The Orwellermen

Paul has been mates with the skipper for more years than they’d care to count. When Gareth first dreamed up this seafaring adventure, Paul laid down the law: the only songs he’d lend his voice to were shanties. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Especially when you hear him sing—though he’s only been singing in public for a few years, you’d think he was born with a shanty on his lips.

Nowadays, Paul takes the lead on many of our boisterous tunes, and, let’s just say, there’s a noticeable theme: drinking! Rum, ale, or grog—he’s got a song for them all.

Paul is also an adventurer at heart. He recently navigated the coastline of Menorca by sea, exploring its azure waters in true pirate spirit. On land, he’s just as bold, being a veteran of epic cycle tours. If there’s a challenge to tackle, Paul’s already on his way.

Never one to follow the crowd, Paul likes to paddle his own way—quite literally. He even built his own kayak. That’s Paul for you: bold, independent, and with a voice that could charm a sailor’s socks off!

Here’s Paul singing one of his favourite shanties at Harwich Shanty Festival

Meet Gareth, the heart and helm of the Orwellermen! After honing his harmonies in a barbershop quartet, Gareth decided to chart a new course—bringing together seasoned sea dogs and curious landlubbers alike to create a social group fueled by the joy of song and camaraderie.

When Gareth isn’t leading shanties, you’ll find him enjoying family time, on the golf course or hitting the open road on his trusty bike.

A captain on and off the high seas, Gareth is proof that the spirit of adventure isn’t confined to the sea!

Many years ago, while on holiday in Brixham, Mark came across a bunch of scruffy middle aged men singing their hearts out on the quay while grasping pints of beer. That looks fun, I’d like to do that, he thought to himself, and promptly forgot about it.

He didn’t know it at the time but he had seen the Fishermen’s Friends before they became famous and they were singing sea shanties.

Several years of singing in choirs followed and then he became aware of a sea shanty festival in Harwich where he found many more old men (and even some women) singing lustily in pubs. A couple of pints of Abbot Reserve in the New Bell Inn convinced him that yes, he could indeed do that !

So, despite not knowing a halyard from a capstan, he joined a group of kindred spirits in the Steamboat Tavern on the banks of the Orwell in Ipswich, where he can pretend he is a ‘salty old tar’ hauling and heaving away.