 |
The Ascension Island Newspaper |
|||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
The Ascension Island Newspaper |
|||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
 Blue Dust performing on stage |
FANTASTIC! BRAVO! Are just some words that sum up last Fridays talent at Two Boats Club. There was something for everyone, whether it was country, reggae, hip-hop or rock.It was Ascension's (mini) version of 'Party in the Park' with a difference - no park and no thousands of fans. But.... wait, we did have an awesome stage.. and our very own 'pop idols' and 'boy bands'!! and what bigger venue do you need when we're right in the middle of the Atlantis.Congratulations goes to everyone involved. Especially to Cyril Leo who organised the event in aid of 'Mobile', a charity fund set up to purchase wheelchairs for St.Helena.Along with 'BLUE DUST' and the other entertainers who performed - thanks for a great night!! |
|
|
 Winnie & The Wingdings |
 |
|
St. Mary's Church Wardens and PCC members are pleased to announced that a start has been made for the Ascension Day Fair this year which will be on 11th May.
A meeting was held last Friday evening at the Vicarage at 7 p.m. Nine persons were present. The Secretary is Mrs. Jane Randells but a Treasurer and Chairman was still to be approached.
St. Mary's welcome back to Ascension for the (?) time Jane and John. It was lovely to see you both again in church and look forward to you worshipping with us over the next 6 weeks of your holiday.
LETTERS|
From the Editors:- Penny Peters & Marie Anthony Hello People We're back again in the "comfy" editors chairs and a keen onlooker - Leon Buckley, has invaded the Islander Office and kept our company for the evening. Memories of Blue Dust & some remarkable 'Pop Idols' haunts our Islander this week! I'm sure they'll give Simon Cowell a run for his money?! Go along to the Georgetown Football Field on Sunday & give your support
to the Guides to help make their dream come true!..... That's all for this time folks, enjoy the weekend Happy Reading.... |
|
| Letters to
the Editor can be sent to editors@the-islander.org.ac |
It's rapidly approaching "decision time" for the people of St Helena - and next week the Saints on Ascension Island will have an opportunity to cast their vote.
Next week will see the establishment of three "information centres" where people can and see diagrams, maps and other information which will help them make up their minds.
These three information centres will be established at the US Base, The Two Boats Club and at the Saints Club. Back on the island at present is Andrew Kettlewell who is a member of the St Helena Air & Sea Access Project Team and who will be available at each of the three centres at pre-arranged times to meet with interested people and answer their questions.
In addition to attending the centres, Andrew will run a public presentation of the issues which this key decision raises and will be happy to entertain questions from the audience.
Times when the centres will be manned and when the presentations will take place will be published shortly.
At the end of the week - on Friday 25th January - Saints on Ascension will have an opportunity to cast their vote in a secret ballot. They will be asked to choose between building a airport on St Helena and making alternative arrangements for shipping on the one hand and obtaining a replacement for the RMS St Helena in 2010 on the other.
Eligibility to participate in the secret ballot is limited to Saint Helenian nationals resident on Ascension Island and children (whether or not the children were born on St Helena) who are over the age of 16 before 2nd February 2002. Spouses of St Helenian nationals who are not themselves St Helenian will not be eligible to vote.
Please keep an eye on the nearest information centre for further updates.
New Letterbox Walk
Steve Roulston has led numerous RAF Expeditions to Ascension over the years and has come to know the island and its topography very well. He and his team have in the past been instrumental in setting up new letterboxes for the Walks to Bullocks Pond, Northwest Point and Pillar Bay, for which we are grateful. During one of his earlier explorations he came across an impressive rock feature which so closely resembles the head of a wolf that he christened the crag Wolves Bluff and requested permission to site a new letterbox beside it, for which he would provide a stamp. Steve was again here last week and Wolves Bluff became a reality. It is an enjoyable walk/climb, not dangerous, with some fine views and varied terrain. There are several routes. You can follow Middleton's Path from the Ramps, past the small catchment area, to the marker post at the peak of Middleton then continue down towards the NASA road. There is initially a fairly well defined track between an "avenue" of old stones and remnants of a ruined wall. Take the left of the two main ridges, looking towards Devil's Riding School, not the ridge heading in the direction of Turners compound. Wolves Bluff is on a rocky outcrop to the left as you descend towards the flatter ground. Alternatively, from the NASA road (on the stretch between the Earth Station and the cairn marking Devil's Riding School) head towards the right-hand main ridge and climb the small ravine to the right of this ridge. You should reach a conspicuous greyish-white cave about halfway up the ravine. Continue to climb, veering to the left, to reach a small plateau area from where you can view the wolf's head silhouetted against the sky and with Mountain Red Hill in the background. The letterbox is a stone cairn with a tin containing the book and stamp equipment, but in time this might be replaced by a more substantial structure. The walk could easily be combined with Bullocks Pond and/or Mountain Red Hill. The next aim is to produce a map of the area to record this new walk. Copies of the map could then be stamped at the letterbox as souvenirs. Wendy Fairhurst
|
 |
The Met Office Weather Report |
Statistics for the week ending Monday 14th Jan 2002
|
Max (deg
C)
|
Min (deg
C)
|
Rainfall
(mm)
|
|
|
AIRHEAD
|
29.6
|
22.7
|
1.1
|
|
TRAVELLERS
|
26.6
|
20.0
|
12.6
|
|
RESIDENCY
|
26.8
|
18.1
|
30.0
|
|
GEORGETOWN
|
31.0
|
23.0
|
4.8
|
|
ST. HELENA
|
23.0
|
17.1
|
3.4
|
|
FALKLANDS
|
23.3
|
5.8
|
9.9
|
|
BRIZE NORTON
|
11.0 |
-0.9
|
5.2
|
ASCENSION SEA SWELL FORECAST: NW'ly 1.3 meters at first becoming SW'y 1.0 meter by mid - week but swell always less in sheltered areas.
Sea temperature around Ascension Island: 26 Deg C
ASCENSION ISLAND: A good deal of sunny weather but with continued risk of overnight showers.
UK: At the start of the week the country was under the influence of an anticyclone which was centred near the Low countries. This gradually moved away eastwards allowing frontal troughs to approach from the west. Highest daytime maximum temperature 13 C at Falmouth (Cornwall) on Thursday 11th, Aultbea (Highland) on Saturday 12th & Kinloss (Moray) on Sunday 13th. Lowest daytime Maximum temperature Zero C at Eskdalemuir (Dumfries & Galloway) on Thursday 10th. Wednesday night saw temperatures fall to Minus 6C at Redesdale (Northumberland). Wettest place, the Isle of Wight which recorded 11.68 mm in the 24 hour period ending at 6pm on Thursday 10th. Sunniest place Falmouth which saw 7.8 hours on Thursday 10th.
FALKLANDS: A series of fronts crossed the Islands during the period. Most of these were weak except for those which crossed on Tuesday/Wednesday. Warmest day was Thursday 10th 23.3 Celsius. Tuesday saw the coldest night when temperatures fell to 5.8 Celsius. In the 24 Hour period ending at 1200 hours Wednesday 9.3 mm was recorded.recorded. Thursday Friday and Saturday were dry.
Summary of December Weather at Bottom Woods, St Helena: A
total of 21.6 mm of rain fell Wettest day 3rd when 5.8 mm fell. There were 7
dry days 10th 12th, 20th and 27th-30th. 107.6 hours of Sunshine recorded. Sunniest
day 12th with 8.5 hours. Temperature: A gradual rise in temperatures through
the month this especially notable with minimum values. Average daily maximum
temperature was 21.3 Celsius Warmest day 30th with 22.9 C Lowest day maximum
18.6C on 23rd. Average minimum temperatures 16.7 C. Mildest night 30th with
19 C Coldest night 1st with 15.2 C.
Monday The week got off to a fairly sad start with the departure to greener pastures on Tuesday of Dave the Scribbly and Nigel. Connie, Dave's replacement has settled in quite nicely, partaking in two Grogs walks so far and Andy, Nigel's compatriot, has started exactly where he left off during his brief visit in November. Also departing this week are the guys and gals from the UKMAMS team, including Muttley and Baz, two of the guys who made my first few weeks on the island a bit of a blur. A big Asi welcome goes to the new movers, we just hope that you are going to be able to uphold the reputation and high standards that the previous incumbents set. Tuesday also saw what can only be described as a money laundering operation up on Snob Hill, though nothing illegal was going on. Tractor Boy, somewhat surprised to find £30 in one of his freshly washed shirt pockets, was even more shocked at how clean the notes were after a hot wash. (We will not dwell on the fact that Makem also managed to launder some hard currency over the weekend.). Later in the week Tractor Boy managed to pass off one of these freshly laundered notes to one of his colleagues.
Wednesday saw Makem hard at work (for a change) upgrading some of the software on our PC systems. As things normally turn out on these small jobs, things went horribly wrong (the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind) and a job that should have taken about an hour to complete, wiped out our main computer system for nearly a whole day. Much banging of heads against monitors took place, both in Asi and in our HQ in the UK, though by the end of the day we had a sort of operational set up running. The evening saw the Snob Hill mob turn out in the mess bar for a few quiet relaxants, these being much appreciated by the Makem.
Thursday again had Makem messing about with strange computer languages, none of which he has a clue about, let alone any fluency in, but by the end of the morning things were again running smoothly, thanks in the main to some excellent advice from the UK. Rambling Roger and RMP had other things on their minds that day however, and with the guidance and expertise of the Falklands EOD team, managed to dispose of, explosively, the unexploded ordnance that had been found on the range. The evening saw the Snob Hill mob in the bar along with the EOD team, where several large rounds of drinks were consumed at speed, and by the end of the evening, three table tops were completely obscured by the empties.
Friday saw happy hour in the Mess Bar, this as is usual, being very well attended. One phone call to the bar had many there in stitches, poor Connie having inadvertently locked the DOR in the SHQ building. Chris the Medic also received a surprise presentation when the Station Commander presented her with her long service and good conduct medal, which apparently has been following Chris around the world for the last two years. Later in the evening the Snob Hill mob ventured forth to Two Boats Club to partake in some 'dancing and singing' and to see the bands on display, several of the performers getting quite good reviews from those in attendance. Much muscle relaxant was consumed, though Chris the Medic, obviously out celebrating her medal, was seen to decline a gin and tonic. Late in the evening Incendiary Ian did what has become his usual trick of slipping away and falling asleep in the car (or in this particular case on the bonnet). Sleepwalking Stan also had a bit of a shock when it was time to leave, having forgotten that the car had been moved, went marching off across the car park in completely the wrong direction, and was found a few minutes later looking forlornly around for a lift. Luckily, Connie, who did the taxi driving bit for the night, (thanks Connie) hadn't forgotten about him and Stan's relief was obvious when he finally got into the car.
Saturday saw a few shocked faces around Snob Hill when Makem, attired in walking boots (yes Tractor Boy I do own a pair) and cap turned out with Rambling Roger, RMP, Incendiary Ian and Sleepwalking Stan to collect the remaining danger flags from the range. I I and SS had accepted a challenge (turned down by the movers) the previous evening in the bar, to climb up the steep side of Bears Back (1200 ft, virtually straight up) to collect one of the flags. The intrepid Duo managed the ascent in only 16 minutes, but took their time descending, completing the challenge in just over 45 minutes. Stan managed to acquire a new nickname at the end of the descent, Rambling roger describing him as looking like a match, thin and white with a red head, so from hence forth he will be known as Stan Vesta (replace the first T with a W…get it). Makem and I I then yomped over to Sisters Red Hill to retrieve the penultimate flag while RMP, RR and Stan Vesta tackled the entangled flag at the receiver Building. RMP then gave us all a rather dusty, whistle stop, tour of the ranges before we returned to Snob Hill. Chris the Medic, having been somewhat worse for wear the previous evening, claimed that she had never managed to get drunk on G+T before, but the term drunk is something of an understatement. The evening again saw a good turn out by the Snob Hill mob, again accompanying the EOD chaps to the bar.
Sunday saw the usual Grogs walk, though Cornish looked a bit on the shabby side at the start, claiming that it was the brandy that did it (the bar having run out of tonic for his gin). This week also saw a quite large turn out, the EOD team boosting the numbers to over ten. Sensibly the usual group had lunch while the EOD boys tabbed up to the Dew Pond, though all managed to return, surprisingly, not too muddied by their efforts. The evening saw most of the grogs group trundle down to the VC for tea.
|
As many of you will be aware the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, is funding a Seabird Restoration Project on Ascension Island. One of the key aims of this project is to attempt to restore seabird colonies on the mainland of Ascension.
The first phase of this project, feral cat eradication, will commence next month. A new Zealand based company, Wildlife Management International Limited, have been contracted to undertake the eradication programme and their team of 8 personnel will be arriving on the island on 1 February 2002. The team will regularly provide advance notice and updates on their activities through the 'Islander'. This is the provisional outline of what they will be doing for the first 2 weeks.
Week 1 will primarily be one of familiarisation getting to know the island and various aspects that will affect the programme. During this period they will decide on what section will be focussed on first. This is likely to be the Wideawake tern fairs as the terns will be due to arrive later in the month and some removal of cats prior to this would be helpful.
Week 2 Set up grid lines of bait stations (no toxic/poison bait) and some of the cage traps around the settlements, rubbish dumps etc. This, of course, will depend on what the early reconnaissance turns up.
Methodology information
1. The initial phase of the programme is likely to involve cage trapping (trapping live cats).
2. The public will be notified beforehand of areas and times where poisoning and shooting is to occur.
3. Poisoning or shooting is unlikely to begin in the first two weeks after the arrival.
Advise to Cat and Dog owners
1. We would advise cat and dog owners to feed their pets well.
2. If practical they should be confined as far as possible.
Do you have any questions?
Richard White, RSPB Conservation Officer, can be contacted at the Conservation Centre on 6359. After 1 February Mike Bell (Project Supervisor) will be available should anyone wish to discuss aspects of the project with him.
"Call the band something stupid like…Blue Dust! There you go! Blue Dust!" Of course, Justin wasn't serious when he said that, but after 3 hours of debate over the band name we were happy to take the dumbest thing we could find. How can you take yourself seriously with a name like "Blue Dust"? There were concerns as to what Blue Dust actually was/is/could be, but we won't go there. When Justin left he wanted us to continue with the band, and the name, so the new and current lineup is as follows.
| Duane March - Guitar, vocals, CD burner type guy Clayton March - Guitar, vocals, driver and CD burner type guy's brother Chris "you know what I mean" George - Bass and smokerette fellow Alan "old bean" Bates - Guitar, vocals and studio moral officer Glen Yon - Guitar and he's really, really tall. That's not important, but he is really tall. Suzie girl - Vocals and studio chef! Jamie B - Drummer, percussionist and beer kag filler upper guy Mario George - Lucky Dube impressionist. Keyboards and smokerrettes Barry Francis - We don't know what this guy does yet. Gets in the way most of the time. Eric Joshua - Sound-man and smokerrettes |
There's loads more on the horizon for Blue Dust, but for now I think sleep is the only priority. We'd like to take the time to thank the crew behind the curtains, in no particular order.
| Mobile for giving us the chance to help out. Cyril, Lyn and the rest of the crew for the stage. WOW! Johnny Hobson for warming up the crowd and the stage for us! Two Boats Club bar staff. Alcohol! Richard, Bronwyn and Bob Dylan. Brendan. Got more ladies screaming than we did! DJ Ghost and Johnny. Awesome lighting and excellent Disco! Billy for the bongo's from the Blue Dust rhythm section! (BF and JB) David Peters. Not only for the equipment, but also for starting it all at the pier back in the day. Jim Ryan for helping with the recording equipment. Butch for the hardware. Winnie and the Wingdings. New album out soon! Watch this space. Chill Facta. Heaven is a trash pipe. I need to find a new bin liner. Gary Robinson. You can't escape next time! Michelle Reynolds. Next time. Next time. Emma. We'll be back. No doubt! Justin and Stacy, Peace and respect Mark Cevee, Hook it up man! Paul Crowie, keep ya head up bro! Dennis Francis. Sorry you missed it. Anyone we missed. Insert name here ______________________ |
Last but far from least. Thank you to the Two Boats Crowd. You people know how 2 party. Take care and see ya on the flipside!
Oh yeah, autographed photo's can be purchased online at www.needtogetoutmore.com. Check it out today!
B. Francis
|
|
 Suzie Girl - belting out a number |
|
 Brendan Godley - Pure country |
|
 Richard - Bob Dylan |
Hash #885
12 January 2002
From: One boat Hash hares
Hares: The Major & Limp Sausage
A good turn out at One Boat last Saturday despite the excesses of Friday night and the small hours of Saturday morning at Two Boats Club. There were early warnings about a long hash this week, the on-on was called and the pack set off.
An early bar check set the trend for the afternoon with both Barley Buckeye and Tit Pecker pursuing false trails before returning to the one true path of hash. The small piles of white stuff led us towards the One Boat tip, with Radar offering guided tours to anyone interested. A back arrow then placed the knitting circle in the front as the trail led towards the golf course while the FRBs cursed and tried to make up lost ground.
Midway through the hash Limp Sausage demonstrated the hazards of hashing on Ascension when a rock connected with his shin forcing an early retirement to Georgetown hospital. The has then proceeded along the edge of the golf course where the we received some heckling from a group of golfers telling us to 'hurry up'?
The group then split in two with the runners taking a longer loop and Fugitive off on a loop of his own while the walkers indulged in a small short cut before we regrouped and returned to the CSO building at One Boat for eats and drinks and tales of how Limp Sausage had been a brave boy at the hospital.
A new convert to the ways of hashing was welcomed into the fold this week. Billy Graham was duly baptised in the time honoured tradition. Thanks to The Major and Limp Sausage for an excellent runners hash and eats.
Thanks also to staff at the hospital for saving the leg of LS.
This weeks hashers: The Fugitive, Skipper, Boots, Mama 3 Bones, Fruit Bat, Miss Trunchbull, Limp Sausage, Twin Peaks, The major, Fido, Rat Boy, Yeti, Thunderthighs, Crystal Tips, Beany Baby, Morticia, Tit Pecker, Puff Grannie, Rug Rat, Rusty Head, Ms Motivator, Wyle E Coyote, Road Runner, Barley Buckeye, Billy Graham, Human Mattress, Radar, Blind Pew, Nocturnal Emissions, Russell, Paul.
Next weeks hash: Rat Boy and Rug Rat from Devil's Riding School
By: Tit Pecker
EDITORS : Penny Peters & Marie Anthony
The New Islander Office, Fort Hayes, Georgetown, Ascension Island.
Tel/Fax 00 + 247 6327
E-Mail: editors@the-islander.org.ac
Internet Team: Richard Thomas, Laura & Mark Handley, Gavin Yon
Deadline for all contributions is 6.00pm on Monday
All articles © copyright 2000 The Islander Newspaper. All rights reserved. |
Please visit our sponsor:  |
TRIBUTE
