Guest Falklands blog for Tuesday April 30 2013
I don’t normally grant privileges on this site, but when faced with force majeure, what can you do?

My trip to the Falklands had been planned for a long time and the day had finally arrived. It was an awfully big adventure and an experience of a lifetime involving five flights over two days. One very short change over in Sao Paulo saw me running around getting directions over and over again and finally joining the queue to board just in time.
The views out of the window on the flight into Santiago were spectacular and it is not everyday you get told to fasten your seat belt and to expect some turbulence because you are flying over the Andes!
I was still smiling about that when I was waiting and waiting for my bag.
It however was not so smart and decided to miss that flight.
My suitcase joined me the following morning at 01:30; after being presented to a fellow passenger in the hotel who was also really missing his luggage. My experience was not unusual (hence the luggage display in Arturo Merino Benitez Airport) – I met 3 friendly Falkland Islanders who reassured me that this was normal on this route. So far from home, yet on chatting, we had so much in common even though they live over 7000 miles from the UK.
So with bag now in tow I headed off for the last leg.
The view from the plane made me forget my troubles;it was straight out of a
David Attenborough programme … Mountains for nearly 3 hours … impossible to explain.

More tomorrow .…

Falklands blog for Tuesday April 30 2013
Even the gnomes have gone inside for winter

Falklands blog for Tuesday April 30 2013
There are many different birds in Stanley. Domesticated ducks are one of my favourites. Is it the eggs? Is it “Duck a la Orange”?
No, it is the quack.
Nothing like it for raising the spirits. Sitting on the sofa – well to be honest, lying down on the sofa and enjoying the ambient noises drifting in through the partly open window. Every now and again, my neighbour’s ducks quacking floats through the window as a laughing quack. It makes me smile, relax and I know all is fine in this small corner of the world

Falklands blog for Sunday April 28 2013
Driving past the house with the whale bones in the garden from beachings around the shores, I noticed that the wraps were going up and masking the skeletons from view. The bones, though enormous, are porous and some are light and fragile. They have been varnished against the elements, but frost and ice are their enemies. I lag my Tasmanian ferns for winter and take down porous pottery from the walls – much the same thing I suppose. Sometimes, we get caught out in the UK with a severe winter. Cordylines died in their hundreds at home over the winter of 2010 – 11. I know that this is not Winterfell but the nights are drawing in here. Frost dappled the grass this morning and the sun takes his time in warming up the streets. Out on Cape Pembroke, tea berries are still present but more scattered.
Winter is coming

Falklands blog for Monday April 22 2013

A holiday here for the Queen’s birthday. Would you you like to join us for a ‘Treasure Hunt’? More of a scramble around Stanley to photograph street signs from anagram clues and decide which of the local landmarks best suited the question sheet.
Some were easy – the ‘dark birds roosting’ were turkey vultures nesting in the trees around Government House. The Great War referred to the Cross of Sacrifice by the Cemetery, and not the memorial to the naval battle of the Falklands in WWI.
What was ‘The Holy of Holies’: the best we could think of was Stanley Golf Course – perhaps not the answer that was sought.
Berries, pebbles and feathers were gathered and ticked off the list. What did the Wizard of Oz mean?
The conversation in the car raised facts such as Dorothy, Toto, the Lion, the Tin Man, Ruby Slippers, The Emerald city, Kansas and even the Wicked Witch. No one had the courage to mention the Munchkins.
Ah ha – as this was a guides event, Rainbows appeared in our thoughts, not in the sky, but on the side of the guide hut. Our answer was where we had started on our quest.

A superb birthday card for ‘Mrs Queen’ made up of driftwood, shells, leaves and berries clinched the outcome. The ‘Billy Franchise’ had triumphed again (I was even forgiven by the rest of the team for foolishly giving away 1 point in my excitement). Chocolates all round after tea, cakes and medals. Time for us to go home and for the other box of chocolates to be taken to the hospital, but alas never to return from its visit to the ward.

Can ‘Billy and His Chums’ go on to higher things? Only the next instalment can reveal the answer.

Falklands blog for Sunday April 21 2013
As my nephew used to say: a bit gingy (windy) today, but a gusty warm north east wind; sounds like an oxymoron, but here, when the south wind does blow, we shall have snow.

A parade for the Queen’s birthday, and a severe test for the headdress of those on parade; peaked caps were worn with the chin strap applied, but berets did not fare too well. I was most impressed with the Governor’s cocked hat with feathers, that proved superbly aerodynamic and that did not budge an inch.

The band of 150(Y) Tpt Regt RLC played bravely, the music coming and going with the gusts of wind. They had put on a concert to raise money for the guides at the Town Hall on Friday. They are a TA band from the RLC with a slight leavening of RAMC bandsmen and played well at the Cathedral for the Memorial service on Wednesday.

Above the parade, the turkey vultures soared and wheeled. No effort at all to keep these large birds aloft – just sheer enjoyment of the warm gusts and up drafts.

Falklands blog for Thursday April 18 2013
We had our memorial service today. Many people were up early for the service on UK TV – 05.00 here to catch the start of Sky’s coverage. Our service in the cathedral started at 14.00 local ie 4 hours behind BST.
I haven’t found anyone here with a bad thing to say about Lady Thatcher. All Falkland Islanders really appreciate what she did for them and for being the one person in that government to make the crucial decision. Many of those in the cabinet would have just wrung their hands and done nothing.

A thoughful service with a very good address by the minister. Then out into the warm sunshine to mingle and observe the news crews. The last time they were here was during the referendum, when horizontal sleet dismayed the S American reporters.
This time, warmer than London. A good cup of joe for us (latte and cappuchino) in the West Store cafe (most shops were closed for the holiday) and then a brisk climb up Dean Street.

Back to watch the coverage on tv .. a chance for 5 minutes of fame perhaps?

Measles
An absolute disgrace, the return of a severe illness that should have been consigned to history. Who to blame?
Certainly .. the disgraced and now struck off charlatan Andrew Wakefield. He lied, made up his ‘findings’ and suppressed any science that did not fit in with his crusade. Oh and by the way, he put his experimental subjects (children) health and lives at risk by invasive tests – endoscopies and biopsies that have a recorded perforation rate. This is why he was struck off by the GMC and is no longer a practicing doctor
So has he said he is sorry? – guess what .. not one whit.

The parents? Heeding alarmist and cod science from pundits, anti establishment doctors – who were oh so keen to provide a private individual vaccination service for money, and of course the 3rd estate.

Why won’t people believe proper real science? Homeopathy still flourishes as does crystal healing and other weird beliefs. This would be laughable if it were not for the fact that people get harmed by omission of proven therapy.
Rant over for the moment.

Falklands blog for Tuesday April 16 2013

I could have titled this, raining cats and dogs. Rotten weather with thunder and lightning and stair-rod rain and the MPA road closed to MOD personnel. Still wait a wee while and different weather will come along – it did. It is now spitting, but no need to “run for your lives”.

Back to the cats. All curious and friendly. Whistle and they will come up to you and be friends. Leave the front door open, and they will settle down in your house. They have the rule of the roost here and the dogs don’t like it. I never seem to see dogs being taken on a lead for a walk, though I did see a sheep taking a boy for a walk along my street the other night.

The dogs are mostly working dogs and are tied up in gardens and are very territorial. I presume that they do not socialise as much with people while being taken for “walkies” as dogs in the UK do. Back home, meeting fellow dog owners and their pets is a chance to natter and to create a complex knot of dogs and leads; the dogs get to meet others of their kind, to be “clapped” by friendly doggie people and if they are lucky (they usually are) to be given a treat or two.

Cats don’t seem partial to treats, but they enjoy the attention and a tuft or two or three. I will never forget watching a young boy climb the street on his way home in Stanley. His cat trotted down the street (in that elastic bouncing way that cats do), circled him a couple of times and then walked back home with him again. Nature abhors a vacuum and cats now occupy the evolutionary niche that elsewhere is full of dogs.

 Gizmo from next door

Falklands blog for Sunday April 14 2013
The day dawned gloomy and windy. Not good portents for walking up some local peaks.
Then, blue sky appeared and the bimble was a go.
Out to Moody Brook and then a long steep climb up to Mount William. Layers of granite tilted precariously to the sky. Not a difficult scramble, and the views to the north and west were breathtaking. Total dominance of the area from on high, but the crest is too narrow for any serious placement of artillery.
The mobile phone signal is strong on Mount William; though it is difficult to have a conversation when a pair of Typhoons are roaring around the peaks. Low flying aircraft are barely tolerated in the UK, but here the fighters are welcomed as a very visible and noisy reassurance of continuing support to the Falkland Islanders.
The memorial cross on Mount Tumbledown is visible to the south from William. As we strolled down to the valley and then followed the rover tracks up, the wind began to make its presence felt. It was not cold, but the wind was cutting. I groped my way along the ridge, buffeted by fierce blasts; it did not help that my eyes were filled with tears from the wind blast.
If anything, the wall of wind was even more powerful at the memorial, funnelled by the gulley. Standing still for a photograph was only slightly less difficult than trying to take a photograph and keeping the camera steady. I wanted a picture of myself standing in the same spot as 17 years ago, when the weather was balmy and sunny on that distant April day in 1996.
We did not linger but scrambled down to the valley to seek shelter. This is the Falklands autumn; I dread to think what it must have been like for those poor Argentine conscripts huddled on this bleak place in the Falklands winter 30 odd years ago. Poorly prepared and with rock bottom morale (Napolean said .. “The morale is to the materiel as three is to one”) their fate was sealed.

Falklands blog for Saturday April 13 2013

I’d like to report that we won the ‘Curry Night Quiz’ …

Well we did!
Would you like to help GCSE students studying tourism and economics to visit the UK in pursuit of their studies? Even with a concession, the flights cost around £850 per person. It is very expensive to journey away from the Falklands.
So we said yes to a curry quiz night at the school. On our own, with no other team members, our chosen team name was ‘Billy No–Mates’. However, we were warmly welcomed into the fold and to our new team members and the quiz began.
Pictures of pop groups – groan; pictures of dolls of famous people – double groan.
There was even a section on the latest edition of Penguin News – triple groan!
This is where we lucked out and our team members came to the fore. Great fun and every point was contested; the name of the new CBFSAI, lots of questions about Mrs Thatcher and some doubtful ‘right’ answers.
Rule 1 the quizmaster is always correct
Rule 2 see rule 1

Gisbourne in NZ a city?
Phishing spelling incorrect phising correct: that’s just plain wrong

Amazing how emotions run high at moments like these.

The good news is that the curries (and there were many many dishes) were tasty and lots of money was raised. The children are well in their way to a cultural visit to the UK – Stratford, London (and with a big grin .. Alton Towers)