We were shown to our house which is very near the centre of the town. The good news is that it does have internal doors and toilet, much to everyone's relief. What it doesn't have is running hot water. There's an electric shower over the bath, but that's it. So in order to wash up we have to boil the kettle. Many of the houses have a solar hot water tank on their roofs which provides them with hot water. Everything we need is pretty much here, except a garden! Jamestown is a patchwork of houses & shops, few of which have any outside space. For now it seems to be a good location as I can walk to the shops, swimming pool and everything else I need whilst we're a one car family. Apparently people do move around a lot, but you just have to put out the word that you're looking for somewhere and people will approach you if they know of any vacant property.
The boys both went to school the day after we arrived, and Andy started work the day after. (For the information of my family & friends, I now find myself the only person in an entire country who calls my husband Charlie! Therefore, for an easier life I'll now refer to him as Andy, who knows by the end of two years I may even have joined the majority and call him that too....time will tell!)
1st day of school went well, but the second brought some resistance, and I guess the culture shock of arriving on an island where they speak English, yet we can't always understand them must have sunk in! By the end of the week they were both more settled. Andy enjoyed his first few days, got his timetable and began the introductions of the many people he'll be working with in his school and the surrounding primary schools. He also found some frustrations with the limitations of his lack of "administrator" computer access which has been a bit of a surprise.
The weather has been amazing. Sunny, clear skies and in the low 20's everyday....and it's still winter. The Saints are feeling the cold and wearing far more clothes than we have been. Saying that, for an island of no more than 10 miles long, its climate varies dramatically. At Prince Andrew school, which is on Francis Plane, the temperature can be 5 degrees colder, yet only 10 minutes drive. Took the boys swimming twice after school this week. Only ones there as it's still too cold for the locals, though the boys just found it warmer than on the boat! Both boys will be swimming once a week with the schools as soon as it warms up.
My week was spent unpacking, moving furniture around, putting all the plastics flowers, fibre optic decorations, lace and hand knitted doilies etc to a place of safety, as I'd hate to think the boys would break them! Some net curtains have stayed for privacy, others hidden behind curtains!
I also spent time just wandering a round the shops, of which there are more than I expected, just getting familiar with what they sell. A lot of food appears to come from the UK, or South Africa. Many items are from Asda, Tesco and Iceland, but not for the pre-printed price. I bought some frozen sweet corn that had a 99p label, but paid £2.19. Though generally I've not found the food as expensive as I thought it would be, and so far we've managed to get plenty of fruit and veg, though I have been warned this isn't always the case. Could just be because the boat is in bringing fresh supplies. Also found a range of cheese including Brie, Camembert, Feta & Halloumi....we'll see how long that lasts! I did buy some yogurts, only to find they were nearly two weeks out of date! Many items are close to their sell by, or just passed it.....which doesn't bode well for the baskets of free condoms many shops seem to have on the counter!
I've met a few ex pat Mums at the school gates who have been very welcoming. Julie has been here with her family (husband is the prison warden) for 9 months. She invited me along to the Salvation Army charity shop and coffee morning on Friday morning, as well as Donny's for after work drinks. Donny's is on the seafront and seems to be the place many go on a Friday night. We went at around 5.00pm with the boys which is more family friendly and the place turns into a bar and nightclub later on in the evening. In fact it was quite a perfect night out for me, a few drinks but still home by nine, with the possibility of dancing in the future!
Julie and her family then took us on a tour of the island on Saturday afternoon, and back to their lovely house for homemade cake. Seeing their home made ours feel small and very much like a holiday let. Roll on the 10th October when our container with the car and belongings arrive!
Toby was invited on a dolphin watching trip on Sunday morning, where he saw around 100 dolphins very close to the boat, and a humpback whale and calf in the distance.
The rest of us attended the family service at the Salvation Army church in Half Tree Hollow. Some new hymns, some very old and a few choruses on PowerPoint as well. The brass band was made up by a third of the congregation! Apparently there are a lot of people 'off island' at the moment! The praise and worship service next Sunday evening sounds as though it will be worth trying out (guitars and worship band I think), as we try several of the churches until we find our new 'home'!
We've met many people, and met friends we made on the boat on a number of occasions, as well as those who are just here on holiday. They will leave after eight days which will be strange as now I can pretty much guarantee I'm likely to bump into someone I know when in the high street. Those who started their adventure at the same time as us seem to have an unspoken bond as we all adjust to life on St. Helena.
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| Our House from the Road |
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| Toby off to find the dolphins |
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| View from upstairs with the RMS in the bay |
