The old legend says that “if the ravens leave the tower, the kingdom of Britain will fall”. Not to tempt fate, but it’s a reasonable burden to bear for the Tower of London’s new Ravenmaster Michael ‘Barney’ Chandler, 56, who is just over a month into the job.
Despite the responsibility of the role and its tradition spanning centuries, Barney says it is an honor to wear the badge of Ravenmaster alongside being a Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as they are commonly known, at the Tower.
Ravens are believed to have lived near the Tower of London throughout its existence, but the tradition became more significant after Charles II decreed that there could be no fewer than six ravens on the site during the 17th century. Responsibility for this initially fell to the Young Quartermaster, but in the 1950s the first ever Ravenmaster was installed.
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Barney is only the sixth person to hold the role and looks after the tower’s seven ravens – Jubilee, Harris, Poppy, Georgie, Edgar, Branwen and Rex.
His job mainly consists of feeding and caring for the ravens, while running a team of five who look after them. He says: “The days are now getting longer and the mornings start earlier so we don’t like having our friends here hanging in the cages.
“I normally get up at 6am and feed them about half an hour later. Then at 8.30 or so they’re let out. We have a problem with foxes so I don’t like to have them out so much when the public isn’t here. To some extent the public helps also to keep them safe.From then on it’s just a matter of monitoring them during the day.
Barney took on the role of Ravenmaster about 14 years after his employment as Beefeater. To become a Beefeater, which is part of the King’s Bodyguard, you need 22 years’ experience in the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, with an exemplary record, and in the rank of Private or above.
Barney served in the Royal Marines for 24 years, rising to the rank of Sergeant Major. As a recruit in 1984, a fellow Marine joked that when he blinked he looked like Barney Rubble from The Flintstones. Since then, he has stuck with the same nickname, much to the annoyance of his mother.
Away from work, Barney enjoys solo motorbike tours across Europe visiting his four children who live all over the world and is a keen West Ham fan. On Thursday (April 11), Barney said he had to finish his work in time to watch West Ham’s Europa League game that evening.
The raven master says his favorite thing about the job is the honor of wearing the badge. “I’ve been with the team for 14 years so it’s fantastic to not only be a member of the King’s bodyguard but also the man who looks after his ravens. What an honour.”
But that’s not the only brand he’s proud to wear. Hidden on the inside of his Beefeater hat is West Ham’s famous badge of the crossed rivet hammers. While his dad is from Canning Town, Barney actually grew up in Watford, but he sounds as East End as they come and is a die-hard Hammers fan.
Speaking about his job, he added: “I’m also fascinated by the unpredictability of ravens. The old adage says never film with children or animals and that’s certainly the case with these.
“I’m just captivated by them, they’re so interesting, so smart and sometimes too smart for their own good. They all have their own personalities, some trickier than others.”
He said that one raven in particular has a bit of an attitude. Jubilee likes to be the first into the tower grounds in the morning, and he “doesn’t like anything to be in the way”. Barney explained: “He’s usually the first one in and he’s normally fine. But if I were to put, say, a carrier bag, in there when it’s time to go in, he’ll go as far as about 10 meters away, he’ll to look at the bag, he just says ‘no, no, I don’t’.”
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