Happy New Year to all. St. Helena has started the year with some long awaited rains, so the gardens are blooming. We have enjoyed the annual return of many friends and family members over the Christmas period, and will be sad when most leave next week. Around 200 St. Helenians come home for Christmas, and whatever the proposed transport arrangements for the future, we hope that this tradition can continue. It is good to have visitors who also help us, as varied as with Public Meetings (The Ashmoles and Ian Baker), the museum ( Edward Baldwin) and weeding at the Millennium Forest ( Vince Thompson)!

I have been working hard to get School Resource Packs ready for this term, and had to decide to devote whole days to that, otherwise they never get finished. I hope that people who found I was not in the Office will understand. There is only myself, and Vanessa works part time. The biggest task before Christmas was preparing our Bids for OTEP, the newly formed Overseas Territories Environment Programme jointly funded by FCO and DFID – sadly to find that the new fund still does not cover the built environment. If anyone out there knows how we can get funds to restore the crumbling built environment on St. Helena – and establish a much needed Grants system to help private owners – PLEASE let us know. We have asked SHG to accept basic costs of SHNT after the FCO Project concludes in 2005. It is very difficult to find running costs from elsewhere on a regular basis, and our membership is still small, so we need their support.

Edward Baldwin, a member of the Friends of St. Helena in UK, spent some time at SHNT during his last visit, and was surprised to see his beautiful photograph of the Ebony as out screen saver! We wish to thank Edward for this wonderful photo, and for his permission to use it on our Newsletters. It would be good if the ebony flower could become our National emblem, replacing the arum lily

We are sorry to announce the resignation of our President, Mr. Gilbert Yon, who has now taken up full time employment, and we thank him warmly for all his help during the establishment phase of the Trust. The Trust Council agreed Dr. Cairns-Wicks would be President until the AGM.

Barbara B. George, Director

BIDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDING

After much discussion and hard work, 3 bids have gone in to OTEP for the first round from St. Helena. These are:-

1. ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROTECTED AREAS PLAN FOR THE PEAKS Project for submission to OTEP. This has been prepared by Dr. Rebecca Cairns-Wicks. This Project is to develop a Strategic Management Plan – removal of flax and weeds, baseline data surveys of the invertebrates and lower plants, active promotion and publicity, and the implementation of endemic species recovery plans, nurturing and saving endemics - for the Peaks, High Peak and Central ridges. The forms take ages to fill in, and she has been kept very busy.  SHNT Council supports this Project. If the Bid is successful, the SHNT, with Rebecca as Project Manager, will provide a coordinating role as facilitators. SHNT estimated costs have been included in the Bid. Other stakeholders will be: -ECS at ANRD, Tourist Office, PWSD – water division, Civil Society and Councilors in the areas, SHG, Education Department, EPD of DEPD, Private sector, EACF

The other two OTEP Bids going in this year from SHG are:-

1. The Establishment of a monitoring scheme and awareness programme for seabirds and turtles at St. Helena (which will include seabird models from the SNCG Bird Project)
2. Facilitation of the development of a strategy for action to implement the Environment Charter

INAUGURAL PROJECTS

MILLENNIUM FOREST

We await the decision of the Governor on funding from his Discretionary Fund for amenity improvements at the Forest. Early summer rains have brought relief to the trees and their “guardians”, the forest workers. Concern about the trees had been heightened because the water, piped from the waste stabilization ponds, had been unavailable due to technical problems, for months.

No large scale tree planting took place in 2003 due to the lack of rains and piped water and consequently limited seedling production. However we are hoping that the new Robert Scipio plantation will be filled this year, with the assistance of seedlings from the Environmental Conservation Section of ANRD.

Our Christmas Newsletter generated much welcome support, together with suggestions for funding, a generous donation and some voluntary help from visitor Vince Thompson, for all of which we are extremely grateful. Vince, concerned about our root mealy bug problem, spent two days grubbing out creeper from around the gumwoods. He has also kindly

offered to promote the forest at the St. Helena Reading Sports Day in UK. So – look out for him, and buy a gumwood tree to support the Millennium Endemic Gumwood Forest and keep your “roots” in St. Helena!

MUSEUM

Curator, Lucy Caesar is seconded from Education Department, and has teaching commitments to fulfill until the GCSE exams in May, so she is very busy.  Clive Stewart is still working on his model of the Ladder. Lucy has produced the museum’s Business Plan, and continues with children’s activities – especially during the holidays. She is planning the next exhibition to succeed the present one on island names, which has been very successful and attracted over 800 visitors. The museum funds are in a critical state, and the Heritage Society also needs to identify a source of running costs. The Friends of St. Helena have been a great help in the past, and continue to be so, but we seek a more permanent commitment to ensure the ownership of this important asset to community life on St. Helena. Islanders are proud of their new museum.

The Museum’s Lift!

The museum’s wheelchair lift has been its most talked about donation.  Funds for this wonderful piece of equipment were raised by the RMS Charity Fund under the leadership of Captain Martin Smith, who delivered it personally to the museum on the 5th of October 2003.

Since November 2003 the sound of banging, drilling, and dragging have echoed through the wall ofthe museum, as Tommy, Bert and David smash through concrete ceilings and wooden floors. 

Next time you see these men give them a pat on the back because some of them are volunteers; yes they are installing the lift for free!  PWSD deserve a specialthank-you for the loan of specialized equipment that aided the initial stages of the lift’s installation.

Once the lift is in place and fully operational the museum will be fully accessible to individuals of all ages and all abilities. 

FLAX MILL

Since then there has been a meeting of the Flax Mill Committee, and the outcome of that was to agree a much less ambitious program, either incorporating the Flax Story into the museum displays, with machinery outside nearby, or pressing SHG again for the Pipe Building in town which has an engine in place, and could be used as an extension of the museum. This Committee will visit the Pipe Building soon, and decide the next step, in consultation with the museum curator. They are all eager to make a start, and indeed the OTEP Bid mentioned already includes display Boards for the Flax Mill Story

SCHOOL RESOURCE PACKS (original YOUTH PROJECT )

Sarah Holland, the former museum curator, was very busy before she left and did not quite manage to finish the first pack, so Director has taken charge of these now, and has several almost ready to go to schools. In consultation with Mrs. Elaine Benjamin, Head of Pilling Middle School, we agreed that the main thing is to have something on hand NOW and improve upon them as we go along, rather than waiting till they are perfect. This means that we have packs on:- The 1890 Rock fall and Fountain; The Market; The Boers; Settlements and Dinizulu  ready. There is always something more which could be added, but I am pleased with them, and enjoy this work very much. The years I spent researching in the Archives have been a great help, as has all the information sent over many years by Trevor Hearl.  There are lots of others almost finished, and I have been spending time checking old photographs in albums at the Archives and museum, to enhance all these.

NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS

ARTS & CRAFTS ASSOCIATION

Danny Coutts and Dulcie Robertson started the Arts & Craft Centre in October 1999, when all products were first placed on sale in Market Street in a small room rented from Mr. Cairns-Wicks. It started with five people participating in the running of the shop; at that stage there were only eight full time members producing local crafts for sale to the public and tourists.

The Centre was moved to the old disco, which is under the Consulate bar and has been a great success. An association was formed at the end of 2000 and we now have eighteen full time members.

Opposite and above are just a few samples of what’s available at the Craft shop. There is also Pressed flower work by Mrs Ruth Pridham, Needlecrafts by Mrs. Maglan Noden, Cross stitch work by Mrs.Muriel.Gardner, Ebony necklaces by Sandie Walters, books by Mr.Robert.Robertson, Woodwork by Mr. Keith Hopkins, Spinning by Mrs.Wanda Isaac, handmade pottery by Serena’s Ceramics and lots more.

The President is M. Michel Martineau, Chairperson is Mrs. Dulcie Robertson, Secretary is Mr. Robert Robertson and the Treasurer is Mr Gordon Pridham.

The Arts Centre is open three days a week Thursday’s 10-12.30pm and Fridays 10-4pm and Saturdays 10-12.30pm

There is also an Art class run by Danny Coutts on Fridays for anyone who wishes to learn watercolour techniques.

Contributed by Serena Thorpe.

SHNT is delighted that Danny Coutts has suggested painting four historic buildings in their prime. These paintings will be on display in the next Art Exhibition at the museum, and will remain his property, but he will allow the SHNT to use them for postcards, souvenirs etc., and we thank him for this generous offer.

DIVE CLUB

The St. Helena Dive Club, started in the 1970’s with a few members, and is happily now  thriving, with over 59 members to date There are weekly dives on Saturdays, and over 70 people attended the annual outing, combined with the Yacht Club, to Lemon Valley at the end of January.

MONTHLY MEETINGS

These meetings, on topics related to St. Helena and Dependencies’ Heritage, started with Dan Yon in July last year. Since then we have had Danny Shreier’s talk on Tristan and dialect , then 2 talks by Dr. Phillip Ashmole, and one this month by Dr. Ian Baker. These have all been tremendously interesting and appreciated by all. Attendances have been between 25 and 40, and we have been delighted by the response. When there are no visiting speakers we hope to draw on local experts, and keep this as a regular monthly feature.

RADIO

The weekly radio programmes are proving very successful – especially the story of the sinking of the “City of Cairo”, summarized from Ralph Barker’s Book in the Sunday Express of 1981. This can be coupled with a School pack on the subject, as we have taken photos of the graves of the Hindu and Moslem crew buried here, and hope to trace all the graves. A member has suggested we keep these readings on local history on tape and possibly sell them to those who enjoy listening, as a fundraiser.

We hope to promote the Trust in UK at St. Helena Gatherings like Sports Day and Dances, and Audrey Leo, the Secretary, has offered to include a mention in the St. Helena Association Flyer given out on these occasions

We have monthly articles in SHH and advertise the meetings there too.

NATIONAL HERITAGE REGISTER

Personnel informed us that the visiting of SHG houses to photograph furniture had been objected to, which stopped progress for a time. Discussion ensued, and Personnel agreed to let us continue. This we will do when time permits, as there are still several houses and all the SHG offices to be done, and M.Michel Martineau, who is assisting the Director, is away at present. Five pieces of antique furniture have been relocated at Bertrand’s Cottage / Longwood Farm House from SHG Store. Mrs. Forbes has elected to look after them and get them professionally repaired by Alan Richards, who was sent by Small Industries Authority on a furniture restoration course some years ago. They need care. Tim Wonnacott formerly working with Antiques Road show is coming here on a visit early February, to make a film about the island, and will spend some time with SHNT, when we hope to get his advice on some old furniture in SHG possession.

ARCHIVES

The Director of SHNT has now been asked to join the Archives Committee, which held its second meeting this January. There has as yet been no final decision on whether there can be two or 3 floors in the proposed building (see above). This will determine whether the Archives can move there, as the Library needs two floors and the proposal is to have the Archives on the top (Third) floor. Consultation is taking place between SHG and advisors in UK on Archival matters, and there are two schools of thought at present – one that the Records should be left where they are and the new area be used for researching the digitalized records. The other that there be a controlled removal to the new site, when identified. A Bid to digitalize the Records, which all recognize as important for their preservation, has gone in to FCO  from SHG, and FCO has asked which ones might already be done in UK libraries. Trevor Hearl’s list of Sources of St. Helena Records in UK was very helpful here and has been passed on to the Archivist to check. We await developments. Records in South Africa were sourced by Brian Smith when he visited the island, jointly financed by SHG and the Heritage Society, in 1994, and these also need to be checked.

TREES

The Public concern over tree lopping has had an effect, and at least some of the time we are being consulted whenever tree cutting is anticipated, most recently in the Castle Gardens. However, if there is a tree doctor out there, we would appreciate a visit.

Tree Protection Orders, and indeed the whole Land Planning and Development Control (LPDC) Plan are needing reviewed and the Agency has recognized the need for an expert in Planning to come to work on this. A Bid has gone forward through SHG for this purpose, from LPDC Officer.

LIME KILN AT SANDY BAY

The Director represents the SHNT on a Heritage Sites Committee, chaired by the Director of Tourism, which seeks to repair Heritage Sites. Tourism is given £15,000 annually for this purpose. It has been the practice to renovate a few sites each year, but since funds are limited, this has affected decisions relating to restoration, causing some concern.. The Lime Kiln at Sandy Bay (pictured in last Newsletter at present time) is a case in point, as we feel it needs more money to ensure it is sympathetically restored.

CALENDARS

We are very grateful to members Vilma and Trevor Toms, who have a printing business in Bristol, for their generous donation of 100 calendars to the SHNT. The majority of these sold at £8 each before the New Year and the remainder were reduced to £6 on return to work in January. They were beautifully produced, and we hope to sell the remainder when the next ship to Ascension leaves. It has been suggested that we produce our own calendar annually.

We are also very grateful to Malcolm Gardiner of Wirebird IT Company in London, who sent our equipment and is always ready to help with items we need, spare parts for equipment etc.

JAPANESE GEOLOGIST’S VISIT

A geologist and a geochemist came for a 12-day visit from Japan to gather information about the earth’s crust. They were delighted to find Dr. Ian Baker was here on holiday at the time and this helped them greatly in identifying the areas they needed to visit for their samples. They gave an introductory presentation to EACF( Environmental Advisory Consultative Forum, set up to fulfill a requirement of the Environment Charter by SHG, in 2003), where the Director was present.

Their reference works were Daly (1927), Baker (several papers around 1970), and Chaffey (1989)

I holds a precious secret!

GEOLOGY LECTURE – WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT ST. HELENA?

give a brief summary from their Introduction:-

Hotspot volcanism has been considered to be related to mantle plumes originating below the stirring upper mantle. The idea suggests that ocean island basalts provide information about chemical characteristics of the deep mantle. Previous geochemical studies reveal heterogenous lower mantle that involves four or five end member components – including HIMU, which has very high Lead Isotope ratios. Limited data on HIMU is available because it appears only in St. Helena Island and three islands in French Polynesia

This last fact was completely new to us, and quite exciting to consider. We may not have precious metals, but perhaps the island.

Around 40 people attended the monthly talk hosted by the St. Helena National Trust on Tuesday 20th January.

These talks are becoming a regular and popular event in the monthly calendar, and although this clashed with another Public Meeting at PAS, we were delighted to have such good support.

The talk on the Geology of St. Helena – and other things – was given by Dr. Ian Baker, who has a long lasting connection with the island. Ian came here in 1964 to study the geology for his Ph.D., returning in 1965, to finalise his thesis. He told the meeting that, at age 22, he thought he knew it all, and had the geology sorted. He even managed to write a pantomime at the same time and had it performed in the Paramount cinema in Jamestown!

In recent years, since 1995, Ian has made 3 more visits, in part to try to understand some of the things he had missed earlier!  The audience caught some of his enthusiasm for the wonders of the island’s geology, which still holds many surprises for him now that he is older.

We learnt that St Helena, like Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, is a volcanic island associated with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  St Helena is the top of a huge volcano that goes 3 miles down to the ocean floor and is 80 miles across at the base.  Only half of one percent is above sea level!  The Island would have emerged out of the Atlantic about 15million years ago.

There are two main volcanic centres, the older Northeast volcano building up a third of the Island leaving such features as Flagstaff and the Barn. The other larger volcano that built up the greater land mass was in Sandy Bay.  Volcanic activity ceased approximately 7 and a half million years ago.

Ian explained that the lava did not come through a single vent, as it did in Tristan, but came through large cracks or fissures building up much broader shield volcanoes.  Volcanic activity was prolonged and variable, with lava flows and cinder cones gradually building up the Island.  Many of the lava flows were fed from linear fissures preserved as dyke swarms in Knotty Ridge in the North East and Sandy Bay in the South West.  A complete range of oceanic rock types occurs on the Island from basalts, through intermediates, to highly alkaline trachytes and phonolites. In the dying stages of the volcano there were large-scale underground intrusions that today are seen as the irregular walls of dykes, which include the Asses Ears and Lot’s Wife.

Ian in his recent visits has at last come up with an explanation for a feature that had always been puzzling him - the tilting of the Barn and the horizontal lava flows in the adjacent eastern area towards Prosperous Bay. Lava flows usually dip away from a volcanic centre at angles of up to ten degrees.  He explained that volcanic material is unstable, with say a heavy, huge volume of lava rocks sitting on softer ash. During the period of volcanic activity there was a major intrusion that raised and tilted the Barn and Flagstaff at the same time making a third of the land built up by the NE volcano slip towards the sea, creating a large depression that was later filled up by a succession of lava flows.

St Helena is special in that, unlike anywhere else that Ian knows, the building up by volcanic activity of a land mass is so strikingly visible. There is so much to see and, as he is still finding out, so much to discover.

The SHNT would like to thank Ian warmly for his time and effort, and wish him well in further discoveries.