Ahoy mateys! Hoist the colours, splice the main-brace and raise the mizzen!
Yes! International talk Like a Pirate Day is almost upon us again!
Rather than rehash the suggestions I have made in previous years I thought why not take the musical route in your libraries in 2012. Piratical types have always enjoyed a bit of a sing-song as I discovered last year when I ran an impromptu shanty session in my library – teaching a group of year 7s,8s, 9s and two 6th formers how to sing Yo-ho-ho and a Bottle of Rum was brilliant! If I manage to do it again this year I will get a video and audio recording.
If you are interested in the music and words you can see (and hear them) here:
Then there is the Disney version (made famous by the ride in Disneyland and the movie Pirates of the Caribbean)
There is also a version by amazing Steampunk band Abney Park
Staying with Abney Park (and Pirates) they also have a track called Airship Pirates
Steampunk has been growing in popularity over the past few years – I have been a fan before I knew there was Steampunk, it started when I was in my teens and started reading the works of James Blaylock and Tim Powers, then years (and years) later I came to the UK and was given a copy of Airborn by Kenneth Oppel – and it brought back my love of airships, pirates and sky-high action.
I also love the Victorian era and the whole neoVictorian world that the Steampunk genre inhabits is something wonderful!
Anyway this is supposed to be a post about International Talk like a Pirate Day – I will get back to Steampunk in another post.
So Pirates!
Did you know that there are only three real Pirate jokes?
According to Cap’n Slappy that is…
The biggest one is the one that ends with someone usin’ “Arrr” in the punchline. Oh, sure, thar be plenty o’ these, but they’re all the same damn joke.
…and so forth. Those jokes only work if people know their arrrrrs from their elbows!
Potential activities include
YA Piratical Novels:
Pirate Movies:
For more ideas and information of this most illustrious of holidays you can look here:
Only three days away before International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Says Arrrgh! Come watch and share our Video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-biqABKKfo