Wayne has passed on the reins of webmaster (using WordPress) and of treasurer to me. A steep learning curve, and oh so important to keep my fellow owners informed and involved (a fine line — beware of too much too soon)
First nights on board
Down to Stone with our dog Hugo. Met up with Derek and Sue to be shown the ropes of Oasis Too.
Aston Marina late December
The way out to the cut
Top hatch cover art
The boat
Polished brass
All ship-shape
Oasis Too
We have bought a share in a narrow boat, called Oasis Too.
She is based for the moment in Stone. Great location and a delicatessen to die for.
She is 58’ long traditional design and oozes charm. First trip late December, so photos to follow.
Can you guess that we are excited
A life afloat
Canal dreams reprise
Off on a narrow boat named the Golden Goose
Just out of the Monty and now to Llangollen against the flow. These canals have a constant inflow from rivers and are not stagnant at all. They are brown from churned silt as the max depth is only 3-4ft
Port Howard
Go west young man 1
My colleague extolled the virtues of West Falkland. Much sunnier, greener and altogether nicer than the east. There is something magical about the place.
Port Howard … our next stop as we said goodbye to Cat and Brad our hosts on Pebble Island.
The airstrip was a few miles along the dirt road from the settlement. Wayne met us and soon we were bowling along the tree lined highway. The trees were only 1 metre high but you plant trees not for yourself, but for your grandchildren.
A warm welcome, and then to repair to the typical Falklands institution of the honesty bar.
We wanted to visit the grave of Capt John Hamilton MC who was killed in action in the 1982 war. He is buried in the settlement cemetery. The graves are surrounded by a white picket fence and is on a peaceful site on the bend of the river. His exploits are detailed in the settlement museum located in a Nissen hut in the grounds of the lodge.
Puerto Yapeyu is the name given by the Argentinians during their 74 day occupation of Port Howard. The colossal cheek — not only did they invade and imprison the population, but they tried to destroy the Falklanders’ heritage. No wonder Argentina is viewed with such dislike by the farmers here. Memories are long, life is often difficult here and those that thrive here have developed a fierce attachment to their land. Their ancestors are buried here together with a hero from a distant homeland and their prosperity has been ground out from the sweat of their brows.
Such a peaceful and beautiful place. Safe for kids who enjoy playing sheep and sheepdogs!
- and woman ↩
New Layout part 1
Model railway
After a longish gestation period, Giles phoned to let me know that my baseboards had arrived and were being set up
They were then packed and sent up first thing in the am.
I have put the pictures on another part of this website.
The packaging was impressive and the baseboards were well protected.
I used the usual bodge to get them assembled 1
I then relented and have splashed out on a socket driver and one socket (with adapter) to fit M8 bolts.
Next, the plans …
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I do have a great deal of diy kit collected over,the years, but curiously, have always skimped on spanners and socket sets — the Mole wrench is my friend ↩
Baseboards assembled
The long way home
T 0 – A 4 am start – bleary eyed to start. Porridge for the journey.
Then the bus to MPA
3 ½ hour wait for the RAF to load 91 pax – beyond reason.
2 hour stopover in Ascension – to refuel and check the a/c (RyanAir can do this in 20 mins)
Bumpy flight for the first 3 hours of the 8hr 40 min northern leg
Spring in England – so green and leafy – there are trees
Smooth drive home – though roadworks with average speed cameras annoying – especially when the hire car does not have cruise control
T+30 – I arrive home
You cannot be Sirius!
Or the dog star.
A beautiful day here in Stanley; a clock calm.
In the morning sky to the east, a bright shining star — Venus.
This night, cold, clear and calm. High in the SE sky, an orange star. It must be Mars. Sky guide concurred with me. The more I looked, the more stars appeared. Sirius, the dog star was to the south. Another bright star twinkled — Canopus1 — how appropriate
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an out of date pre Dreadnought battleship that was beached in Stanley harbour and fired the first shots of the Battle of the Falklands in 1914.
With the distance to their objective steadily decreasing, the German captains were unaware that they were being tracked by Canopus’ guns and at 0920hrs, as the two cruisers rounded Wolf’s Rock in order to engage the wireless station, the ageing battleship’s forward turret belched flame. At a range of around 11,000 yards the two 12in. shells raced towards their target, ultimately falling short. It was enough. Turning sharply to the south-east the raiders raised their battle ensigns and prepared for action, followed by another two shells from Canopus. The elderly warship might have been considered too much of a liability in an engagement at sea, but her participation in the opening phase of the battle of the Falkland Islands had diverted the enemy from his course and had almost certainly given Sturdee the warning and time necessary to get his ships to sea.”
Excerpt From: Michael McNally. “Coronel and Falklands 1914 (Campaign).” Osprey Publishing, 2012 ↩
Faded Glory
All things must pass
All things fade. Only the living repairs and renews itself. Some signs need to be updated and renewed1. Others can be safely left to fall apart.
Should they be removed or allowed to moulder?
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Unfortunately the signs warning of the hazard wear less well than the antipersonnel mines. They are exposed to the wind, rain and especially the sun. The mines are cocooned in peat and may last for many generations to come ↩
Slow Down
Hidden Gems
We blithely pass on our way, eyes sweeping over familiar objects. Turning the corner, a feature on a lamp post1 jarred a memory. There was an almost obscured crest on the post. The details have been painted over again and again until little evidence remains. Under all this clogging of paint, the old Seal Crest of the Falkands peers through.
Time to find out what else I have missed in my hurry around the town
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Iconic lamp posts with a boat apparently passing through the substance of the concrete. The six lamp posts were designed by the Colonial Engineer Col Woodgate
(An Historical Scrapbook of Stanley by John Smith 2013) ↩
