TOM CREAN – Unsung Hero of Antarctic Exploration

Tickets available in January 2026

Tom Crean was the unsung hero of Antarctic exploration, whose incredible exploits with Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton were overlooked for 80 years. Crean, who ran away from home as a teenager, served on three expeditions to the Antarctic, and spent longer on the ice than either Scott or Shackleton. He was among the last to see Scott alive near the South Pole in 1912 and returned to the ice to bury his frozen body. Crean was also a major figure on Shackleton's Endurance expedition; he crossed the Southern Ocean with Shackleton in an open boat, trekked over the glaciers and mountains of South Georgia and returned to rescue his comrades marooned on the desolate Elephant Island. But Tom Crean never spoke about his exploits, never wrote a book nor kept a diary, taking his remarkable story to the grave.

Polar historian Michael Smith, who researched and wrote the definitive account of Crean’s life, returns to Brooklands following his sell-out presentation on Shackleton in 2025.

In person tickets are available until 9am on the day of the talk, Livestream tickets are available until midday on the day of the talk. Livestream links are sent out after midday on the day of the talk.

This event will be in person in the Clubhouse and broadcast on BM.tv Livestream.

The Members' Bar will be open from 6pm and hot food will be available. Please pre-book your food for the evening when purchasing your tickets.