We Will Remember Them

Today is Remembrance Day.

At the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, a large gun boomed across Stanley Harbour to mark the start of 2 minutes silence.

The large crowd at the Cross of Sacrifice were silent and reflective.  Unlike every other Remembrance Day I've experienced, it was warm and sunny.

Marines, Army, Navy, FIDF, Royalty, Civilians, Tourists, Remembrance Sunday

Some 55 returning Veterans of the 1982 War might have been forgiven for wondering what season they had arrived in.   Last Thursday, saw vicious northerly squalls hit the Falkland Islands, delaying the arrival of the plane carrying the Veterans, and the Duke of Kent.  The wind also broke a lamp-post holding flags on the sea-front.

Blowing a houlie.  The lamp-posts couldn't take the strain!

On Friday, the islands were swept about every 20 minutes by hail and snow squalls, interspersed by bright sunshine.

However, an excellent evening concert by the Band of the Royal Marines, Scotland soon restored spirits, with the Cathedral full of people waving flags and singing songs like "Rule Britannia", and "They'll always be an England".

Liberation Monument

On Saturday, a commemoration ceremony was held at the Liberation Monument in the presence of the Duke of Kent, representing the Queen as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.  All  258 names of British servicemen and women and civilians killed during the 1982 conflict were read out.  Afterwards, spirits were again lifted by a reception in the Veterans honour, with everyone in the Falklands invited.

Duke of Kent, left, and Governor arriving for ceremony.

It goes without saying that the Falklanders are very grateful to the Veterans and their comrades.  They are VIPs here, and welcomed into homes.  No sleeping rough on the hills, as in 1982.  The gratitude of the Islanders is undiminished after 30 years.  The Royal British Legion, and the SAMA (South Atlantic Medal Association) do much good work for ex-Servicemen, and are very active here.

Band of the Royal Marines Scotland

Marines music for the Cenotaph

"For their Tomorrow, we gave our today"

And so, today, as the weather turned warm and sunny,  the Veterans, and the Falklanders gathered for the last time on this Pilgrimage, and remembered those who had died in two World Wars.
http://www.burmastar.org.uk/epitaph.htm

"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, 
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"

John Maxwell Edmonds

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them".

The Fallen, Laurence Binyon


WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Snow Ghost - My Little Lawnmower!

[This blog details some episodes in our lives while in the Falkland Islands.  Been here since January.  Time is whizzing by, but we should be here for another year, at least.   Spring has sprung: Summer is coming, which means it's marginally warmer.  Babies are being born and grass is growing......Note - no harm came to any animals during the making of this blog!  Penguins will return soon.]

Introducing Snow Ghost  >>>

Day 1, Year Zero.

A number of my friends in the UK quite like horses, so this is for them.  In the Falklands, it's almost the norm to own at least one.  Amateur horse-racing is a big social event, and Stanley has racecourse. Unfortunately,  I'm allergic to them, as I confirmed this week, when I came into close proximity to a couple friendly beasts.

The air is so fresh here, that I have hardly sneezed or sniffled in 10 months - very unlike me.  However, within minutes of meeting my new friends, my nose was running and I sneezed most of the next day.  Now that they've moved out again, I'm back to normal.

Still on the liquids

Anyway, the reason I'm aggravating my nasal passages is because our back garden was getting out of control, and a friend offered to lend us her horses to graze it.  She gets free grazing and we get a tidy garden.

Trying to be helpful while I shift the muck.

There are grass-cutting services in Stanley, and lawn-mowers in the garden centre, but they are both rather expensive solutions.  This arrangement is not only free, but green!   No pollution from petrol engines, and the grazed grass is converted almost immediately into useful manure.  All I had to do was collect it in a bucket.  Simple!

Snow Ghost was born about a month ago, during a short snow storm, and is still finding his feet.  But his Mum, Seran, is looking after him, and eating for two!

Lunch.

Counting the fingers....

Initially, the foal was very wary of strangers, but having seen a TV programme about breathing up horses noses, and whispering to them, I thought I would reassure the little fellow that he was in safe hands.....I also know a song horses like - "Head 'em up, move 'em out, Rawhide...Rollin', rolllin' rollin'...Rawhide!"  It seemed to work.  (see end for more).

Resting after a heavy morning at the office udder.

But most of the day, he simply watched Mum chomping on the grass, and prodded her for his nutrition.  She efficiently converted our garden to milk and manure.

Upsadaisy.

I suddenly remember where his nuzzle usually is....

Frisky

All was going well for a day or two, and most of the "lawn" had been reduced to a pile of steaming manure in the corner.  I was hoping they would now concentrate on the dandelions, but before they moved on to "dessert", Stanley got hit by a violent thunderstorm, followed by hail.

First thunderstorm and hailstones!

Snow Ghost's owner phoned to check he was OK, as he'd never seen lightning before. I reassured her that he was calm, if a little damp.  But worried that he may be getting frozen stiff, she came over with his coat.  Most horses in the Falklands go through winter without coats, so that their natural coat thickens and protects them.  But little Snow Ghost didn't have much hair or fat to keep him warm. Sniff!

Snug....

After all the thunder and lightning, we remembered that it was November the 5th, and there was a slight possibility that fireworks might be let off.  This was unlikely as there is a lot of pets and livestock in Stanley.  Many people keep chickens, and most families have a horse or sheep in the garden at the moment.  It's also difficult, if not impossible, to import fireworks now.  (Live ammunition is shipped to the garrison.  No-one wants a rocket going off amongst that.)  But, as a precaution, Snow Ghost and Mum were moved to a quieter paddock at the edge of town.

The problem. Pre-horse.

The garden seems deserted now, but I'm expecting the horses to return to the temporarily vacant house next door.  They have certainly done a good job for us.  But I can't get that song out of my head.......

Before  (right) and after (left) close attention from horses....

Who remembers Clint Eastwood in "Rawhide"?   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rawhide_(TV_series)
Keep movin', movin', movin', 
Though they're disapprovin', 
Keep them doggies movin' Rawhide! 
Don't try to understand 'em, 
Just rope and throw and grab 'em, 
Soon we'll be living high and wide. 
Boy my heart's calculatin' 
My true love will be waitin', be waiting at the end of my ride. 

Move 'em on, head 'em up, 
Head 'em up, move 'em out, 
Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide! 
Set 'em out, ride 'em in 
Ride 'em in, let 'em out, 
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide. 

Rollin', rollin', rollin' 
Rollin', rollin', rollin' 
Rollin', rollin', rollin' 
Rollin', rollin', rollin' 
Rawhide! 

Yee Hah!

Peter

Triathlon!! The year of sporting excellence continues....

[The ups and downs of living in Stanley, on the Falkland Islands, south Atlantic.  To get here, turn left after Santiago, Chile, or fly via Ascension Island, courtesy of the RAF.  Either way, it's worth it.  This week we "enjoyed" the inaugural Stanley Triathlon......]

Sunday, 4th November, 2012, dawned bright and breezy, which was a mixed blessing.  My wife would be swimming 60 lengths (1500 metres)  in the local pool, and was largely unaffected by the weather.

Trusty steed near summit of Sapper Hill.  Note aerodynamic drop handlebars.

But I had to cycle 20kms (12 miles) on a hilly course, most of it uphill, and into the 30mph "breeze".   Our fellow-triathlete (how odd does that sound?), Emeka, had a 10km circuit of the town, but would be largely sheltered from the wind by housing.

Early leader completing cycling leg.

The good news for me was I had trained for several weeks in such weather, and I have to say, I had not seen another cyclist on the road during that time.  I assume many were training indoors, or just naturally superfit, but the wind here is challenging, and on the day, many of us struggled to keep the bike upright, never mind make progress.

Changing to running shoes.

There were about 50 contestants: some, like us, in teams, and some entering as individuals.  Due to space constraints in the pool, the swimming leg was staggered, with individual women starting around 8am, men between 9am and 11am, and teams around noon.

After watching the early starters set a hot pace, we were soon warming up and getting briefed on the handover protocol between team-members.  With nerves jangling and adrenalin flowing, the crowd were soon cheering on their swimming favourites.  Not being a great swimmer, (I'm more a sinker than a floater), I could only watch in admiration at the rhythmic, efficient strokes eating into the 1500 metres.

Some swimmers used a variety of strokes, and I noticed one lady changing to backstroke every other length.  - it worked for her!  

Some of the swimmers would be representing the Falklands at the Small Island Games next year in Bermuda, and it showed in their speed.  (The event was a fund-raiser to send a team). The fastest completed the distance in under 30 minutes.  Annie broke her "PB" (Personal Best), and took fewer minutes than her age, which not many other swimmers could claim, but still left me with a bit of a deficit to make up on the other cyclists.

Ready for the running.....

The first 4 miles of the cycling were mostly downhill, with a strong tailwind, to the airport.  I could see no other cyclists ahead of me until I neared the airport turning point after about 15 minutes.  As I passed the other competitors heading in the other direction, I could see from their faces that the return leg was going to be no picnic. And so it proved...

Coming back from the airport - 8 miles uphill, straight into a 30mph gale.

One advantage I had was that most of my competitors were now in front of me on the long, straight uphill section back into Stanley.  I could use each of them in turn as a target to chase, rather than just cycling on my own.  And all were riding mountain bikes with flat handlebars, which meant they sat upright, buffeted by the gale.

It's thought about 80% of a cyclist's effort goes into overcoming wind resistance.  Hence all the aerodynamic helmets and positions used at the top levels of the sport.  It does make a difference.  And even with my trusty old steed, I could use the lower section of the handlebars, and keep my head right down, plodding along and "reeling in" some of the others during the next 8 miles.

The last mile was steeply downhill to the changeover point, but the previous 2 miles were a long, hard slog up Sapper Hill.  Several people paused here to admire the view(!), but my cycling position meant I could only see about 4 feet of road on front of me.  This almost caused a collision, when I passed another cyclist standing beside his bike and regaining his strength for the final push (literally) to the end of the tarmac. 

Emeka pausing for a photo en route!  He could have been even quicker!

Going down the 1 in 10 hill to the changeover point, I now had the gale behind me again, which meant heavy use of the brakes if I was to turn into the car park where Emeka was waiting.  I managed to give him a "High Five" handover after 1 hour, 7 minutes and 49 seconds of cycling (but who's counting?). He was off like a greyhound, looking for a hare to chase.  Luckily, a stitch soon made him revert to his normal pace!
The route was sharp uphill for half-a-mile, then mostly flat, with a long downhill section in the middle.

Stylish at the finish

Not wishing to seize up, Annie and I got changed into warmer clothes, then drove the route to find and support Emeka.  He seemed to be well ahead of his schedule, as we had trouble finding him.  Only later  did he explain that his training run times included 10 minutes of exercises!  So, he, too, set a "PB", and finished in style in front of the small, but enthusiastic, crowd.

WE'D DONE IT!!

No longer Triathlon virgins!

We'd taken just under 3 hours, and finished 9th out of 13 teams.  The winning individual man took just under 2 hours- incredible!  And the winning woman, 2:38.  Some bikes broke, and some muscles pulled, but I think everyone felt a great sense of achievement.  We certainly did.

Contestant "32C" - I'm not wearing that on my front!

Our Team Manager, David, had generously prepared a chicken curry to replace the expended calories.  He couldn't actually watch our efforts, due to playing an important golf match, but we managed to give him a detailed account of each leg over the poppadums, and the home-made bread-and-butter pudding!  Thanks, David!.

Then it was on to the Narrows Bar for the prize-giving, catching up with those that had left us behind earlier, and hearing tales of competitors stopping to help others in trouble.   The juniors, particularly, had a very competitive event, which bodes well for the future health of the Falklands.

All too soon, the adrenalin wore off, and we headed home for an early night.  Tired muscles communicated to us that we perhaps should not do this every week.  But, it was time to dream of what might have been....if we'd only done a bit more training,.... or if I hadn't had that bottle of wine the night before....zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Next time!

Peter

October highlights....

[An occasional look at life in the South Atlantic.  My wife and I are on the Falklands for at least two years, enjoying the islands, the community, the wildlife and the scenery.....]

OCTOBER, despite its name, is the tenth month, and is our tenth month in the Falkland Islands.  I'm also on my tenth cheque book from the local bank, which is ten more than I'd used in 20 years in the UK!

We've had some wonderful sunsets in October, and possibly sunrises, but they are now well before I wake, so I haven't seen one for a while.  Sunset is about 7.30, and getting later every day.

Apologies if I've posted some of these photos before, but I like them!  Please  feel free to let me know which you like or dislike or if you have any requests!  Although I don't do sparrows.

Lady Liz, Sampson, and kite-surfers

There's also been some very high and low tides, which have exposed some of the many wrecks in Stanley harbour.

Stanley Cottage, home British Antarctica Survey

The sun has been out, but there's also been a lot of hazy cloud, which has hidden the stars at night.  But the long dryish spell has continued, with only a couple of short snow showers to remind us we are only 600 miles from the Antarctic peninsula.

Victory Green.  Cottages were formerly the Upland Goose Hotel

The street furniture is being repainted for the imminent arrival of cruise ships - a sure sign of Spring.  And lambs and foals are starting to appear.

I'm hoping Snow Ghost (above) and Mum will appear soon to keep our grass down....

Stanley Growers show of nationality. Harbour and Mt Low in distance.

With all plant growth, I've been down the local garden centre - Stanley Growers - looking for tools to restrict it in our garden, and also to buy seeds for salad vegetables, hoping they know they are in the southern hemisphere, and don't wait till next June before making an appearance!

Community School on hill, and side entrance to Government House.

Bulbs, like the daffodils above, must have been brought from the northern hemisphere, and somehow changed their flowering period in line with the austral seasons.  I know there are herds of reindeer on South Georgia (although not for much longer, as they are to be culled next year), which were brought south by whalers in the early twentieth century and which give birth, as usual, in March only to find their young dying in the freezing winter.  Within a few years, though, their breeding seasons adjusted to produce young in the south's Spring (September), and the animals have flourished to such an extent they now must be removed as they threaten the survival of native species.  More on this topic later, but isn't Nature's adaptability amazing?

Rudolf, the lone reindeer.  Stanley.

Funnily enough, I spotted this reindeer being used as a lawn mower last week.  I hadn't seen it before or since....

Heading down the Stanley Road.

Last week was interesting as I met up with a friend of a Nordic Walking friend from our old stomping ground of Teddington, south-west London.  Richard was a keen and fit walker and cyclist, and had climbed several of the hills surrounding Stanley, so I offered to take him to the lighthouse - about 7 miles from Stanley.

Cape Pembroke lighthouse, and memorial to those killed on the Atlantic Conveyor.

We had a very pleasant walk through the dunes, during a gap in the snow squalls.  Worried about the changeable weather, I had had the foresight to borrow (from the Museum) the key to the disused lighthouse in case we needed to take shelter.   What I hadn't realised was that it weighed about 5 kilos.

From the lighthouse.  Chile the next landfall, 12,715 miles to the east.

Cape Pembroke is the most easterly point of the Falklands, and looking east, the next bit of land is over 12,000 miles away in Chile!  The views were great in all directions, and the snow stayed away until we got back to the car!  That night we had a delicious meal in the Malvina House Hotel while the snow flurries blew past the windows...Thanks, Richard!  Good to meet you.

Rescued penguins, enjoying the view above Stanley.

Other visitors last week were a group of 9 Rockhopper penguins, being treated to remove oil.  They are currently staying in a pen across the road from me while they regain their waterproofness.

New car park at the Tax Office (yellow).  Same old parking.

Meanwhile, some of you might be interested to know that the new car park for the Tax Office has been completed, and is now open and ready for visitors....

Spring garden display, Stanley.  Not my garden!

Some people obviously put a lot of effort into gardening here, and since the Falklands has a bit of a reputation (OK, its justified) for being bleak, I thought it would be good to show what can be done with poor soils and fairly tough weather.   "There's sleet, rain, snow, and ice....and then winter arrives!"

New, rather out of keeping, frontage.

I had a bit of work done on the car last week, but felt the garage at the historic town centre had maybe forgotten its roots with its new snazzy showroom (above).  There's something about the traditional architecture (below)  that reassures one that the staff will take car of the cars....(or have I been watching too much Downton Abbey?).

Traditional garage.

Open-top taxi.   Popemobile?

Spotted the open-top taxi recently.  It's difficult to get rid of old vehicles here - where can they go?

Nordic Walking on the dunes. Great all-over workout.

We're heading off to an island for a few days, so there may be a delay till the next instalment.  But I promise to provide another update on our life on the Falklands soon.  EG Stanley Triathlon on Sunday...Eeek!

Cheers

Peter