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Tristan's New
Crèche & Day Care Centre Opens

Report from
Mike Hentley

Some activities on Tristan require participation from almost all residents - particularly unloading days when supply ships call, and fishing days when school leavers and pensioners are drafted in to expand the usual workforce. 
 
The  Island Council has therefore agreed to establish the Crèche & Day Care Centre to provide a service to those working mothers unable - despite the extended family/good neighbour arrangements which otherwise work so well here - to make alternative arrangements for childcare.
 
Former Community Nurse Hilary Rogers has been appointed to run the Centre, assisted by Care Assistant Maureen Green and Playgroup Teacher Sheila Glass.  The Centre offers all-day care for infants and children under two, and for children aged three to five when not attending the Playgroup.
 
Janice Hentley's photo of the Centre on opening day - Monday 3 September.  Present are (standing - right) Sheila Glass and Nathan Swain,  Maureen (seated -middle) nursing Caitlin Mac Kenzie, and Hilary (seated - left) with grandson Ryan Rogers.

Atlantic Fresh launch Romantic Restaurant

The Atlantic Fresh catering team of Paula Swain, Iris Green, Lorraine Repetto, and Dawn Repetto in the Prince Philip Hall prior to the successful Valentine Day's meal which is featured in full on our 'Love Island' Page. The girls, all employed in the island's treasury department, are wearing uniforms kindly sponsored by Karriem Fowkes of Table Bay Marine, Cape Town.

Click on to Love Island for more lovely treats

International Football Match Success

Picture from Mike Hentley of the salvage tug De Hong and behind MV Kelso at anchor as a background to the football match on 23rd January between a Tristan XI and an International Salvage XI with players from the USA, UK, Netherlands, South Africa and China. 

Tristan's 10-5 win has been relayed to FIFA HQ as the squad checks other countries willing to undertake away fixtures in the world's most isolated community.

Picture right from Claire Volkwyn shows the two teams on the American Fence pitch, which is one of the Settlement's cattle fields, used in rotation, and provides further tests for visiting players after the sloping and uneven ground have been mastered! Behind is the nearby 1961 lava flow and the promontory of Big Point.

Old Year's Night Revelers

The unique Tristan da Cunha Community has established a tradition of men dressing up in disguise on 31st December - Old Year's Night and not New Year's Eve on the island.

This year Administrator Mike Hentley
was able to host the men, (known locally as Okalolies) on a fine night at an evening Reception on the Residency lawns.

Unusually the men brought flowers for their hostess Janice Hentley (but it was later discovered they were from her garden!) , perhaps also because the usual male party was swelled by a group of ladies providing food and acting as barmaids!

The forthcoming Tristan Newsletter will contain a full report and more pictures (including the unmasking of a reveller for the first time!) of Tristan's Christmas and New Year celebrations.

See also an article on Old Year's Night
on the UK FolkPlay Website


Photos from Janice Hentley taken during the Old Year's Night Reception
Above : The Arrival of the Okalolies
Below : The men posing in appropriate foliage setting!


Above : 14 men in costume shows the traditional custom is alive and well in the 21st Century

Below : Thirsty work this dressing up

Tristan hosts historic HMS Edinburgh visit to Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
HMS Edinburgh arrived on Thursday 30th November
to celebrate St Andrew's Day in Edinburgh, a community founded by the Scot William Glass.
The two day programme included a circumnavigation of the volcanic island with guests from the island, a lunch aboard HMS Edinburgh at anchor off the Edinburgh Settlement and an early evening Administrator's Reception held on the lawns of The Residency. Unfortunately HMS Edinburgh had to curtail its Tristan visit to evacuate a medevac to Cape Town, so Friday's programme was cancelled. Details of the ship & its voyage on Shipping News Page.
Edinburgh to Edinburgh Presentations
Chief Islander Anne Green is shown presenting a Tristan da Cunha Plaque to the Commander of HMS Edinburgh Scott Verney with Administrator Mike Hentley looking on. In turn Commander Verney presented Anne with a HMS Edinburgh plaque.

See also Oil Rig News Page for photograph from HMS Edinburgh of Sandy Point, the stranded oil rig and Nightingale Island.
The January Tristan da Cunha Newsletter will feature a full report and more photographs of this historic visit which completes Tristan da Cunha's Quincentenary Celebrations.
Halloween Fancy Dress
The Tristan Youth Group held a fancy dress competition in Prince Philip Hall community centre to celebrate Halloween. Shown left to right are :
Rachael Green - Fortune Teller (2nd)
Jade Repetto - Bat (1st)
Danny Swain - Pumpkin Man (3rd)
Natalie Swain - Devil
Kelly Swain - Witch
Emily Jaschinski - Imp
Anniversary Day Celebrated

On 14th August 2006 the Tristan da Cunha community celebrated the anniversary of the island becoming British. On 14th August 1816 Captain Josiah Cleote led a British garrison aboard HMS Falmouth which declared the island a British possession on behalf of His Majesty King George III.
Our correspondent Dr Joerg Jaschinski couldn't resist sending this photograph of a popular side show : ' Pin the tail on the Admin.' with the smiling victim Mike Hentley flanked by Sasha Green on the right and Poppy Lavarello on the left. It is good to see that a sense of humour is maintained by the British Government representative as the island commemorates 190 years of colonial history.

Men's Tug of War

This year the community had lots of fun with various competitions including skittles, darts, fishing, bobbing for apples, and a tug of war.

Shown left is the men's tug of war outside the Prince Philip Hall where a dance was held during the evening.

Ladies Tug of War

Not to be outdone there was also a ladies tug of war. Both tug of war pictures and the photograph of the hall below are provided by Chief Islander Anne Green. Anne reports that the tug of war was the highlight of the day.

Prince Philip Hall ready for the Anniversary Day Dance

The Youth Group decorated the Prince Philip Hall ready for the Anniversary Day Dance.

Mike Hentley back at the helm
Administrator Mike Hentley returned aboard MV Kelso on 17th July after spending time in the UK. His wife Janice will return later in the year. Mike and Janice's and Janice Hentley attended the House of Lords Reception on 23rd May to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the discovery of Tristan da Cunha (see Association News Page) and travelled to Somerset to visit the Somerton Printery to see the July Tristan Newsletter being prepared (see Newsletter Page). Chief Islander Anne Green has been acting as Administrator during Mike's absence in early May and has taken the lead in liaising with the salvors of the stricken oil rig A Turtle.
Channel Hopping comes to Tristan da Cunha
For over 3 years now, Tristan residents have enjoyed watching live television. Thanks to sponsorship by the Island's crayfish concession partner, South Africa-based Ovenstone Agencies, the local Post & Telecommunications Department were able to purchase and erect satellite equipment to download transmissions by the British Forces Broadcasting Service beamed to members of the Armed Forces serving overseas and rebroadcast to households in the Settlement area.
The popular 'BFBS One' channel carries a mix of BBC and ITV programmes, including news broadcasts, a good range of sports coverage and, of course a daily ration of 'soaps' such as 'Emmerdale', 'The Bill', 'Coronation Street' and East Enders'. 
From today, a sister channel 'BFBS Two' is also available, thanks again to the generosity of Director Andrew James and his colleagues of Ovenstone Agencies.  Andrea Repetto, who had been running P&T Department during the absence on leave of Postmaster Ian Lavarello, was able to install the additional equipment delivered by the MFV Edinburgh which arrived from Cape Town on 2 April. 
Now,  where did I put that remote control thingy.....?
Report from Mike Hentley received 4th April 2006

Valentine's Day Duty for Inspector Conrad Glass

Tuesday 14th February was a busy day for Tristan's chief of police as he oversaw a record exodus of some 340 passengers and crew from MS Prinsendam II on her brief visit to Tristan da Cunha. This was a record number of visitors to the world's most isolated community, and more than doubled the local population!

Conrad will have been busy stamping passports and supervising other Tristan staff to ensure the visit went smoothly and safely.
See also a photograph from MS Prinsendam II on our Home Page, a photograph of the ship on our Shipping News Page, and details of Conrad's 2005 book, Rockhopper Copper on a special Rockhopper Copper Page

Re launching the Mabel Clark

The 3 masted barque Mabel Clark, was wrecked on the west coast of Tristan whilst carrying coal from Liverpool to Hong Kong on her maiden voyage in May 1878. The handsome name board has since been proudly displayed in what has been for many years the finest traditional stone house and occupied by the Hagan family.

Carl and Julia Hagan have now built a guest house and are using the original board as a sign for it.  Carl has repainted and re varnished the original for display when visitors are here.The new house follows a trend to provide separate accommodation for visitors. See Organising Visits page.
£2000 raised for Tsunami Fund
Chief Islander Anne Green has reported that £2000 has been raised and donated to the Indian Ocean Tsunami appeal by the tiny Tristan community of 276, itself the recent victim of a natural disaster. Anne adds 'I was very proud of the effort made by everyone here on the island. People were very generous with their donations, even pensioners, who only receive a small weekly sum, and some of those donated almost a third of their weekly pension. I felt very humbled by that.'
Rockhopper Copper Published
Tristan's Policeman Inspector Conrad Glass has written a unique book on Tristan through the eyes of an Islander 'on the beat' of the world's most remote community.
Link to Rockhopper Copper for more details
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This page first published October 2005