Scilly Now & Then 72 UK

No. 72

Free on Scilly - please take one

FANCY A CAFE? ECLIPSE IN PICTURES WILD IMAGES OF SCILLY

SCILLY NOW & THEN No. 72

S

pring is here and the weather as we go to print has been stunning. Hotels and eateries are opening up, visitors are arriving and winter is becoming a distant memory.

The arrival of spring means this is the last magazine of the subscription year (our fourth as editors). If you’ve been with us all year, I hope your eight issues have given you lots to read. It also means it’s time for our advertisers to renew (or join us for the first time) so we’ll be in touch.

This month’s front cover is by the very talented Chris Hall. And the gorgeous pictures don’t end there - there are lots inside, whether it be Antarctica with Dr Vic, the recent partial eclipse, wild images from natural history photographer Ed Marshall or a bird in all its glory from naturalist Will Wagstaff. We really are spoiled for stunning images this time around.

We also feature exit interviews with Nigel and Carol from the airport, who are leaving

the Airfayre lounge after nine years, as well as Merryn Smith, who has hung up his truncheon after ten years as a Special Constable with the IOSPD. On the other hand, we introduce incoming Chaplain to the Isles Perran Gay and talk to Revd. Penny Prince about the huge amount of work that has been done at St Nicholas Church on Tresco.

We’d like to say a big thank you to those of you who subscribe with an extra donation; it all helps to keep the magazine going and we really appreciate it. If there is anything you’d like to see that we do not currently feature, please let us know. We are always open to new ideas. One of our readers asked us to bring the information page back and we’d love to have a more regular letters page if anyone writes to us!

Wishing all our readers, subscribers and advertisers a happy Easter,

Beth and Jon

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

Cover - Ganilly Bar so Beautiful by Chris Hall www.chrishallproductions.com Contact us at Scilly Now &Then, PO Box 8, Isles of Scilly TR21 0WY

Design & Layout Jon Mackenzie & Beth Hilton Advertising & Subscriptions Jon Mackenzie 01720 423409 advertise@scillynowandthen.co.uk

You can also contact us via our website www.scillynowandthen.co.uk or at www.facebook.com/scillynowandthen

Printed by R Booth Print as supplied from original artwork. www.rboothltd. co.uk

Editorial & Letters 01720 423861 editorial@scillynowandthen.co.uk 3

Contents Off the Record

6

From the Archives

11

Fancy a Cafe?

12

Fancy a Cafe p48

Wild Images of Scilly 15 Church Revamp

18

Memories of Scilly 21 Night Sky / Where’s Morris

25

A Walk on the Wild Side

27

A Sense of Adventure 28

Quiz p26

Plodding On 32 Bygone Gaze 35 Eclipse In Pictures

37

Shipwrecks

39

Postcard from St Martins 43 In and Out of the Garden

45

Maritime Scilly

47

A Room with a View

49

A Day In The Life

50

Tresco Church revamp p18 DITL p50

Shipwrecks p39

The Thebest bestof ofScilly Scilly

A Sense of Adventure p28

New Chaplain p18

Seals p52 Where’s Morris? p25

She’s back!

Common Snipe p27

Wild Images of Scilly p15

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

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

I

’m told that there might be a General Election coming soon! So, I’ll avoid straying into any Party political diatribe! However, a potentially beneficial product is that Government Ministers seem to visit the area with almost indecent regularity.

One of the benefits of this is, of course, to skewer them into making commitments; ones that they can be reminded of once the dust settles after the election itself.

But, nevertheless, a lot has been and is being achieved in and around the Isles of Scilly: • The tarmacking of the Isles of Scilly’s roads and pavements; • The construction of a major extension and improvements to the Harbour; • The hardening of the Land’s End runway; • Improved navigation facilities at St Mary’s and Land’s End; • Harbour improvements at Penzance; • Funding to explore options for an Offshore Breakwater at Penzance; • Roll-out of Superfast Broadband on the islands - making Scilly, arguably, the best connected islands on the planet!; • Work to bring drinking water and waste water up to mainland standards;

• More homes for locals, even on the off islands; • Economic development and other infrastructure improvements at Porthcressa and elsewhere.

It’s no wonder the Scillies is referred to as “the fortunate isles”.

I will be visiting the islands soon for a casework surgery and meetings with local groups etc. This will be my last visit before the General Election and, if electors choose, I plan to come back again in June/July.

I also hope that, by then, AgustaWestland and the proposed operator of a helicopter service will be able to make a formal announcement, rather than using me as a channel of communication.

Finally, I want to assure you that I won’t blame the Scillies for spoiling my ability to enjoy much of Helston Flora Day on May 8. You may know that the Scillies ballot boxes arrive on the mainland the day after the General Election.

Therefore the count won’t get under way until May 8, the same day as Flora Day. Should I attend the election count at Carn Brea or Helston Flora? More to follow…

W

e are delighted to learn that the Bishop of Truro has appointed Canon Perran Gay to succeed me as Chaplain when I retire in September. Perran is an experienced priest who has been a regular visitor here.

He is currently Canon Precentor and Head of Worship at Truro Cathedral. He will commence his ministry here in October (see page 19) On June 26th Luke Bond, the Assistant Organist at Truro Cathedral, will give an organ recital at the Parish Church at 8pm. We are delighted Luke has accepted our invitation.

He was last here on Scilly accompanying the Truro Cathedral Choir tour last April.

We are also very pleased to learn that the Revd. Eileen Martin who with her husband

Chaplain’s news retired here last year as an ordained deacon will be priested by the Bishop of Truro in the Cathedral on July 4. This will further strengthen our ministry team. Eileen will preside at her first service of Holy Communion at the Parish Church on Sunday July 12.

As the summer approaches we shall look forward to our Flower Festival in June and Fete in August. Our churches are busy places in the summer months and it will be good to welcome visitors to our services and events.

Canon Paul Miller

6

A

Amanda Martin

Chairman of the Council of the isles of Scilly

s I write this column, like many others no doubt, I am starting to suffer from electioneering fatigue in the run up to the General Election on Thursday, May 7. 2015.

If only all the promises made by our national politicians could be kept!

Here in Scilly, recent weeks have seen a busy calendar of council meetings, culminating in a Special Council to discuss the budget and to set council tax. We have set a balanced budget but the local authority needs to continue to make efficiencies and to consider its level of service delivery. Gradually, we are creating a better, more robust council but this takes time, patience and hard work. The restructuring process has enabled us to reorganise the workplace and to make savings on a like for like basis, however the government always finds ways to make us spend more money in different ways. For instance, since February 1 we have our own Environmental Health Officer, David Currie. Over the coming months we face challenges in the areas of food standards,

council enforcement, planning and debt recovery. Very importantly, we are continuing our discussions with colleagues from DEFRA, EA, DWI and OFWAT regarding our water and sewerage arrangements. Thank you to all who responded to the consultation.

On March 8 several councillors and I had the great pleasure of attending a service to mark the re-opening of the church of St Nicholas on Tresco. Canon Paul Miller and the Revd.

Penny Prince led the service in the presence of a very large congregation drawn from all over the islands. The refurbishments of the building and the improvements in the churchyard have been very successful and are well worth a visit if you are on Tresco.

We shall soon be announcing the dates of public meetings on St. Agnes, Bryher, Tresco, St. Martin’s and St. Mary’s, so please check our public notice boards or our website for the dates and times. Council activities can be followed on our notice-boards and via the Council website, Facebook and Twitter.

April 1 traditionally marks the start of our main visitor season here on Scilly. For the Islands’ Partnership it also marks our first day managing the Tourist Information Centre.

As the official Destination Management Organisation for Scilly, we are well placed to take on the delivery of the visitor information service; indeed it was one of the recommendations made in the Future of Tourism on Scilly report in 2011. Since the inception of the IP, we have worked closely with the TIC - sharing knowledge, marketing materials and social media channels, so our adoption of the service is a natural extension of this collaboration. The service deals with around 50,000 enquiries each year and we are acutely aware that the provision of quality visitor information and a welcoming face-toface service remain an important part of the visitor experience on Scilly.

In readiness for the season we’ve had a busy March, co-hosting a successful week-long series of workshops and presentations under

the Scilly Business Week banner which were both free and well attended. We also hosted a UKTI visit to help the Scilly brand reach out to foreign markets and encourage more overseas visitors to the islands, and we were also honoured with a visit by Kim Konchie, Executive Director of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, forging closer business ties with our colleagues across the water.

Anecdotally, we are hearing that bookings are buoyant for 2015. Certainly if advanced bookings for Walk Scilly in April are a barometer, then we should all be looking forward to a busy season! In addition to our Walk Scilly seasonal opener, this year we look forward to hosting more events that will help grow our market - particularly short breaks in the shoulder periods. In February, the Islands’ Partnership was awarded a grant for £202,000 to create “Scilly Events” and we are currently recruiting for an Events Manager and Assistant to drive forward a new and exciting annual events programme that will benefit not just the tourist industry, but our community as a whole.

Here’s to a successful season.

David Jackson, Executive Director, IP

7

A

s anyone who has ever had to attend a medical appointment on the mainland knows, the issue of how and when to get there is not easy.

Often people will choose to leave the day before and sometimes come back the day after, just to ensure that they can attend – even then it is not guaranteed if the weather decides to intervene. There is obviously a cost to the NHS in terms of the travel, but the cost to the individual can be much greater as there are hotel bills thrown in on top – that’s before you even get to the issue of time spent away from work and family. We therefore always look to provide as many local appointments as possible, so it’s very exciting that this month

I

Health matters

we have had an ultrasound service start at the practice. Peninsular Ultrasound (based in Truro) will be providing a monthly scanning session at the Health Centre, which has been made possible by the ever-generous League of Friends. This is a first for Scilly and will complement the blood testing machines that have now been in place for a year at the hospital. We will now have the ability to scan for a wide range of conditions, (although I should point out that pregnant mums will still require the expertise of the obstetricians at Treliske for their scans) - this represents a huge leap forward for diagnostics on Scilly, but more importantly will enable people to be investigated closer to home.

John Garman GP provide a smoother surface along the quay.

The work to the exterior of the building has transformed its appearance and with the addition of the covered walkway still to come it will certainly be quite a change from the previous structure.

With the large amount of work going on and the expected busy season, there will inevitably be some disruption but we will be working closely with all involved at the harbour to ensure this is kept to an absolute minimum.

Our aim, as always, is to provide the best possible service to our visitors and customers and with the assistance of harbour users, ISSCo, Kier and others we are confident that 2015 will be a great year.

With the return of Scillonian III we welcome the start of what will be another busy and challenging season here at St. Mary’s Harbour.

A record number of gigs for gig weekend, record number of cruise vessels are expected, increased number of visits from Scillonian III and, if the weather is good, more visiting yachtsmen and women. All of this should ensure that the harbour is buzzing and full of activity throughout the year - just like it should be! Please do email, call or drop into the harbour office for further information on any of the works at the harbour or if you have any questions / queries.

Dale Clark, Harbourmaster

Quay issues

t has been quite a start to the year here in the harbour with another project having an impact on harbour operations. The quay extension, widening and harbour building improvements are now finally well underway and have brought quite a mixture of vessel types and assorted equipment.

Tugs, barges, diggers and landing craft have all been present at some point or another throughout the winter and have certainly kept us busy here in the harbour office.

Kier Infrastructure are on site and started dredging in late January. This operation has proved to be quite a challenge. 3,000t of dredged sand and cut granite are being removed and placed temporarily at Porthloo and when complete, a steel frame will be lowered into the dredged area which will be filled with concrete and provide a base for the pre-cast blocks that make up the quay extension. The 32mx18m jack-up barge arrived and has been placed in the inner berth awaiting the arrival of the 300t crane (which should have arrived by the time of publishing).

This jack-up will be positioned on the seaward side of the quay and will be used to lift the 65t concrete sections into place.

The bumpy pedestrian walkway has been given a temporary concrete base after the removal of all the granite blocks and we await the arrival of the new granite sets that will

8

In My Humble Opinion with Cllr Gordon Bilsborough MORE WISHFUL THINKING

completely with the view that a committee could not discuss its own future. I added that the advice given sounded like a veiled threat; in fact, almost tantamount to an order.

I felt this was an attempt by somebody in the Council’s hierarchy to ensure that its own views prevailed on the future of the Standards Committee. I was worried because this was not the only committee which the Democratic Processes Review Panel had in its sights for reducing the participation of elected Members under the slogan of “efficiency.”

I have since been assured this is not the case and that the elected Members of the Full Council will make the final decisions on the revised committee structure.

But what really disturbs me is that the number of elected Members who will be directly involved in the Council’s decisionmaking processes could be reduced. This would be the thin edge of the wedge to where more power would be concentrated into fewer hands, thus diluting democracy.

F

ollowing my comments in the last issue of Scilly Now & Then, it has become even more obvious that the prospects of the resumption of a helicopter service to the Islands are politically motivated. Andrew George has said that any decision on whether the government will underwrite a new rotary service for its first three years will be made during the summer (i.e. after the General Election).

To be brutally realistic, whichever party wins the election, the new government is unlikely to underwrite a new helicopter service whilst there is an existing viable air link. I therefore believe it would be wrong for any candidate to raise false hopes in order to gain a dubious political advantage by jumping on a populist bandwagon.

DILUTING DEMOCRACY As part of the Council’s recent restructuring exercise, it was proposed by the Democratic Processes Review Panel that the Standards Committee (which is responsible for promoting and maintaining the elected Members’ Code of Conduct) should be subsumed by the new Finance and Audit Committee.

As Chairman of the Standards Committee, I naturally wanted to hear its views on whether or not the committee should continue in its present form or become a minor element of a larger committee. I regarded this as part of the so-called Democratic process.

To my surprise, I received an email virtually ordering me not even to discuss this matter at a forthcoming committee meeting. Indeed, I was warned in no uncertain terms that any discussion on this issue could be perceived as maladministration. Despite a diligent search, I failed to find anything in the Council’s Standing Orders to support this view.

My initial reaction was to disregard the advice. However, since it was my responsibility to ensure that the committee acted within the framework of legality, I decided to postpone the item until the legal points were clarified.

Instead, I made a public statement at the committee meeting explaining that I disagreed

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME? The Community Led Local Development (CLLD) is a funding source under the European Regional Development programme.

Strict criteria determine which areas can benefit from this funding. The rules allow CLLD funding only if a population is 10,000 or higher.

The Council submitted a business case to the European Commission to support the inclusion of the Isles of Scilly.

Unfortunately, the European Commission would not accept an exception to the required minimum size of population for inclusion in the Community Local Development programmes for the UK. This means that, purely due to its size, the Isles of Scilly will not be able to run a CLLD programme for the Islands. In the last round of European funding we secured a £2.25 million Local Action Group (LAG) grant that supported a range of business and community projects.

Taking a broader view, we must hope that the Islands do not suffer a similar fate regarding grants from other outside sources.

Or is this the shape of things to come?

9

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10

from the archives

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

Fires on St Mary’s & Tresco

B

efore the creation of a fire brigade it was difficult to contain fires that broke out on the islands. There was a devastating fire on St. Mary’s in October 1932 when Rocky Hill Farm was destroyed and, according to a contemporary report, ‘only the walls remain.’

Two houses adjoining each other were destroyed, among them the home of Mr ENV Moyle, the town clerk and secretary to the steamship company. The fire started in the wash house of Mr Moyle’s house ‘and from this house not a thing was saved. The occupants escaped in their night attire and had to borrow clothes from their neighbour, Mr J Legg and family.

‘A dog gave the alarm at about and Mr Moyle saw smoke rising from the wash house. He at once aroused the household, telephoned to the town and came in for fire extinguishers. Soon a crowd gathered and a quantity of Mr T Moyle goods and furniture was saved. Meanwhile the fire spread and a large crowd had assembled. Fortunately the wind was light and blowing away from the neighbouring house across the road so there was no danger in that direction. By four the fire was absolutely out of control and there was fear that the gas plant would explode.

By morning the place was desolation and complete ruin.

‘The heat was so intense that glass run like candle grease and stones were cracking. Iron posts were twisted and bed posts warped.

Trees were burned and palms caught, and

the lawn was absolutely blackened. Mr ENV Moyle lost many valuable paintings and treasures he has spent a lifetime collecting.

A little puppy was burnt to death.’

In January 1940 the tower of Tresco Abbey caught fire and was completely burned out.

This was not caused by enemy action but by a spark from a chimney fire earlier in the day which ignited the woodwork under the roof of the tower thence spreading to the wooden signal box at the top. The flames could be seen for miles around.

Workmen from the Tresco estate fought the flames for four hours and appliances were rushed by motor boat from St Mary’s.

The strong wind made the task of the fire fighters difficult and there was great concern about the risk of the fire spreading to the Abbey itself. Fortunately, this was avoided, and the only damage was caused by water.

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

11

Fancy a cafe?

Nigel Young and Carol Drage have been running the Airfayre Lounge at the Isles of Scilly Airport for nine years, keeping Skybus customers and staff fed and watered in fair weather and foul. Sadly they’ve now handed in their notice and will be leaving by the end of August. We had a chat with Nigel to find out what led to the decision and what they plan to do next. Whatever it is, we’ll miss them at the airport!

@Rob Doux

“We handed our notice in as of the end of January. It’s a six-month notice so we’re probably going to have to work until the end of August unless someone else wants to come in and take it on straight away. If they wanted to come in next week and sign the papers, that’s all fine. It’s got to go out to the council for the tendering process so they’ll have to vet anyone that applies for it. In six months time if they haven’t found anyone, that’s it, I walk at the end of August. it’s up to them to fill the space with either staff or else ask me very nicely and I won’t pay any rent or water or electricity. We’ll see how long they want to run it for like that!

No, but seriously, it all came about 18 months ago. Carol wanted a bit of a different direction in life and I said if something comes up, just go for it. I love it here, I could stay another ten years here because I love doing the cooking and the bread. I’ve never been so happy. But we felt that last year it wasn’t quite right to do it; it was a bit of a building site and we didn’t want to leave anybody in the building in the state that it was in so we

thought we’d leave it until the beginning of this year.

Then Carol applied for and instantly got a job as receptionist at the health centre and with that in mind I thought well do I really want to run it myself still with the post, still with the gardening and I thought well I could if I could have someone in to cover Monday and Saturday and a floating day when I can do gardening and get out. We had somebody who was interested but then turned round and said but of course I can’t do Saturdays.

Which is not really negotiable!

So we ummed and aahed for a weekend and then I thought that’s it, let’s call it a day.

I’m 60 now, it’s time to give it a go. I’ve got a boat, I want to get out on the water and enjoy it and make the most of the summer.

We’ve been here nine years. we felt we’ve done our share here.

I love it here. It’s social, but it’s fairly hard work, the hours are fairly long. I don’t sit down from 7 in the morning ‘til 8 at night.

You literally don’t take the weight off your feet which for the first couple of years was 12

quite difficult but for now it’s fine, I don’t even think about it. I do have a bit mixed feelings about leaving. I think Carol wanted to move on and do something a bit different, work away from me!

I’ve loved us working together, absolutely loved it. Carol is usually in the kitchen doing the back room stuff, I’m out the front serving.

As soon as I come back from doing the post Carol hides away in the kitchen again. A few people have said to us why don’t you run a restaurant in the evening, until 1 or 2am. I might as well just have a hammock here and sleep here! The people before us occasionally did steak nights here and they were very popular. This place now does lend itself to evening events; there’s a dancefloor and you could easily have a wedding reception here.

The Airfayre Lounge is normally the last thing people see before they go. Whether we’re responsible for a good image or a bad image I don’t know! We’ve had a few nice comments about bacon sandwiches and homemade bread. I love cooking and people enjoying our food.

My pet hate is that as soon as it’s the slightest bit foggy someone will say well it’s alright for you, you’re enjoying this aren’t you? Well actually it doesn’t work like that.

I’ve been delayed here myself and it doesn’t do us any favours. It just makes us busier.

If the weather’s bad and there’s no flying, we don’t necessarily get time off. It very much depends. If there are staff still here, we stay open for the staff, although normally if there’s two of us working here, one of us goes home. And you do get some optimistic people who will stay for hours in case 13

something changes. We also get also people who are just walking around the islands because this is one of the only places open in the winter, as well as the regulars who come up in their golf buggies with various dogs in tow and sit here for a long time.

We get quite a few celebs through here. There’s been Jude Law, Gary Kemp, Bill Oddie, Dame Judi Dench, Angela Rippon, a few footballers, Rolf Harris, Tony Robinson... I have an autograph book. John major was up here, he didn’t have anything to eat or drink, but he nodded as he went past.

You’ll still see me around the islands - I’ll still be doing post, I may take on an extra post duty. I might take on some more gardening jobs. You’ll see Carol on reception up the health centre.

For anyone thinking of doing this, I’d say you’ve got to like this sort of work as it’s quite full on. There are times when you’re doing seven bacon sandwiches and you’ve got an order for three tuna and something else and it’s a foggy day and you can see a queue developing and it’s full on. But I love that, it’s a bit of pressure. As long as you like this sort of work, its great. I always try to have a chat with everyone for a couple of minutes. You can only have one person in front of you at a time and I like to give everyone a little chat.

I’d like to say a big thanks to the customers, locals and visitors. We’ve had such a great time and part of it has been serving people.

It’s a shame to be leaving when the place is newly done but 60 is a big milestone and I want to get out on my boat!

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14

Wild Images of Scilly

by Ed Marshall

or a natural history photographer, the F Isles of Scilly provides an amazing array of subjects to document. Whether it is a

As we approach the warmer seasons and with days becoming longer, I am - for the most part - looking forward to capturing those images that really show off what Scilly does best. I say for the most part because, as much as battling against the wind and rain on my way to the shops annoys me, it has granted me some fantastic images. The sort that I won’t soon be able to capture again over the calmer months ahead, though I do suppose that the blue skies and bluer seas will help to take my mind off of that...

beautiful sunset, or some of the islands unique wildlife, I know that there will always be something that I can turn my camera to.

I hope that I can convey how much these islands have come to mean to me, and maybe even inspire some of you who are planning on visiting for the first time, or even the hundredth time, to try to capture something special yourselves.

15

Trying to capture the coast of Scilly has been one of my main efforts during my time here on the islands. Being confined to St Mary’s over the winter means I haven’t been able to take in the sunrise or sunsets from the off-islands, but nevertheless, the coastline here is so variable there is something for any mood. Whether it is wanting to spend the morning watching the sunrise from Deep Point, or watching the sky fade through the reds and pinks as the sun sets past the western rocks, you will rarely be disappointed.

This isn’t to say that most mornings and evenings have shown off the best of Scilly’s weather conditions - it has been the winter after all - but something I often teach people is that there is no such thing as bad weather!

Some of the storms that have passed over Scilly have offered me the best chances to capture something different, something I can almost guarantee few others will be out shooting in. I love looking out across the

islands, being able to see exactly where the rain is falling in an isolated shower, on some poor bugger no doubt working hard in the outdoors. I can’t be too smug about this, as nine times out of ten that poor bugger has been me.

When I’ve not been working on my landscape photography, I’ve been putting a lot of hours in at Higher Moors, one of the wetland areas on St Mary’s. I’m not entirely sure why I’m so drawn to this particular wetland as opposed to Lower Moors, but it’s resulted in some of my favourite images.

Typically lying right down in the boggy pool on the very edge, hidden under an Outdoor Photography Gear camouflage net hide so as not to disturb the wildlife. Greenshank have been resident on the pool throughout the winter and, although they have been typically a bit skittish, this particular individual finally felt comfortable enough in my presence to wade across in search of food. It was a great experience, watching 16

this individual make its way closer and closer to me. It reassures me that I’m doing my job properly as a wildlife photographer, and that the animal is comfortable with me.

Finally, I can’t forget about the flora of the islands. With it’s mild climate, Scilly boasts an impressive array of flowering plants, many of which are very early bloomers compared to their mainland cousins. Well known for the production of Narcissi, you will see an abundance of daffodils of all varieties in bloom in the early months of the year. An amazing sight to see, and one that heralds the rapidly approaching spring, it should be a brilliant time of the year to photograph here on Scilly.

This has been a quick catch up of what I’ve been up to over the past few months and I could easily squeeze loads more pictures in, but, I don’t want to overload you all!

If you want to see any more of my pictures you can always check out my website at www.edmarshallwildimages.co.uk or follow me on facebook (Ed Marshall Wild Images) and twitter (@edmarshallphoto).

17

Introducing...

The incoming Chaplain to the Isles of Scilly

CANON PERRAN GAY

Perran, 55, was born and bred in Cornwall and attended Truro School, visiting Scilly each summer with school choir.

In his youth, he was a keen Methodist and a Local Preacher After his first degree in English at Cambridge University, he studied for a PGCE in Secondary RE, going on to teach RE to students aged 11-16 at Wadebridge School.

He trained for the priesthood at Cuddesdon near Oxford, and read Theology at Oxford University Perran served all of his ministry in the Diocese of Truro – as curate in Bodmin, as Chaplain to Bishop Michael Ball, and for 21 years as a Canon of Truro Cathedral, first as Chancellor (education etc.) and then Precentor (in charge of worship).

He is active in national Church affairs – including the General Synod, the Liturgical Commission and a number of committees from the Cathedral world, including representing the English Cathedrals within Northern Europe Perran is a keen musician, traveller, birdwatcher, computer enthusiast, walker and science fiction fan (among a very long list of interests), as well as a cat lover. He shares most of these interests with his wife Rainy (Lorraine) 50, who is originally from St Columb Major. She has been a psychiatric nurse caring for those with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia, working over the last 30 years in Penzance, Redruth and Bodmin.

Perran has visited Scilly at least once a year over the last few years to provide Chaplaincy cover. He says: “I have always loved Scilly, not just because it is an incredibly beautiful place, but more because of the people there, some of whom look back through generations of experience of island life, and others who have deliberately chosen Scilly as their home.

I look forward to learning some of the secrets of the islands and their life from them and with them, and also relish the challenge of relating my Christian faith and understanding to this very particular place.”

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We welcome Canon Perran Gay to the islands and learn about the recent restoration of St Nicholas’ Church on Tresco

t Nicholas’ Church on Tresco hosted S a Service of Thanksgiving for its restoration on 8th March 2015. Before the

stained glass windows. The graveyard has also been extended and turfed.

Rev’d Penny thanked all those who provided funding to a total of £250,000, including Mr and Mrs R Dorrien Smith, English Heritage Lottery Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, All Church’s Trust, Cornwall Historic Churches Trust and the many visitors who have donated to the Restoration Fund over the years. She also thanked all the many people on Tresco who had helped her in so many ways to get the church ready for this important day.

Rev’d Canon Paul Miller, the Chaplain to the Isles of Scilly, thanked Mrs Eve Cooper for her work in Tresco Church, for encouraging gifts to the Restoration Fund, and for raising the money for a sound enhancement system by selling Christmas Cards. Canon Paul presented Eve with an icon in token of our appreciation. The sound system, which has a loop to help those using hearing aids, was used at the service for the first time.

So begins a new chapter in the life of the Church on Tresco. Rev’d Penny and Rev’d Paul pray that many will come to experience the peace of God in this holy place, and to share in our worship on Sundays at 11.00am, whether Islander or Visitor. The Church is now open daily and all are welcome into God’s presence in this sacred space.

Revd, Penny Prince

service Rev’d Penny Prince, the Associate Chaplain based on Tresco, gave a short talk on the works that had taken place over the winter. She explained that the external walls on the west and south sides of the church have been stripped of the old mortar and repointed with lime mortar, which is the kind necessary for old stone buildings.

The same had been done inside the south transept and on the south side of the chancel.

Here the walls had also been tanked with the kind of finish used in swimming pools to stop them leaking, so hopefully now the area will be waterproofed against the elements. The roof slates, timbers and felting on the south side, and some on the north have been renewed. This involved getting a crane on site to remove the granite coping stones and the apex granite crosses, which weighed half a ton, so that the work could go ahead.

All the pews and the floors on the south side were removed and the floor joists, and slot-in parts of the pews were renewed.

These had rotted through and the floors and pews were sinking! Now all is safe. Symons Construction team have finished the work to a high level of craftsmanship and care.

Also the plasterwork in the church has been painted for the first time which has enhanced the building, the granite features and the

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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 - with your host, Scilly Now & Then co-editor Beth Hilton!

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by reader Chris Dicken The fog wasn’t lifting at all and more passengers were entering the terminal only to be told that all flights were on hold. Michael was unhappy at the prospect of not getting the helicopter ride that he had been looking forward to for weeks as well as chattering about since 6am on the long drive south. For the umpteenth time, I went to the check-in desk to ask if there was any news, only to be given the standard reply of having to wait and see what the fog does. However, the lady behind the desk asked if Michael wanted to go and look at the helicopter in the hangar, to which he jumped at the chance. We were taken out of the cramped waiting room and into the cooler hangar and onto the Sikorsky helicopter where we had a quick tour of the cockpit and cabin which cheered Michael up and gave me some relief from the boredom of the day.

Eventually it was announced that ALL flights were cancelled for the day. This did little to improve my mood and I was probably scowling at everyone I spoke to. As there had been no flights at all that day, we were told that Scillonian III was going to make an extra journey that evening and we would all go by sea, so no maiden helicopter flight for us. No need to worry about luggage we were told, it would all be transferred on to the ship.

Sitting inside the ship, I had my doubts as it all seemed to be such an amateurish operation – how wrong I was to be proved. (continued overleaf)

itting in the waiting area of the heliport at Penzance, I began to wonder why on earth I had agreed to this short break to the Isles of Scilly. The only time they had cropped up on my radar was an article in Windsurf magazine in 1996 where the waters around Tresco had been used for testing some sails. Apart from that, my mental image of the islands was one of ‘old’ people trundling around looking for bunches of daffodils.

We had been sitting in the waiting room for hours, due to a thick blanket of fog that stubbornly refused to move. Michael, our son, was getting impatient and I was not in the happiest of moods as it all seemed like a waste of my half-term holiday away from the classroom. Lyndsay was doing her best to try to cheer us up, but it wasn’t working. Alongside us in the terminal were my brother-in-law’s family… my mother-in-law was already waiting for us at the Island Hotel on Tresco.

The reason for us all being there was due to my mother-in-law’s love of the islands. She had been visiting with her late husband for many years, but hadn’t been back since his sudden death some years before. We had been persuaded as a family to accompany her on her return as she was missing the islands but didn’t want to travel alone to a place with such memories for her. Reluctantly, I had agreed to the trip, but wasn’t looking forward to visiting such a boring part of the UK – hence the reason for my grumpiness in Penzance.

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Memory Lane

We were then led to our room and I remember being astounded that all of our luggage was there before us – not so amateurish after all.

After only 18 hours since our departure, we had finally made it and I fell into bed wishing that I hadn’t wasted a day of my life travelling to some back-of-beyond corner of Britain!

Furthermore, I still had no idea what the islands looked like, as we had arrived in the dark and the fog was still lingering.

Waking the next morning, I asked Michael to pull the curtains back in order to finally get a glimpse of where I was. The view that greeted me was one that I’ll never forget and it has kept me coming back to the islands ever since, sometimes twice a year.

Stretched before me from Old Grimsby was the bluest, most vibrant sea I’d ever seen, shimmering in the early morning sun as the fog had finally lifted. In the distance I could see the beaches on St Martin’s, unknown to me at the time, with Tean and numerous rocky islets in between.

Further away, I could see the Eastern Isles, again completely unknown to me at the time.

For the next few days we wandered from view to view, meeting all kinds of folk from different places and backgrounds, as well as locals too – all happy to chat and pass the time of day. I remember dashing to catch Firethorn to Bryher, only to see it leave as I cycled furiously along the quay at New Grimsby.

Cursing my poor time-keeping I was surprised to hear a voice shout out from the boat as it turned back to pick me up – this doesn’t happen back home - late for a bus…?

Tough! It seemed that we had arrived in the friendliest corner of the UK and were now privy to a secret that we’d had waited far too long to discover.

Looking back, I’m glad that my first trip to Scilly went this way as there was no gentle introduction to the magic of the islands. It was instantly in my face and made a huge impression on me and my family. Over the years I’ve taken thousands of photographs of the islands, but I still haven’t managed to capture the essence of that first view, nor indeed of the unique light around the islands.

I suppose I’ll have to keep coming back until I manage it…

Chris Dicken

(continued)

The sea journey itself was uneventful due to a calm sea, although there were still a few members of our group who felt the need to go out on deck for some air. We arrived at St Mary’s in the dark somewhere between 10pm and 11pm. It had been a long day and I was just glad to finally be somewhere other than the BIH terminal. However, the day was far from over…

We were told to get onto a smaller boat in order to make the crossing to Tresco. No need to worry about luggage we were told, it would all be transferred on to the boat…

I recall a hive of activity on the quayside despite the late hour and was later told that some of the locals had turned out to help with all the baggage so that there would be a quick turnaround. We were ushered inside the smaller vessel and it set off into the dark. I was seated next to an islander who was singing the praises of this boat and was told that Firethorn is a very versatile boat capable of navigating the channels with ease, but I didn’t care, I was only half-listening as I just wanted the day to end. Eventually the engines slowed and the boat came to a halt and we all stood up, only to be told that this was Bryher and we had still further to travel!

Fortunately, it was only a short hop to Tresco and finally we were able to climb up the steps at New Grimsby. Then, to my dismay, we had to climb onto a trailer behind a tractor. Was this some kind of joke? Where were the taxis or buses? This is the 21st Century – all my preconceptions of the islands seemed to be coming true. No need to worry about luggage we were told, it would all be transferred on to the trailer…

Off we trundled along narrow lanes in the pitch black. Bracken and other flora seemed to brush my face and knees with alarming regularity and I was completely disorientated.

This was not my idea of a relaxing break and despite my mother-in-law’s assurances that it was a beautiful part of the world, I was regretting leaving our Northamptonshire house earlier that day.

The final leg of the journey ended at around 11.45pm, as we pulled up outside the Reception of the Island Hotel and shuffled in to be met by friendly faces offering us soup and hot drinks.

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Check out more of Chris’s lovely photos at http://chrisdickenphotos.weebly.com/

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THE NIGHT SKY

with Steve Sims

As you will have seen we recently had a near total solar eclipse. On April 4 there is a total lunar eclipse. Logic dictates that this must happen on the night of the full moon, when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon. A lunar eclipse is much more common that a solar because the Earth is a lot bigger than the moon, it’s visible all over the night side of the planet. The moon is still clearly visible but it glows a rather lovely muted pink. The pink is caused by the twilight pink of all the Earth’s sunset and sunrises. It must be quite a spectacular sight from the moon but because it happens at about noon it’s not visible in our third of the world. But we are nicely central for our next one on September 28.

This April is pretty good for the planets. For a couple of hours after sunset the very bright “star” in the WNW is Venus which should be visible if you know where to look, even before the sun sets. On a moonless night, Venus can be bright enough to cast a shadow. Jupiter is very bright in the south around 9pm and Saturn turns up around midnight in the east. Mars and Mercury are too close to the sun to be seen.

Across the 22nd and 23rd we have the Lyrids Meteor Shower. The remnants of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher (no relation) will be visible between the 16th and 25th, peaking overnight on the 22nd with up to 20 meteors per hour. Just look to the north.

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Where’s MORRIS?

orris is being sensible this month. He’s managed to get himself lost (you don’t say!) but at least he’s had the sense to go to a proper landmark where someone may find him instead of pitching up in the middle of nowhere. There’s hope for him yet!

If you know where he is, please contact us at morris@scillynowandthen.co.uk for a chance to win a meal for two at St Mary’s Hall Hotel, which recently opened for the season with a gorgeous revamped restaurant.

Last time Morris was across from ‘Plains’ near the community centre on St Martin’s.

Congratulations to our winner Roland Wallace!

And well done to the rest of you who entered, you were close but no cigar in this case.

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Dungeon Dave’s Quiz

1) Which South American city’s name means ‘fair winds’?

2) Which river formed the Grand Canyon?

3) Pierre Omidyar founded what website in 1995?

4) Suva is the capital of which Pacific island nation?

5) Gingivitus affects which part of the body?

6) Who founded Playboy magazine in 1953?

7) Who wrote the book Lord of the Flies 8) In which modern country might you be the first to discover remains of the hanging gardens of Babylon?

9) The islands of Zealand and Jutland form part of which European country?

10) Louis, Hoisin, Albert, Brown, Mornay and Fish are all examples of what?

11) Which heavyweight boxer was known as the Brockton Blockbuster?

12) Released in 1976, Family Plot was the last film directed by whom?.

13) What was the name of the Spice Girl known as Baby Spice?

14) Holly Golightly is a character in which 1958 Truman Capote novel?

ANSWERS ON PAGE 41

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 Fridays at Old Town Inn and 8.30pm on Sundays at the Scillonian Club.

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A Walk on the WILD SIDE

Common Snipe

by Will Wagstaff

visit to the Lower Moors or Porth Hellick A Pool between late August and late March offers a good chance of seeing a Snipe or

two lurking along the more sheltered edges of the muddy fringes. However, they are by no means guaranteed as they can vanish into the reeds only to reappear a few yards away some time later. A few can be seen during April and early May with the first returning birds being noted from mid-August onwards, but they are always scarce at these times of year.

These are not the only locations this nonbreeding visitor to the islands can be seen; any muddy patch or wet grassy field can hold a Snipe or two during the winter months.

More can be seen following prolonged cold spells on the mainland. At that time they can sometimes be seen feeding out in the open, making the most of the frost-free ground to probe with that amazingly long bill. Their cryptic plumage, with its brown and strawcoloured stripes, means they can remain almost invisible when they freeze motion at the sight of our approach.

They do not breed on the islands, although they have been heard displaying on a spring evening. They make a sound known as ‘drumming’ produced by the wind whistling through the tail feathers in their display flight.

They do breed in relatively low numbers on the mainland with many more coming in from Europe during the winter months.

Anyone who has visited the hides during the winter months will be aware that Snipe seem to spend a large part of the day asleep with that long bill tucked out of sight. They are more active early and late in the day and that is also when the highest numbers tend to be recorded. When feeding, their head makes an almost sewing machine-like bobbing action as they use the sensitive cells in their bill tip to feel for movement of their prey deep in the mud.

When disturbed, they utter a harsh scraping call which can sometimes be heard over the islands at night during the winter months as they move between feeding sites.

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A Sense of Adventure During the winter months many Isles of Scilly residents pack a suitcase with sandals, shorts and sun cream and head for warmer climes after a long, hard summer. It wasn’t quite the same for St Mary’sbased artist and seabird ecologist Dr Vickie Heaney. She decided to go to Antarctica instead!

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L

ike most Scilly residents I wear multiple ‘hats.’ I run an open print workshop down at Phoenix Crafts at Porthmellon and I work as a Seabird Ecologist, as well as picking up various part-time work with the Council and the Islands Partnership. The seasonal nature of our island tourism trade (and the nesting of the seabirds) means that most of this employment is concentrated in the summer months. As a result I’m always searching for something else to occupy me for the quiet winter off-season. Don’t get me wrong, I love the winter in Scilly; wild seas, beachcombing, getting stuck into projects, long bracing walks on the beach, followed by cosy evenings with friends, log fires in the pub and the legendary Sunday roasts at the Mermaid. Winter is however the only real time that you can get away - and there’s a big world out there.

Previous winters have seen me working with Bedouin in Wadi Rum Jordan, a few months in a remote clifftop cottage in Northern Ireland and backpacking round

South America. By late September last year I was itching to travel far afield again.

I considered Hawaii but then discovered it was the rainy season. My mum had vetoed anything in Africa for fear of Ebola and conflicts ruled out most of the Middle East too. Then, following a chance conversation at the October bird log and a kind recommendation, I found myself with two weeks’ notice for a month’s work as an expedition ship Ornithologist with One Ocean Expeditions in Antarctica!

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A whirlwind of preparing lectures, sorting insurance and ordering thermal gear ensued – did you know that you can spend £40 on a pair of socks?! After a few days on the mainland with family and some frantic last-minute shopping I was on the flight from London via Madrid and Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. There I met Catherine the Canadian Naturalist with whom I would be sharing a cabin for the next three weeks, and we set sail the next day, December 8th, with our full complement of 96 passengers. That evening, with the help of a local pilot, we successfully navigated our way through the Beagle Channel (replete with shags, Magellanic penguins and dolphins) and out into the open waters of the Drake Passage.

Famed for some of the roughest waters on earth, the Drake Passage from Cape Horn down to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula crosses a region at which there is no significant land anywhere around the world.

Here the winds roam free, with endless fetch

to whip up mountainous seas. You’ve heard of the roaring 40s? Well the Drake spans the latitudes affectionately known as the furious 50s and the screaming 60s! As a result, if you are lucky you get a ‘Drake Lake’, but more often than not it’s the legendary ‘Drake Shake’. During the latter, soup and peas are definitely off the menu and mashed potato is favoured.

This is the world of the great ocean wanderers, the albatrosses. Up on the bridge and outer decks (for the brave souls) I was able to point out the main species; the really big guys the Wanderers and Royals with their massive 3-metre wingspans and the ‘smaller’ Mollymawks, the Blackbrows and Grey-heads with a mere 2.5m wingspan. This was also our chance to talk to passengers about what lay ahead – penguins, seals, whales and Ice! Catherine and I, along with the other expedition staff gave presentations on the wildlife we would see and the behaviour and physiology that allows it to survive here, as well as the

30 30

human histories of the region - the race for the pole and the captivating stories of many lesser-known explorers that led to such evocative place names as Exasperation Inlet, Cape Disappointment and Deception Island. Within a couple of days we reached land and the real adventures began. We camped overnight on the ice, kayaked with humpback mothers and their calves bubblenet feeding all around, snow-shoed up to awesome viewpoints, checked out historic explorers huts, took the Polar Plunge (and yes that is what it sounds like and without wetsuits!), visited modern scientific bases, sent postcards from the ‘Penguin Post Office’, braved 50 knot katabatic winds and snow blizzards, sledged down massive virgin slopes (if you dare, backwards with your legs in the air is fastest) and zodiac cruised round towering icebergs and past immense glacial faces.

For me an obvious highlight was the penguins. We saw 4 different species on the peninsula; Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adelie and Macaroni. There was always drama unfolding amongst the closely packed rookeries, with stealing of rocks (prized nesting material) rife and constant menace from Sheathbills or Skuas waiting their chance to steal an unguarded egg or newly hatched chick. I also worked with the other staff to set up paths in the snow to the sides of the well-worn ‘penguin highways’ and with guests to make sure that we didn’t have a negative effect on the wildlife we had come to enjoy. Of course it’s a bit harder to maintain a minimum 5m distance when a curious penguin chooses to come up to check you out!

Evenings were spent in the on-board bar, reliving the adventures of the day and sharing tall tales and stories from our ‘offship’ lives. It takes a special kind of person 31 31

and a certain amount of commitment to choose Antarctica as a holiday destination and hearing the story of how people came to visit the White Continent is always interesting. As it was solstice the sun barely set and each night we fell exhausted into our bunks with the golden midnight sun catching whale blows out of the portholes. Then, all too soon, my time on the ship was up and it was time for our closely knit ship-board community to head back to our ‘real lives’.

I’ve been back a few weeks now and although I’m enjoying the wild weather of a Scilly winter, I’ve already started sorting my penguin images, adding to my tubenose ‘interesting facts’ files and planning my updated albatross lectures for next season!

Plodding On...

Merryn Smith, 39, hung up his epaulettes in February after serving as a Special Constable on Scilly for ten years (that’s in between his shifts at the airport for BIH and Skybus!). We collared him for a quick exit interview about his time on the beat.

I

basically started being a Special Constable because of Tom Holmes, who was the Sergeant here at the time. I was in the Coastguard and we were going through a lean period with not many callouts, so I was looking for something else to do. I talked a lot to Tom about the work he did and he encouraged me to go for it. Mind you, he was off three months after I started so we didn’t work together long!

A Special Constable has the same role, responsibilities and powers as a regular police officer. The only differences are that we’re not paid and the training is different. You’re asked to do around 16 hours a month. On the mainland a lot of people go in fortnightly and do an 8-hour shift. Here we tend to do 4, 5, 6 hours a night once or twice a week because it ties in with the islands’ night-time economy.

My duties were mainly policing the nighttime economy - looking after pubs, people out on the streets etc. Obviously we have big events like August bank holiday weekend, Gig Weekend. I went into schools on three of the islands on different occasions doing crime invention and investigation talks with them; I put a few videos together for the police over here to use in their education; policed the Tresco triathlon one year, that was particularly trying, very difficult. The majority of my shifts would be at night. A normal shift would be from 8 or 9 on a Saturday through to 2 or 3 in the morning provided nothing went wrong.

A couple of years ago I remember doing a specific shift with PC Mat Collier and I started an hour earlier because if I finished at the

normal time it meant I’d finish work that night having done 999 hours. 999 just appealed to my sense of humour!

One of the things that most stands out for me from my time as a Special Constable is drink driving. It still surprises me the number of drink drivers we get on the islands. We used to get an average of two a year, but last year we had six or something like that. It surprises me that it happens but having said that, I’ve heard every reason in the book for people doing it.

Some of the big jobs we’ve had have been particularly memorable - when there was a big disturbance at Mundesley House (boarding house for off-island school pupils) with a couple of the Kier builders, that was particularly unpleasant. We had a death on the quay with the sailor from the Windrose after the drug raid.

I’ve done drug warrants over here, searched houses, with varying results. It’s those sorts of things I remember.

Training has changed dramatically while I’ve been here. Ten years ago we had seven weekends at the Devon & Cornwall Police Training College at Middlemoor in Exeter and after the second or third one we were up and running. We then went back and did the other four which were more about law etc. A lot of it was training on the job. I think it’s much more in depth now, with a lot of distance learning, exams to do etc.

“When I first heard I was going to be working with SC Merryn Smith, I thought, ‘Oh. I hope she’s nice’. Having worked with Constable Smith for 5 years and considering them a close personal friend, I can confirm. She’s OK.” - PC Mat Collier

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It just seemed like it was the right time for me to leave. I’d been there ten years and had gained a lot of experience from it. but I felt it was the right time to try something new. Tess Lloyd starting as a new Special Constable had a big bearing on it. If she hadn’t joined I’d have felt a responsibility to stay on as an extra pair of hands but the fact that they had someone new joining up made it a lot easier to finish.

Being an SC has helped me as a person and I’d like to think it’s helped the community.

It’s kept me out of trouble for ten years! The experiences you get help you to see things from a different point of view, whether it’s locally or on the mainland. It’s changed the way I see Scilly, the good and the bad. You’re not just here to arrest people and sort out the troublemakers; you’re there to help people and resolve difficult situations.

It does give you insights you wouldn’t otherwise get. I can remember one morning standing in the queue at the Co-op behind someone I’d nicked for drink driving the previous night. It’s fine, you have a little chat, it’s the way things go over here. The majority of people understand the way it works, although there are some who don’t appreciate it.

I was part of Devon & Cornwall Constabulary so I worked on the mainland occasionally - in Penzance three times, Helston, Ashburton and Tiverton more recently with Mat (Collier). I did my last two shifts in Tiverton and Cullompton with Mat and rather romantically the last one was Valentine’s Day. It might be twee to say it but it’s very, very rewarding. You may go home after a particularly difficult night dealing with awkward or upset prisoners and it was hard at the time but you wake up in the morning and think that was a job well done. It’s not a crime free environment over here. There is crime but it’s very different from the mainland. I like to think it’s dealt with proportionately, sensibly and with the community in mind.

Tribute to Merryn from PC Mat Collier My good friend Merryn Smith SC 73983 has retired. He deserves a fitting send off.

We spent over half of both our service working together. He slightly nerdily ensured that happened by travelling to work his final two shifts in mid Devon.

Throughout my service on the islands Merryn was often invaluable, both as a friend and colleague. He would come out on call out at a moments notice and several times spent the whole night working with us, only to then go to his day job and again assist with organising flights for whoever had occupied us for the evening.

He helped with projects and lessons. Both with rubbish acting and far better video editing.

He would come out and keep us company on those dull late shifts, often only to be taken less seriously than we were as regulars.

Always willing to lend a hand and a bit of weight to a situation.

I not easily forget the shift when he came in an hour early. When I expressed surprise he explained he wanted to hit 999 hours exactly on his shift spreadsheet...

Our final two shifts, fittingly on Valentine’s day, were cracking. We were, as ever, chaotically busy. I think we clocked up more miles in police vehicles in two shifts than he has in ten years on Scilly. He was helpful, diligent, flexible and as ever, stayed on to ensure the job was done. It was an emotional moment when he walked out of the door and even more emotional when he walked back in to present me with one of his epaulettes.

He is, and should be proud to be, a holder of a medal from HRH in recognition of his service.

Merryn. It saddens me to think I will never again be bored by you in a police car. I am not interested in films or helicopters or spreadsheets, I don’t know why you think I am.

As you hang up your numbers. I salute you.

There were moments on Scilly when you bailed us out and things would have gone badly wrong had you not. I am not often sincere or emotional. But I say it here.

I don’t care what the rest of the world says about you. I think you are alright. left - Mat and Merryn on St Martins

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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 Come and join us at oursurvey AGM Our 2015 community on Thursday 11th September, 11am at St Marys Hall Hotel. runs from 10th to 30th April and Coffee and cake, a round up of Healthresidents will receive a copy in the watch post. activity and your chance to ask questions and suggest areas we should be elections to the Welooking are inat, a and unique position in Board being able to ask our entire population and of Directors. it’s a fantastic ‘temperature check’ on how well services ‘Living Well Day’ are meeting the needs of islanders. on Tuesday 16th September at Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre.

Yourwill responses, taken together, This be an all day and evening event identify themes and trends, the good packed full of information about living and the could-do-better, and provide well and staying well: top tips; sources of invaluable insights advice to the and people who further information, support; plan and provide our health and care. a chance to try out new activities and much more. See posters for details.

Your input really does make a We’ll be there with our graffiti board and difference. comments box, to capture and record 34

what you think are the important issues inMore health and social care. eye tests, regular on-island increased frequency of physiotherapy We’re clinics,busy andexpanding measuresourto reduce information base, useful of the need to travelcollecting are examples sources and materials on a range of from improvements which came about subjects. your feedback to our surveys.

We have a number of booklets at the office information and advice It’s a containing useful reminder, too, about the services people value most. about living well, and well supported, into older age. We have installed a Pleaseoftake a few minutes tell us library booklets in the HealthtoCentre about services you or a member foyer covering a wide range of mental of your household have used in the last health matters. Also at the Health Centre two years. there is a box of Macmillan literature about cancer treatment and care which Your response is completely covers a number of questions about anonymous and hugely important... coping with cancer.

Feel freecomment to browse or borrow, and Every counts! please return for the next person to find.

Bygone Gaze

addition to new landing charges imposed by the operators, International Aeradio Ltd, on every aircraft that uses the tiny hilltop airport.

IAL says it needs income provided by the two charges to keep the airport open and points out that British Airways Helicopters will be paying only £35 each time its aircraft lands at St Mary’s compared with £440 each time a similar helicopter lands at Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Isles where there is also a charge of £10 per passenger.

Island councillors fear, however, that the extra costs which holidaymakers will face could kill the holiday trade. (1982)

76 years ago The new ‘pub’ on St Agnes, aptly called the Turk’s Head, opened just before Easter.

The inn supplies not only liquid refreshment for the thirsty soul but caters also for teas.

Visitors when crossing the Sound can now see the flag marking the Turk’s Head. (1939)

49 years ago

43 years ago

The muddled state of Hugh Town traffic has reached such a peak that the Council have decided to restrict parking. Now there are ‘No Parking’ notices painted all along Hugh Street from the chemist to Ashford’s. Obviously this is the only solution to a growing traffic problem, but it certainly symbolises the change which is going on in Scilly. (1966)

A major repair programme for the roads on St Mary’s took place in the spring. The main roads, which were first surfaced with tarmac 23 years ago, have since then only received patching repairs. A major contract for surface dressing took place in April.

The cost of resurfacing the roads is prohibitive: “It would cost several million pounds,” said Chief Technical Officer Brian Lowen. “Far more than the Government would permit us to spend.” (1996)

47 years ago Mr Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister, came to Scilly by boat on Good Friday for a short holiday... An amusing story centred around Mr Wilson’s bungalow on Pilot’s Retreat during the days before the election. The new National-Liberal-Conservative (Tory) candidate, Mr John Nott, who had only visited the islands once before, unwittingly canvassed the PM’s holiday house!

Mr Reggie Phillips told him that it might prove a waste of time and Mr Nott replied: “You never know, they might change their mind”, before he was informed of the identity of the householder!

The incident had a happy ending as far as Mr Nott was concerned - he won the St Ives seat! (1966)

27 years ago A voice from the sky was heard by quite a number of people at St Mary’s in mid March.

Most islanders took the view that it was a loud hailer from an aircraft - one could be heard flying over at the tie - but no explanation has yet been found. Thick, fairly low cloud hid the aircraft from view... Spokesmen at RNAS Culdrose and St Mawgan said they had no aircraft flying over the St Mary’s at the time. No aircraft landed or took off from St Mary’s Airport, which could explain the incident. Some islanders think the voice was due to freak atmospheric conditions. They recall rare occasions when voices have been distinctly heard from ships. (1996)

45 years ago

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

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

Councillors in Scilly have reacted angrily to a proposal by the new operators of the St Mary’s Airport to impose a £1.15 charge on passengers flying out of the islands. The charge came into force on April 1 and is in 35

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

GLANDORE GALLERY

Neil Gilbert Solicitor Tel:01326 563678

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

No.1 The Old Cattle Market Porthleven Road Helston TR13 0SR

Fine art prints, greetings cards and postcards available.

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

Open Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm

Wills, Probate, Powers of Attorney, Trusts and Tax Planning

Free local deliveries and worldwide mail order service

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

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

Put your faith in experience

www.glandoregallery.co.uk 36

The recent partial eclipse was a dream for photographers around the islands. Here are a few of the best to appear on Facebook.

By (from top left) The Isles of Scilly, Robin Mawer, Chris Hall, Chris Hall, Nigel Young, Lois Morris, Nikki Banfield, Alan Holwill, Shearwater Guesthouse. Join us on Facebook for more great photos of the islands.

37

Children’s Services on the Isles of Scilly

SCILLY Memories of Summers

The Council of the Isles of Scilly Children’s Services Team offer a wide range of opportunities for local and visiting families Advice and guidance is available if your require information relating to keeping children safe, childcare, holiday activities or specialist support services

By Charles Hainsworth

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

208 pages of photographs, sketches and paintings that capture the wonder of these islands, all in full colour.

Other services include;           

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

REVIEWS: - STUNNING! - Cornwall - I want to thank and congratulate you for illustrating that precious sense of stillness - Canada - My best Christmas present - Glos.

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

May be obtained from outlets in Scilly and Cornwall.

Or: wwwgigshedbooks.co.uk 01285 657405

THREE COURSE DINNER £21.95 • TWO COURSES £17.95 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

38

Shipwrecks of Scilly O

Diver Todd Stevens on the wreck of the Dutch East India ship Mercurius

n January 16, 1835 the Dutch East India ship ‘Mercurius’ came into Scilly to shelter from a storm. She was on her way from Pardang to Middleburg at that time.

The ship was 300 tons when fully laden; as indeed she was when she came to anchor in St Marys Roadstead.

The Mercurius is described in the Dutch archives (Stichting Maritiem Historiche Databank) as a 3-masted frigate and Captain Harmanus Esink had been in command of her ever since she was built in Zeeland Binnenland in 1826. She was also described as copper sheathed and was carrying a cargo of around 100 tons of Coffee and sugar when she arrived at Scilly on the 16th. Three days later, on the evening of the 19th 1835, the weather worsened and a very heavy squall hit the islands from the North North-West. It later turned to come from a North-North-Easterly direction where it is reported to have then grown in strength, eventually going right up to a full hurricane force wind. As a result, the Mercurius parted her chains and drifted over to the Garrison shore, where she bumped and immediately began to fill with water. The main and fore masts both fell overboard and the Mercurius soon became a total wreck.

Another report in the Royal Cornwall Gazzette stated that the Mercurius “had been laying a few days in St Mary’s Roads and was driven on the rocks under the garrison and soon became a total wreck.

The crew were providentially saved; but they have lost everything. The Captains loss is said to be very great. Nearly the whole cargo is destroyed. The adjacent rocky shore is covered with spars, planks, and other fragments of the wreck; but the islanders are busy saving what they can, for the benefit of the owners.” 200 bales of

coffee were saved and these were reported to have all been in a damaged condition.

Nothing is known of the exact position of this wreck. However, I have found an anchor and a few guns under the north side of the garrison in very shallow water. Also found in the area are a scattering of small iron shot and a few broken artefacts. The top quorn stone from a pair (used for the grinding of corn etc) which I found in the same area about ten years ago and went into the Isles of Scilly museum at that time, could also be connected. However, none of these things are yet identifiable as being from the Mercurius.

This coming spring I am going to look more closely at the guns I found last year to determine whether or not they are Dutch in origin and to hunt for fragments of the copper sheathing. The statement that things from this wreck covered an “adjacent rocky shore” suggests that the Mercurius hit an outcrop on the north side of the Garrison rather than one of the stretches of rocky beach. This fits well with the items of wreckage found thus far.

Read more from Todd at www.shipwreckbooks.co.uk 39

ST MARY’S PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT VENUE LOOK FOR OUR SIGN NEXT TO THE STONE SHOP AND COME UPSTAIRS FOR A WARM SCILLONIAN WELCOME

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THE LYONESSE BAR - ENJOY ONE OF THE BEST HARBOUR VIEWS ON THE ISLAND ALSO Charlie’s Bar

MONDAY - THURSDAY 12pm - 11pm FRIDAY - SATURDAY 12pm - 11.30pm (NO ENTRY AFTER 11PM)

SUNDAY 12pm-10.30pm SKY SPORTS • POOL • DARTS • LIVE MUSIC CHARITY QUIZ EVERY SUNDAY @ 8.30pm SNOOKER ROOM AVAILABLE SEE POSTERS IN THE WINDOW AND TIC FOR FORTHCOMING EVENTS

FOOD SERVED EVERY DAY 12-2 & 6-8.30 THE PARADE, ST MARY’S, ISLES OF SCILLY, TR21 OLP TEL 01720 422720

New Instructions

Shearwater Guest House, St Mary’s

Attractive town centre guest house, catering for up to 15 guests in five en-suite bedrooms and 2-bedroom guest suite. Separate self-contained 1 bedroom owner’s apartment. Long established business. Retirement sale.

Freehold: £675,000

Driftwood, Old Town, St Mary’s

Dates for your Diary A spacious, modern end-terrace property, extended and much improved in recent years, now offering comfortable four-bedroom accommodation, with the benefit of a generous garden. A perfect family home.

Freehold: £285,000

Daymark Festival, April 4 - 5 Walk Scilly, April 11 - 17 Writing Retreat, April 18 - 25 Gig Weekend, May 1 - 4 Art Scilly Week, May 9 - 16 One Act Play Festival, May 10 Scilly Folk Festival, May 22 - 26 Dog Show, June 13

Holiday Lettings

We have a limited amount of late availability in quality self-catering properties sleeping from 2 to 8 people. Why not call our lettings team on 01720 422431 to find out about our discounted rates.

QUIZ ANSWERS 1) Buenos Aires 2) Colorado 3) Ebay 4) Fiji 5) Gums 6) Hugh Hefner 7) William Golding 8) Iraq 9) Denmark 10) Sauce 11) Rocky Marciano 12) Alfred Hitchcock 13) Emma Bunton 14) Breakfast at Tiffanys.

If you have a property to let, and want an attentive, professional holiday management service, look no further than Sibleys.

Full details at www.sibleysonscilly.com or call us on 01720 422431

41

Sylina

Guesthouse

Friendly family run guesthouse situated ten minutes stroll from one of the best beaches on the island open all year

www.sylina.co.uk

01720 422129 relax@sylina.co.uk

You are guaranteed a warm welcome Open all year We take cards, have complimentary wifi, garden, conservatory & kitchenette.

P. M. Maintenance St. Mary’s • Isles of Scilly

ARE YOU WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THAT ODD JOB? Household maintenance, general DIY, painting, decorating, anything considered.

St Mary’s Just give me a call for any job large or small

Paul Mallon

07747 560 486

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Introducing a new chapter...

(AONB) What exactly is the AONB? Simply put, the AONB is an area of land. The land mass of Scilly down to the lowest astronomical tide, to be precise. A partnership exists to look after it and work within it - the AONB partnership.

What’s new? © Ed Marshall

This year a portion of AONB funding (which comes from central government) was awarded to the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust for access improvements and education across the islands.

Managing bracken

A new look for publications Carn Morval was the inspiration for the footer - see the base of this page - and this represents the granite of Scilly. The purple colour represents the heather of the heathland that the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust works hard to restore.

outstanding scilly nature

access

beauty

AONB values heritage

We’ll be keeping you up to date in Scilly Now & Then, with seasonal AONB newsletters, and via our Twitter pages: @ScillyWildlife and @ScillyAONB.

Carn Morval

Did you know?

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is a charity. You can find out more at www.wildlifetrusts.org/whoweare Funded by: Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust

Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust registered charity number 1097807

www.ios-wildlifetrust.org.uk

43

CARNWETHERS COUNTRY HOUSE A Slice of Heaven - A Garden of Eden...

Carnwethers Country House offers four-star self-catering accommodation in four cottages set in approximately one acre of prize-winning gardens with secluded corners for relaxing and sunbathing and a croquet lawn. We also have a non-chlorinated solarheated swimming pool.

Situated above the beautiful secluded Pelistry Bay, Carnwethers enjoys the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere of the off-islands without being isolated from the modern amenities of St. Mary’s and is ideal for a comfortable and relaxing holiday far from the madding crowd.

Poolside - sleeps 4 or 5

Rowan Tree - sleeps 2

Prices start from just ÂŁ540 per week.

Secret Garden - sleeps 2

Pelistry Bay

Email: carnwethers@aol.com Web: www.carnwethers.com Tel: 01720 422415 / 07811 453109

44

Dove Lawn - sleeps 4

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN

by Linda Maddock

Kangaroo Apple

olanum aviculare first appeared in S our garden, presumably from a seed deposited by a bird, several years ago,

and now arises annually. It is native to Australasia, being is known as the Kangaroo Apple in Australia and the Poroporo in New Zealand. It is an architectural plant and grows very quickly, reaching a height of 4–6 feet in one season. The strong stems are reddish-black and the large leaves deeply incised.

It is a member of the large and diverse Solanaceae family. Included in the genus Solanum are foods such as potato and aubergine, as well as the wild British plants Woody Nightshade (S. dulcamara) and Black Nightshade (S. nigrum) which are more or less poisonous. The flowers of S. aviculare, purple with a yellow centre, are a larger version of those of the aubergine and occur during the summer, with only a few open at any one time. In autumn the fruits develop and gradually turn from green to orange, but they often do not ripen before winter sets in. It is said that they are edible 45

when fully ripe, but in view of the poisonous nature of so many members of the genus I would not be prepared to risk it. I noticed that a blackbird was feeding on the few berries which ripened last autumn.

The plant has attracted many comments due to its striking appearance. Although it is a perennial shrub I usually dig it up around the end of the year as it becomes quite tattered and untidy.

In New Zealand, the juice from poroporo leaves was applied to the doors of houses or the wood of a canoe as a glue and colourenhancer, and also mixed with soot to outline a tattoo before incising it. The name poroporo has colour associations.

The derivation of the name Solanum is uncertain, possibly arising from the Latin ‘sol’, meaning sun. Or it could be from ‘solare’, meaning to soothe, or ‘solamen’, a comfort, referring to the soothing effects of some psychoactive members of the family.

Aviculare suggests a link to small birds, possibly because they eat the berries and spread the seeds.

Fabulous food. Fabulous view.

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.

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

Award Winning

Higher Trenoweth Pelistry B

ay

Pelistry Porthloo

Mount Todden Rocky Hill

Old Town

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Selakee

t Por

Hugh Town

el lic k

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St Mary’s

46

and Bar

Maritime Scilly

by Richard Larn OBE

More of the islands’ maritime past

“Penzance Custom House Letter Book, 1739 – CCRO A.D/1 “On 28 December 1739, the’ St. Joseph’, James Billard master, Sherrant in France to Dunkirk was wrecked on Samson. The natives carried off 10 pieces of brandy and refused to give it up. When the officers came to Samson the natives took this over to Tresco. On 19 January the officers got Capt. Cocert and the ship’s company of the ‘Duke of Cornwall’ and went to Tresco where they found the brandy and placed it under lock and key.

Soon afterwards the natives broke open the warehouse and took the brandy again (per letter of 27 June 1740).

In the winter of 1740 there were several vessels wrecked at Scilly and brandy amounting to about 9,000 gallons brought ashore. The natives cellared 3,000 gallons (on which the duty was £750) and claimed it as their salvage; 1/8th being the custom of the islands. They were supported by Mr. Thomas Smith who is deputy steward to my Lord Godolphin in these islands, and governs them as he pleases.”

English sloop was taken by a French privateer, but afterwards separated and drove by stress of weather on the island of Scilly was condemned as perquisites of Admiralty; but on a claim by the owners she was ordered to be restored on paying £300.”

Gentleman’s Magazine 28 February 1748 “HM Sloop the ‘Lizard’ has been cast away on the rocks of Scilly and the whole crew perished.”

Sherborne Mercury The master of a vessel from Scilly which put into Northam says that His Majesty’s sloop the ‘Lizard’ run on some rocks going into Scilly and was lost, and that all the People were drowned.”

Reported from Bristol 5 March 1748 “The melancholy account is arrived that the ‘Lizard’ sloop o’war is lost near one of the rocks of Scilly, and all the crew perished, in sight of the inhabitants, who could afford them no assistance by reason of the violence of the wind.”

Gentleman’s Magazine 8 February 1741 “The ‘Princess Augusta’ of Bristol, with 14 guns and 25 men was attacked west of Scilly by a Spanish privateer of 24 guns and 96 men.

The Spaniard blew up.

Sherborne Mercury 11 December 1752 “The ‘Prince William’, Potter master, from Swansea to Topsham, foundered off the Land’s End, but the men were taken up and carried into Scilly.”

Sherborne Mercury Tuesday 14 June 1753 “By letters from St. Mary’s in Cornwall we have advice that a vessel laden with corn, Briton master, sprung a leak off that place and was lost with all her cargo, but the men saved themselves in their boat.”

Sherborne Mercury 23 December 1754 & London General Evening Post 2.1.1755 “Captain Knox of the ‘Granville’, arrived at Scilly from Boston, bound for London, on 13, 14 and 15th November met with a violent hurricane at sea, in which three of his men were washed overboard and lost, and he himself was washed overboard but fortunately got on board again, and arrived at Scilly on the 5th instant in a shattered condition.

The ‘Granville’ was ashore at Scilly recently, most of the cargo saved and it was hoped the ship would be got off.”

Sherborne Mercury Tuesday 19 July 1743 “By letter from Penzance we hear that a ship was lost lately off Scilly, and all the crew perished. And that by some papers drove ashore she appears to be a Dutch East Indiaman outward bound.”

Gentleman’s Magazine 8 August 1746 “At a Court of Admiralty, the ‘Phoenix’, an

47

Where your journey is part of the experience Proud sponsors of Isles of Scilly World Pilot Gig Championships

0845 710 5555 www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk Sail from Penzance

Fly from Land’s End

Fly from Newquay

Fly from Exeter

Linda Thomas has returned to the library on St Mary’s after 16 years and is very impressed with the changes.

A Room With A View for free. We’ve also got a couple of computers available to members and you may bring your own laptop and make use of the free wifi and have a cup of tea. We offer photocopying and laminating facilities for a small fee. We also have a drop in session on Thursdays from 10-12 for people with a problem with their computer or Kindle or iPad. If they have a problem or need to find out a way to do something they can pop in here and there will be someone here to help them.

We are here for seasonal workers and visitors as well. They can access the wifi on their own device but if they are a library member on the mainland they can use all the facilities same as anyone else. They are also free to join, of course.

One thing I would like to introduce is a comments box so people can tell us what they would like us to provide. I would also welcome comments on the books to encourage others to read certain books. We could maybe display them throughout the premises.

We’re open from 9.30am-noon Monday to Saturday and 2-4.30pm from Tuesday to Friday. We’re also open Monday evening from 4-7pm. If you need to renew a book you can do it from the comfort of home either online or over the telephone on 424322. You can also keep up to date with events at the library on our Facebook and Twitter pages and through the Council website. So come to see us!”

“Libraries aren’t just about books anymore.

We’re now being urged by government to get into the digital age and to diversify and work in partnership with other agencies so the opportunities/expectancies for the library are expanding. We welcome visitors to come and enjoy our lovely facilities.

It’s certainly changed a bit since I left, back then we were in the Wesleyan Chapel sharing with the TIC. It was a nice location but it doesn’t compare to this room with a view and I really want to get the word out that our facilities are here to be used and enjoyed.

The library itself offers a comprehensive selection of fiction on the ground floor while upstairs we have a lovely children’s section along with our non-fiction and reference books, which includes a section dedicated to the Isles of Scilly. If there is a particular book you want we can usually get it. However, we do have to pay for postage so there is a charge of £1.80 to cover this.

Our stock is shared with Cornwall County Council. Roughly about every seven weeks or so they send us several boxes of books and we return the same number and also in the same genre, so if they send us 20 crime novels then we will return 20 crime novels.

But the library isn’t just about the books on the shelves - if you have a tablet or iPhone you can download ebooks and audio books from the Cornwall County Council library website

49

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

50

Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project Update

The Seabird Recovery Project – An educational winter on Scilly and an exciting spring ahead

s we approach March, the Manx shearwaters are getting geared up to make their A amazing migration from the coastline of South America back to Scilly for the breeding season. Whilst they have been busy feeding out in the seas of the Rio plate, Argentina, back on home soil, the project has been delivering educational sessions and having 10 minutes of fame on the BBC! We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the projects activities this winter, from music sessions, willow fish making and Manx shearwater songs at the schools, to assisting ‘BBC inside Out Southwest’, when they came to film the project . You can watch the 10 minute film on the project website and see what a great job St Agnes school children did at taking presenter Mike Dilger on a ‘Scilly shrew hunt’ - as it is not just seabirds which are benefiting from the removal of rats, but Scilly shrews too!

Training volunteers for the project

Monitoring for rats during winter

We have also welcomed a new member to the team, Gemma Bowcock. Funded by LIFE, Gemma joins the team to assist with the biosecurity of keeping St Agnes ad Gugh ratfree, and coordinate the work of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife trust to continue monitoring the uninhabited islands.

We have a busy time ahead, firstly when Scillonian III starts to sail again, wildlife guides will return on Friday sailings to point out the birds and other wildlife seen from the deck to the passengers. We will be joining ‘Walk Scilly’ providing walks and boat trips, as part of St Agnes Boating to see our seabirds returning to their nesting sites.

This year we also have the full seabird survey being carried out by Vickie Heaney and her team. This is a health check of the seabirds in Scilly so we can further understand our seabirds and what we need to continue to do to protect them.

If you would like to get involved in any of the activities or learn more about the project please visit www.ios-seabirds.org.uk

Five islands school educational sessions learning all about shearwaters in music!

51

A Day In The Life

Guesthouse/taxi owner

Sam Mallon, 43, grew up on Bryher.

She left at 16 but later returned to live on St Mary’s where she runs Sylina Guesthouse and Toots Taxi with husband Paul. We caught up with Sam for a chat and soon came to realise that she is possibly the busiest woman on Scilly!

paperwork and ironing. In the summer it’s more difficult because we have the guesthouse and I make the breakfasts. On an average day the alarm goes off at 6.15 and I begin the day with a cup of tea in bed before heading for the kitchen where Paul and I have our own roles. both have our own roles in the kitchen. Now we’ve got the taxi it’s slightly changed. We need to be in there a little bit earlier than most people would as we have to get breakfast done before our first trips come in.

The taxi officially starts at 8am but often in summer we can have trips booked for earlier so Paul does those while I make the breakfasts and somehow make sure Jacob’s ready for school (although he is old enough to get himself ready now). Paul will come and collect him and continue in the taxi until around 9.30-10am. If I don’t have guests checking out I can get in the taxi earlier but check out is at 10am and I like to be there for that.

The maddest time for early starts was when the guys were over here doing the cable for superfast broadband. We were doing trips at 5 in the morning.

I have someone come in to help in the guesthouse for three or four hours and once I’m done with the chores I ring Paul and he comes back so I can go in the taxi for the day while he goes to work.

Then we have the juggle of Jacob finishing school at 3.30pm so one of us has got to get him. Sometimes if John drives for us he’ll start work at 2.45 so I can walk to school, which is my bit of exercise. I’ll probably do that twice a week. John will drive from around 3-8pm so Paul and I can have dinner together a couple of days a week. Otherwise we never eat a meal together and it’s really

hen I left school at 16 for sixth form W education I had no intention whatsoever of coming back to the islands but by my mid-

20s I decided Scilly wasn’t so bad. When I reached 30 everything changed in my job in London. I was working for Reuters in their HR department and basically had to make hundreds of people redundant, which probably wasn’t my finest hour! I was offered the chance to come back to Scilly and work for my mum Kathy Stedeford for the summer so I took it and after first week or two I knew I wasn’t going to go back to London.

My mum and dad are still on Bryher. My dad David Stedeford used to run Bryher Boat Services and my brother James has Falcon Boating on St Mary’s.

Paul and I have been married for nine years and have son Jacob, who is 8. We’ve done eight seasons at Sylina, so this will be the ninth. We’ve been operating Toots Taxi for two years. It’s a seven days a week operation split between Paul, John Dart and me. This time of year I do most of the taxi work during the day, Paul does evenings and weekends. In summer he also does three half days but at this time of year Paul is full time with his business PM Maintenance.

He takes Jacob to school then goes to work and I’m in the taxi from 7.45 to 5 or 6 and he’ll do the evenings while I do the 52

important to have that family time. Paul will then take over the taxi until 12.30/1am.

Once Jacob’s gone to bed I do the accounts for the three businesses, confirming bookings, invoices, Paul’s invoices for PM Maintenance, ironing etc - and have a bitch on Facebook about my day!

This summer Jacob will probably walk home and him being that little bit older is going to make a big difference to our lives and having someone in to help too.

Having John has also made a difference as it allows us to have some time off! We sometimes turn the phone off on Sunday nights because we need to have a little bit more family time. It’s so difficult because we have a short season and we want to provide the best, most professional, friendly service we can.

We do have to have a life, though. We have a little boy who’s just turned 8 and he’ll be off before we know it so I don’t want to think all we’ve ever done is work. We need to find a little bit of balance and hopefully we’re getting better at that, although we are delighted with how the taxi has gone. We never expected it to take off like it has. There was a real gap in the market as we lost three taxis in a short period of time so we didn’t (we hope) tread on anyone’s toes.

The reason we started doing it was that we were struggling to get taxis for our guests. We’d had occasions when they’d gone into town in an evening and couldn’t get taxi back for three quarters of an hour.

Also, it’s been a rough few years over here and we’ve had to diversify so a) we can pay our bills and b) our customers are getting the best possible service. Even though a lot of them are walking fit there are times when they don’t want to walk.

The name was the hardest bit to come up with. We wanted it to be completely separate from the guesthouse as they’re two separate

businesses. When I worked at Isles of Scilly Inclusive Holidays my nickname from Gill Dan was Toots, so that’s what we went for. I think it’s quite friendly and fun.

We do get some funny requests. I liked the text message asking me to pick someone up at Truro station on January 2. There is also a Toots Taxi in Oxford so we get calls for them quite often.

With the guesthouse being at McFarlands Down, we definitely fill up later than most accommodation in town so we perhaps have to work a little harder to get our share of the business. But once people come out to us we think we’re really lucky because we have the conservatory and the garden, and we’re only ten minutes from the beach. Also, the bus picks up at the end of the lane so getting in and out of town during the day isn’t a problem. Then we have the taxi, although it’s not just a service for our guests, it’s a service for the islands.

We make good use of Facebook for the businesses, with pages for Sylina and Toots.

We don’t just try to promote ourselves, we try to promote the islands and other people’s businesses. We all need to work together.

Tripadvisor is also really good. We’ve been high up the Tripadvisor rankings for the last few years, we try to make sure we’re in the top five. People should come check us out and see what we’re all about!

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All About Seals

by Sue Sayer, Cornwall Seal Group

Seal deaths in Cornwall and Scilly this winter

S

©Sue Sayer Long Strand in Eastern Isles

eal deaths in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly this winter attracted international news coverage. The reasons for the apparent spike in dead seals reported to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network are not known. Marine ecosystems are complex and intrinsically linked to what happens in our terrestrial world.

It is likely that the causes are multiple with cumulative effects as marine mammals come under increasing pressure from a range of sources. Explanations for increased mortality could include:

• Extreme weather events • Separating maternally dependent pups from mothers • Preventing weaned pups learning to feed effectively • Finishing off adults compromised or marginally surviving • Disturbance – repeated cumulatively at multiple sites over multiple months increasing stress levels and reducing energy reserves, so when winter comes they are not sufficient to sustain life.

• Entanglement in lost fishing gear – Cornwall has the highest entanglement rate for phocid seals anywhere in world • Bycatch – large numbers of seals are bycaught in the western approaches each year • Pollution such a PCBs and micro plastics or heavy metals trapped in sediments mobilised by storms • Chemicals including hormones from pharmaceutical runoff are increasing as aging populations take ever greater amounts of medication • Algal toxins such as demoic acid • Other miscellaneous – palm oil, PIB and other spills, landslides and rock falls.

Worryingly, Cornwall Seal Group and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network have identified a number of seals - male and female - who have died ©Annabelle and Chris Lowe before old age, including Long Strand from the Isles of Long Strand dead in Newquay at the young age of 8 or 9 Scilly (pictured on this page).

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