Pirates: the fact & the fiction

The lively and entertaining speaker on historical matters Max Keen, sails back in full period costume to Kenilworth u3a’s open meeting on Thursday April 18 with his talk 'Pirates! The Fact & the Fiction…' Landlubbers are expected aboard from 1.45pm onwards for refreshments at Kenilworth’s Methodist Church in Priory Road casting off at 2.30 pm for nearly an hour’s worth of facts and myth demolishing, questions and a few answers about pirates.

Were pirates swashbuckling idols bringing murder and mayhem to the high seas? Wide eyed scallywags or Hollywood inventions? Were there female pirates? Over the centuries a lot of popular myths around pirates have grown up making it hard to untangle pirate fact from piratical fiction…

Nick Booker said: 'I’m looking forward to hearing about the notorious Bristolian, Edward Teach born in 1680 and who came to be better known as Blackbeard. He would stuff smouldering fuses into his fearsome dark beard to create terror in his enemies and crew alike. I’m not sure we expect Max Keen to do that as he might set off the fire alarms! But we can be sure of a rollicking 50 minutes or so with an untangling of myths and legends about pirates that have grown up over the centuries.'

And why are pirates’ pirates? Cuz they arrrrrr me hearties!