Internet Access

Since my time on the island, internet access has improved a huge amount. Although still costly, (hopefully sorted out in 2021 through the landing of the Equiano submarine cable and sharing the pipe with earth station customers), the actual access has got easier.

I remember in December 2016 I had poured myself a gin and tonic ready to watch my friend’s wedding streamed online from a church in Brighton. And a fault meant my connection was out, but being a Saturday, there was no way to report the fault. I called around and found out a WiFi hotspot was available at the Sandwich Shop in the market, so I bought a WiFi voucher for 1 hour from them just before they closed for the afternoon, and watched the wedding on my laptop on a concrete floor wedged between the closed butchers and some public toilets. In my hurry I’d forgotten to bring my gin and tonic.

Even at that time WiFi hotspots were available in the Market and Anne’s Place, I just didn’t know about it until a friend told me. I found out later that if you remember your login details from your router at home (which I never do) you can log onto these hotspots and use your home account, as long as you critically remember to log out afterwards if you don’t want any disruption to your home service.

The residential packages are a problem. All the prices are on the Sure website but in summary, being a high internet user thanks to being used to this luxury in the UK, I find the £90 Gold package slightly too little for two of us in the house, causing us to restrict our calls to the UK, making video streaming intertwine with anxiety, so I opt for Gold Plus which is double the Gold package and £180, way too much, it literally means I leave my internet modem on all the time, and stream all the Ukulele play along videos I want (I’ve started lessons, but that’s a story for another time).  But friends of mine have silver or gold and cope fine.

The notable thing for me though is the mobile access. I didn’t get a mobile sim card for over a year, and then it took me another year to realise there was a magic trick you could do to get 4G access. [This is to change your Access Point Name (APN) – Prepaid APN ‘SURESHL’ and Post-paid APN ‘SURESHLPM’] see FAQs. No way can you leave 4G on, or it will suck up all of your credit, although regular packages are available for cheaper. This means that I can download whatsapp messages or facebook messages on my phone when I feel like checking it (although forget downloading images quickly).

I also worked out the roaming issue. Sometimes banks in UK want to send you text messages for security reasons. By refreshing your network (by choosing network or switching to automatic) your mobile will basically wake up and then pull any text messages it is looking for. Not on all networks, but I’m on GiffGaff and it works for me.

I went, as part of the St Helena Connected Group, to Sure in the Briars this morning for some further myth busting.

I was keen to find out why hotels and restaurants don’t give out ‘free WiFi’, except for Mantis (if you reside in the hotel). And I had thought that the licence which gives Sure exclusivity for selling internet was the reason. But I have since found out the interpretation of the licence is that any restaurant/café/hotel etc can give their WiFi password out to customers as long as they don’t charge for it. It just doesn’t exist because most of the businesses haven’t worked out how they would administer this to avoid going over any internet allowances. Using a gargoyle router (which restricts use per IP code), changing WiFi code daily or restricting hours of use are some ways I thought of, but for now, the only way to get internet whilst on the move is by buying a Sure sim card or by buying a voucher at a hot spot e.g. in the Sandwich Shop or Anne’s Place.

I also found out that 4G internet dongle technology and 4G routers, which make it possible for anyone with a laptop to roam the island and access internet, are all feasible today. But this be made more obvious on the Sure Website. Furthermore, Sure said bespoke packages can be made available, so if you are a Digital Nomad and want a bespoke connection, you can speak to Sure and see what will work. OK, the customer service counter might look at you a bit funny, but if you press the issue then the CEO tells me all is possible. Furthermore, and perhaps more easily, if you buy a local sim card you can also tether from your phone, meaning connecting a laptop to 4G internet is possible. It would be slow, you would turn it on and off depending on when you want to receive your emails, but possible.

Imagine this being your office for a day.

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Half Price Flight Sales

Everywhere in the world has an off-peak season. Luckily travelling at this time has it’s perks, being that you can get hold of some of the cheapest deals. It’s August and the sun is shining, despite being ‘winter’; the weather is actually better than the UK and it is meant to be their summertime. Not a bad time to visit and do some walking, soak in the atmosphere and watch some whales.

Good news too is the sales on this year.

Picked up from an SHG press release:

There will be a limited number of adult return fares available at approximately £500 (9,077 ZAR) on a first-come, first-served basis for flights in July, August and September subject to ‘W class’ availability. Terms, Conditions and Fare Rules apply. Child and infant fares will be subject to standard fare reductions.

The discounted fares require a minimum of a 14-night stay, are non-refundable and non re-routable.  To qualify, the return journey must be completed by Saturday, 28 September 2019. These fares apply to the Johannesburg to St Helena route, and the St Helena to Johannesburg route.

Accommodation providers on St Helena offering discounts and other incentives include: the Blue Lantern, Consulate Hotel, Farm Lodge, Harkate Guest House, Mantis St Helena, Richards’ Travel Lodge, Somerville Flats and the Town House.  Please contact accommodation providers directly for more information.

Air fare bookings can be made online and through your local travel agent. https://www.flyairlink.com/ 

For those passengers resident on St Helena, ticket bookings can be made via Solomon & Company (St Helena) Plc’s Shipping & Travel Agency at the Malabar in Jamestown. Passengers can visit the Shipping & Travel Agency in person or contact them via email: shipping-travelmanager@solomons.co.sh or tel: 22523.

Furthermore, there has been a sale announced on flights to Ascension. Ascension is a really unique island, but tricky to get to because of their monthly flight leading to either a stay of 1 night or 1 month and 1 night. However, in December and January they will ‘double back’ the flights allowing stays of around 3 days. The visa process requires some vetting, and accommodation is tricky to get, but not impossible as I found when I travelled there back in March. The overnight stay, I personally thought, was worth it, as although I didn’t have time to climb Green Mountain, I did get a tour of the island and a golly good fun evening alongside the residents.

The Press Release states:

50% off air fares between St Helena and Ascension
 A number of fares between Ascension and St Helena are being offered for sale to the public at half the standard price. Flights included in this offer range from September 2019 to January 2020.
 This offer also includes two flights from St Helena to Ascension in December and two flights from Ascension to St Helena in January, making it more affordable than ever to spend Christmas on Ascension.
 Bookings are now being taken and the number of seats available at this price is limited.
 For further information please contact Ascension Island Travel and Booking on flight.bookings@ascension.gov.ac or call (00 247) 66244.

You won’t find this offer on SA Airlink’s website as all travel goes via the on island Travel and Booking Agent. But consider, you could travel to St Helena for two weeks, with a 1 night stopover in Ascension in the second weekend of September for a flight price of around £750 + your £450 round trip Europe – Johannesburg. It isn’t an Easyjet trip to Mallorca, but it is an unforgettable trip to some of the most remote islands in the world.

If off peak isn’t your thing, the Ascension deal is still available until January, and all the better, flights from Cape Town to St Helena begin on Tuesdays during peak season alongside the usual Saturday flights from Joburg.

In January, the following is offered:

The flight dates for January are:

HLE/ASC 11 January – no discounted seats on this flight

ASC/HLE 12 January

HLE/ASC 18 January – no discounted seats on this flight

ASC/HLE 19 January

The cost of the flights are £450.00 per person.

Accommodation can be booked with ‘Andrew & Serena Ellick’ dreams.bbc@atlantis.co.ac

What about the long term?

My German friend in London once said to me ‘you leave your country for 5 years, you come back a stranger’. After 5 years you lose a lot of cultural references, and languages move on. I just found out that a new side dish in England is a cross between mash potatoes and roast potatoes. And that people are now tattooing their eye liner on as standard. Mindblown. 

^Fried mashed potatoes and Miri, who by the way is still in England after 10 years.

I think about that 5 year pogo stick a lot, particularly as I would have been here a couple of months short of 5 years when my current contract finishes in 2021.

But, I realised the other day that I’ve never lived anywhere longer than St Helena in my adult life. Yet many people here think this is a touch down transient place for me because I am English.

1 year in Letchworth, 1 year in Greenwich, 2 years in Barnes, 2 years in Brixton, 10 months in Slough, 5 months in Crouch End, 1.5 years in Denmark Hill,  6 months in East Preston, 3 going on 5 years in St Helena. I have no base, I have no home, I have no ‘roots’. 

Not particularly surprising; as it runs in the family. My dad was born in Holland and moved to London when he was 19. His accent is such a cross over that the English think he’s Dutch and the Dutch think he’s English. To confuse matters worse he then moved to Portugal, whilst still living and working in England. So where is he from? Where are his roots?

^Daddy Shamier in Zaanse Schans, Holland

There is a kind of obsession of labelling everyone as ‘from somewhere’ that they will eventually settle down and ‘go back to’. I grew up at the fringes of Kenton Recreation Park somewhere with the train tracks, Asian cultural centre and primary school on one side, the dump, a sports centre and an off licence on the other.

^Where I first played and schooled near Elmgrove, North West London. With my Oma (dutch grandma)

The last time I stepped foot in those streets was when I was 19 passing through on my motorbike, reminiscing as I had moved out 3 years earlier. I checked out the place on Google earth about 5 years ago. Harrow, North West London, isn’t my home any more. Ironically, a Saint here has family who live in Harrow and have lived there longer than I did. Does that make them more Harrow than me? Probably.

So when people ask when I’m going home, I struggle to get what they mean. I recently got back from a wonderful holiday, where I saw  my mum and dad, Oma and uncle, and most of the characters I grew up with or met as an adult and cherish. Still, I was also so joyous to be back here in St Helena (back home) to see people I care about, cuddle my cats, enjoy the warmth of the sun and the warmth of the community. I even enjoyed getting back to work. Of course the ideal situation would be to transport all of the people across the globe I care about to my front room a couple of times a month, but despite me missing people so dearly, St Helena is where I live and I love living.

My colleague did a presentation recently regarding population and labour. She intelligently said, and I paraphrase, ‘some people come here and intend to leave after a year or two. Some might even not fit in or be culturally mismatched. But there are some who fit in well, give to the community, volunteer, bring money with them, spend money on the island, and genuinely would be missed if they were gone. Should we not be encouraging them to stay?’.

Right now almost everyone will be expecting me to leave in 2021. To go ‘home’. I don’t know where that is. But I saw a friend, Kerrie,  leave this weekend for good, and I thought to myself, I couldn’t bring myself to do what she is doing, I think I would be heartbroken, how brave she was to say goodbye to all of her close bonds, to see this beautiful island for the last time, to have her last supper and disappear into the world.

 

 

 

Accommodation for visitors

Many people considering a move to St Helena may be wondering about friends and family visiting.  Whilst friends and family who stay may well stay with you, I’ve provided a list of some of the accommodation options for those who want a bit more freedom and space. This is not a full list of accommodation on island, for that see the Inside St Helena app, or the St Helena Tourism website, it is just a few picks of what I personally have recommended to people based on value (price/quality). Prices do change.

Harkate, £60 a night, newest and most modern property with self catered facilities. Very comfortable. Rent a car with this property.
http://sthelenatourism.com/where-to-stay/self-catering/harkate-guest-house/

Fowler’s Town House 2, £80 per night, not so modern but good location in town. Self catered facilities.
http://sthelenatourism.com/fowlers-town-house-2/

Sommerville Flat, Cheap at £25-£35 per night, located next to a small shop with decent views. Rent a car with this property
http://sthelenatourism.com/somerville-flat/

Cole’s courtyard if you want cheap shared guesthouse type accomodation in town for around £15 per night, contact National Trust
http://www.trust.org.sh/contact/

Princes Lodge, large bookings £40 per room per night. Huge gardens. Rent a car with this property.
http://sthelenatourism.com/princes-lodge/

Hotels : For excellent high end quality go for Bertrand’s Cottage (country cottage feel near Napoleon’s House, car needed). Around £90+ per night at Bertrand’s. Other hotels exist, at higher prices and or lower quality.  http://sthelenatourism.com/where-to-stay/guest-houses/

Or if you want to go really traditional b&b, travelling back in time with tremendous Saint hospitality and huge home cooked meals stay at Harris’ Guest House for £60 a night.
http://sthelenatourism.com/where-to-stay/guest-houses/

There are also a couple of very rural options, ideal for a couple of days. Tom and Tara Wortley’s wood cottage is completed and available (think wood burner and rural setting) and Brian Davies’ Sandy Bay wood cottage should be up and running by 2020. Contact would be direct (see the phone book). 

Since writing this blog I’ve checked out the amazing ‘Inside St Helena’ app, which is a must for visitors. You’ll be able to view a full range of accommodation, restaurants, shops, with opening hours and contact details (and menus in some cases). The app is also good for residents as it pushes real time news articles to your mobile. 

The National Trust Shop

St Helena’s National Trust is independent to the UK’s National Trust however delivers many of the same objectives as you’d expect from its UK namesake.

Whilst their principle objectives are rooted in conservation (originally land based, followed the last few years by an expansion into marine conservation behavioural change and promotion work), this blog is owing to a very very small part of them – namely a very small fundraising part of the organisation in the form of their shop.

I couldn’t believe that having been on St Helena for over 2 years I had not entered the National Trust Shop until invited by artist Isha Harris as part of a book swap project with the Rangers.

I am a big fan of the Arts and Crafts shop in town, because of their locally made offerings for gifts and souvenirs but I was utterly impressed at the National Trust’s art gallery come marine souvenir shop which I now see is a prime competitor.

The whale shark memorabilia is particularly cute whilst the art, predominately supplied by Isha (some by Jill Keys and others) is both fun and representative of the island’s nature.

I leave you with some pictures to judge for yourself both of the shop, and the project Isha has facilitated for the book swap.

The National Trust can be found on Main Street just up from and opposite to the Mantis Hotel. The shop is run by volunteers and so open when the sign says so; the shop is found in the basement of the building- if in doubt ask anyone within the National Trust Office about opening hours.

Isha, Jeremy and their family have been working and living in St Helena for around 5 years, they will soon be moving to rural Scotland for a new adventure.

Farewell Governor Lisa Honan

Lisa Honan nee Phillips was St Helena’s first female Governor (not counting female deputies stepping up) and on the 4th May Lisa and her husband Dave stepped onto the SA Airlink flight and left the island.

^Lisa at a Remembrance Service

Lisa isn’t one for cheesy and sentimental farewells, but is one for social media activity and could actually read this, so I would never embarrass her by gushing about what an inspiration she had been to any other female aspiring to break glass ceilings, or all of the good she influenced.

^Lisa Christmas Eve 2016

She will probably be mostly known for opening up Plantation House to St Helenians. Stories of governors and their wives previous to Lisa talk about keeping the house closed. For some, Plantation House was only their residence and was a private place. For Lisa, she felt she was a tenant and the House belonged to the people of St Helena.

Lisa summarised what had been achieved over the last three years during her time in office, including:

• More openness and transparency of SHG business through more open meetings and real time reporting, more papers published online, Councillors’ ‘Oath of Confidentiality’ overturned, more public engagement through Social Media and more access to the Governor including through a Facebook page
• Start of the first scheduled commercial air service to St Helena on 14 October 2017
• Seamless transition of airport operations from Basil Read to St Helena Airport Limited
• Family Refuge opened and protection orders for women affected by domestic violence introduced
• Voting age lowered to 17 years
• Island’s marine resource protected forever in law along with strict environmental legislation to protect biodiversity
• First same sex marriage following passage of legislation; weddings also permitted anywhere on the Island
• Funding secured for fibre optic internet cable which will massively improve connectivity.

Lisa made it her mission to invite everyone living on St Helena for tea during the course of her contract. There were black tie balls, BBQs, charity events and even weddings held at the house.  In 2017, our team even hosted our Christmas party there and I have particular fond memories of rapping to Eminem in the dining room(!).

Lisa also opened up the house to visitors regularly on Tuesdays and often on Sundays particularly when cruise ships were in. Many other attractions don’t open on Sundays, cruise ship or no cruise ship, and she aimed to fill a gap in the market to ensure people could at least see Jonathan and the house. Lisa even did tours herself from time to time, if it wasn’t the Head of the House Debbie doing it.

At the end of 2017/beginning of 2018 Dave and Lisa started dating and were married within a year or two, with a small ceremony in Lisa’s Office at the castle (!) and a small reception at their house.

^Lisa and Dave Christmas Eve 2016

Dusty, Lisa’s dog, caused tongues to wag as much as her tail. Dusty was set upon by the local lothario (think Lady and the Tramp) and had a litter of puppies now known as ‘the Governor’s puppies’. There was also the story of Dusty going after and harming a sheep whilst Dave was walking her, and that is what exposed their relationship to the public. Still, the story became a part of theirs- their wedding cake showed parts of their life and that so called ‘scandal’ was a feature.

Lisa had a door open policy, continually wrote about issues using social media and really engaged with local people. She will be sorely missed. In a world where female leaders are often judged more harshly then men, where what they wear is often reported on more that what they do, and a world where society doesn’t celebrate female role models often enough; on St Helena, for a few years at least, little girls growing up have been shown that they too could be influential. They could even become a Governor one day.

^Lisa Honan and I April 2019

 

The French Navy are coming

Those words spark such fun! A boat full of young visitors arriving on St Helena, bringing with them new information, interest and uniforms.

They arrived during the Easter weekend, when most people were out in fields camping and the towns were, apart from Saturday night, almost deserted.

But not wanting them to feel let down standing alone whilst circular tumbleweed blew about their ankles, some members of the public, for example the ‘media mogul’ Mike Olsson,  as well as my friend Aine and I, saw it as a civic duty to ensure that the troop had fun whilst they visited.

Aine and I first met the Senior Officers thanks to an introduction via Lisa, the Governor, when we were all in Jamestown together. We invited the officers to attend Aine’s party the next evening.

As it happened, Aine had arranged a fancy dress party for Easter, with the theme ‘Dream Job’. As it also happened, a box had arrived from the UK which had some of my fancy dress wear in it. As it also happened, in that box was a naval outfit which was bought for me for my Hen do, but didn’t come in time and had never been worn.

Fast forward to 11.30pm on Saturday night and you have a girl in a Navy fancy dress outfit, dancing with an air hostess, builder, cyclist, gymnast, ballerina, male nurse and many real French Naval Officers dressed as civilians. The story goes on, including a very civil evening at Plantation House, but it would be unfair to blog any further details about our new French friends, so I shall leave the story there. Anyway I’m sure the reader is only interested in pictures. And with that, I shall oblige.