Scilly Now & Then 65 UK

No. 65

Free on Scilly - please take one

WASTE NOT WANT NOT AFTERMATH TONY ROBINSON

SCILLY NOW & THEN No. 65

Y

ou may have noticed that Scilly Now & Then looks a bit different this month.

Yes, it’s all change - again - for 2014.

As part of our continued commitment to making this magazine the best value for no money on the islands, this issue is a massive 56 pages. We noticed that we were bursting at the seams with content and the magazine was starting to look a bit busy, so rather than leave anything out we decided to go bigger. Not only that, we are now FULL COLOUR! The fact that we are able to do all this is thanks to the continuing support of our advertisers and subscribers. Thank you! It’s not too late for anyone else who wants to advertise this season - we’ll just add extra pages - the more people who support us, the more we can promote and support the best of Scilly.

We also need more people to write to us with their stories and photographs, especially from the off-islands. We can’t

cover every event on the islands ourselves so do get involved - you don’t need to advertise in order to promote or report on community or charitable events.

So... what can you find in this issue?

Waste Project Manager Nigel Cronin gives us the latest on the removal of the Moorwell Alp and we find out about the damage caused by the recent storms.

We also say goodbye to ‘Dungeon Dave’ Huddy, who left the islands last month after nearly 28 years - 24 of which were spent as a barman at Star Castle Hotel.

Elsewhere, we update you on some of the changes happening in the tourism sector this season, from pubs to restaurants and more. And we grab Blackadder and Time Team star Sir Tony Robinson for a quick chat during his recent stay on St Mary’s.

That’s just a few highlights of this issue but there’s much more to read. We hope you enjoy it.

Beth and Jon

Editors: Beth Hilton and Jon Mackenzie info@scillynowandthen.co.uk

You can also contact us via our website www.scillynowandthen.co.uk or on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/scillynowandthen

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Advertising 01720 423409 advertise@scillynowandthen.co.uk Editorial & Letters 01720 423861 editorial@scillynowandthen.co.uk

Cover by Jeremy Pearson

3

Contents Aftermath

6

Festival of Light

8

Off the Record

10

The Three Belles

17

From The Archives

19

Quiz

21

A Walk on the Wild Side

23

Maritime Scilly

25

In and Out of the Garden

27

Waste Not Want Not

28

Tony Robinson

31

Shipwrecks

33

What’s New

35

That’s All Folks

37

Goodbye Dungeon Dave

39

Jack of Diamonds

50

A Day In the Life

52

Letters Page

54

Where’s Morris p49

Tony Robinson p31

The Three Belles p17 All About Seals p49

The Thebest bestof ofScilly Scilly

Goodbye Dungeon Dave p39

Linda Maddock p27

What’s New? p35

Festival of Light p8

Panto p50 Moorwell p29

Aftermath p6

www.scillynowandthen.co.uk www.scillynowandthen.co.uk

Aftermath The Council’s Environment & Climate Change Officer David Senior on the aftermath of the winter storms uring the recent winter a series of D storms caused considerable damage to properties and infrastructure on the

Isles of Scilly. The storms on December 5 and 6 passed the islands with very little impact, going on to cause the devastating tidal surge along the East Coast of England with flooding said to be as bad as the 1953 great storm.

However, this was only the beginning of a series of storms which fed in off the West Atlantic, eventually culminating in the fierce storm on St Valentine’s Day 2014, which caused significant amounts of damage to property and business, as well as erosion of large areas of the islands’ coastlines.

The first big storm (Cyclone Ann) arrived on January 2, with 75MPH winds and high spring tides (6.2M), coming in from the South-West and West. St Agnes and Bryher took the brunt of the impact; St Mary’s in the lee of St Agnes partially escaped damage, although the St Mary’s Harbour Quay was stripped of its surface granite paving sets and sheds and railings etc were washed away. Flooding was also noted along the High Street and Thorofare although no properties were badly flooded in town.

12-13M high waves were recorded with 0.5M storm surge on top of the high tides. On St Agnes, Big Pool was flooded and the sea defences at Pereglis were only prevented from breaching through by the stalwart work 6

of Ben Hicks and his team, who plugged the developing gap with rocks and soil.

On the west side of Bryher, a number of sea defences were overwhelmed and fields flooded from Heathy Hill to Popplestones.

Erosion of the bay at Church Quay led to damage to the road and overtopping of the sea defences at Southward / Green Bay caused the Bryher Boatyard to flood.

On the south end of Tresco, some 10M of sand dune protecting the low lying land in front of Abbey Gardens was eroded, leaving a 20ft high sand cliff and exposing telephone and power line cabling.

This storm was followed by Cyclone Christina with equally fierce winds and strong waves on January 7. Coming so soon after Cyclone Ann the coastal impacts, particularly on St Mary’s, were more noticeable, with significant erosion and damage to the coastline. Porthloo bank and Porthmellon sand dunes were badly eroded, the flood barriers on both Porthloo and Porthmellon slip were breached and further damage was done to St Mary’s quay.

But it wasn’t over for the islands as more storms arrived in early February in quick succession. These came more from a SW and SSW direction, causing damage to the southern coastlines of St Mary’s. In particular the storm of Friday 14 – St Valentine’s Day affected Old Town and Porthcressa bay. The centre of Hugh Town was again flooded and some 12 residential and business properties on St Mary’s were flooded as the massive waves and storm surge crashed over the sea walls and salt spray was blown right across the isthmus, causing water damage to buildings on Town Beach .

Damage was done to Holgate’s Green sea wall and emergency work was required to prevent its collapse. Little Porth sea wall developed a 12 meter long crack and required repair work. Much of the coastline from Porthcressa to Porth Hellick and also around the Garrison has been eroded; in some case several meters has been washed away, exposing fresh ram cliffs.

As the islands look back over an exceptionally stormy winter and begin the clear up of sand, sea weed and rocks from roads beaches and public spaces, it will be quite a time before the damage from this winter’s storms is to be forgotten.

Opposite page from top - Porthcressa; Bryher; St Mary’s Quay (Pete Hicks); Garrison, by the tower, St Mary’s This page from top - Par Beach, St Martin’s; Cricket pitch, St Martin’s; Tolman Point, St Mary’s; Great Rock Beach, Tresco

7

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

We hear from Fisherman’s Friend John Cleave and ARTiculate member Heather Mansfield about the islands’ Festival of Light. Thanks to Wingletang Guest House for the pictures.

he Isles of Scilly Festival of Light came T to a spectacular conclusion on March 1 with a lantern parade through Hugh Town.

that goes on to them is the eyes and that’s what brings them to life. The rat had these bright red luminous eyes.”

Heather Mansfield of ARTiculate said: “It was great to see so many different lanterns.

The Gully lantern has been adopted by the Five Islands School and the rat’s head will be on display at the Turk’s Head on St Agnes.

“I was very fortunate to be able to work with the Scilly Sirens and sing outside Park House. We made a little horseshoe of lanterns and it was a very powerful moment of song.”

The night was not without its hiccups.

Lorries transferring Moorwell waste to the quay unexpectedly came across dozens of children carrying lanterns, going very slowly, and were stuck behind them all the way.

“If we’d known we would’ve decorated the lorries like they do in South America,” said Heather.

“Fairy lights in the cab, some speakers with parade music.”

All kinds of lanterns were made by members of the community and ARTiculate artists from the mainland. The festival the second produced by ARTiculate on the islands - was based on the theme of seabirds, to coincide with the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project.

The lantern parade started at Carn Thomas on St Mary’s, then made its way down to the square at the end of Hugh Street and back, culminating in a singsong with choir Scilly Sirens outside Park House and a fireworks display.

“The children loved it,” said John Cleave of shanty group Fisherman’s Friends, who came over to the islands with members of ARTiculate. “They had these flying birds, held up on bamboo sticks. It was almost as if they were really flying around. They’re similar to Chinese lanterns; the last thing 8

“We could’ve had dancing girls dancing on top of the rubbish!” suggested John.

He described the fireworks display on Holgate’s Green as “the exclamation mark at the end of the story”.

That ‘story’ was 10 days of singing, lantern making, art and storytelling on the islands.

“We worked a lot with the young people,” said Heather. “John has written a series of books called Gully’s Adventures (about a seagull) so we were able to do a cartoon strip and we learned a song. We had lots of willow and lantern making workshops.”

They were particularly impressed with how much the children knew about seabirds. “The knowledge was phenomenal,” said John.

“We were asking them what other seabirds they could think of besides seagulls, thinking they’d say something like Cormorant, which would have been a good answer. The first

answer that came out was Storm Petrel and then Manx Shearwater. It was brilliant.”

Fisherman’s Friends also treated islanders and visitors to a special evening of song in the Bishop & Wolf.

“We combined with Bone Idol to make a shanty supergroup so we called ourselves Fishbone for the night,” said John. “It was a night of song, instrumentation, poetry, storytelling, joke telling, even a reading from a book. Artists sketched the evening and we did some arrangements for Scilly Sirens.

Tony Robinson was there! He didn’t sing but he did the next night at the local folk evening - he got up and did ‘Any Old Iron’ beautifully.”

The Festival was organised and funded by the Council of the Isles of Scilly Children’s Services Department with additional financial support from the AONB Partnership’s Sustainable Development Fund and FEAST.

9

offtherecord Andrew George MP Constituency Office Trewella 18 Mennaye Road Penzance TR18 4NG 01736 360020 email: andrew.george.mp@parliament.uk

M

ost national media has focussed on the Somerset Levels, the Thames river basin and Dawlish. But many other communities have been very badly affected by the recent storms - none less than the Isles of Scilly and Penzance.

Indeed, two exceptional storms on February 4 and 14 removed thousands of tonnes of the coastline around the West Cornwall and Scilly constituency and exposed the vulnerability of the lifeline sea link between the islands and the mainland So I have called on Government Ministers and officials to come together and meet a delegation of stakeholders from the islands and the mainland. A recent Prime Minister Question gave me the opportunity to secure agreement that a delegation will meet a Minister and officials to find out what Government support might be available to give the coast around Penzance and also St Mary’s the protection it desperately needs to properly protect the lifeline service.

I know many Scillonians appreciate, as do I, the quick work by Government and Network Rail to restore the rail link at Dawlish following the recent devastation, but the rail link at Penzance was cut off for weeks and the sea link from Penzance to St Mary’s has been threatened like never before.

I have, for a long time, strongly argued in favour of an offshore breakwater for Penzance and believe that it is now vital that we advance the case for this investment to provide this important link the high level of protection that we deserve.

Of course I continue to discuss, with all stakeholders, how we could improve the resilience and capacity of the air services to the islands. I’m pleased that plans to harden the runway and to provide better drainage at Lands End have been given the go ahead and I hope that this will successfully proceed later this year. Equally, stakeholders exploring the possibility of re-establishing a helicopter service to the islands next year continue to make (albeit slow) progress. I will post you with further news on this when it’s available.

Like others I have welcomed Theo Leijser to the post of Chief Executive of the Council of the Isles of Scilly. He arrived after a difficult and challenging period for the Council and has much on his plate. The recent storms will have added to that. I know that, like me, you will wish him well. We must hope that constructive partnerships and harmonious joint working will help to make a big difference and support him in his new and challenging role.

10

offtherecord Amanda Martin Chairman of the Council of the isles of Scilly Town Hall St Mary’s Isles of Scilly TR21 0LW 01720 422400 amartin@scilly.gov.uk

O

ver the past few weeks the Chief Executive, Theo Leijser, and I have attended a series of public meetings around the islands. Our intention was twofold: to introduce the Council’s new Head of Paid Service and to hear the comments and questions of the different island communities.

Many topics - better communication and representation, waste management, budgets and improved transport links for instance - are common to all islanders.

There’s a pressing need for greater clarity regarding roles and responsibilities across the islands. It’s not enough to know who does what at present. We need to establish the full extent of our roles and in what ways we can support our communities. Thank you very much to all who were able to attend the public sessions. For those who could not attend, please do not hesitate to contact either the Chief Executive or me if there are matters you would like to raise. I hope that these public meetings will take place across the islands each autumn and spring from now on, as it is important that your Council should regularly take on board your views.

Reliable, integrated transport is a topic close to the heart of our island community.

Councillor Chris Thomas, Chairman of the Transport Committee, and Theo gave evidence at the Transport Select Committee

enquiry into Passenger Transport in Isolated Communities on March 3.

The committee heard from several island representatives. Transport for health and education was highlighted. Our Council attendees focused on the importance of resilience and integration, two crucial words in delivering a solution that enables the islands to support their residents and economy.

Over the last 18 months, the Council and its partners have worked on the issues that cause travel disruption. An infrastructure project has been developed to improve the quays at St. Mary’s and Penzance and provide greater resilience to the sea link.

A second infrastructure project has been developed to strengthen the air link. This project will encompass the hardening of the grass runways at Land’s End, resurface the runways and refurbish the terminal at St Mary’s Airport. The value of these essential infrastructure improvements is just over £25m, comprising a combination of public and private sector funding.

The Council will host a transport user forum at 13.30 on April 16 at the Town Hall, St Mary’s. This will be a public occasion to explain infrastructure improvements, but, most importantly, it will provide a further opportunity to listen to the views of islanders.

11

n 1999 one of my Isome predecessors had analysis done

of the DVLA database and established that there were 656 vehicles registered on the five inhabited islands of Scilly. I remember at the time that this seemed a lot and people spoke of there being too many cars here then.

This year, 2014, I have asked for an up-todate figure and the sum total of vehicles has pretty much doubled in 15 years to 1,253.

A car for every adult driver with an opinion on parking around Hugh Town by each one.

This spring and summer the council are looking to have some of the road surfaces relayed around St Mary’s, a much welcome initiative which will make the roads safer.

With this will come newly painted yellow (primrose actually) lines. A little known quirk of Scilly is that this is, to my knowledge, the last place in the UK in which the Police have the authority to issue tickets for primrose line offences. All other authorities have assumed this responsibility for themselves and deploy their own Parking Enforcement Officers. The upshot of this will be that me, PC Mat Crowe

and PC Faye Webb (not PCSO Shirley Graham) will be the last Police Officers to enforce parking offences in England and Wales. A dubious accolade.

The current legal orders for the existing primrose lines are year round and show no daily or seasonal bias. This can be altered if it is the will of the population but only through the Council, not at the roadside when a ticket is being issued. If reading this you feel that there should be different consideration given to the hours, days and months of enforcement please contact one of your Councillors and make the suggestion to them.

I would implore you not to leave your thoughts until the last minute. These orders will take the council time to alter so consider your needs before the lines are painted. As the enforcers of the parking restrictions we will be playing a straight bat with this one.

The upshot as it currently stands will be a clear Hugh Street 9am to 6pm seven days a week year round. Is this what you want?

Sgt Colin Taylor and medication usage reviews, but in the meantime we ask that you bear this in mind when accessing the Pharmacy and would remind you that 48 hours notice is required when processing prescriptions. A more detailed newsletter is available in the Pharmacy with further explanation of the changes.

Among the other recent changes is the opening of the new NHS 111 service.

While this service will be available to both residents and visitors alike, we would like to remind you that locally the option to phone the Health Centre (24 hours per day) will always get you directly into contact with a local clinician, and will normally provide a more rapid response to your needs.

Dr John Garman GP

Health matters e’ve seen lots of changes recently at W the Health Centre, ranging from the opening of a new Pharmacy and Optometry

Service to the retirement of one of our long standing Doctors.

We’ve tried to make these changes as seamless as possible, so that the only differences you will notice are positive ones (such as the optometry), but there may be one or two changes that have potential to cause frustration if you are unaware of them.

The most noticeable of these is as we are now a Pharmacy rather than Dispensary, we can only legally dispense or sell medication when a pharmacist is present in the building.

This restriction will, in time, be offset by the enhanced services that the Pharmacy can offer such as the new medication service 12

to the end of the quay and visitors will notice that access is only granted to those looking to board or leave Scillonian III or for tripper boat access to the end steps. Rest assured we will keep this period of restriction as short as possible but we can’t see the end of the quay being accessible during Gig weekend. It’ll be better than ever next year, though!

On top of a busy season expected ahead, the whole year has a significant program of works including major refurbishment of the main building. This will include new ticket and freight offices, a restaurant and a covered walkway. We are starting to put the wheels in motion to ensure the quay runs better than ever and disruption is kept to an absolute minimum. After years of development throughout the islands we are very aware of the potential costs not only to our visitors, but the community as a whole.

Alan Hartwell - Assistant Harbourmaster

Quay issues came in this morning to find two yachts Iyacht on the moorings, the first to use our new grid, which marks a definitive and very

obvious shift in season. Two weeks ago the quay looked completely different, full of aggregates and empty of all but the fewest of vessels. A conscientious spruce up has seen the railings, benches and building painted in just a matter of days while the works in the outer berth come together slowly.

These works are well under way. The quay surface is all but complete for the time being at least, perhaps offering a good time to explain why it may look otherwise!

The area at the very end of the quay will remain unfinished as this will be used to tie in the proposed caisson extension, a project which we should have the final word on in the next day or two. The Herras fencing in the walkway marks the area where a new wave wall will be built, a development that whilst not brought on by the storms, has indeed been pushed forward as a result. Both these ventures contribute to restrict public access

hat can I say that W hasn’t already been mentioned about

Fire away

the last couple of months? Some of the wildest weather we have experienced for quite a while.

I’m sure you’ll join me in thanking all those involved in the various incidents, from the Council’s Labour Force to the tree surgeons who helped to keep the roads clear and also the Coastguards who helped the fire crews in challenging conditions at Porthcressa. Well done to all.

Congratulations go out to the newly appointed Crew Manager, Rob Carrier, who has been promoted following Eldred Banfield’s departure. Rob has been with us for seven and a half years and is a valuable member of both the islands’ fire service and the airport fire and rescue team.

His first mission was to host a visit to the fire station on March 4 by the islands’ early years children and parents, who spent an

hour and a half climbing over the fire engines, dressing in our uniforms and spraying anyone close by with water before leaving armed with colouring books and stickers.

Other visitors to our station on St Mary’s were the Council’s Chief Executive Theo Leijser and Craig Dryden, who watched the crew carry out an exercise using core skills of hose and ladder work and then, with the help of Crew Manager John Williams, donned breathing apparatus and entered a smoke filled building equipped with a thermal imaging camera to observe a crew carrying out a search for casualties lost in zero visibility. I should like to thank them for taking the time to come and see us.

I’m in danger of filling this entire issue so will stop now, but keep your eyes peeled for our fundraising car wash coming to the Strand very soon.

Declan Ridsdale, Station Manager 13

In My Humble Opinion with Cllr Gordon Bilsborough

F

SAFEGUARDING OUR DEMOCRACY

ollowing last year’s dire forecast by the Council’s Head of Finance, it was a relief to learn that this year’s and the coming year’s budgets have been balanced.

However, there is an ominous warning that the 2015/16 and following budgets will require further trimming in order to avoid unacceptable overspends.

The new Chief Executive is well aware of this problem and is working closely with all concerned to improve the overall efficiency of the Council while at the same time ensuring the delivery of essential services. During the next few months Council Members will be making difficult and perhaps contentious decisions on a wide range of activities (and will bear the responsibility should they get them wrong).

Although at the time of writing, no details have been given, there is one possible issue where I must nail my colours to the mast.

Decisions by most mainland councils are made by a small cabinet. This means a majority of Members play little part in policy matters. Those who advocate the cabinet system believe it is more “efficient” than the democratic structure whereby all Councillors can debate and vote at the committees of which they are members. Fortunately, our own Council has retained the committee system.

Should changes be made to our present structure, it is vital that the elected Members’ present powers of decision-making are not diluted in an attempt to reduce administration costs. I have made it abundantly clear that I would find this totally unacceptable.

A despotic Politburo is not on my agenda!

PREPARE FOR THY DOOM Sea levels are inexorably rising. Some lowlying areas of our islands will be uninhabitable within the lifetime of many people here today.

Hence, long-term plans must be made not only to deal with this problem; they should be implemented before the sea starts to inundate threatened inhabited areas. There is little point in building higher and higher sea walls which will be breached eventually. We should not permit any more development in threatened areas.

One solution would be to develop sites on higher ground to accommodate those who will be displaced by flooding. The areas which will be flooded permanently include substantial parts of Hugh Town and Old Town. The Harbour will become unusable.

Some may interpret this as typical Doom and Gloom scare-mongering. In fact, it has been said many times before. It is worth noting that some islands in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean are preparing to evacuate people due to the rising sea levels.

In 2009, the Council’s Chief Planning Officer described the Isles of Scilly as “the Maldives of the Atlantic.” It is easy to bury one’s head in the sand. It may be more difficult to explain to future victims of flooding here why adequate precautions were not taken. Try asking people living on the Somerset Levels.

14

T

TRANSPARENCY DOWN THE LOO

“How about Chief Community Public Relations Media Propaganda Officer?”

“Spin Doctor would be more appropriate.”

“I disagree. A flamboyant pretentious title would carry far more weight with the great unwashed out there.”

“I’m sure the electors would be flattered by your description of them.”

“Some Members air their personal views on agreed Council policies. We must have a more disciplined approach so that we appear to be united, even if we are not.

Don’t you agree?”

“No. It sounds as though you are trying to flush Transparency down the loo.”

Note: This information is strictly classified.

Cllr Gordon Bilsborough

ranscript leaked from a top secret meeting: “The public are misinterpreting reports we issue on Council policies.”

“You’re saying they don’t believe us?”

“I think it’s simply a matter of using the appropriate techniques of presentation.”

“You mean the truth can be embarrassing?”

“No; I’m merely suggesting there are times when we should be cautiously selective with the facts we release. We need to employ somebody experienced at dealing with the media.”

“I agree. What about a title for this post?”

Chaplain’s news especially acknowledge grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Allchurches Trust. The appeal has been well supported by visitors under the encouragement of Eve Cooper and we would like to thank Mr Robert Dorrien Smith for his generous support and helpful guidance. We still need to raise £15,000 and we are confident that over the summer that we will reach our target.

We would like to congratulate Elizabeth Legg on being awarded the Cross of St Piran by the Bishop of Truro. The award was made in recognition of Elizabeth’s long and loyal service to the Parish of the Isles of Scilly and is richly deserved. She received her cross at a special service in Cornwall in March and we shall arrange a local occasion of presentation, hopefully during the Parish Church Flower Festival in June.

So now the summer beckons... we say au revoir to Penny Prince, our Assistant Chaplain, who returns to the mainland at the end of April but will return in September and we look forward to welcoming our many locums who will come to support me on Tresco, Bryher and St Martins from April to Canon Paul Miller September.

T

he winter storms challenged us to do church differently on the off islands. It seemed that most Sundays it was impossible to reach them so we had to think of how we might meet that situation. What emerged has in fact been a growth point and so next year we shall adapt to the winter conditions and develop our pattern from this year. What worked really well was for us to go over midweek, spend time visiting, meet up with people in the evening in the relaxed setting of a home and then stay on overnight. Doing church differently proved very effective!

We are delighted to learn that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the major renovation and repair to St Nicholas Church, Tresco. The work will commence in the autumn and hopefully be completed

by Easter 2015. We are very grateful to the many people who have supported the appeal of £240,000 and we would like to 15

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A

ndrews Sisters-style vocal trio The Three Belles are to perform in the Town Hall on Sunday, June 1 for the 1940s ‘Keep Smiling Through’ event.

The group have previously performed in France for D-Day landing commemorations, as well as appearing on the Alan Titchmarsh Show, at the Royal Albert Hall and elsewhere.

They will be performing with their band The Bevin Boys at the dance in the evening, as well as during the afternoon.

The event - organised in conjunction with the Memory Cafe - is to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, but also the lighter side of the 1940s.

‘Keep Smiling Through’ kicks off at 1.30pm to 5.30pm on June 1 with refreshments provided by the Inner Circle as well as entertainment from St Mary’s Theatre Club, Scilly Sirens, Lesley Thomas’s dance school, The Entertainers and the Sunset Syncopators (Chris Garratt and co) and more. Tickets £6 for adults, £4 for under 16s. A tea party for older residents follows the afternoon performance.

Get ‘IN THE MOOD’ from 7.30pm to 11pm, when you can listen to great music and dance till you drop with The Three Belles & The Bevin Boys and the Sunset Syncopators.

Licenced bar run by The Rotary. Tickets £13, no unaccompanied children. Groups of 10 or more £1 off each ticket. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in the style of the era, while hairdressers will be on hand to give you an authentic ‘40s look.

We will be organising fundraising activities in the run-up to the event, so do give what you can to make this a special occasion for locals and visitors.

So join us for a day of fun and new memories on June 1. nb Patricia Hammond was forced to pull out due to a prior arrangement but says she is determined to visit the islands as soon as she can.

17

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from the archives

Professor Wyn Grant heads to the National Archives at Kew to investigate Scilly’s past

Repairing Storm Damage

O

n March 6 to 7, 1962 there was a prolonged and strong south-easterly storm which did exceptional damage to the Isles of Scilly. It was noted that the coast protection works could only be attacked by a south easterly tide and only then if the gale is sufficiently long to produce a ‘blown up’ tide. The Meteorological Office had a record of a much more severe storm from the same direction on 10-11 February 1936 when no damage was done to the coast protection works on the islands. The difference between the effects of the two storms was probably accounted for by the difference in tide heights. It is understood that during the 1936 storm the high tide at Plymouth was 14 to 14-and-a-half feet and during the 1962 storm 18 to 18-and-a-half feet.

At Hugh Town the foot of an earth bank rising above the back of the beach was pushed back at its eastern end. At the western end of the beach, a length of concrete sea wall was overturned. At Old Town bay, the dry stone wall supporting the road above the back of the beach had been washed away and to the west of the road, the wall was breached and shattered in several places.

The engineer sent by the Government noted that at Hugh Town, houses were built on a sandbar ‘which was completely exposed to the south-east when the houses

were built on it... it does look as if in times past the islanders had no fear of storms from the southeast’.

Points made during his visit by the council were ‘the need to protect Old Town, of which about a third might be swept away if there were a complete failure of the defences which had been damaged; the small financial resources of the council; the absence of construction machinery, labour and building materials other than stone.’

The works took a long time to complete, with the contractors finally getting under way in January 1966. Complications arose with the Old Town part of the scheme because a layer of clay was lower than had been thought. The Cost of repair was originally estimated at £20,500, plus £1,311 temporary emergency work. A grant of £16,500 was authorised in October 1962. The final cost came to £29,739 and the grant was increased to £22,000.

Wyn Grant is part-time professor of politics at the University of Warwick.

19

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Order as late as midnight and it will be on the boat at 7:00 am

Dungeon Dave’s Quiz 1) Who was the lead singer of Nirvana?

2) In what year did King Henry VIII die?

3) Who wrote the novel The Riddle of the Sands?

4) In which ocean would you find The Maldives?

5) Which acid is used to make vinegar?

6) What is the capital city of Libya?

7) Which football team is the nicknamed The Cherries?

8) In which country is the town of Fray Bentos?

9) Which river runs through the centre of Bratislava?

10) Which actress plays Clara Oswald in Doctor Who? 11) What is the chemical symbol for Platinum?

12) In which year did the war between the Isles of Scilly and the Netherlands officially end?

ANSWERS ON PAGE 49 Do you enjoy a quiz? Come along to the Atlantic Inn at 8.30pm on Wednesdays, where Scilly Now & Then co-editor Beth Hilton will test your knowledge! There is also a quiz at 8.30pm on Sundays at the Scillonian Club.

HAVE SCILLY NOW & THEN DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR We hope you enjoyed your copy of Scilly Now & Then. Help us to help you or a loved one keep abreast of events on the islands from the mainland with a full year’s subscription that’s eight issues - for a minimum donation of £15. For overseas readers please contact us for a quote.

Please make cheques payable to Scilly Now & Then.

WRITE TO US AT: SCILLY NOW & THEN PO BOX 8, ISLES OF SCILLY TR21 0WY For details of how to pay by BACS, contact us at subscribe@scillynowandthen.co.uk.

The statements and opinions expressed in Scilly Now & Then do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.

21

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A Walk on the WILD SIDE

Moorhen

D

Will Wagstaff gives us the lowdown on what to look out for on an island walk

uring the winter months Moorhens can be found on many of the pools and inland wet areas of Scilly. A low call is often the first sign that there is one nearby as they can be rather wary and very quick to hide.

And yet on some ponds, such as Porthloo Duck Pond, they will tolerate quite close approach - something to do with all the duck food maybe!

They are competent swimmers even though they do not have webbed feet. The large lobes on each “toe” work very well as they swim across a stretch of open water, their distinctive head bobbing action identifying them at any distance. It is thought that these lobes enable them to walk in areas of broken reeds without the danger of breaking any webs if they had webbed feet.

This lobed foot feature is shared with Coots and many other species belonging to the Rail family.

When alarmed they fly low over the water using their feet to help propel them with a great deal of splashing towards the nearest cover. This apparent lack of flying ability is misleading, as they are long-range migrants

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with many more wintering on Scilly than staying to breed on the islands. Between late August and early April they can be seen on wet meadows and other boggy areas, as well as on the larger pools.

The dark sooty black plumage, red facial shield and yellow tipped bill are distinctive and when out of the water the yellow legs with a red “garter” at the top make identification even easier. Younger birds are a dull brown colour and lack the red shield.

Moorhen are unusual in that the young from earlier broods will help their parents raise subsequent offspring. The nest is built on the ground in dense vegetation and contains up to eight eggs in the first brood with less in the second. The black fluffy youngsters with their bright red topknots are rather idiosyncratic looking birds, looking very different to their parents. The adults are very territorial with much display of their white undertail coverts the forerunner to trying to avoid a full blown squabble where they lay back on the water fighting with those big feet. www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk

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24

Maritime Scilly

by Richard Larn OBE

Rev. ‘Bosun’ George Charles Smith oatswain Smith is not B a name remembered on Scilly, but long before

Mr Jeffery of Tresco and Mr Trewhella of St Mary’s. Next day they all visited Tresco, where they called at every house, and were appalled at the deprivation and living conditions. One typical family of five had been months without potatoes and frequently no bread, living on limpets, forced to sell everything to prevent the children starving. It was a similar story on all the other islands except St Mary’s, the problem being that no work was available, and hence no means of making any money, the historic activities of smuggling, the kelp industry and the quarantine station having either ceased or else were in terminal decline. Farming had virtually stopped, the necessary seed corn and potatoes having long been eaten.

On his return to Penzance, Bosun Smith started a charitable organisation called The Isles of Scilly Industrious Society, its chief patron being the Prince of Wales. The organisation set about collecting money through Baptist congregations from as far afield as Sheffield, Smith recognising that employment was the key to solving the off-islands’ problems. The money raised was used to start a fishing industry, boats were purchased along with nets, rope, sails etc, and sent to Scilly, and boat sheds were built on every off-island in which to house them in the winter. Experienced fishermen were sent from Cornwall to teach the men how to set the gear, mend nets and make the most of this opportunity, whilst women from London came down to teach straw hat making, knitting, plaiting and other skills in an attempt to create a new export industry for the wives and children.

Unfortunately, Smith’s efforts were wasted; the men never took to fishing as a livelihood and within ten years, the boats and nets having been neglected, the off-islands were back where they started. Had Augustus Smith not arrived in 1834, the off-islands could well have been abandoned.

Bosun Smith wrote some 80 religious publications, lecturing in the USA aged 80, yet died in poverty suffering from dropsy at Jordan House, Penzance, on January 10, 1863. 2,000 people, the coastguard and naval reserve attended his funeral.

Augustus Smith settled here, he was prominent in bringing the dreadful state of our off-islands to the attention of the British public, raised funds to make improvements here, and was in fact one of Scilly’s many unsung heroes.

Born in Leicester Square, London, in March 1782, he left school at the age of 12 apprenticed to a bookseller in Tooley Street, but after two years his widowed mother had him apprenticed to an American sea captain.

In 1796 aged 14, he was press ganged into the Royal Navy in the West Indies. He served one year as a seaman, then an influential friend recommended him for promotion to midshipman on board HMS Agamemnon, a 3rd rate man o’war, later wrecked in the River Plate in 1809, Smith having served first under Admiral Duncan, then Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. He had two brothers in the navy; one was shipwrecked then had his leg shot off in battle, the other taken prisoner by the French.

Why Bosun Smith left the navy in 1803 is uncertain, possibly associated with the fact he caught yellow fever. He accepted religion as his future having been converted at a Baptist chapel in Reading, going on to study religion at Devonport, preaching extensively to sailors and fishermen. After ordination, his first posting was as a Minister to Penzance, then in 1807 he was chosen as pastor of the Octagon chapel in the town where he served until 1825, and again from 1843 to 1863. Between 1812 and 1816 he built six chapels in the Penwith district, educating men to run them.

It was in 1818 that the Isles of Scilly came to his attention, when he heard of starvation and real hardship on all five off-islands. In June that year Bosun Smith, accompanied by a Mr Stevens of the Society of Friends, took the Lord Howe packet to St. Mary’s, where they met with Mr S Tregarthen, Captain J Tregarthen,

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SUPERB FOOD, SUPERB SEA VIEWS

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We look forward to welcoming you soon.

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26

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN

by Linda Maddock

C

Camellia

gardener James Gordon later introduced camellias to the horticultural trade.

The genus includes over 200 species, of which the most important commercially is Camellia sinensis, from whose leaves we obtain tea. Tea oil is a sweet seasoning and cooking oil made by pressing the seeds of C. oleifera, C. japonica, and some other species. In East Asia it is the most important cooking oil for hundreds of millions of people, particularly in southern China. Camellia oil is also commonly used to clean and protect the blades of cutting implements.

The name Camellia was introduced by Linnaeus to honour the Jesuit botanist and missionary, Georg Joseph Kamel, who worked in the Philippines. The familial name, Theaceae, derives from ‘tea’; the drink is known in many languages by names similar to ‘tea’ or ‘char’. The latter was the name used when tea was introduced to England in the 16th century, and is still common in a colloquial sense. The specific name sinensis means ‘from China’, japonica, ‘from Japan’, and oleifera, ‘oil-bearing’.

amellias are striking shrubs, the clear, bright colours of the large flowers contrasting with the dark-green, glossy leaves. They do well in the mild climate and acid soils of Scilly, and can grow up to 60 feet tall. They prefer some shelter and light shade as the flowers can be damaged by frost, but this is rarely a problem here, and they seem to be very resistant to salt winds. Different varieties bear flowers of white, pink, red or yellow between about December and May. Camellias belong to the family Theaceae and originate in woodland areas of Asia, from the Himalayas to Japan and Indonesia. The numerous ornamental varieties are mainly cultivars of Camellia japonica, C. oleifera and C. sasanqua and their hybrids.

Camellias were cultivated in the gardens of China and Japan for centuries before they were imported to Europe, and were probably first seen here on painted Chinese wallpaper. The first living camellias in England were a single red and single white, grown in 1739 by Robert James Lord Petre, in his garden at Thorndon Hall, Essex; his

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Waste not, want not (and good riddance)...

Waste Project Manager Nigel Cronin talks rubbish!

M

ost, if not, all islanders have gradually got used to the sight of the Moorwell Alp that has blighted views around Moorwell Lane for years. The Alp has been the result of a rather unsustainable attitude to dealing with our waste over recent years and the fact that the existing ageing incinerator has struggled to keep up with the ever increasing volume and complexity of waste that we generate.

Add to this the huge number of mattresses, beds, fridges and domestic appliances we throw away on a regular basis and we were clearly heading in the wrong direction.

Given this position, after a couple of years of discussion between the Council, Defra, the Environment Agency and a range of on-island stakeholders, the Council bit the bullet and decided that enough was enough. Something had to happen.

In late 2013, the Council went to the market to find a solution to some of the more difficult and older waste materials, much of it being the black bag waste we have been chucking into the site for the last decade which now had reached a staggering pile.

Following a formal contract process, it was decided to award the contract to a local firm, United Environmental Services, a consortium of Blackwell Construction, Richard Hand Haulage and Teignmouth Marine Services. The two former companies will be well known to many islanders and they brought awareness and skills that reflected an understanding of how things work on the island - and what not to do!

Their solution showed that islanders can make a massive contribution to In 2012 a total of 13.1 million dealing with our own problems and with tonnes of municipal waste was some planning and some innovation, their recycled or composted in the system was based on using traditional UK, representing an increase of ‘dumpy bags’ that made sure the risk 27.3% since 2002. of waste blowing down the lanes was avoided as well as allowing the waste to be removed in larger sea going ships.

DID YOU KNOW? We generate around half a tonne of waste per year for every person in the UK.

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Unfortunately, the early work was delayed due to the atrocious typical Scillies weather we experienced in the early months so waste didn’t start to move until mid February - increasing the pressure on the deadline of March 31 that had been agreed so that we didn’t risk any downsides to our important tourist season.

The contractor used the Burhou for transporting the bags which became a regular sight at St Marys for several weeks and once at Plymouth, these were then unloaded into lorries and taken to a licensed landfill for final disposal.

The final tally?

Given the fact that the contract went so well, the Council managed to get rid of a staggering 3,500 tonnes of waste during the six weeks available and all within the agreed contract. That’s in excess of what we generate across all the islands in a single year.

All of that left the island without a single complaint directly related to the removal of waste from Moorwell and therefore achieved a key goal of the Council under the contract. That clearly leaves a lot of material still on the site and the next phase of work at Moorwell will seek to ensure that any materials that can be retained on site will do so - avoiding the need to export any materials that can’t be re-used as part of the final redevelopment of the Moorwell site. Watch this space...

DID YOU KNOW? We produce enough waste in the UK to fill the Millennium Stadium twice a day every day of the year.

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Sylina

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5 minutes with.....

Sir Tony Robinson We like to grab any passing dignitaries for a chat here at Scilly Now & Then. Sir Tony Robinson, star of Time Team and Blackadder, recently stayed on St Mary’s with his wife Louise and dog Winnie. The moment we spied him in the Town Hall we had a cunning plan - to ask for a quick interview. It turned out to be very quick but it was still a pleasure. Here’s what he had to say...

Tony in Time Team

I

I drove to Newquay to get here. I’d much rather have flown from London City or Gatwick. It seems odd that a service like that isn’t available.

But it couldn’t have been better. We’ve had the sunshine, the rain and the drama of the gale but none of this has inhibited us from getting about. Having said that, we’ve not left St Mary’s - partly because of the choppy seas but also because we were quite happy doing what we were doing. And we’ve got a lovely cottage on the Garrison.

The highlight of the week was the music night in the Bishop & Wolf [with Fisherman’s Friends] - it was Tony and wife Louise absolutely terrific.

‘ve filmed here two or three times before but whenever you do that you just jump off the plane and go to your hotel, start filming and jump back on the plane again so I’ve really never had the time to explore the Scillies at all.

We decided to come because I’m just about to go off to Australia for three months on a very gruelling schedule making a series of documentaries about the impact of the First World War on Australia and New Zealand and I’ve just finished doing a show in the West End. So my wife and I thought it would be really nice to go somewhere very quiet and pretty deserted at this time of year and just walk the dog for a week and we decided the Scillies would be the perfect place.

The quality of the singing and playing was astonishing, the spirit was great and it was great to see a Scilly pub rammed full in February.

Everyone was Tony in Blackadder very friendly.

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THE ATLANTIC INN & HOTEL Situated in the heart of St Mary’s, overlooking the harbour, The Atlantic is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the stunning scenery Scilly.

Please drop in the Inn for a meal or join us for a chat over a pint of Tribute or stay in our 25 bedroom hotel where our Tides Reach Restaurant backs onto the water’s edge and many of our bedrooms provide uninterrupted views of the bustling harbour and spectacular coastline.

Food is served daily and a children’s menu and high chairs are also available. Bookings are advisable for large parties.

And do take part in our weekly quiz, currently every Wednesday evening at 8.30pm but moving soon to Thursdays - with your host, Scilly Now & Then co-editor Beth Hilton!

01720 422417

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From Scilly...With Love Pinks or Narcissi according to season Delivery to any UK address by 1st class post

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Shipwrecks of Scilly

by Todd Stevens

Wreck of the Queen Charlotte 1815 Exeter Flying Post: Thursday 16th Feb 1815.

sufferers from their perilous situation, but the sea running mountains high, the attempt was attended with the utmost hazard. The first boat that approached the rock was that belonging to Mr Tregarthen, owner of the Scilly Packet; the boat was immediately upset and of six persons who were on board, four were saved by the other boats, one was picked up dead, and the other has not yet been found. The poor fellow who was taken up dead was but a few months returned from France, where he had been a prisoner for eleven years; he has left a wife and seven children.

The other man who perished was named Charles Jackson, of Penryn; he was but a short time married. The benumbed and almost despairing individuals on the rock, who were spectators of this shocking scene, were at last got off by the other boats, the men on board of which displayed the most undaunted perseverance in their endeavours to rescue these strangers from their fearful situation.

A considerable part of the cargo belonging to the Queen Charlotte floated on shore on the island of Bryher, which, according to custom, was seized by the inhabitants as lawful spoil; much, however, has been recovered by searching their homes.

O

n the night of Friday the 27th ult. the brig, Queen Charlotte, William Reysid, Master, bound from Greenock to Kingston, Jamaica, with a general cargo for the west India market, was driven on the rocks near the Scilly Islands, and almost immediately went to pieces. The master and eleven seamen, who composed the crew, with three out of six passengers, got upon one of the rocks which was elevated above the rest; the other three passengers were unfortunately drowned. In this dreadful situation, without food, and exposed to the inclemency of the weather; these fifteen persons remained from the time of the accident on Friday night, until Sunday, during which time there was no possibility of approaching them from the shore.

On Sunday morning, several boats put off for the purpose of relieving the

33

34

What’s new this season?

We round up some of the changes in the food and drink sector The Atlantic Inn and Atlantic Hotel have been rejoined into one premises. The old hotel bar is now a quiet lounge, while the pub restaurant remains a restaurant but also has a coffee shop feel. It has had a full revamp and is managed

by Neil Moorton.

The Mermaid Inn has been taken over by James Francis from Star Castle Hotel and Nick George from the mainland. The main bar is now open while either the restaurant or Slip Inn will be open for food around Easter. Food will be available in the main bar before that.

The Sevenstones Inn on St Martins is now run by Dominic and Emily Crees from Sussex and will hopefully be open for the season around Easter. The pub has been closed since July 2012. They intend to open the inn year-round, with special events and Sunday roasts.

The Galley Restaurant on St Mary’s has been taken over by Russell Hutchins, who worked as chef there for ten years, and his wife Emma, co-owner of Blonde Hair & Beauty on Church Street. They open on April 17. The restaurant has been given a revamp and the new owners say that everything will be as locally sourced as possible. “We’ll be serving reasonably priced, good food,” says Emma.

The Deli in Hugh Town has become The Farm Deli and after undergoing a full refit, will be a comfortable and friendly venue to relax and enjoy coffee, cakes and freshly prepared food.

Mindful of the environment, food miles, minimising unnecessary packaging and supporting the local economy, the retail side will focus heavily on Cornish and scillonian produce including cheeses, meats, breads, preserves, fruit and veg and more.

There will also be a sandwich bar where customers can create their own sandwiches, as well as exotic treats from further afield.

35

Your voice in health and social care Healthwatch Isles of Scilly asks people about their views and experiences of health and care, and works with services towards improvement where necessary. We can also help people to find information and advice.

Healthwatch Isles of Scilly is an independent voluntary organisation led by people in our community, for the benefit of our community. Anyone can join; members will receive regular news and information and can get more involved if and when they want to.

Anyone can register their comments, in confidence, to help us build a picture of how health and care services perform.

We go the extra mile to make sure that your views count.

Healthwatch Office, Thorofare, St Marys 01720 423037 contact@healthwatchislesofscilly.co.uk

www.healthwatchislesofscilly.co.uk Thank goodness the winter storms are behind us and we can hope that everything runs smoothly again.

We have contributed to the ongoing work on travel and transport by reporting your experiences of medical travel and providing evidence of the literal patient journey and what it entails.

Our work is not all about medical travel.

We have been discussing children’s services, maternity services, mental health support, elder care and cancer care, with the people who plan and provide health and care services.

We are also contributing to a wide reaching review which is considering how health and care can be delivered on the islands in a more joined-up way.

Everything we do starts with what you tell us, so please get in touch with your comments and observations.

You can phone or call in to the office, email, or leave a comment via the ‘talk to us’ form on our website.

You can read what people have told us about in discussion workshops and Surveys in the reports section on the website, too. Or catch up on developments by browsing newsletters and bulletins.

All are also available from the office, or sign up to have newsletters delivered straight to your inbox or letterbox.

36

That’s all folks!

T

The Scillonian Entertainers say goodbye after 60 years

he Scillonian entertainers took their final bow in March after 60 years .

The variety group finished their last run of shows in summer 2012 but continued to perform at the annual Old People’s Party.

However, this year’s event - which had around 70 attendees - was the last time they will officially get together.

“Unfortunately we just haven’t got the people on stage now,” said veteran performer Betty Silvester, 89. “We did some songs, I did a tap dace for my sins, and we had the orchestra.

That makes a lot of difference.”

Betty, who also played piano for Theatre club pantomimes for 32 years, said that the group’s farewell performance was “really sad”.

Longstanding Entertainers including David and Hilary Corners, June and Philip Lethbridge, Jean Gilmour, Gordon Abbott, Maggie Perkovic, Jacky Pritchard, Maureen Burrow, Tony Dingley and Brian Lowen took part in the show. Betty also gave a shout-out to Judi Williams and Dorothy Oxford for making “all of our costumes over the years”.

“It was sad but people enjoyed it,” she said. “We always sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ at the end.”

Despite the demise of The Entertainers, Betty is hopeful for the future of Scilly’s performing arts. “The young people at the school are doing lots of things now, which is good. I love to encourage the youngsters. It gives them a lot of confidence when they do things like that.

Variety shows have gone out of fashion everywhere but people still like a good old singsong.

I suppose I could take the piano down to the park!”

She added: “I said at the end after 60 years it was really sad but everything comes to an end. It’s been good, a good 60 years.”

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AURIGA

Children’s Services on the Isles of Scilly

Holiday Apartment

The Council of the Isles of Scilly Children’s Services Team offer a wide range of opportunities for local and visiting families

01720 422637

Advice and guidance is available if your require information relating to keeping children safe, childcare, holiday activities or specialist support services

aurigascilly@aol.com

We have an extensive toy library that offers the hire of toys games and equipment for children of all ages. If you’re here on holiday please contact us to see what we can offer

Auriga is a 3 bedroom apartment run by Scillonians and sleeping up to 8 people (+ baby with travel cot). Ideally situated a stone’s throw from Porthcressa’s sandy beach and only a 5 minute walk to the shops, pubs and harbour.

Other services include;     

The 3 bedrooms (1 family room, 1 double room and 1 twin room) are all en-suite. The fully equipped modern kitchen, lounge and dining room are on the top floor and have extensive views across the bay from Morning Point to Peninnis Head.

     

Parent and Toddler Sessions Structured children’s centre activities Holiday activities Support for young people including Youth Hub Links to Job Centre Plus and Citizens Advice Specialist Family Support Work from trained and experienced professionals Support for children/young people with disabilities or additional needs Advice on Fostering or Adoption Post 16 transition to the mainland

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or sign up to receive our regular emails.

For further information please contact Children’s Services on (01720) 423680 or email childrensevices@scilly.gov.uk

Tariff includes all electric, bed linen, towels and beach towels.

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38

Goodbye Dungeon Dave ©Chris Hall

D

ungeon Dave Huddy has pulled his last pint on the islands after 24 years at the Star Castle’s Dungeon Bar. Dave, originally from Bootle near Liverpool, arrived on Scilly in 1986 and spent his first four years at the Bell Rock Hotel before taking a job with John and Mary Nicholls.

However, his long tenure at the hotel has now come to an end. He left St Mary’s on the first Scillonian of the season and accepted a job at Dartmouth’s Britannia Royal Naval College the same week.

“27 years is long enough to live on the islands,” he told us when we spoke to him just before his ship sailed. “I don’t mean that in a derogatory way but I’ve been here long enough. It’s time to move on. As much as I enjoyed everything, nothing lasts forever.”

Dartmouth is one of his favourite places in the world. His family are from the area and he has spent many a winter there.

“I’d like to stay there all the year round,” he explained. “It’s a very picturesque town, especially in summer. It’s about time I experienced some summer evenings.”

But he insists that he won’t be a stranger. “I will visit, I have too many friends here not to. I hope I see some of them on the mainland. I’ve met loads of nice people through the hotel, a lot of whom became friends. I knew some of them as children and now they come with their own children.”

39

Dave will be particularly missed by visitors to the Star Castle. He knew an incredible amount about sport and was always ready with a quiz question. And it’s the people he’ll miss most.

The islands are beautiful, yes, but he’s done every walk a hundred times. He’ll remember the good times too, the nights out and evening trips to St Agnes. But mostly the people.

“I’ve had a lot of fun here. There are lots of people here who have been good to me over the years. John and Barbara Dalton at the Bell Rock, John and Mary Nicholls and the Francis family at the Castle. I hope I’ve done my bit for people I’ve worked for. All the staff at the Castle, Sabine at the Country Guest House...

“If there’s anyone I haven’t mentioned I apologise; no-one’s been deliberately left out. Visitors-wise, there’s John Turner, Dottie North, Gloria King, Pauline Newell, Ian and Helen Monk... I could go on. There isn’t enough space in the magazine to name them all.”

He met a new person in his last ten minutes at the Star Castle, as he was preparing to leave. He interrupted manager Zoe Parry on the ramparts talking to former Blue Peter presenter Valerie Singleton, who had just arrived. They ended up having a chat about the ghosts at the Star Castle.

After that it was just an hour or two before he said goodbye to the islands. He was sad to leave, but ready for a new life. We wish him all the luck in the world.

The Isles of Scilly Beach

by Chelsea Bassett

Year 6 children from Constantine Primary School in Cornwall visited the Isles of Scilly last year and wrote about their island experiences in class. Among those was this poem by Chelsea Bassett.

Crashing against the rocks, The sapphire sea glimmers in the scorching sunlight Seagulls break the peaceful silence, With their ear-splitting screeches.

In the distance, Echoes of children laughing travel through the air.

Soon shadows appear on the luxurious sandy beach, With smiles on their faces.

After running and playing in the blazing burning heat, The children start to adventure onto the rocks.

The children’s heads were fixed into a downwards position.

Suddenly the figures bolted towards the exit of the beach, With their teachers close behind.

Finally the relaxing silence had returned, And peace filled the air once more.

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Bygone Gaze

The necessary parts, including a fibre glass cylinder over 30ft long, arrived on the islands at the end of March but the engineers were immediately confronted with a force 9 gale and prolonged rain.

Many islanders have found their television reception unsatisfactory since the relay mast was seriously damaged by hurricane force gusts in January 1979. (1980)

51 years ago One of the first things that strikes visitors to the Isles of Scilly is the awareness of being surrounded by the sea. One is acutely conscious of the fact that the mainland is some 40 or so miles away.

However, an incident occurred on St Mary’s that leads one to believe that there are some people who are not aware of this state of affairs.

A holidaymaker who had come ashore at St Mary’s from a paddle-steamer which was on a visit to the islands “missed the boat”.

He arrived on the quay as the vessel was steaming out of the islands. This presented no problem to him, however.

Round the corner from the quay was a guest house advertising a taxi service. The taximan’s wife, after assuring the marooned holidaymaker that it was possible to hire a taxi, was slightly taken aback at his request for a taxi to Penzance. (1963)

34 years ago The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company’s summer season started with a force 9 southwesterly gale and the first day excursionists of the year had very rough crossings on march 28. (1980)

33 years ago Regular visitors to Scilly might be forgiven for asking: “Recession? What recession?” for since the beginning of the year half a dozen new businesses have opened on St Mary’s [including] Porthcressa Beach Cafe, Pier House, Chalet Valet, R Douglas (Chemists). (From The Cornishman, 1981)

19 years ago

39 years ago

A tractor and trailer vehicle could next year be joining the fleet of round-island tour vehicles on St Mary’s - but it will not be allowed into Hugh Town.

The islands’ council’s GP committee in April recommended that the town should be a ‘no go’ zone for Glynne Lucas’s 30ft long, 24-seater articulated combination. It was suggested by the committee that he should start and finish his operation at Holgate’s Green.

In a letter to the committee, Mr Lucas, who currently runs Island Rover tours, explained that the 18ft by 7ft low-loading bale trailer would be fitted with air or vacuum brakes which would be operated by the tractor foot brake. (1995)

At their meeting on April 29, the planning committee of the IOS council rejected a plan for a proposed erection of a leisure centre in Hugh Town on the grounds of over site development, a possible outside noise factor late at night and that such a development was contrary to the general policy of the council.

Plans submitted for a leisure centre included a dance hall, cinema, possible restaurant facilities and an outdoor area with seats... But members decided that the building and use of such a centre would be an intrusion into a quiet residential area and planning permission was refused. (1975)

34 years ago

All excerpts are taken from “The Scillonian”, the islands’ longest-running publication.

Current edition available at the St. Mary’s Paper Shop.

Work has started early this year on permanently repairing the IOS radio and television relay station on St Mary’s, which was badly damaged in gales 18 months ago.

41

A

GLANDORE GALLERY

scale ship models from shapeways

Friendly beachside studio and shop offering a wide range of original works by Stephen Morris.

Fine art prints, greetings cards and postcards available.

Open Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm

Sterling Silver Scale Model

Scillonian III

Free local deliveries and worldwide mail order service

1:1200 scale (length ~2½”) Individually cast in silver with personalised options Plastic models also available

01720 422535 Porthloo, St. Mary’s Isles of Scilly, TR21 0NE gallery@glandore.co.uk

http://shpws.me/nMSJ

www.glandoregallery.co.uk

ScillonianModels@hotmail.com

Flowers by Post

Farm Shop

Scented Pinks (April - September) Multi-headed Narcissi (November-March)

We sell a range of cut flowers, homegrown fruit & vegetables and garden plants.

30 Stems only £12 60 Stems only £17

All items delivered free of charge on St Mary’s.

Open Daily 08:00 - 17:00

Sent 1st class Monday - Thursday

Paul Whittaker Trenoweth Flowers Trenoweth St Mary’s TR21 0NS

Bouquets available to order for any occasion.

Visit our shop or call 01720 422683 42

THE NIGHT SKY with Steve Sims

S

adly spring is here and miserably the days are longer than the nights and will be for months and months to come. But never mind, because this year spring and summer are a lot more fecund for planets than last year. Let’s start with May 1 and work backwards.

At 8.30pm on May 1, Mercury is setting on the sunset horizon but becomes more visible as we move further into May and on until early June. While Saturn is rising in Libra in the south-east, Mars is almost due south in Virgo. Jupiter, still in Gemini, is about an hour from setting in the west.

Right between Jupiter and Mercury, to put the icing on the cake, is the sliver of a very new moon but you’ll have to get up very early to catch Venus in the dawn twilight.

Venus rises at 5am as Saturn (the rest of the planets disappeared hours ago) is about to set. Then, before you know it, the accursed sun is back at around 6am.

Moving back to April, it’s much the same but shunted slightly to the east, though Mercury will be too close to the sun to see.

Just after Easter we have the Lyrids Meteor Shower, which peaks on April 23 in the north-east, but the second quarter moon will rather blank them out. The source of the meteor shower is particles of dust shed by the long-period G1 Thatcher, which has nothing to do with the late Maggie but is named after AE Thatcher, who discovered it in 1861 ( about seven months before Prince Albert died, which is heartily irrelevant).

In the meantime there’s still time to savour the winter constellations, Orion, Taurus, Gemini, the Pleiades… before they’re subsumed into the approaching summer sky.

“

All must things must pass,” said George Harrison but at the time of writing a few members of the Scilly community are wondering if something has passed them by. It’s been nearly a year, since the election last May that saw a number of fresh faces appointed by the community to represent their view and interests, with at least some expectation that a new broom was being wielded by the electorate. However, the disquiet felt in some quarters as recently expressed in the local media and on the street appears to reflect a view that not a lot has changed in the way the Council is run. With two internal restructurings and a growing storm over the prospect of a steady rise in costs, it appears that while there are a growing number of councillors fully prepared to engage with their community and speak out publicly on the issues we face in their efforts to tackle these issues head on, there remains an apparent lack of public conviction that the Council structure is robust enough to keep costs down yet still provide the services we pay for.

This dilemma, the apparent lack of common ground and understanding, in which the community and the council both have parts to play, will not go away.

We should not forget that it has been less than two years since the series of events that triggered these large changes in local governance. While this might seem a lifetime to some and certainly is to those whose particular circumstances remain unresolved, it is not long in the life of Scilly.

So why don’t we allow ourselves some credit for selecting councillors who speak out, represent our views and recognise the progress that has been made in our name?

Mark Prebble

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BEACHES HOLIDAY HOUSE

Luxury 5 star self-­catering accommodation for up to 6 people. 3 double bedrooms, all en-­suite, spacious lounge and south facing sun lounge overlooking the beach! Full central heating throughout so ideal for early or late season or a warm winter break.

Isles of Scilly Country Guest House Sage House, High Lanes, St Mary’s

A delightful rural retreat on St Mary’s with a wide range of rooms to suit your needs, including 7 single rooms, all en-suite and at ground level.

LEMON TREE HOUSE 4 star rated 2 bedroom bungalow in quiet position with views to St.Agnes.

Sleeps 4.

The island’s most secluded beach is less than 10 minutes walk away and the bus into town stops outside the door. B&B from only £36 per night. Evening meals by by prior arrangement.

01720 422440

For more details visit www.scillyonline.co.uk Contact Jenny Hicks on 01720 422616 or email: beachesandlemontree@hotmail.co.uk

www.scillyguesthouse.co.uk

D J Cabs

TREMELLYN VEAN

01720 423775 07717 121101 Local family run cab company operating on St Mary’s for five years

For 58 years we have cared for folks on holiday, so we hope you find this ground floor, self contained residence fitted out to your requirements. Just out of town, on the road to Old Town, this perfect base for two enjoys panoramic views of the harbour.

Quay and airport transfers with 20% off fares which are pre-booked Under fives and dogs travel free when accompanied by an adult

Please ring Liz on 01720 422656 or call at ‘Avoca’, Hospital Lane, St Mary’s, to visit and view or go to

Call Duane or Jeanette to book your taxi or book online at www.djcabs.co.uk

www.tremellynveanscilly.co.uk

8am till midnight Monday to Thursday 8am till 12.30am Friday and Saturday From 1st May we will operate a Sunday service 9am till 11pm Happy to do after hours fares by prior arrangement

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The Next Phase

Project Manager Jaclyn Pearson tells us what’s next for the the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project

S

ince November 8, 2013, just over 1,000 bait stations have been checked regularly (weather permitting!) across St Agnes and Gugh for signs of existing brown rats. It is now 13 weeks since the last evidence of any rats on the island and the team on the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project have just started collecting in the bait stations in preparation for the next phase of biosecurity - keeping the islands rat-free!

Seabird Task Force Volunteer, Tegan Newman explains: “Time flies when you’re having fun.

It’s a real testament to the superb group of fellow volunteers, the hospitable community on St Agnes and the friendly team at the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust that it’s difficult to comprehend that nearly five months have passed since arriving!”

“Time flies when you’re having fun”

Volunteer Tegan Newman

Packing up a bait station

Please help us to keep the islands of St Agnes and Gugh rat free. Please report any rat sightings on St Agnes and Gugh. Call 01720 422153. Thanks to the wonderful community on St Agnes for making the winter operational so successful and to all the volunteers who have given the past five months of their time to the cause. They will now start departing to move on to other projects around the UK. We wish them the best of luck in their future projects.

It is great to get to this stage of the project and enter the important biosecurity phase and we look forward to the seabirds returning and hopefully the Manx shearwater chicks will this year fledge from burrows on St Agnes and Gugh, which will be the first time in living memory.

Jaclyn Pearson Project Manager Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project www.ios-seabirds.org.uk 45

We offer comprehensive knowledge of the property market on The Islands and can give expert advice on all aspects of buying, selling and leasing.

Details of all our properties on offer can be seen either on display in the High Street opposite Lloyds Bank or in our window opposite Speros, Porthmellon Beach If you have any questions or wish to view any of the properties Tony & Deanne will be pleased to see you at their office at Seaview Moorings, The Strand, St. Mary’s phone: 01720 422327 email: enquiries@scillyestateagents.com

www.scillyestateagents.com

THREE COURSE DINNER £19.00 • TWO COURSES £16.00 SPECIAL DEALS SPECIAL 3 NIGHT BREAK £179pp DINNER, ROOM AND BREAKFAST UUUUUUÊUUUUUU Complimentary after dinner coffee in our bar lounge VALID 7th MARCH 2011-7th APRIL 2011 www.bellrockhotel.blogspot.com UUUUUUÊ ",ÊÓ䣣 www.bellrockhotel.blogspot.com Open to Non-Residents

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d e l y it n u Comm leans Beach C

Residents of the St Mary’s and Off-Island communities have been very active, post the recent storms, removing rubbish washed up on their local beaches and generally giving Scilly a good tidy-up.

The AONB Partnership, together with the Islands’ Partnership, the IOS Wildlife Trust, the Council, the Duchy of Cornwall and Tresco Estate have supported the community by providing bags, gloves and the disposal of waste, to help them in their mission.

St Martin’s carried out a beach clean with over 30 volunteers this winter - not bad for a small Island community! On St Mary’s, volunteers came together to clean Porthloo boat park which was aided by the offering of tea and homemade cakes. St Agnes and Bryher also collected a vast amount of rubbish in a bid to clean up their beautiful beaches.

The Great Scilly Spring Clean, which was launched at the beginning of April, brought together the local community from across all five Islands in a bid to spruce up Scilly. A weekend of simultaneous beach cleans and clean-up operations were launched and extremely well attended. This fantastic effort from the local community will ensure the islands are looking their best (outstandingly beautiful, naturally) before the start of the main visitor season.

If you would like to help clean a beach near where you live, please contact Rebecca Steggles (AONB Assistant) on 01720 424315 or email rsteggles@scilly.gov.uk. AONB Staff can help provide bags, gloves and arrange, in principle, for the litter to be collected by the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

47

Neil Gilbert Solicitor Tel:01326 563678 No.1 The Old Cattle Market Porthleven Road Helston TR13 0SR

Mob:0780 308 2610 n.gilbert@btinternet.com

Wills, Probate, Powers of Attorney, Trusts and Tax Planning Neil has been giving advice to the Islands for over 17 years, and is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners

Put your faith in experience Scilly Now & Then May 2012_Layout 1 17/05/2012 09:46 Page 1

S TAR . C ASTLE . H OTEL Non Residents Welcome!

I S L E S O F S C I L LY

The Star Castle Hotel, built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and located on the fortified Garrison Hill, commands magnificent views in every direction.

Fabulous food. Fabulous view.

The perfect setting to enjoy a spot of lunch served daily 12 – 2pm or a traditional cream tea available all-day.

On the coastal footpath, above Porthloo. Food served all day and most evenings, inside and out.

Call ahead to book an evening table. We are now licensed for weddings and civil partnerships – please ring for more information.

Explore the dungeon bar once home to some of the most notorious prisoners in the country, now an intriguing hostelry serving Scillonian real ale from noon onwards.

Our two award-winning restaurants feature freshly caught seafood, local produce and vegetables from our kitchen garden. Restaurants open from 6.30pm booking is essential.

Tel: 01720 422317 / 423342 www.star-castle.co.uk Email – info@star-castle.co.uk St Mary’s

01720 422228 www.julietsgardenrestaurant.co.uk Seaways Flower Farm, Porthloo, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0NF. Award Winning

Higher Trenoweth Pelistry B

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Pelistry Porthloo

Mount Todden Rocky Hill hH

Selakee

Old Town

t Por

Hugh Town

el lic k

ow

T Old

Por thcressa

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Po rt

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St Mary’s

48

and Bar

All About Seals

by Sue Sayer, Cornwall Seal Group Storms and Seals

he storm T reports from Scilly

mortality rates of around 40% dying before the age of two even in good years. Hungry and tired seals of a few months old will rock up on to remote beaches to rest and digest.

In a winter of unprecedented storms, they will be exhausted and struggle to find a safe place to sleep. With no spare fat reserves at this age and so much energy required to find food, they rapidly lose weight.

Any seal pup found under 20kg is beyond the point of no return and highly unlikely to survive without rescue and so sentenced to an even slower death from starvation leading to mortality rates known to be as high as at least 75%. This will be one of those years. So if you see a young seal on a Scilly beach, let it sleep, take a photo on your phone and please call British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765546.

Pic of seal sheltering in Scilly by Dave McBride

have shown the measures residents have had to take to protect themselves, their livelihoods and property. The effects on seals are likely to have been even more devastating. Early storms will have washed white coated pups into the sea and in rough conditions their mothers struggle to find them, resulting in a slow death from starvation.

Those that successfully wean at three weeks old may not be heavy enough but must still go to sea to teach themselves to feed. Finding food for these inexperienced pups is hard at the best of times with

Where’s MORRIS?

Morris is lost again - after the storms, everything looks so different. If you know where he is contact us at morris@scillynowandthen.co.uk for a chance to win a delicious meal for two at St Mary’s Hall Hotel.

Quiz answers: 1) Kurt Cobain 2) 1547 3) Erskine Childers 4) Indian 5) Acetic 6) Tripoli 8) Uruguay 9) Danube 10) Jenna-Louise Coleman 11) Pt 12) 1986 49

J

ack of Diamonds was in some ways a return to a more traditional pantomime, but not entirely. All the traditional stalwarts were there - the Princess, the poor woodsman, the hormonal frustrated Dame, the bumbling arrogant King, the vain Queen, the orchestra...

What separates Jon Mackenzie’s script from most pantos is the complexity of the plot. You had to pay attention and if you didn’t spot the triple cross then you left the Town Hall confused.

Baron Bane (David Corners), an unscrupulous landlord, threatens Dame Ermintrude Buttercup (Roy Duncan) with eviction unless she can cough up an extra £12.67 in rent on her cottage. Her son Jack (Becky Thomas) returns to the

Jack of Diamonds

St Mary’s Theatre Club digs deep to produce a gem Review by Steve Sims. Photos by Mo Love and Scilly Now & Then

woods to gather more firewood to sell and there he rescues Diane, Princess of Spades (Laura Pearson), who has been left there by the scheming Lord Viscous (Jamie Bates), the senior palace aide, to be devoured by zombies. Lord Viscous has nothing against the Princess, but he doesn’t want her marrying Bane, the marriage being part of a reward the Baron negotiates for returning the crown jewels he has stolen.

There isn’t enough room for the whole plot here, but briefly, the Baron plants the jewels in the Dame’s cottage and Jack is framed. We learn that Viscous helped the Baron to steal the jewels and so he releases Jack in order to stitch up the Baron. In the final scene Jack appears, the truth comes out, he marries the Princess and everyone lives happily ever after. So why did the king come to the wedding wearing nothing but his underwear?

Well I did say it was a complex plot. Not content with marrying the Princess, Baron Bane, via the Emperor’s new clothes scam, wants to make the King look insane and take

over as regent. King Caractacus (George Pearson) enters his daughter’s wedding in long johns, which leave little to the imagination. At the Saturday performance the Town Hall went into meltdown. Five minutes of wall to wall hilarity was amplified by every mention of the ‘crown jewels’ and Viscous exclaiming ‘poppycock’.

The icing on the cake came with the King singing a verse from Happiness (say it with a French accent). George, showing super human self-control, kept a straight face throughout but he was the only one.

There were many notable performances.

Maureen Carter stood in as Queen Cantankerous at the last minute. Roger White as Mayor Marmite was a classic study of an anorak (think Michael Palin in Monty Python) and not least Zoë Jenkins as Reverend Righteous, whose fabulous Lancashire accent brought Gracie Fields back to life.

So six quid well spent, and all the cast had a great time. They’ve all conveniently forgotten the hell of rehearsals.

51

Hairdresser R

A Day In The Life

osanna Hogan has run Cut Loose on The Strand on St Mary’s for four and a half years. Since starting as a hairdresser 14 years ago, she has worked in eight different salons, including three on the islands and others in England, Ireland and Wales before going it alone. We sat down with her recently to find out about her typical day - and found out there’s no such thing!

later, when I’d been to a few different salons, that I felt really comfortable. I was working in Wales then in a big salon with eight stylists and a colour technician.

I learned so much there.

I haven’t had too many mishaps but I did accidentally cut someone’s fringe too short when I was training and I burst into tears. My tutor was pretty hard on me. The client was fine - she knew it was a training college - but I was mortified. After that I don’t think I’ve ever cut a fringe too short - I learned from that one.

My favourite part of the job is restyling, when someone comes in and wants a complete change of colour and hairstyle and you can literally make them look 10 years younger or a completely different person.

Some people have an idea of what they want and others put themselves in your hands. Sometimes people come in with a picture and say ‘Is that possible or am I just dreaming?’ I try to be realistic with them. If I don’t think it’s going to work I tell them and we’ll discuss what they can do.

People really confide in you sometimes and it all stays confidential obviously - I had a client on the mainland who told me she was having an affair and that she’d had a tummy tuck and was pregnant with twins! It’s

“There’s never just a normal day. That’s the great thing about this job, you don’t know what kind of head of hair is going to walk through the door. You never know what you’re going to have to fix.

Now I have a family - my son James was born 16 months ago - I work about three and a half days but I have a couple of other girls here who rent a chair so we’re open six days a week. We also try to do two or three late nights until 7 o’clock for people after work.

We start about 9 o’clock. Shelley likes to be here at 8.30 but you wont get me here that early. I stop for lunch between 12 and 1 - although I don’t always take a lunch and we try to keep the shop open all day throughout the summer when we get a lot more walk-ins. In the last couple of years I’ve noticed a lot of gents who say they’ve been working so hard that it’s only when they go on holiday they realise they have time to get their hair cut.

We have a good local client base. I reckon about 70% are local with the extra 30% being visitors.

“It took me two years to train. These days they try to train them a lot quicker but they’re not ready after a year and they can’t find jobs. You need at least two years.

Even after I did two years I was still quite nervous because everybody has a different head of hair. It wasn’t until about five years 52

really quite unbelievable, their life stories. I think some people feel comfortable with the hairdresser because they are being pampered and in their relaxed state they tell you all sorts, even asking for your advice on things.

Sometimes at the end of the day I’m mentally exhausted and I go home and tell my husband I’m going to chill out for an hour so don’t talk to me - especially if you’ve got any problems!

I do a lot of weddings and that’s good fun. It’s such a big day for those involved and you’re part of it. Even though you might not know them very well they welcome you in and it’s just a lovely feeling. It’s exciting and there’s quite a lot of pressure on you to get it right.

I love my job but it does have a not so attractive side! You do get people who don’t wash their hair very often or have a scalp in bad condition and they can get a bit embarrassed about that but it can easily be dealt with so I’ll give them advice. There are

also people with damaged hair; perhaps it’s been over bleached and I’m not prepared to colour it again in that case. So I have refused to do that before.

And you get the occasional person with nits too!

When I was on a mainland salon I had a lady and two daughters come in - a lovely family. Two colleagues were cutting the daughters’ hair and one came over and told me her client had nits. I’ve never seen nits so big - almost like sandhoppers! I had to go to the mum and tell her. The mother was mortified. She said she’d been treated and she thought they had gone.

I suggested we get a nit comb, which would easily get them out because they were pretty big! I had to refuse to do their hair because it would spread and we had to sterilise the salon. Everything was disinfected and boil washed. Fortunately I haven’t seen any while I’ve been here!”

53

Your Letters

Write to Scilly Now &Then, PO Box 8, Isles of Scilly TR21 0WY Emails to info@scillynowandthen.co.uk

WE CARE

I am part of the Yes to Homes campaign which is helping to create a lifeline for the people who are renting, trying to get on the housing ladder, and stuck at home with only dreams of moving out.

We all need to be prepared to join in the local debate with our local councillors to tackle this problem, and think about how we can get the right homes in the right places at prices that are affordable for everybody in Isles of Scilly.

But our community leaders can only deliver those homes if more local people speak up and tell them things must change.

The community must join the Yes to Homes campaign, together we can make them listen.

Please sign the petition for more of the right homes, in the right place, at the right price at www.yestohomes.co.uk.

Kev Wright, St Mary’s

ur town (Chard) is one of the highest in O Somerset so we never suffered the fate of the levels. But oh… how we have felt for you, people of Scilly! Such a vulnerable little paradise out there in the Atlantic. We have watched the forecast many a time and been horrified at what weather was coming your way. Our usual reaction was to cry ‘oh no alas poor Scilly’.

It must be truly scary. The people who live on the lowest part of the isthmus of Hugh Town must feel the sea is coming at them from two sides.

We mainlanders really do care. These thousands (millions) of us who come annually and love Scilly deeply say “BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES - we are all rooting for you”.

Hold on in there. Spring can’t be far away.

Sylvia Carroll, Chard

STORM CONCERN

hank you so much for my last copy of T Scilly Now & Then. I was anxious to hear how the islands fared during the awful

weather. It is a constant annoyance that TV stations never mention the Isles of Scilly so we are left wondering what is happening to our lovely isles.

Heather McLean, Gateshead

EDUCATION IS NOT INDOCTRINATION

and entirely agree with Ithatthoroughly Councillor Gordon Bilsborough’s remark education is not indoctrination.

As a member of the Congregational Federation (the churches who did not join the United Reform Church), I regard the Genesis story as a myth and not fact so see no reason why one cannot believe in creation and evolution equally. Non-Christian faiths have fed thousands of worshippers of God e.g. Buddhism, Hindus and Muslims over many years and I have met many devotees of these faiths in London.

We shall never get rid of ‘racism’ until we get rid of religious intolerance first.

Brian G Phipps, London

HOMES DEBATE

s a resident of Isles of Scilly, I’m A concerned about the lack of serious local debate on the homes we need in our community when there’s clearly a big problem.

Many of us are finding it really hard to save enough money to get on the housing ladder, or are struggling with increasing rents while our salaries are staying the same.

54