A man from Scone edging towards retirement can say with pride that a group of low-lying rocks in the British Sub-Antarctic will carry his name forever.
Mike Gloistein has enjoyed a 33 year-long career at sea with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), first as a radio officer and latterly as an electronics officer.
Over three decades he’s worked aboard four different research vessels but he now works on the famous ship, HMS Sir David Attenborough.
The boat was focus for controversy at its launch when the public was originally asked to name it – with some humorous suggestions.
Mike (62) from Stormont Way in Scone had been ‘threatening’ to retire for some time and his work colleagues responded by organising a surprise just for him.
He’s been presented with a lasting legacy to keep the BAS work in the North Sea and polar regions in his mind when he is permanently at home in Perthshire.
They arranged for part of the Skerries, an outcrop of islands located near Coronation Island off the south coast of Orkney, to be named ‘The Gloistein Skerries’.
His name will forthwith appear on nautical maps of the British territory, classified as part of the Sub-Antarctic.
Mike joked that sailors would be well advised to keep well clear of The Gloistein Skerries as the low-lying rocks could wreck a vessel. His place on the globe is not somewhere to visit so much as something to carefully navigate around, a hazard.
When the ship was undergoing a crew change at its UK base at Harridge, Essex, Sir David Attenborough asked to pay them a visit to learn about what the researchers were up to.
To Mike’s surprise, the living legend of the natural world personally presented him with written confirmation of the naming honour.
“Sir David congratulated me on my career, wished me the best for retirement and to my complete surprise, said that from now on, my name is attached to the Skerries in the Antarctic.
“He was a wonderful, wonderful man to meet, a real delight.”
Mike already possesses the Polar Medal as a commendation of his committed work to the British Antarctic Survey. That was a medal presented to him by the then Prince Charles on behalf of HRH Elizabeth II in 2004.
When he parts ways with his floating workplace, the Sir David Attenborough, Mike will be free to take it easy in Scone and pursue his other interests – photography and bird-watching.
“I’ll also from time to time keep an eye on my ship Sir David Attenborough as you can do that now with the internet,” he added. “She’s got another 30 or so years ahead of her.
“I’m really chuffed to receive a satellite photograph showing The Gloistein Skerries, it will have pride of place on my wall.”
