Greenwich and honouring that community spirit this was a major collaborative effort. As well as tireless support from the RMG development team (including a fair amount of manual labour) the event would have been impossible without the kindness of our co-conspirators- Cutty Sark curator, Dr Hannah Stockton, and Senior Curator of Maritime History, Dr Rob Blyth, constructed an intrepid maritime quiz, SLX provided production, and a host of businesses donated prizes – Berry Bros & Rudd, The Trafalgar Tavern, Starbucks, JLL estate agents, Hop Stuff, Benugo & The Taproom

96 Trustees, Patrons, Members and supporters tested their knowledge against 6 rounds, chattering and subterfuge impeded by Culshaw’s shouts of ‘Order’ a la John Bercow. Creatives also tried their hands at sculpting their own Nannie out of plasticine, judged by CS curator Hannah Stockton who awarded top point to a mixed media Nannie with aluminium can supports! Mid-quiz refreshments were a British classic Pie & a Pint Combo generously donated from Hopstuff and Goddards of Greenwich, with sticky toffee pudding dessert courtesy of Benugo.

In the end local solicitors Grant Saw’s team ‘Sea Saw’ came out victorious with top prize, whilst Captain Watt and Red Trouser Bunch both got well-earned consolations prizes of The Cutty Sark Pocket Book to brush up on their theory. But the real winner was Nannie, raised an enormous £5k and kickstarting a blockbuster appeal, smashing its £50k goal by August.

Photos – © National Maritime Museum 2019