My dear Sir Edgar.... 79.50° South There's a fascinating local connection. Sir Edgar coordinated the financing of both of Scott's Antarctic expeditions, and at £4,000 made the largest donation to the 1901-4 Discovery expedition. Scott and Edgar became close friends, Scott naming Mount Edgar in Antarctica in recognition of his support. One of Scott's last letters, written from his tent and found with him on his body, was addressed to Sir Edgar. In it he acknowledged Edgar's generosity and contrasted the expedition's financial failure against the tragic grandeur of its achievements. Edgar supported a memorial fund, part of which provided support for the explorers' dependents, and part of which went to found the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. A lesson for today? Millions died in the First World War, millions more were impoverished, starving refugees. In comparison Sir Edgar's story cannot be considered a major tragedy. However Professor Lentin's account of Sir Edgar's trial by media leaves me with a question. Are we still driven by frenzy, by hysteria, by public outrage, by political machinations, or do we think we're now more educated, more objective, more willing to take a stand?
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