Musuem of St Helena

The MUSEUM LIFT is finally installed and ready to be used. Unfortunately Mr. Beadon passed away before becoming the first person to ride on it as he had been promised. We thank the RMS Charities Fund for the generous donation which enabled this to be purchased, and posthumous thanks to Tommy Dunne whose invaluable voluntary labour helped to install it.  Mrs. Edith Timm continues as Acting Curator, for which she deserves our thanks, and we expect Lucy Caesar back in January , having completed her degree course.

Flax Museum

The FLAX MUSEUM . Work has started on renovating the interior of the very dirty old Pipe Building section with the Robey Engine. This is being supervised by Nick Thorpe, to whom we are grateful, and work is being done by Colin Yon, with payment from the Bryan Guinness Trust obtained through UKOTCF. Display Boards are being designed by Ryan Moyce who trained in Graphic Design.

We are holding a Reminiscence session soon and have identified a number of former flax workers to attend and tell us their stories. Some of these will be recorded on video and audio tape. There are over 60 names on the list of former workers.

It is hoped that the Display Boards can be ready to come on the sailing of the RMS from UK in November.

Related Information

Project Reports May 2003

Projects Reports October 2003

Projects Reports January 2004

Projects Reports April/May 2004

Projects Reports August 2004

Project Reports November 2004

Project Reports Feburary 2005

Project Reports July 2006

Project Reports December 2006

Project Reports May 2007

Newsletter 17 Dec 2007

Local Television Programmes

The whole series has not yet started, although filming for two is in hand, but the National Trust contributed a third of the cost of making the DVD for World Environment Week, after convincing the Environmental Coordinator that Jamestown is indeed a city!

The Briars

Cable and Wireless announced their intention to demolish the Briars building, formerly used as the Exiles Club, in 2003. The Trust had written at the time asking about this, and was told that the Building Authority had approved it, hence their overseas architect had already drawn up plans for redevelopment. This is a typical colonial building of 100 years ago made from iron/tin, and it is indeed a pity to see it go.

School Packs and NHR

Both these Projects identified at the start have proved to take up a tremendous amount of time, and the latter is impossible to complete with only one full time staff member, and the increasing work of the Trust . The Council is considering applying for a Grant to make this a proper contract, so that it can be completed. The School Packs are gradually being finished – the number of 15 was very ambitious, when one considers that recently a job was advertised for 18 months to do 6 similar packs for the Falklands and Ascension. Ours will necessarily not be as detailed as if time could be given to them exclusively, but they cannot but be still very helpful, and can be added onto in the years to come. Indeed when my contract ends, I will still be aware of these as I do more research in the Archives.

MILLENNIUM FOREST: Working for Gumwood Conservation: young people take action

In the April school holidays, a small but enthusiastic group of New Horizons members took time out to help collect seed from the Gumwoods growing at Peak Dale. Seed collection is a vital part of action for gumwood conservation, providing a source of seedlings to replant back at Peak Dale and elsewhere. Natural regeneration at Peak Dale is very low and not enough to sustain the long term survival of the forest.
The young volunteers collected bags full of seed by scrambling across the steep slopes and through sometimes spiteful undergrowth with its hidden blackberry thorns to reach as many trees as possible or, climbing a ladder in flatter areas to reach seed from taller trees. Some of the seed will be passed on to the Environmental Conservation Section of the ANRD and some will be given to the Millennium Forest.

Joshua, Jamie, Danielle, Zedella, Terri, Julie, Sheridan, Danielle & Elizabeth take a well earned break from seed collecting

A younger group of volunteers visited the Millennium Forest later in the week. They too did some seed collecting, with smaller trees the seed was much easier to reach. A quick game of hide & seek showed how much cover the older trees now provide before returning to the small nursery beside the car park for some potting on. The morning was completed with everyone helping to plant 17 gumwoods and each child left with one of the gumwoods that they had potted on to care for and plant in their own gardens. Well done and thank you for your help Scott, Joelle, Elizabeth, Liam, James, Max and Joshua.