I promise I will pace the St Helena reminiscences over future blogs-so a bit about the  arrival on the island today plus the first experience of the roads. I will give St Helena a break until the middle of the week before I continue my adventure. There are a couple of things about today in Frampton  before I write about what for me was a  memorable day in August 1998.

Frampton:

Bird update from last night’s “exercise” walk. I saw about 250 swallows over the lake, a yellow wagtail (one of my favourite migrants), a whitethroat, 25 goldfinches and also a little owl by Frampton Church. Hoping I might see a hobby this week I have heard a couple have been spotted already. I’ve been told a cuckoo has been heard-I’ll keep listening!

Writing update- Pig the Legend is going well about 1,000 words in yesterday’s rain and some more today!

Now the first moments on St Helena in my words written about 2 or 3 days after landing!

“…………it all seems something of a blur, the anchor creaking into action, a flurry of small boats streaming out to us, bobbing up and down on the surf, people waving and shouting. There is no turning back now, once off the boat there is no escape! It appears that one part of the ship is unloading cargo (cars, food, machinery etc.) and the other part is unloading the human cargo!

As we are the islands special guests we are called to get on the first launch (I have never felt so important-apparently our arrival was announced on Radio St Helena). Nobody told us we would have descend a rope ladder down from the ship! I descend uncertainly,  the ladder sways under my weight. A tentative moment as I step down into the launch and you feel the pulse of the waves as I totter to my place. Soon the launch is speeding to the quayside, wind rushing past our excited faces. Knots of people are gathered on the quayside studying who is on the launch. Those barren volcanic cliffs become more and more impressive as we get closer. The buildings you can see seem to be a mix of white official 19th century styled government type with a major gateway through and practical red warehouse types. Once ashore you are aware of the resplendent bougainvillea oozing down many of the walls.

…………………….we are met by a trio of education officers ……………….

After drinks and some food we are bundled into cars (a white basic ford fiesta) for the journey to our accommodation (Seaview for me and the Judge’s Lodgings for Louisa. The road up the valley is a something of a culture shock and has to be seen to be believed, it is narrow with great rocks bulging from the hillside on one side and a white barrier the other to prevent you plunging into the valley! There are passing places in case someone is driving down while you are going up. The road bends frequently on the way up almost returning back through 360 degrees……you peep your horn as you approach a corner. I start to feel apprehensive about driving -there doesn’t appear to be much chance of ever getting out of second gear! I hope I don’t drive into the rocks or over the edge when it is my turn!”

More on driving next time and the accommodation. Below are a couple of photos I took of roads (apologies for quality but it gives you the idea) The second picture gives you some idea of how the road is cut into the side of the hill and again in the top right corner is close to our accommodation.

Yesterday’s answers (no quiz tonight)

a) Dustin Hoffman won the Oscar for Rain Man  b) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was where raindrops keep falling comes from c) Gordon Lightfoot wrote Early Morning Rain   d) Bungle was the bear on Rainbow! e) Gene Kelly sang Singing in the Rain.