St Helena Airport: The First Tourists Arrive!

Three Belgian philatelists arrive by private jet - only 9997 more to go

The St Helena Government has announced the resumption of the R.M.S. St Helena until July 2017, over a year after the airport was meant to be up and running. Clearly no solution is in sight for the windshear problems which have caused the cancellation of commercial flights.

I have for some time had my worries about the St. Helena airport project, and my recurring nightmare is that the real future of the island will be as a haven for wealthy people who can afford private jets.

I have recently come across extracts from the 2005 report by Atkins Management Consultants which noted that

The nature of the weather (recording of local variations – wind direction and strength, visibility, temperature and cloudbase – only started in mid-2004) on Prosperous Bay Plain has not been assessed in detail for long time enough. Currently weather readings are being gathered but at least one year’s and preferably three years’ recordings will be needed.

The report later went on to express its concerns about the local weather conditions, and to recommend a series of flights over Prosperous Bay Plain to assess the design before the project commenced.

There are doubts concerning local weather conditions, in particular, there are doubts about the amount of turbulence that could be expected on the approaches (due to the elevated location of the surroundings bluffs). Il is therefore recommended that, regardless of which aerodrome option is chosen and before the runway designed is finalized, a charter aircraft should fly test the approaches to and departures from the intended runway. This would ensure confidence in the final design and may be regarded as part of the design process applicable to St Helena’s circumstances. The most suitable aircraft for this would be the four-engines L 100 Hercules: this could route via Ascension Island for refueling and crew rest stops.

I wonder if these test flights ever took place. I have a strong suspicion that they didn't, but will be happy to be proved wrong.

The future of the island has been predicated on self funding though the expansion of tourism, which it has been hoped would build up to around 10,000 a year by 2020. This is now looking like a very sick joke, with no alternative plan in sight.

Were it not for other more pressing matters engulfing the UK's political class at the moment I think this would have been treated as a major political scandal. Not only has it been a waste of taxpayer's money, but more importantly it is a very real tragedy for the residents of St. Helena, and particularly for those who have invested in tourist related projects.

Last Boat to St Helena

Article by Matthew Engel in the Financial Times, January 29th 2016

Matthew Engel's article on St Helena has appeared in the Financial Times. A longish very thorough assessment, very critical of Governor Capes and the whole system of Governance on the island, Matthew thinks that the island needs a home grown Napoleon, without the military ambitions! Sadly I see no sign of one emerging.

Matthew is rather pessimistic as to whether the airport and tourism will really transform the economy of the island and remove its financial dependence on the UK. Like most of us who have been there, Matthew has clearly been captivated by St Helena, shares the anxiety of the Saints about its future,and cannot wait to return.

Matthew Engel on St. Helena

St Helena Independent 15 January 2016

The former Guardian Journalist Matthew Engel has just paid a short visit to St. Helena and intends to write an article about it for the Financial Times. From the comments he has made it looks as if he could perhaps make a real impact on debate about the future of the island.

Like all of us who love the island he is worried that with the coming of the airport something unique and precious will be lost and St Helena will become like every- where else.

His most important observations are about how the island is governed. He was shocked to find the extent to which St Helena is not self governing, and how important decisions are taken by short term people coming from London. On my own last visit to the island I heard a lot about "White ants" and soon realised that the Saints were not referring to the termites who have wreaked such havoc on the island but to a more recent intake of expatriates!

Matthew described the relations between government and the governed as one of the worst that I have seen in a notional democracy - It is dysfunctional. It is a horrible mess. He recommends that the Saints should take more responsibility for their own destiny.

A very gifted journalist, whose column in the Financial Times is always perceptive and amusing, he has been far more prepared than others who have visited, sometimes with their fares paid by the St Helena Government, to take on board the criticisms made by the Saints themselves. I look forward to reading his article.

A tribute also to the St. Helena Independent. It doesn't always get it right, but it serves a vital function on the island.

St Helena: How not to encourage tourism

Proposed new water tank outside Longwood House

St. Helena is pinning all its hopes on the expansion of tourism once the airport is up and running. The main tourist site on the island is Longwood House, where Napoleon spent the last 5 or so years of his life. So what better way to make the island aesthetically attractive to tourists than to site a large water tank just outside the gates of Longwood House, on a site formerly intended for parking the mini buses needed to take said tourists to visit the house.

Some years ago a distinguished visitor Jean-Paul Kauffmann correctly described the area around the Briars as an abandoned work site. I fear that the authorities on the island are prepared to let Longwood go the same way.

Apparently only the Governor can stop this from happening, and the precedents for so doing are not encouraging.

Jamestown St Helena: 20/20 Vision

In prime position at meeting at the Consulate Hotel, Jamestown

Towards the end of our recent visit to St Helena my wife and I attended a meeting to discuss the 20/20 Vision for Jamestown, a bulky document, costing £30, which I suspect few had read. The audience was large by St Helena standards - well over 100.

Wharf Area Jamestown

The document's purpose was to set out possible changes by 2020 when, with the completion of the airport, still scheduled to open in 2016, Jamestown's historic role as the access point for the island will have come to an end. The author, off the island at the time of the meeting, seems to envisage Jamestown as a kind of up market Las Americas, and the wharf area perhaps as a cut-down version of Cape Town's Victoria and Alfred waterfront!

Among the most troubling proposals was that the Castle, the historic seat of the Government of St Helena, should become a hotel.

Jamestown Castle

At the end of what turned out to be a rather bad tempered meeting a vote was taken. Not a single hand was raised in support of the document. I was told by someone in the know that I would be shocked at the cost of the project - certainly I gather far more than £100,000. I was also confidently informed by a number of residents that nothing would happen anyway, certainly not before the completion of the airport: gossip and rumours are the only things that move fast on St Helena.

I certainly hope that the Government of St Helena and the Department for International Development will tread very carefully when making plans for this unique and largely unspoiled Georgian town. The recent destruction of historic buildings and steps on the wharf do not inspire confidence, particularly since the new facilities created there will be surplus to requirements when all freight handling moves to Ruperts Bay. p.s. all the photos enlarge if clicked.

St Helena Airport and the Crisis in the Tourist Industry

Image of St Helena's planned new airport bulding

Since the appearance of Simon Pipes' very active blog, St Helena Online, I have felt less need to comment on current events on St Helena. I felt though that I should cover the latest news about the airport project, a long running saga that is now no longer a mirage, if I may be allowed to mix my metaphors!

This very day the island's Council has approved the design of the new airport building.

Less prominent in the news, I notice from the St Helena Independent that the revised completion date for the airport is now 25th February 2016, thereby missing the 200th anniversary of Waterloo and the arrival of Napoleon!

It will be a surprise to me if there is not further slippage on a project of this size at such a remote location.

Initially at least the airport will be restricted to Boeing 737-700 and Airbus A319, which carry around 120 passengers. (1)

Apparently the plans for the runway have been amended at no extra cost. The original contract was for a runway of 1550 metres, with an Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) at the end. It has now been decided pro tem to dispense with the EMAS, and to build a full 250 metre Runway End Safety Area (RESA). This will make it easier at a later date to upgrade the airport so that larger aircraft carrying 160 passengers, such as the Boeing 737-800 or Airbus 320 can land. All that would be needed apparently would to construct an EMAS and make the existing RESA part of the runway.

Crisis in the St. Helena Tourist Industry

Elsewhere I note the concerns expressed by the owners of the two hotels on St Helena, the Consulate and Farm Lodge, about the dire straits of the tourist industry.

Farm Lodge Hotel, St. Helena

This presumably is partly a global problem, but has in their view been exacerbated by management of the RMS St Helena which has been marketed more as a cruise ship than as a mail boat carrying passengers to the island. Encouraging passengers to stay on board whilst paying short visits to the island and including a trip to Tristan da Cunha in its schedules has undoubtedly reduced the number of tourists needing accommodation. A number of RMS berths have also been taken up by employees of the airport contractor, but the demand from them for hotel accommodation has apparently not materialised.

The owner of the Consulate has announced that she will have to lay off staff and close the accomodation part of the hotel after Christmas because of a lack of bookings.

The Consulate Hotel, Jamestown, St. Helena

So can I urge anyone who is thinking of making a trip to the island to do so. I for one have made my own plans, wishing to visit the island again before the airport changes it forever. My wife and I can hardly wait.

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1. I notice that there is an option for the Airbus A319 to carry over 150 passengers. I have no idea whether this version requires a longer runway, but I imagine it does. I understand that planes to Cape Town and Johannesburg will not be able to carry a full load because of the extra fuel needed. A short hop to Ascension, not yet approved by the US, would be less of a problem. I suspect that the rocky terrain, the steep approaches and the high altitude, not to mention the high winds and changeable weather, will provide challenging conditions for pilots. I am sure that the authorities on St Helena and in London have already thought all these things through!

The St Helena Independent Makes a Lazarus Like Recovery

Somewhat old news now, but for completeness I really should report the resurrection of the St Helena Independent at the end of April, barely a month after the demise that was solemnly reported here and elsewhere.

The latest issue (May 25th) has a front page editorial about the need for sea links after the airport, and wonders why no consideration has been given to this before. I have to say that I have been wondering about this for some time. Doubtless all will be revealed eventually, but I am not convinced that anybody has got any answers at present. I will be very happy to be proved wrong.

The editorial also notes that current thinking is that Rupert's Bay should be the cargo terminal, and points out that EU money has been spent demolishing Jamestown's historic wharf buildings.

The raising of the roofs of the low stores at the wharf has taken away a lot of the original char acter and obviously, the new cargo and passenger terminals are in the wrong valley if the sea access point to the Island is in Rupert’s. The changes/improvements to the Jamestown Wharf would obviously have looked different if the new DfID schemes had been known a few years ago. Then, we could have developed the Wharf as a tourism destination and not so much as a cargo terminal. With this background, we could say that we have wasted much of the EU money put into the wharf development.

On a less solemn note, the following rather unusual advertisement from today's issue caught my eye.

I don't think I should offer any comment!

April Fools Day: St Helena Airport and The Ashcroft Connection

Sunday Mirror - All Fools' Day 2012

In 2010 the new coalition Government announced that it would reverse Labour's postponement and would spend some £200 million on building an airport on St Helena. This was against a backdrop of unprecedented cuts in Government expenditure and anticipated falls in living standards for most people in the UK.

Amidst the celebrations I voiced my concerns about the involvement of Lord Ashcroft. The billionaire tax exile was apparently annoyed that despite his large donations, the Conservative Party had failed to secure a majority in Parliament at a time when its main opponents were unelectable:

The high profile involvement of the billionaire Conservative party donor Lord Ashcroft - embittered coiner of the homophobic term "brokeback" to describe the relationship between the leaders of the UK Coalition Government - leaves me with a few nagging doubts about the future of St Helena.

Appearing on live radio at the time, Lord Ashcroft was asked twice how he thought ordinary people would feel about this expenditure at a time of Government cuts. After saying disingenuously, that it was a question for the politicians, he terminated the interview.

Following the row about the Prime Minister's secret entertaining of political donors, the Sunday Mirror yesterday reported the following sequence of events, which may or may not be coincidental:

June 10th 2010 Lord Ashcroft invited to Chequers for lunch

June 21st Lord Ashcroft asked in House of Lords "What are the current plans for an airport on St Helena?"

July 22nd International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell announced the Govt would pay for the airport on St Helena.

Lord Ashcroft has always denied any commercial interest in the island, but he has not ruled it out:

"But who knows? If there happens to be some opportunity that either requires some equity or financing and makes sense, and if I am able to be a catalyst that would help something to happen that might otherwise not have happened, then certainly I'll be happy to consider it."

Yesterday was of course April Fools' day. I wonder who is being taken for a ride?

St Helena Will have Its Airport

So the airport will be built. The full story is on Michel's blog.

We are pleased to announce that the Secretary of State’s conditions have now been met, and that we have today entered into a contract with Basil Read (Pty) Ltd in the amount of £201.5 million for the design and construction of the airport, an additional up to £10 million in shared risk contingency, and £35.1 million for ten years of operation. This represents a saving of more than 20% in real terms from the 2008 price, taking into account inflation and the value of the pound.- Mark Capes, Governor of St Helena

I must say I have very mixed feelings about this. What we can be sure of is that once the airport is built St Helena will never be the same again. I hope my worst fears are not realised. But as Michel's post makes clear, this is good news for the French properties, which will now be far more accessible to those who wish to visit them.

St Helena: "Trouble in Paradise"

One is inclined to take any article, such as that in today's Observer, which portrays St Helena as a paradise, albeit a troubled one, with a largeish pinch of salt. The Observer tries to link concerns about the proposed airport with the recent demonstrations on the island, a connection that I for one have not detected, which is not to say that it does not exist.

The article raises concerns of the outgoing chairman of the St Helena National Trust, Jamie Roberts, who says that the site for the airport "happens to be one of the best sites for wirebirds .. It is a big area for St Helena, and especially important as it is productive agricultural land." Also Martin Drury, former head of the UK National Trust, voices his concern that the proposed airport, tourist hotel and golf course would destroy much of St Helena's "time-capsule character." He prefers a solution modelled on Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel - "tourism without new development" , which is more in keeping with St Helena's character. Whether that would generate the jobs required is open to doubt, although to be fair there must be similar doubts about the current Government proposals.

Certainly one cannot help wondering why at a time of unprecedented belt tightening in the UK this £300 million project appears to be given priority. The Observer seems to be in little doubt as to where the responsibility lies:

Much of the momentum behind the airport plan derives from the long-standing interest in the island shown by billionaire businessman Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative donor and the party's former deputy chairman and treasurer."

Apparently the Observer contacted Lord Ashcroft's office last week, but received no reply.

Coincidentally this week's Independent carries evidence that all is indeed not well in paradise. Grafffiti abusing Governor Gurr, Napoleon, expatriates and the French have appeared on the newly built and not yet opened toilets on Tomb Road.



Happily, as the Independent reports, the overwhelming majority of Saints appear to be shocked by this apparently premeditated vandalism, but even if it is an isolated incident, it is a worrying one which could destroy St Helena's reputation for what the Observer today calls its "friendly people."

Protest March on St Helena: Not a Happy Place

Michel's blog has photos of the protest march on St Helena yesterday (16th April). It has been triggered by the imposition of a new 20% tariff on all imports. This is on top of already very high freight charges, increases in electricity and water charges, and a new regressive tax system.




The St Helena Independent is always a useful source of information on such matters, and the editorial by Mike Olson, published the day before the protest march, did not disappoint:

The demonstration tomorrow will be interesting. During my 15 years on the Island, I have never before seen so many angry people. People from all walks of life are strongly reacting against the imposed ‘tax reforms’ electricity and water increases and increases in anything else the Government can come up with to take your money.

St Helena has got three full-time farmers, about eight full time fishing boats and 10 Directors in Government. Who will pay for all the new Directors? It is absolutely ridiculous that we have 100’s of people counting and writing reports about what a handful people are doing.

.. is it really fair that people on lower incomes should pay for a few high paid bureaucrats through huge increases in duty on your children’s baby milk and nappies. The unfortunate fact is that we have dozens of people from overseas making tax benefits of between £50,000 and £100,000 per year together and they never actually use their own money. They pay their living from the generous tax-free allowances. Their handsome tax-cuts YOU have to pay for. The system is despicable and is not fit for any place in the world with any social ambitions. taking the people into account.

The full editorial is well worth reading by anyone who cares about the island and its people.

A couple of letters published in the same edition of The Independent cannot help but make you wonder just what is going on.

Who Is Getting All The Subsidies?

Last week a letter was published from Cllr Buckley setting out grant expenditure for 2010/11. In order to prevent further speculation, we the undersigned wish to make it clear that none of the £6,000 apparently granted for coffee production was granted to us.

Yours faithfully
Mr Bill Bolton
Mr Stephen Biggs
Mr Brian Beard
Rosemary

With regards to the letter from Councillor Rodney Buckley on the amount of money that was ploughed into the farming industry in the past financial year- £204,682 to be exact! Well as one of the farmers on the Island I got nothing from this money!
But I am wondering who did?

Sincerely
Farmer – Western side!

Reading information like this it is difficult to feel much optimism about the future of the island, and it certainly does not inspire much confidence in the ability of the St Helena Government to manage the massive airport project.

Stedson George & The Future of St Helena

Stedson George, former headmaster, former Councillor, and expert on the night sky, is one of the characters of St Helena.

It is always worth listening to anything he says.

I well remember my few conversations with him on my visit to the island - in particular I asked him what was his favourite place amongst those he had visited in the world.

Lemon Valley he replied.


What place would he like to visit again, I asked.

The same answer!

I am still not sure whether he was just winding me up. Some day I really must go and check out Lemon Valley for myself.

Anyway I noticed that Stedson has been giving his views on the future of the island (St Helena Independent, 29th October 2010).

Like many Saints he is critical of creeping bureaucracy and would prefer more emphasis on the development of the private sector: At one time the entire SHG was housed in the Castle now it's gone further up the town!

Stedson feels that Government should be encouraging more production, especially from farmers and fishermen, and should be prepared to use short term subsidies to help people who lack capital to get businesses started.

He also has reservations about the proposed international airport. He doesn't think that St Helena can attract the anticipated 30000-50000 annual visitors. He would prefer a smaller airport linked to Ascension. Interestingly he thinks that St Helena should promote itself as a cruise ship destination, and argues that a priority should be the construction of a decent breakwater to make it safe for cruise ships to land passengers. He also argues for more emphasis on renewable energy.

Like Stedson I have some concern that it will not be alright on the night. The recent problems of Norfolk island, one of the models for St Helena development, raises concerns as to whether current plans are well founded.(1)

The previous UK Government clearly had doubts about the realism of the tourist targets when it announced a pause in the international airport project. I am still unclear as to why the current deficit reducing Government has reversed the decision of its ostensibly more profligate predecessor. I wonder if there is some hidden agenda?

Personally I would like prefer more emphasis on sustainability, as indicated in a previous post on this subject.

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1. St Helena Role Model Goes Bust St Helena Independent, 5th November 2010, Norfolk is heavily reliant on tourism. But visitor numbers have slumped in recent times, and other key sources of income such as Norfolk Air, the island's airline, are losing millions of dollars a year.

St Helena and Napoleon's Bicentenary : Let's Just Do It

I have always given a link to the Friends of St Helena's website on this blog, but until recently have never actually got round to filling in the membership forms.

I don't know why it has taken so long. I could claim that it is because all its events are held in the south of England. Apart from occasionally passing through en route to far away places, I can only recall visiting London twice in 20 years!

That is probably just an excuse though.

Anyway, prompted by a certain French man who I believe has never himself visited St Helena, I have now joined.

What is more I have buried my prejudices, or some of them at least, and I hope to be in London on 16th October for the Friends' meeting on "Napoleon and His Time on St Helena 1815-1821."

Amongst the information sent by the Friends is the booklet "Let's Just Do It", produced by Hazel Wilmot, who is I believe the new owner of the Consulate Hotel in Jamestown.

What an interesting read. Written in 2021, it looks back on St Helena's development since 2010. You may have to read that twice!

In 2021 the new Bicentennial Airport is being opened on Prosperous Bay Plain. Apparently there has in the meantime been the development of a small daytime airfield at Horse Pasture, which was opened in 2011 or maybe 2012, and gave Saints quick access to medical facilities in South Africa. This airport is now far too small, hence the building of the new one. Among the many other developments have been the lifting of previous restrictions on immigration, a rise in population to 6000, the development of two new retirement villages, the relocation of a number of banks from the politically less stable African continent and so on.

I was interested to see the pride of place given to Napoleon in the opening passage.

Liverpool has its John Lennon Airport, so why should St Helena not have one associated with the captivity and death of its most famous resident? I would not hold my breath over that one!

Certainly the work of preserving and developing the Napoleonic sites has at best been peripheral to the concerns of Government and most Saints.

Hazel Wilmot however, perhaps because she is a newcomer as well as an astute business woman, seems to have instantly grasped the significance of the Napoleonic heritage for the future of St Helena.

It will be interesting to look back in 2021 and see what has actually been achieved.

The Future of St Helena: A Wedding destination?

An interesting day for the Napoleonic blogs.

Carmi has unearthed a wonderful cartoon of Napoleon on the front page of a 1949 Men Only Magazine - a real gem. Quite how the cartoon relates to the content of that particular edition of the magazine is unclear.

Then Michel reports a recent wedding at Longwood House,well a renewal of vows actually, and in the Montholon Apartment, not the Imperial Suite.

The happy couple were expatriates currently working with the island police. After the short ceremony there were photos on the lawn in front of the famous entrance.

Longwood has over the years witnessed births and deaths and other dramatic events - but as far as I know never a wedding ceremony.

I could not help wondering what Napoleon would have made of all this.

Perhaps this will be the future of St Helena and of Longwood House - an exotic wedding destination.

Once St Helena gets its airport then the Mediterranean, Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and Las Vegas will have a new more exotic and probably more expensive rival.

I can see it now: horses and carriages, men dressed in uniforms of the Grande Armée, and maybe even photos in Longwood House with a Napoleon look alike, for a supplementary fee of course.

Certainly beats a photo with a Sri Lankan elephant.

Future of St Helena

Anyone who keeps in touch with St. Helena cannot fail to be concerned about the current situation.

Plan A was for the island to become self sustaining. HMG was going to build an airport, and an influx of high value tourists was going to develop the economy and ultimately eliminate dependence on the UK. There was always some scepticism on the island as to whether this strategy would work. When HMG announced a pause in plans to build the airport, and expressed doubt as to whether in the future tourism would recover/develop to the extent assumed because of the global economic crisis, it became apparent that there is no Plan B.

In the short term the island is also facing disruption of its lifeline. Both engines of the RMS St Helena are to be replaced - necessitating two periods in the dry dock in Cape Town in 2010.

Looking at it as an outsider it seems to me that some kind of air link is essential: to enable families to visit at shorter notice than is presently possible, and to enable those requiring emergency medical treatment to be moved quickly. It clearly will never be possible to have the highest standards of medical care available on an island with a population of only 4000. Whether the island needs the expensive airport previously proposed is another matter. In a rational world a low cost air link to Ascension would seem the most sensible solution, but I fear there are strong political reasons which would make that impossible.

The island also will need some way of getting freight by sea. I suspect that the most effective solution remains a dedicated ship to service the needs of this and the other islands in the South Atlantic. The replacement of the RMS engines suggests an intention that it will continue to ply between South Africa and St Helena for a number of years. At some point a replacement will be needed. Last year I read that the French were going to export wine to the UK by sailing ship. Whilst not advocating a return to sail for St Helena, I do wonder whether in the very long run a wind assisted ship might be a sensible way of reducing the costs of transport to the island. One thing the South Atlantic is not short of is wind! Probably far too visionary - but Napoleon would have loved the idea.

One final thing that visitors raise all the time is the question of growing more food. In a much earlier blog I pointed out that the allotments offered by the French Consul had few takers. It was also apparent that the land at Plantation House was not fully cultivated. I understand that there are numerous pests and diseases which frustrate vegetable growers on the island, but these problems and their solutions are surely within the realms of human knowledge - and hopefully do not need visits from expensive consultants.

On our recent trip to Cuba we found organoponicos in all the towns we visited. These are concrete raised beds which allow vegetables to be grown anywhere, regardless of the soil conditions which are usually poor. There are even such plots close to the centre of Havana. (1)





Obviously there are problems in developing similar solutions in St Helena - but they are organisational, not technical. I wonder for example how much organic waste is composted on St. Helena - or does all the compost come on the RMS?


Nobody is going to get rich growing vegetables on St Helena. Nevertheless, everything I have read indicates to me that food is not likely to get cheaper in the foreseeable future, and that a community so vulnerable to energy costs ought to replace as much of its imports as possible. Gardening is also a healthy activity, which is worth encouraging for its own sake. I imagine that a Cuban consultant would be fairly cheap, and might even bring a breath of fresh air to the island! Now I am getting really visionary -maybe entering the realms of fantasy even.

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(1) These are a relatively recent development in Cuba. Gardening was looked down on in pre 1990 Cuba, and was seen as a sign of poverty and under development; but it became necessary when Cuba could no longer obtain food imports from the eastern bloc on whom it had relied for most of its foodstuffs.

What Language do they Speak on St. Helena - French?

Since my return I have been asked a number of questions about St. Helena. I will now try to put my answers together. Hopefully if I make any mistakes somebody will correct me.


1. What Language do they Speak ?

It is English - in fact it is the oldest variant of English south of the Equator. St Helena was settled in the early days of the Empire, before Australia, New Zealand and the Cape. The form of English spoken is therefore a product of early settlement and interaction with later settlers from other cultures - Africa, the Indian sub-continent and Asia.

2. How many people live there, and where do they come from?

It was settled from England in the seventeenth century - before the union with Scotland. By the nineteenth century there were some 1600 Whites (including about 800 soldiers), 600 Chinese, 500 free blacks and 1500 slaves. A large number of Chinese left by the 1830's, a large number of whites left after 1836 when it became a Crown Colony, and in the period 1870-1875 some 2000 islanders left for the Cape. The island has lost population in recent years following the restoration of the right of Saints to work in the UK. There are now some 3900 living on the island, but many thousands more living overseas. There appears to have been some small scale inward immigration from the 1800's right up to the present day. I would guess that few if any families could trace their origins back to the original settlers.

3. What kind of economy does it have?

It doesn't really have one. It is highly dependent on Government expenditure and remittances from Saints working overseas. For those who are interested in such things, academics now use the following taxonomy when talking about small island economies:

MIRAB : Migration, Remittance, Aid, Bureaucracy - sums St. Helena up to a T.

SITE : Small Island Tourism Economies (Antigua, Bali, Barbados)

PROFIT : People, Resource, Management, Overseas, Engagement, Finance, Transportation (Primary and manufactured exports, offshore finance, diversified economies - Isle of Man, Cayman Islands etc)

Clearly the aim is to try to move St. Helena into the SITE category, principally by building an airport and developing tourism.

4. When will the airport be built?

Now who was it who said that a fool can ask more questions in ten minutes than a wise man can answer in a life-time? The airport has an entry on Wikipedia, which is I suppose some kind of a start St. Helena Airport. Seriously though, it is hoped that it will be ready by 2012 - but there are some concerns that HMG will baulk at the cost estimates (£200,000,000 and rising). Some will be pleased if they do - but it has to be said that nobody has come up with any alternative for development of the island.

5. What currency is used?

St Helena sterling - it has parity with UK sterling. There are no ATM's on the island, and just one bank. Travellers cheques seem the most sensible option.

6. What is public transport like - can I manage without a car?

It is a small island, but very hilly, and it is better to hire a car. There is little public transport, and taxis are expensive. Fuel is more expensive than home, and you will use more, because the mountainous roads mean that you will spend most time using lower gears.

7. What is the cost of living like?

Accommodation is reasonable, but generally things cost more than at home - remember that they mostly come on the same boat as you, and rising oil prices are an added problem.

8. How can you communicate with home ?

Phones are relatively easy to find, and not prohitively expensive unless you insist on long calls. I could find only one computer available for public use; it is possible to take a laptop and get it connected to the internet using dial-up. Broadband is very expensive and not worth paying for a stay of a few days. Don't even think about trying to use a mobile phone.

9. What are the attractions of the island to tourists?

Remoteness, relative peace, spectacular views, friendly people, and, when it is clear, the most spectacular night sky you will ever see. Quite simply it is a unique place, and provides an unforgettable experience.

10. Won't an airport destroy the very things you like about the island?

That is a danger, but it is not the intention to develop mass tourism, and the cost of getting there will hopefully be a disincentive for stag nights and hen parties for all except the rich, and for them there are more suitable places to party! In any case I feel this is a decision for the people who live on the island, not for me.

11. What is the island like for beaches, shopping, fine dining, and night life?

If that is what you want I suggest you try somewhere else.

12. Are there any world class tourist sites on the island?

The three Napoleonic sites fit the bill. In the days when literally hundreds of ships a year visited St. Helena they were a great attraction. More books have been written about Napoleon than anyone else except Jesus, and the interest shows no sign of abating. Longwood and the Briars have now been carefully restored. The Valley of the Tomb is a very special place. Without wishing to make St. Helena a Napoleonic theme park, there are also other sites such as Bertrand's cottage which could also be marketed. If it is serious about tourism, St. Helena would be very foolish not to take advantage of these major assets.

13. What about medical facilities?

There is a hospital on the island. Clearly for certain conditions people need to get to South Africa for treatment - and there is only one way to do that at present. Visitors must have proof of medical insurance.

The R.M.S. and the Rhythm of Life on St. Helena

The mail ship is the heartbeat of life on St. Helena.

Virtually everything that is consumed on St. Helena comes on the RMS.(1)



On this ship virtually everybody arrives and virtually everybody leaves.(2)

It is hard to imagine this town and this quay when, with the completion of the airport, this heartbeat is stopped forever.

Before the RMS arrives the local papers give the names of the important people that are coming. Nobody has ever heard of any of them.

When the ship arrives the quay becomes crowded.


The coffee shop opens early for business.


Local radio provides up to the minute information on its time of departure.

The Post Office displays information on the deadline for posting letters.

For the French Consul it means that he has to work on something called his Diplomatic Bag.

We have already watched the R.M.S. leave twice, each time for Ascension Island.

When it returns the second time we know that it is our turn to go.



For us then it means delivering our luggage to the customs, and the sadness of saying goodbye to people we will miss.


It is the least happy time of our holiday.

Time for a few parting photographs.























Goodbyes are an essential part of the rhythm of this island.

So we get on the launch to take us out to the R.M.S. St. Helena.




























For centuries people arriving and leaving have gone on deck for their first and their last view of St. Helena.

As we sail away, this is our last view of the island.



This way of seeing the island and this experience will soon be a thing of the past.


In future the visitor's first view of Jamestown will not be from the sea, but from Napoleon Street.

You just can't keep that man out of it.

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1. Water, oil and fish are the main exceptions. There is also some local meat and vegetables. Oil arrives on a tanker to the terminal at Ruperts Bay.

2. The only exceptions are cruise ships, now few in number, and a few private yachts calling in en route from the Cape to the Americas. It was not always like this. In the early nineteenth century hundreds of ships would call in every year for water and other provisions; the consulates of many nations were then established in Jamestown. The sign that used to appear outside the Norwegian Consulate is now displayed in the local museum.