Monday 18th Firstly, I need to confirm that ST Helena is only 1 hour behind UK time – not one day as the blog entry above suggests! What a good day. First of all the business meeting seemed to go extremely well with a good agenda for development work agreed for the rest of the day. Planning to complete a development plan I was seduced (once again) by the weather to have an outdoor lunch (Tuna Pasta and salad) and then go on an exploration in the old car. Barry in Farley will not be pleased to hear that it was a French-themed visit. Firstly, to Bryce Pavilion where Napoleon stayed for 4 months whilst his house/prison was being prepared. Although the house was closed to visitors (in my anxiety to get going I failed to ... read more

Friday July 14th Well, three days in to our work project at St Helena and we are all building up different responses to being here. I am deliberately pacing my judgement of this wonderful island – I know that first impressions can be tempered by later experience. What can I be clear about? Well, obviously the island is spectacularly beautiful – and so varied. You can be travelling along and move so quickly from landscape a little like a tropical Shropshire that changes rapidly to spectacular and open countryside which is clearly sub-tropical in its vegetation and bird life. Today I saw a donkey grabbing fruit from a tree with a strange wooden saddle. Anyone know about this saddle – are donkeys used for transport here? The people who we have met seem very open, communicative ... read more

Busy making preparations for the trip to St Helena making sure that I've got everything I need but travelling as light as possible. Leaving Birmingham to Cape Town via Dubai @ 2:40 Weds 6th July 2011. Should have a chance to see a little of Cape Town before catching RMS St Helena for the 5 day ‘cruise’. Limited internet on board so next blog might be from the island.... read more