On 24 October 1798, Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson arrived on the Vanguard off Mgarr Harbour where he met Archpriest Saverio Cassar, Head of the Matrice (Cathedral), Superintendent of the Island, and leader of the blockade, to draw the articles of surrender of the French. The draft document is preserved in the National Archives, Gozo Section, in Victoria.

21 October is Trafalgar Day and it started a weeklong exhibition of marine paintings by Thomas J. Burnell, an international marine artist who specialises in ships, seascapes, battles (the Nelson period in particular) and historical events at sea (www.studiointheyard.com).

Tom’s work is on display in the exhibition in St John Hall. Proceeds from the commissions on all sales will go to the four chosen charities of the Gozo Rotary Club, namely: The Friends of the Sick and Elderly in Gozo (www.fsegozo.com), Wirt Ghawdex (www.wirtghawdex.org), OASI (www.oasi.org.mt) and Happy Moments Kenya.

The exhibition housing Tom’s work shows stunning, powerful seas and skies, breathtaking battles of bravery and daring and classic ships of all shapes and sizes. All are accurately researched from the archives and then transformed into historical “snapshots of the past”.