Clipper crew to celebrate Christmas on the waves

While the majority of us will be tucking into our turkey and ham dinner and opening presents, the crew on board the Derry~Londonderry Clipper yacht will be soaking up the sun rays in Gold Coast Australia and enjoying festive fun as they celebrate Christmas on the waves as they prepare to take part in the Gold Coast to Singapore , fifth leg of the race which starts on Christmas Eve.

A taste of home and a Merry Christmas to the Clipper Crew

But the crew will be thinking of home and their family and friends in Derry and Donegal before they set off on the next leg of their mammoth journey across the world by sea. The crew will also receive a series of special message from the city including a recording of the Mayor at the Switch On of the Christmas Tree lights at Cunningham Square at Ebrington, children taking part in the carol singing in Guildhall and also a special recording of Once in Royal David’s City performed at St Columb’s Cathedral at the Mayor’s Charity Carol Service. 

The Mayor, Alderman Maurice Devenney extended warm festive wishes to the crew said:  “Merry Christmas to all the teams and crews from Derry~Londonderry and we look forward to welcoming you to the city in July 2012. We hope you have a safe onward journey, particularly as you spend your Christmas Festivities at sea”.

 Michelle McCann, the Greencastle based teacher at Thornhill College, will miss her children and grandchildren this Christmas but is anxiously waiting to see them next year.

“I love Christmas. It’s all about the children. I would usually spend Christmas day with my children and their kids. The whole Santa Claus thing – I just love it – the excitement! Although last year I spent Christmas with my son who lives in Singapore and I’ll be seeing him again in January when we get to Singapore. Being at sea on Christmas Day will be a bit strange, I’ll miss my family and the warmth and the closeness you always have at Christmas – I’ll miss that the most. “

Michelle has fond memories of Christmas in Derry and thinks it’s a great place to spend the festive season. “There’s always a lovely atmosphere in Derry at Christmas time. Everywhere you go there are choirs performing and there is a great festive cheer in the city. In the shopping centres there are choirs of kids singing. It’s beautiful. And there’s lovely services in the Cathedral and other venues. There’s a lovely atmosphere all around the area and in Donegal as well and I will definitely miss that,” she said,

Michelle sending a special message to her pupils and co-workers at Thornhill College, said she is missing them all and looking forward to seeing them next year

“A special message to my school, Thornhill College: Happy Christmas everybody and enjoy the school show, it’ll be fantastic, it always is! Mad but just great! And to my family of course, to my daughter Maeve and the kids and to my son Barry and Jennifer and to my other son John and the kids and to all my extended family and everybody. It’s so strange to be so far away at Christmas and even to be saying Happy Christmas in this climate! It’s not cold, it’s sunny and it doesn’t feel like the Christmas atmosphere at all the way I’m used to it.,” she concluded.

Crew member Lizzie Haigh from Halifax, says Christmas is always a special time for family and being at sea will be an unusual but exciting experience for the Derry~Londonderry crew.

“Christmas at home is very traditional. Normally we go to my parents or my brothers and I have three nephews, so lots of presents around the Christmas tree, we go back to our old village that we used to live in and visit friends there, always watch the Queen’s speech, James Bond, the Sound of Music, all those vital films! And it’s just very traditional and very relaxed. “I think I’ll definitely miss my family and opening the presents with everyone. I love buying people’s presents and I love their reactions when they get them so I’ll miss being there to see them open their presents. And not getting all my presents!
 
“Merry Christmas to everyone and a very happy new year – I’m sure they will have a lovely time and hopefully they’ll be thinking of us. We’ll definitely still have our turkey so don’t worry about that. And we’re plotting our Secret Santa right now,” she added.

You can follow the Clipper story at www.derrycity.gov.uk/clipper, www.fb.com/derrylondonderryclipper and also follow their Christmas journey on the race viewer at www.clipperroundtheworld.com

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Further press information can be obtained by contacting Derry City Council’s Marketing and Communications Section, Tel. 028 7137 6504.