Falkland Reflections

Stanley Harbour

So 30 years after Liberation, what's happened to the Falkland Islands?

In my view the islanders have used the opportunity given to them and made a real difference to the islands.  Partially that opportunity came from financial help after the conflict but also from the judicious use of their natural resources, such as organising the commercial sale of fishing licenses.

As a result the islands are now self-sufficient apart from defence, and they'd like to pay for that too.  They have invested heavily in education, in health and in infrastructure.  In 1982 the only roads were in Stanley, now there are paved roads in Stanley and gravel roads in many parts of the islands.  Pre-82 education often finished at 15, now the offer is there for all young people to continue to degree level with government funding.  Large farms have been bought from absentee landlords and divided and sold to local farmers.  The islanders show immense gratitude and kindness to those in the armed forces who fought to liberate them in '82.

The islands have changed, there are more people living in Stanley than the countryside now.  Tourism has boomed as the pristine nature of the islands and its fantastic wildlife has been recognised, it is now the second largest source of income for the islands.  The internet, although it is expensive and slow, means that the islands are connected to the world - fancy dress costumes can be bought on ebay and posted via the twice weekly flight from Brize Norton.

There are challenges.  Argentina's sabre rattling unsettles people and takes up a lot of time in terms of communicating the islanders' views to the rest of the world.  If oil can be produced in commercial quantities, then there will be big decisions to make about how to spend the money.  Various sectors could grow but need the labour to do it, so the islanders need to decide if and how much they want the population to grow.

I hope that the Falkland Islanders make the right decisions about the future for themselves.  They have a strong and positive community, which they are justly proud of.  They live in a spectacularly beautiful place, which they cherish.  I feel very privileged to have been invited to share in their commemoration of the events of 1982 and their celebration of their freedom and I hope that they will be left in peace to continue with their lives as they choose.

Liberation Day

Falkland Island Defence Force on parade

June 14^th is liberation day. It is a public holiday on the islands with numerous events to celebrate.

The day dawned dry and cold, but the clouds promised rain.  We set off for the cathedral service at 10am, very well wrapped up.  The service was led by the Reverend Hines but included prayers led by the forces chaplain, the Catholic parish priest and a representative of the Tabernacle Free Church ; with readings from a school pupil, a veteran of 1982 and the Governor, so it was a service for all of the community.  The service was one of thanksgiving, remembrance and also looking forward to the future.

At the end of the service we then moved outside to walk down to the memorial ready for the service there.  The weather was awful, it started off as light snow and then turned into horizontal, in your face snow. However, no one was put off and the ceremony and parade took place with significant numbers of spectators and was broadcast live on the radio.  There were short prayers and then wreaths were laid – I was proud to lay one on behalf of Chichester College.  The services then paraded past, looking immaculate despite the conditions, whilst some of their comrades stood immobile at each corner of the monument. They didn’t twitch despite the fact that they were slowly freezing.  Once the parade had finished everyone got inside quickly.  There was a community event at lunchtime, with around 1,000 people attending, and which featured a 45 foot model of HMS Invincible made out of sponge cake, quite a sight!  Once the choir had sung, the Governor measured the cake and the food was finished, we slipped away, leaving some stalwarts still celebrating!

TheWild West

On Wednesday we visited the settlement at Fox Bay on West Falkland after the service at San Carlos.  We were travelling in three of FIGAS’ four Islander aircraft and even this short journey demonstrated the changeability of the weather here.  When we left San Carlos it was snowing but by the time we arrived at Fox Bay it was a bright, sunny day.

We visited the school at Fox Bay, which has a school population of two children, from two different families.  They are taught by Jim, who is a travelling teacher working with children in isolated areas.  He spends 2 weeks out of 6 with each family, which means 4 weeks at Fox Bay and then 2 weeks with another farming family in the north west of this island.  There are no roads to his other pupil’s home, so Jim’s driving skills and determination are tested in the winter, when travelling conditions are very difficult.  The normal routine is that rural children are taught by travelling teacher or in a settlement school but transfer to Stanley primary school at about 9 years old and live in the hostel there.  This isn’t always the case and I meant one teenager who had done all her secondary education by distance learning and had passed her GCSEs, a testament to her motivation.

The community at Fox Bay were very welcoming. They had organised a display of unseasonal sheep shearing and explained how they shear to ensure high wool quality and a good wool price.  The farms run very large sheep flocks, 7,000 sheep is not unusual and so the islanders have professional shearers, who can shear upwards of 350 sheep in one day. 

We then enjoyed a lavish lunch in the community’s social club, with spectacular views out over the bay. On a bright, still day it was absolutely beautiful and didn't live up to West Falklands' nickname of The Wild West!

Remembrance

One of the themes of this trip is remembrance for those involved in the Falklands war, both in the armed forces and the population.

Yesterday, we attended a short ceremony at the memorial for those killed on HMS Glamorgan.  The memorial is about two years old and is on the shoreline near Stanley.  HMS Glamorgan was hit by an Exocet missile whilst supporting 45 Commando in their attack on Two Sisters, near Stanley.  A mix of residents, veterans, forces personnel and visitors participated in the ceremony to remember all those affected.

Later in the day we visited an exhibition in the museum about the war.  There were lots of quotes from residents, including a letter from a child to her grandma telling her about the invasion.  She ended by saying words to the effect that - this is a sad letter, I’m sorry, but I needed to tell someone.  Other exhibits told of terrifying experiences, such as when residents were inside their houses, when fighting was taking place round them (the houses here are usually wooden and easily penetrated by bullets).  The exhibition vividly brought to life the hardships of the local population during the invasion and the war.  It was clearly something that none of us would want to happen to us.

Today, Wednesday, began with a short flight to San Carlos, where the British cemetery is and memorials list all of those who died during the conflict. It is a beautifully made cemetery maintained to a very high standard, as are all the memorials on the islands.  The service was attended by the Governor, the Foreign and Commonwealth Minister, as well as the President of SAMA and others who laid wreaths in remembrance.  It also seemed to be attended by quite a lot of media, so you may have seen it on TV before reading this.  It was a bitterly cold day, and the weather conditions and the difficulty of the terrain that we flew over made us think about the many adversities faced and endured during the campaign.   This service, like all those we have attended, was thoughtful and grateful and the islanders’ gratitude for their freedom was very clear.

Wildlife Paradise

First thing Tuesday morning we were taken by helicopter to see some of the Falklands famous wildlife.  The helicopter flight was only 10 minutes from Stanley to Volunteer Point, a journey that takes around 3 hours in the summer by car and considerably longer in the winter, depending on how often you get bogged down.  Locals develop excellent off road driving skills and can drive in places that most of us would struggle in.

At Volunteer Point we saw two types of penguin that live on the islands year round – Gentoo and King penguins.  It was an incredible experience.  

The landscape is spectacular and the penguins are relaxed about people, so you can walk very close to them and if you stand still they will come even closer to you!  Whilst we were looking at the King penguins, some of their adolescent chicks came so close they were almost standing on our feet.  During the winter they only visit their chick three times, so these chicks are hopeful that even people might have some food for them.  These colonies of penguins are healthy and in general wildlife on the Falklands is doing well.

The marine wildlife has become increasingly important to the islands, as they attract tourism, a growing sources of income.  Last year around 40,000 people visited, the majority for day visits from cruise ships.  For anyone interested in seeing animals in the wild, I think the Falklands is an incredible destination.

Saying thank you for freedom

Later on Monday we were invited to dinner by the 30th anniversary liberation committee where we met islanders and veterans. In the welcome speech the theme was that the islanders very much wanted to say thank you to those who gave them their freedom, to those who supported them afterwards, to all those who continue to support their right to choose their own future and to those who help them develop. They are also looking forward to those who work with them today on development - which is why the colleges were invited. Before 1982 few islanders stayed at school past 15 and levels of education were limited. After liberation education became a key focus and this investment in their young people is why so many come to study in the UK at 16.

When I first saw the guest list, I didn't understand the connection of all of the invitees. As people talk I begin to understand it more. Jersey and Guernsey have been invited because after the liberation in 1982 they gave the Falklands substantial financial gifts to help them rebuild. Jersey alone gave five million pounds. Both islands did this because of their experience of the trauma of occupation during the Second World War. Gibraltar share with the Falklands the fact that the population wish to remain British but another country wishes to claim them. The minister from Gibraltar replied to the opening speech at dinner and was passionate about freedom and democracy.

I think living in the UK, we take our freedom and our rights for granted. This week is making me think about it more and making me appreciate its value.

Remembering the 8th June 1982

We were met from the plane, at Mount Pleasant, by the organisers of the trip and made very welcome.  We drove towards Stanley but turned off after 15 minutes or so, towards Fitzroy, where there are monuments remembering those who died in the bombing of the Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram on the 8^th June 1982.  As some of our party are from the Welsh Assembly, it was very important to them to visit Fitzroy and lay a wreath there in memory of the many Welsh Guards who died that day.

We were met at the monument by the Reverend Richard Hines and Tim and Jan Miller from Stanley who are very involved with supporting returning veterans.  There were also a number of visiting veterans from a range of the regiments involved in the conflict.  

The site of the Welsh Guards monument is on a small cliff overlooking an inlet, nearby are monuments to those from the RFA, the medical corp and engineers who also died that day.  As far as the eye can see is moorland – covered with snow, as it’s the middle of winter.  Various seabirds were about, skimming the water, splashing down and making a lot of noise in an otherwise silent landscape. There was a short, heartfelt service of remembrance.  Dusk was falling and we got back on the road to Stanley.

Flying down to Stanley

We assembled for the flight down to the islands on Sunday 10^th June at RAF Brize Norton.  The flight was scheduled to leave at 23:59 but we were told that we had to check in at least 3 hours beforehand.  At least it gave us the chance to introduce ourselves and start to learn each others’ names.  From the start this trip has felt very different to other college trips, the VIP lounge at Brize Norton had 3 clocks on the wall, set for the UK, Kandahar and Kuwait.  Seeing those clocks was a simple reminder of the major areas that our armed forces are committed to and are continuing to work in while we get on with our day to day lives. The plane (a standard Boeing 767, with all mod cons) left on time for the first leg of the journey to Ascension Island (just 9 hours flying time!).  Ascension is just below the equator, some considerable distance off the West African coast.

At Ascension Island we were whisked off the plane and driven for about 20 minutes to the Administrator’s Residence. Apparently Ascension Island is called Cinder Island by those who are posted there.  It’s a volcanic island, red and barren with one Green Mountain where the Victorians managed to get plants and small trees to grow, creating a damper micro climate on that mountain.  It has a population of about 800 people, all living there because of work.  There is no resident population, even if a child is born there they do not have the right of residency.  The population seems to consist of the RAF, the US Air Force, the BBC who have a station that transmits into Africa, and Cable and Wireless who maintain their transatlantic cables.  Actually there is a resident population ­– thousands of green turtles and maybe on the way back we will see some. 

The Residence, a stoutly built Victorian single storey building, is high on Green Mountain with amazing views across the island and a hair raising drive up a single track road with very sharp hairpin bends.  Scraping noises as the back of the minibus ground on the road, only happened on half the bends!  We had time at the Residence to admire the views and have some welcome fresh fruit before we had to come back down to the plane for the second leg of the journey, another 8 hours to Mount Pleasant on the Falklands.

An unusual invitation

Some time ago Chichester College was invited by the Falkland Islands Government to send a representative to participate in the events organised for the 30^th anniversary of the liberation of the islands from the Argentine invasion.  This invitation was in recognition of the work we do in educating their young people, post 16, and is linked to a theme of theirs this year, which is focusing on the future of the islands.  I was very privileged to be be asked by Shelagh, if I would come and represent the College on this important occasion.

From the information sent to us, it was clear that this anniversary is one where the islanders and those who fought, remember the war and the sacrifices made by all those involved.  It is also a moment for the islanders to show how their community has developed since the war and to show how they made the most of their freedom.  Also it is a time for the islanders to strengthen friendships, so that they can continue their way of life, despite continued Argentine claims that they should be part of Argentina.

The party includes a shadow cabinet junior minister; Lt Gen James Dutton, president of the South Atlantic Medal Association, who was in the Falklands war in 40 Commando; politicians from the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and Jersey, Guernsey and Gibraltar.  Completing the party are the principal of Peter Symonds College in Winchester and myself for Chichester College.