Download - Tresco Times Winter 2012 - Volume 6.5

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Bringing the Last Pieceof England to the World

“Our Views Are Clear.”Winter 2012 VOLUME 6.5

THE TRESCO TIMESSTILL FREE AND STILL MAKING SENSE OF SCILLY

Bringing the Last Pieceof England to the World

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The Abbey Gardens’Newest Residents

Tresco’s ColossalHoliday Prize

Tresco and BryherFood Festival

2 Page 7 Page 5

With the closure of the directhelicopter route, Tresco, theIsles of Scilly SteamshipCompany and Bryher BoatServices have removed all thelogistical niggles to leave youwith a smooth and seamlessjourney to wherever you arestaying on Tresco. Read moreinside...

Plane Sailing To Tresco In 2013

As part of a brand new ticketing system,Tresco’s guests will now be able to takeadvantage of a bespoke service that will allowfor an all-in-one ticket which will see them fromtheir departure airport (Exeter, Newquay orLand’s End) to their cottage door on Tresco.Only tickets booked through the Island Officewill include all island transfers between StMary’s airport and Tresco. Prices start at £150for an adult return from Land’s End.

Tresco_Times_Winter2012_Layout 1 22/10/2012 15:56 Page 1

Insular Things

Many belated congratulations to the new Mr &Mrs Watkins! Mark, Sous-chef at the Flying BoatClub and island girl Becky (nee Brint), Reserva-tions Manager, were married in Cape Town onTuesday 24th January 2012. Bride and groomarrived at the beach in a 1947 Rolls Royce. Rebecca was given away by her father, StuartBrint, who many readers will remember asTresco’s heliport manager. Present also at thewedding were Becky’s mother Fran Brint, daugh-ter of Roger and Ann Oyler and ex Abbey gardener, and aunt Michelle Oyler from theTimeshare Office.Lots of best wishes were received on the dayfrom friends and family on the mainland and inScilly.The honeymoon was spent on safari andat a hotel in the winelands sampling the food andlocal wines.

From left: Andrew Hulands, Alex Christopher, Jake Newton, Jamie Parkes, HRH Duchess of Cornwall, HRH Prince of Wales the Duke of Cornwall, Connie Lawson, Michelle Oyler, Jack Carter and Kim Hopkins.

The school have enjoyed a busy summerwith all sorts of activities from a cupcake work-shop with Daisy Cupcake (aka Alison Goddardpictured above) during the food festival, a su-perb fundraising effort with the New Grimsbymoney-trail which garnered an amazing £450 tobuy garden furniture for the school garden anda first aid tutorial from our very own Co-respon-der extraordinaire, Richard Hobbs.

Royal Jubilations!The Isles of Scilly were treated toa Royal visitation by the Duke and

Duchess of Cornwall.Their focus was on the islands of St Mary’sand Bryher, which allowed for a contingentof Tresco’s gig rowers to make the arduousvoyage over to our neighbour’s fair shores.The Duke and Duchess’ first stop on Bryherwas at the newly-refurbished Sussex gig

shed, now home to Tresco and Bryher’s pre-mium racing gig, the Alfie Jenkins. Here theyhad the opportunity not just to appreciate allthe new information boards but also to meetsome of our heroic rowers.The occasion was noted for the variety ofchoice footwear on display, in particular JakeNewton’s yellow wellies. The Press mademuch of the fact that the Duchess preferredto dispense with shoes altogether, a fashiontip she clearly picked up from Michelle Oyler.

Other well-knownvisitors to Trescothis summer in-cluded AlexJames, bassist ofBritpop super-group Blur andc e l e b r a t e dcheesemake r,who, with his fam-ily, spent a weekon the island inthe early summer. Demonstrat ingthat his talents go

beyond musicianship and dairy products, Alexpenned a delightful article in the Independentabout their holiday and was fulsome in hispraise of Tresco and the islands in general. Ifyou missed it the first time, the piece is availableon our website, www.tresco.co.uk (What thePapers Say), along with other recent articlesfrom the Financial Times and the Times.

ITV’s charming culinary father and soncombo, Dick and James Strawbridge, TheHungry Sailors, also paid us a visit duringthe Food Festival as part of three hour longprogrammes about the Isles of Scilly, whichthey were filming for their next series. Dueout in Spring 2013, viewers can look for-ward to them making sandwiches for thecricket team, repairing a wall for the farmand helping dig up sweet potatoes in theAbbey Gardens.

There may have been a little bit of rain in the air but Tresco’s JubileeBeacon was anything but a damp squib. Despite the poor weather, acrowd of over a hundred islanders and visitors gathered up at Dial

Rocks on Monday 4th June to watch as Robert Dorrien Smith lit the 20foot beacon. Amid cheers, hurrahs and rousing calls of “God save theQueen!”, flames quickly took hold, lighting up the hillside and providingsome welcome warmth. Plenty of champagne was on offer to all pres-ent, courtesy of the Dorrien Smiths. Credit must also go to theWoodlands team who had carefully constructed the magnificentbeacon, making sure that it burnt beautifully in honour of HerMajesty the Queen.Celebrations were not limited to the Jubilee Beacon - Sun-day 3rd June saw a fancy dress procession led by MillyDriscoll-Johnson parade from New Grimsby to the Com-munity Centre at Old Grimsby. Here locals and visitorsgathered for a special Jubilee picnic, which was verymuch enjoyed by all, though the brisk north-westerlydid its best to cool proceedings.

Tresco Times


Tresco Times

Return from Land’s EndAdult - £150 Child - £118

Flight time - fifteen minutes. .............

Return from NewquayAdult - £190 Child - £150Flight time - thirty minutes.

.............

Return from ExeterAdult - £240 Child - £190Flight time - one hour.

I would like to update everyone on the proposed travelarrangements after 1st November 2012. Whilst we haveexplored many alternative helicopter options, I am certainthat there is no financially viable rotary solution availablein the short term.Given this situation, we have therefore devised a seamlessservice for Tresco Estate guests, following extensivediscussions with the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company /Skybus. This new system will allow us to continue to deliver thefirst-class experience that our visitors have come to expect, aswell providing a saving on travel costs.The Steamship Company has committed considerableinvestment to expand and improve their capabilities, not leasta new terminal building at Land’s End, new Twin Otter aircraftand a major refurbishment of the Scillonian III. In addition, theIsles of Scilly Council has applied for ERDF funding to carry outsignificant improvements to St Mary’s airport, runways andterminal building, as well as electronic landing systems whichwill greatly improve access in adverse weather conditions.These works should be complete by early 2014.We will all miss the luxury of Europe’s only scheduled helicopterpassenger service. For the past 30 years, we have been lookedafter so well by all the helicopter staff, both in Penzance andScilly. They have provided a dedicated and friendly service: wewish them all the very best in the future. I would also like tothank so many of our visitors for their support, loyalty andunselfish regard for the issues facing our island communityduring this transitional period. I have complete confidence thatthe new system will serve us extremely well.The Isles of Scilly are the only remote part of the UnitedKingdom that receives no revenue support for the cost of travel.This remains the core issue confronting the islands and theircommunities. We are addressing this at the highest ministeriallevel, drawing attention to the obvious comparator of theScottish islands.Many Tresco guests have asked what they can do to help. Ithink that one answer would be for everyone who minds aboutScilly and the viability of its community to write to their MP,expressing their concern at the inequality of this treatment.yours sincerelyRobert Dorrien Smith

An open letter from Robert Dorrien Smith to the readers of the Tresco Times.

Travelling to Tresco with Skybus Exeter

Newquay

Land’s EndIsles ofScilly

The ticket price includes all transfers within Scilly,such as taxi-bus to the quay and boating to Tresco.At every stage of their journey on the islands, guestswill be assisted by Tresco Estate staff or contractors. This “car to cottage” ticket is only availablewhen booked through The Island Office.

Seamless To Tresco: choose the “car to cottage” ticketto take you from three mainland airports all the way to

your holiday accommodation, including all islandtransfers, when booked through the Island Office.

For more information or to bookplease call us on 01720 422849

or visit www.tresco.co.uk


Tresco Times

Tresco & Bryher CricketClub concentrate on the taking part.Tresco & Bryher Cricket Club have not had themost outstanding of seasons in terms of victories(it took us until August to win our first match) butit has certainly been a very enjoyable summer.The general air of bonhomie was on display re-cently in two inter-Tresco games. This week sawTresco’s Old Gentlemen’s XI play the Young Gen-tlemen’s XI. The contest was the idea of gardenerDavid Hamilton, whose two sons, Hamish andLuke, are key members of the Tresco & Bryher XI.To qualify for the Old Gentlemen, players had tobe over the age of 40 and possess at least onefully-functioning limb. Some of Tresco’s finestcame out of retirement to grace the field, mostnotably wicket-keeping legend, Bill Pritchard. Infact, 5 members of the OG’s could just aboutremember winning the Island TriangleTournament together 20 years previously!The Old Gentlemen batted first, with an excellentperformance from opener Steve Parkes, battlingcameos from Dean Whillis and Neil Barbary anda splendid 38 not out from skipper DavidHamilton. The OG’s total after 20 overs was 126for 5. Some fine boundaries were struck by theOG but the loudest cheers were for the oddoccasions when their batsmen actually managedto complete two runs off a single ball. The stand-out bowler for the Young Gentlemen was LukeHamilton who took three wickets for 14 runs. Lukealso took the catch of the season to dismiss DeanWhillis.The Young Gentlemen started steadily in reply butbegan to rack up some serious runs once JonTaylor came to the crease. He scored a quick-fire30 before being bowled by Dean Whillis’ first ball,much to the delight of the Timeshare Manager.After Jon’s dismissal, the YG began to strugglewith the run rate, not least due to some finebowling from Dean, who ended the match with 4wickets for 5 runs from his 4 overs. The otherhighlight was a father/son tussle which ended with

Parkes Snr clean bowling Parkes Jr. The YG’s lastbatsman was bowled out in the final over, with theteam’s total at 88. We all then repaired to the New Inn for thepresentation of the cup and the awards for Menof the Match. The OG’s Man of the Match wasDean Whillis and for the YG’s it was LukeHamilton.Everybody agreed that the match should becomean annual fixture, more drinks were ordered andthings got a bit blurry. Despite the beer, it was avery memorable occasion…not least because theTimeshare Manager won’t stop reminding us allthat he was OG Man of the Match.A week or two earlier saw the annual Islanders vs.Timesharers match. The Timesharers batted firstand scored 94, the result of a superb innings byopener Hugo Sells who scored 44 before beingbowled by Simon Sandison. A good openingpartnership for the Islanders and another quick-fire blast from John Taylor saw them make thetotal in the 18th over. Once again we all retired tothe New Inn for beer, the awarding of the WilsonTrophy and general merriment.

After Tresco’s cricketing generation game, the teams warmed down in the clubhouse.

From left: Ali and Paul Wilson hand over theWilson Cup to T&B skipper Jon Taylor after theannual Timeshare vs Islanders cricket match,first instituted by Paul Wilson.

Tresco Triathlon 2012

The Editor was delighted to have the opportunityto catch up with one of Tresco’s most dedicatedvisitors. Mrs Hurle-Hobbs who first visited Trescowith her husband the year that the Island Hotelopened in 1962, making the trip from Petersfieldin their own boat . Mr Hurle-Hobbs had knownTom Dorrien Smith in the Royal Navy during thewar. Mrs Hurle-Hobbs has visited nearly everyyear since and was one of this island’s firsttimesharers. She fondly recalled friendships withthe Hamiltons and the Hodgsons, as well asholidays in the Island Hotel. “It was like a bighouse party with mystery barbecues and tea atKing Charles’ Castle. I always enjoyedentertaining guests at the cottage but I alwaysliked a week in the hotel afterwards to recover!” Tresco looks forward to your return, Mrs Hurle-Hobbs!

Probably the island’s most romantic gesturethis year was delivered with aplomb byGiles Ashford. Giles, who has been visitingTresco since the age of four, travelled all theway from Perth Australia where he currentlylives, to propose to his girlfriend LauraPhillips in Tresco Abbey Gardens on July5th. Giles and Laura announced theirengagement that evening in the Flying BoatClub. The couple plan to return to marry onthe Scilly next year.Many congratulations to you both!

A third of a mile swim, a twelve mile cycle andthen a three mile run was the challenge offeredby the Tresco Triathlon this year. Amongst thethirty eight competitiors there was only room forone winner...step forward our very own Graham “The Bike” Clegg, who stormed home in thesplendid time of 1hr 12mins 45secs. Grahamseemed typically underwhelmed by his victory,especially as in his very first triathlon he beat intosecond place hardened triathlete, Mark Worledge. Scilly had first with the ladies as well with RuthNicholls of St Mary’s.The events organiser Pete Marshall (picturedabove presenting Graham with his trophy) and allthe volunteer stewards deserve considerablepraise for the success of the event. Anyoneinspired to enter in 2013 should contact Pete fordetails - [email protected].

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Eddie’s Tours havebeen a notablesuccess this summer -most particularly the£350 that they haveraised for the RNLI.Eddie will continue tooffer his informativetours of Tresco overChristmas and willstart again in February.Well done Ed!


Tresco Times

One shining example of local produce which was at the heart of the FoodFestival was our very own Tresco Beef. Given their surroundings, theirdiet of rich island pasture and the dedication and expertise Tresco’sfarmer Paul Christopher and his team, it comes as little surprise thatTresco beef is known on the island for its tenderness and superb flavour.This year it seems that Tresco beef’s renown has spread to the main-land. Bullocks from Tresco are sent to Truro market every few weeksand in the past 12 months, they have been top in the class at Truro’slivestock market. Paul Christopher commented: “I’m thrilled to bits. Wealways knew that both the animals and the beef were very good but it’svery rewarding to see that the market agrees! Our current bull, Del-boy,is a pure Limousin pedigree and he’s helped steadily improve the herd.”

Clockwise from top right: Cakes and Ale with workshops from Daisy Cupcake and tastings from Ales of Scilly; crab and lobster from the Penders of Bry-her; cheese from Tresco Deli with Helen Venning of Newlyn Cheese; wine masterclasses with Iain Riggs of Australia’s Brokenwood vineyards and thecreamiest ice cream with Sam Hicks of Troytown Farm, St Agnes.

A celebration of the very best inlocal produce, producers, chefsand suppliers took place on theweekend of 15th -16th Septemberon the islands of Tresco and Bry-her in The Isles of Scilly. More than20 producers came together aspart of the first Tresco & BryherFood & Drink Festival. Throughout the day on the Satur-day the foodie spotlight was onTresco. Visitors enjoyed browsingaround an array of food and bever-age stalls and sampling tasty localtreats. In addition, festival-goersenjoyed a wine masterclass from

top international wine-makers aswell as workshops in focaccia –making, cupcake decorating andcocktail mixing Highlights throughout the day alsoincluded a special Tresco beeflunch menu at the New Inn pub,and a gourmand evening at thechic Flying Boat Club with a sevencourse tasting menu – each coursespecially prepared by a different is-land chef, accompanied by individ-ual wines selected by winemakersfrom New Zealand and Australia. On Sunday, the foodie focus turnedto Bryher where the culinary cele-

brations continued. A Harvest Festival in the morning launchedthe day’s gastronomic delights.Throughout the rest of the day, vis-itors were treated to a number ofdelicacies including locally madefudge from Veronica’s Farm, Bry-her-baked speciality breads andauthentic Mexican cooking. The event proved such a successthat the dates are set for next year.14th-15th September 2013 will seethe 2nd Tresco and Bryher FoodFestival. For more information orfor special Food Festival holidays,please call us on 01720 422849.

Tresco & Bryher Food and Drink Festival 2012

www.symonsconstruction.co.uk01736 794144

The Sea Garden Cottages and The Flying Boat Club.

Building for Tresco

Above or below ground, on or under water – we do it!

Tresco - The Best of British Beef


Tresco Times Birdman David Rosair asksthe question “Is it better tovisit Scilly for birds in theSpring or the Autumn”?

From mid September through to the end ofOctober, there are surprises around every corner.I can vividly recall last September when we visitedBryher and walked slowly up towards ShipmanHead Down, when a smallish dark grey andbrown bird with a longish tail flew across our pathand landed on the stone wall 20 yards in front ofus. “Wryneck” I exclaimed. Well, what a view! Thebird, probably recently arrived from the Continentand making its way south to Africa, spent a fewminutes probing into the cracks of the wall forinsects, occasionally looking up and turning itshead in a peculiar fashion, which quickly made merecall its appropriate Latin name Jynx torquilla.The strange Nightjar-like cryptic colourations andunobtrusive behaviour added to the overall beautyof this very special migrant bird.Later the same week and with the tide just abouthigh, we visited the Great Pool on Tresco tosearch out any newly-arrived waders. From theSwarovski Hide a small mixed flock of Redshankand Greenshank were already roosting on thestones in the far right hand corner of the Pool, withseveral birds also wading around and feeding in

the shallow water, their dull greenish legs tingedyellow evident in the bright morning sunlight.Amongst them however, was a smaller, neaterwader with much brighter yellow legs, the darkishupperparts neatly spotted and fringed whitish – asuperb Lesser Yellowlegs, a vagrant shorebirdfrom North America. A final “Autumnal Moment” I must just recall waswhen walking back along Pool Road when wecame across a handsome Redstart flitting alongthe path in front of us, revealing its diagnostic fieryorange tail. It then landed briefly in a smallSycamore tree alongside a Pied Flycatcher whichmade several sallies to catch insects ready tostock up for its long journey south. Just as wewere leaving a Whinchat also landed on the fencepost adjacent the Sycamore tree, its distinct buffysupercilium and spotted upperparts clearlyseparating the species from its commonercongener the Stonechat which we had beenwatching earlier in the gorse bushes behind theAbbeyPool. So Yes, Autumn is a better time to visit, or is it?It’s late April, 06.30 outside Hell Bay, Bryher andnobody about…the Peregrine flies overheadlooking for breakfast, the Cuckoo is calling fromthe rocks on Gweal Hill, I am counting at least tenNorthern Wheatears flitting around the grassyedges of the Pool and behind them, perched on afence post is a superb handsome male Ring

Ouzel! Out to sea, Guillemots are whizzing by,along with Gannets and a small flock of distantManx Shearwaters, whilst down on the beach atGreat Bay, a mixed flock of Turnstone, Curlew &Oystercatcher are quietly feeding amongst theseaweed. In the distance I can hear the familiar“Spring” sound of an approaching flock of migrantWhimbrel calling, their “seven note whistle”. As Istroll over to Rushy Bay to see find the diminutiveDwarf Pansy, a Holly Blue butterfly flies by, whilstseveral Atlantic Grey Seals poke their heads outof the water in their usual inquisitive fashion. Allthis before breakfast too. Later today we shalltake a special boat excursion and search forPuffins. So is Autumn a better time? I’m not so suremyself! Why not come and judge for yourself.Join David on one of his Spring Tours in 2013 for“Spring Migration, Abbey Garden, Flowers &Butterflies” as follows:Sea Garden Cottages, Tresco . . . . .April 20-24Hell Bay, Bryher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .April 24-29New Inn, Tresco . . . . . . . . . . . . .April 29-May 4

For full details of prices and bookings please contact: David Rosair, Island Ventures

Tel: 01227 793501Email: [email protected]

www.tresco.co.uk


Tresco Times

Enjoy a wonderful island Christmas on Tresco If you have yet to make your plans for Christmas and NewYear, then why not come and stay with us on Tresco?

To enter the Colossus Prize Draw, all you have to do is call Michelle at the Island Office 01720 424076 and makea donation of £10 or more by debit or credit card. Michelle will take your details and your name will be entered in thedraw. The lucky winner’s name will be drawn on 1st November 2013. Donate over £1000 and your name will join theother Colossus donors on a commemorative slate which will hang by the exhibition itself.

Last May, after over ten years of waiting and twohundred years underwater, the magnificentstern-figure from the wreck of an eighteenthcentury warship was finally put on display onTresco. Housed in the Abbey Garden’s HistoryRoom, this extraordinary 3.3 metre relic waspart of the intricately carved stern section ofHMS Colossus, which sank in a storm offSamson in 1798. It has been described as themost important marine archaeological discoverysince the Mary Rose. The exhibition is fully opento the public and there is no charge to view it.The cost of raising the huge carving from 12metres below the waves, conserving the ancient

timbers and constructing the display was in theregion of £110,000. This was met by the Isles ofScilly Maritime Heritage Trust. As a registeredcharity, its continued aim is to raise this sum bydonations. So far generous contributions haveprovided about 30% of the final figure.In order to revitalize the Colossus campaign,The Tresco Times is offering donors thechance to win a week’s holiday in Colossus,one of the Flying Boat Club’s beautifulcottages. Colossus can sleep up to 10 guestsin a high degree of comfort and style, with itsbeachfront chic interiors and spectacular views.

The New InnMake your seasonal baseat the island’s only pub.With 4 star accom-modation, guests can staybetween the 22nd – 27thDecember for £790 perperson on a dinner, bedand breakfast rate. Thecost includes return flightsto neighbouring island St Marys, and onwardtransfers to Tresco. If you’re at home forChristmas but want toescape for a New Yearstay on Tresco there’s alsoa tailored break on offer.Available from the 29thDecember – 3rd January2013 the package includes5 nights’ dinner, bed andbreakfast, return flights toneighbouring island, StMarys and onward trans-fers to Tresco, his andhers 1/2 hour treatments atthe Flying Boat Club Spa,travel insurance and FlyingBoat Club Spa member-ship. £790 per person.

Sea Garden Cottage – Sea HorseThe luxurious SeaGarden Cottages featurespacious, open-plan livingareas that lead ontoprivate decks overlookingthe clear Tresco waters.Rental includes access tothe Sea Garden facilities(pool, jacuzzi, small gym)and the Ruin Beach Café.How much? £2,030 perweek per cottage –availability throughout theChristmas and New Yearperiod.

FarmhouseSleeping up to 10 guests, Farmhouse is a family friendlycottage complete with log burning stove to take theedge off the cooler evenings. How much? £1,660 per week per cottage – availabilitythroughout the Christmas and New Year period.The cottage rental prices outlined above include aseasonal hamper, decorated Christmas tree, linen,towels, solid fuel (where applicable) and membershipof the Flying Boat Club with indoor pool, gym, spa andtennis courts.

Flying Boat Club- EndeavourA spectacular beachfronthouse with accom-modation for up to 9guests. A weekly stayincludes access to theFlying Boat Club withmembers' dining room,indoor pool, spa andtennis courts. How much? £2,575 perweek per property -availability throughoutthe Christmas and NewYear period.

For more information or to bookplease call us on 01720 422849

or visit tresco.co.uk

Win a week’s holiday in Colossus,

one of the Flying BoatClub’s beautiful

cottages!

Colossal Holiday Prize For Your Help With Historic Colossus


Old Moore on Tresco Death, Espionage and a Buddhist Monk

Tresco Times

In the last issue of the Tresco Times, thereaders were introduced to John EdmundSharrock Moore (1870 – 1947), a naturalist andexplorer of Central Africa in the late Victorianperiod and for over twenty years a resident ofTresco, where he is still remembered as OldMoore. His portrait hung for many years in theold Island Hotel’s Quiet Room, whose originalstructure was once his home. Old Moore arrivedon Tresco in the 1920s with his wife Heloise andpossibly their son Osbert, who was born in1904. As was mentioned previously, Old Moorehad come into a considerable inheritance in1908, allowing him to withdraw from all hisprofessional obligations and scientific research.The family disappears from view for nearly 20years before resurfacing on Tresco.Along with this portrait and series of

watercolours that hang in Racket Town Cottage,

the only other evidence of the family’s presenceon Tresco is to be found in the churchyard.Close to the western end of St Nicholas’ Churchstands an angled gravestone, more akin tostanding stone than a traditional headstone. Theweather-worn inscription reads: “In memory ofHeloise, daughter of Osbert Salvin ofHawkesfold Sussex and wife of John EdmundShorrack Moore who died 4 Nov 1927. Non-extinguetur innocte lucerna eius.” Evidence suggests that the inheritance hadbeen spent and with Heloise in poor health, theMoores turned to the Dorrien Smiths. At thattime, Tresco was under the care of Major ArthurDorrien Smith, whose wife Eleanor was a cousinof Heloise. Exactly when the Moores arrived onTresco is hard to say but it was certainly OldMoore’s home from 1927 to his death in 1947.Old Moore is still fixed in the memories of someof Tresco’s older residents. Both Nonie Handyand Gloria Lawry recall Old Moore bringing tothe island the first black man they had everseen, the cause of some consternation amongstthe island children. From Nonie and Gloria’schildhood recollections, it would seem that hewas some sort of valet to Old Moore and wasalso an evangelical Christian who led prayermeetings on the island. Old Moore was a keenpatron of the New Inn and would pretend to tryand hook the children’s legs with his walkingstick on his way home.During his time on Tresco, Old Moore wrote andpublished a book in 1934 called Five FoolishVirgins. It is a genuinely strange book, mixingelements of autobiography and fact withimaginative fancy, humour and a dash ofmagical realism. The book begins on Trescowith dinner at the Abbey with the DorrienSmiths, after which Old Moore takes a moonlitstroll up to the monument where he considershis life and the roles that women have played init. The title of the book is hinted at thus “Think of

the parson who got so verbally mixed up that hissermon ended, “ And now brethren, which willyou do – will you watch with the wise virgins, orsleep with the five foolish ones?”…” A nod too,perhaps to the inscription on his wife’s grave -Her lamp shall not be put out in the night.There is no mention in Five Foolish Virgins ofthe Moores’ son, Osbert, who was 23 at the timeof his mother’s death. If Old Moore is afascinating personality, Osbert is truly anenigma. Almost everything that is known aboutOsbert Moore comes from Friends Abroad byMaurice Cardiff. This book recounts hismemories of such luminaries as Patrick Leigh-Fermor, Peggy Guggenheim and Freya Starkbut the final chapter is dedicated to the odd andintriguing story of Osbert Moore. Even in thisextraordinary company, Osbert stands out.

Watercolour by Osbert Moore from Racket Town cottage.

Old Moores portrait that once hung in theIsland Hotel.

Heloise Moore’s gravestone on Tresco.


Little is known about Osbert’s early life, other than his formal educationwas fairly sketchy. His natural facility for languages, particularly Frenchand Italian, and an insatiable intellectual curiosity meant that he wassufficiently equipped to study modern languages at Oxford. Cardiff firstmeets him in 1934 at Beckley Hall, near Oxford. He describes a tall, quietyoung man, referred to by all as Bertie, with a seemingly inexhaustibleknowledge of all things from antique furniture to topiary. Osbert teacheshimself the harpsichord in a few months with no prior musical knowledge;he learns fluent Turkish from a book and seems to pick up landscapepainting with oils instinctively. He can fix anything he puts his mind to from18th century barrel organs to early automata. Cardiff finds him athoughtful, meditative and detached. Occasional trips to Tresco are mentioned, in particular by one friend whoOsbert and Old Moore managed to terrify with a perilous sailing tripWith the outbreak of the Second World War, the impoverished Osbertjoined the army. Despite his degree, he signed up in the ranks and foundhimself in an anti-aircraft regiment. The War Office had need of hislinguistic talents and swiftly transferred him to an Intelligence Corpsofficer-cadet training camp, from where he was sent to help overseeItalian internees in a camp on the Isle of Man. In 1944, he was posted toItaly and into the shadowy world of espionage and sabotage, a worldOsbert described as “…resulting from the passing of armies – poverty,corruption, unscrupulous exploitation, plotting, denunciation and, worsethan all, enjoyment in these things.” Cardiff describes how Osbert andtwo other British officers have “…the pick of the big game in spy-hunting…” in Allied-occupied Italy. For many years previously, Osbert had become increasingly interested inspiritual matters and meditation and was developing an affinity withBuddhism. As if in direct opposition to the dark new surroundings in whichhe found himself, this interest in Buddhist teachings grew in its intensity.It was an interest shared by a brother Intelligence officer Harold Musson.The Buddhist principles that Osbert adopted were at odds morally withthe military duties demanded by his position. Many of the spies andsaboteurs that Osbert unearthed and captured would inevitably be put todeath. The sanctity of life is a cornerstone of the Buddha’s teaching.Cardiff explains: “In the dilemma in which he now found himself, he askedto be relieved of his counter-espionage duties and followed this up with arefusal to divulge evidence, known only to himself, with regard toinvestigations already in hand.” For a British Army officer, these demandswere not far short of mutiny and carried with them a real risk of courtmartial and a lengthy imprisonment, if not worse. Fortunately for Osbert,his superiors let him go and he moved back to London to work for theBBC. It was around this time that Old Moore was becoming increasingly unwell.On 15th January 1947 he died of heart failure in West Cornwall Hospital,Penzance. Osbert never returned to Tresco and when asked by theDorrien Smiths where they should send his father’s possessions, hereplied that he had no need of them and they could do with them as theywished. I have been told that Old Moore was buried beside his wife in thechurchyard. He asked for no headstone to mark his grave.Towards the end of 1948, after a year of indecision, Osbert left Englandfor Sri Lanka with his friend Harold Musson in order to study and practiceBuddhism. His departure was quite sudden and he was never to return.His home was to become The Island Hermitage at Dodanduwa. Here hesoon joined the monastic Theravada order, changing his name toNanamoli. In the years to come, Osbert was to become a renownedscholar and translator of Buddhist texts, having taught himself the ancientlanguage of Pali. Heremained at Dodanduwauntil his death in 1960from a heart attack.The story of Old Mooreand his son Osbert rollsacross the world, from theAfrican continent and theMountains of the Moon tothe jungles of Sri Lanka.This short account doesno more than give aflavour of their extra-ordinary lives, a fewremnants of which liequietly on Tresco. OldMoore’s books, Cardiff’smemoir and Osbert’sposthumously publishedThinker’s Notebook alloffer fascinating windowsin to their exploits andcharacters.

Tresco Times

Buddhist monk and scholar, Nanamoli (Osbert Moore) at study in Sri Lanka.

As part of Tresco’s recycling and waste management system, a newrubbish van has appeared this year. In a design / conversionpartnership between Nick and Alex in the engineering workshop andAndy the bin man, the green machine has proved much quieter andfar more efficient than the old tractor. In addition, it actually tips,saving a great deal of time and effort in emptying the rubbish byhand. Nick Shiles, who oversees Tresco’s waste management said:“It’s a big improvement – 90% of our rubbish collection can now bedone with the green machine. We don’t get any financial supportfrom the Isles of Scilly Council in this matter, so Tresco has to workeverything out itself. This comes at some considerable cost toTresco Estate…but at least we try to do it properly! ”Tresco bales its metal and plastics, crushes its glass and condensesits polystyrene, with the main aim of burning as little of our rubbishas possible.

New Green Machine


Tresco Times

LETTERSEDITORIALTHE TRESCO TIMES OUR VIEWS ARE CLEAR

Editor: Alasdair MooreTresco Times, Tresco, Isles of Scilly. TR24 0QQ

t:01720 422849 f:01720 [email protected] www.tresco.co.uk

The Penzance to the Isles of Scilly route, Europe’s only scheduled passenger helicopterservice, has closed. Beyond the increased insularity of Tresco and annoyance of a boattrip, the wider picture involves the loss of jobs, both here and in Penzance. This affectsfamilies on Tresco. For some of those personally involved it has proved a life-changingevent, while unsettling many others. The Tresco Times would like to join its readers inoffering our heartfelt commiserations, sincere thanks and best wishes for their future. For a number of years, the fate of Penzance Heliport has dangled above us all like theproverbial sword of Damocles. Throughout the recent past, helicopter passengers andstaff, no strangers to the problems caused by poor visibility, have found themselves ina constant fog of uncertainty and conjecture as to the long-term commitment of BIH’sowners to the route. The sale of Penzance heliport to Sainsbury’s could only be successful if BIHmanagement displayed a convincing appetite to continue servicing the route fromanother airport or heliport, be it Newquay, St Erth or anywhere else. Many weresuspicious of their sincerity. Conspiring with this was increasing unreliability and cost tothe passengers, all of which led to a weakened service and poor customer relations.Doubt became the common denominator of visitors, islanders and island businesses.We may have lost an important helicopter service but we have gained clarity. The Islesof Scilly Steamship Company has been looking after the islands’ transport needs forseventy-five years. It is an island business with a sense of duty and continuity: one ofits founders was Major Arthur Dorrien Smith. The company is utterly confident that theywill be able to meet capacity and with the “car to cottage” service that we have put inplace, Tresco’s visitors can be certain of a smooth and seamless journey. You will belooked after from St Mary’s airport to your island front door.In terms of connectivity, the focus on Newquay and Exeter airports means that, withmore Skybus flights from both these hubs, the links between Scilly and other nationalairports in London and Manchester will be hugely improved. Investment is being madein aircraft, airport terminals and aeronautical technology at Land’s End and St Mary’s,all of which will lessen the influence of bad weather on flying. For those who prefertravelling by sea, the Scillonian III is undergoing a major refurbishment this winter.Cost of travel and freight has been a growing issue for the Isles of Scilly’s residents andvisitors. The transport challenges that have confronted us in the past twelve monthshave inspired some in the community to seek action on a governmental level. Theformation of FRIST (Friends of Isles of Scilly Transport) is a direct response to both theexpense of travel and the loss of the helicopter. FRIST is a community and business group which is aimed at giving a voice to the peopleof Scilly and West Cornwall in campaigning to secure: ‘a lifeline service between theIsles of Scilly and the mainland which is reliable, at least daily all year round (exceptSundays) and affordable for both passengers and freight on a similar basis to thatprovided for the Scottish Isles’. Discussions are already taking place on a ministeriallevel with the Department of Transport. The disparity between the treatment of Scillyand the Scottish Isles is simply unjust. Tresco Estate has given its backing to FRIST. Allof us who have an interest in travel to and from these islands would do well to lend oursupport, which can be registered on the FRIST website www.frist.org.ukToday’s reality is that the helicopter has gone. Rotary aircraft are considerably moreexpensive to run than their fixed-wing brethren. To buy a new helicopter of equivalentcapacity to the BIH S-61 would cost the same as eight new Twin-Otter planes. Let usembrace the future.

Dear Editor,My wife and I were pioneer Tresco Time-shares, having first made an 'inspection visit'in 1981! We were met in St Mary’s byTresco's private launch and then driven tothe New Inn in style in a pony and trap. Ourtwo young daughters were thrilled and it in-spired the younger one to take her very firststeps outside the New Inn ( in the steps ofher father? ). We were greeted warmly byChris and Lesley, the new landlords, and itwas clear that Lesley had made a consider-able sacrifice by wearing her new,uncom-fortable high heels, which,after a brief,friendly chat she quickly cast aside. My wifeand I still smile at the scene. How very sadto learn that she had died.John BonneyTownshill,Nurses and Snipe

Sadness and memoriesfrom the Tresco Times.

Dear Editor,Denise Jeffrey’s article in the last TrescoTimes included my name. The late LaurieTerry and I were godparents to Denise andJack Jeffrey’s youngest son. I have lost con-tact with them and would be grateful if youcould put us in touch.Some of your readers may well be inter-ested to learn of the death of my late motherMrs D. Tolver-Banks on 23rd September thisyear, aged 95. She emigrated to Australia in1960 but had first lived on Tresco and thenBryher for a few years. I was the only one ofthe family who remained in England as atthat time I had married Laurie Terry and hadour two daughters, Deidre and Rita.yours faithfullyDaphne CorderyHailsham.

A Letter from America -flying Skybus.

Dear Editor,We wish to let you know that our travel toTresco went seamlessly in spite of the heli-copters not flying. The bus was waiting totake us to St Just and a wheelchair wasquickly provided for me, to assist me to theaircraft. On St Mary’s, a taxi was there toconvey us to the quay, with Cyclone comingaround the harbour to whisk us on toTresco.The organisation was superb and no timewas lost for us from our precious vacationon Tresco. Coming as we do from Connecti-cut makes every minute count on Tresco.Thank you very much.kindest regards and thanksDr & Mrs Peter Jameson.ConnecticutUSA

Tresco Times Reunited


Tresco Times

How do you find a bargain sailing dinghy, a ponyfor your daughter or a drum kit for your son? Somesecond-hand trading websites are a bit daunting, sowe were very pleased to discover that a family whohave spent many summer holidays on Tresco inDolphin House run a terrific simple website calledwww.schoolstrader.com Initially set up for families withchildren at school, it’s now open to all – so TrescoTimes readers can all use this fantastic free onlineservice to buy, sell and rent everything from musicalinstruments, text books and bikes, to boats, motorsand even houses. The site is growing fast and was aTop 10 site in The Sunday Times. Worth a look!

It was a sad day on 17th July this year withthe funeral of one the Isles of Scilly’s mostwell-respected and admired sons, FrankGibson. Frank was the fourth generation ofthe islands’ celebrated family ofphotographers, the Gibsons of Scilly, andcontributed hugely to their accumulatedphotographic legacy, as well as to the

heritage of the islands as a whole. UsingFrank’s own words from an interview from2009, we pay tribute to a local hero.“When you live on Scilly the sea is thebackground to everything. I specialized intaking rough seas. You might think that’s easyto do but it’s not. The light has got to be right,especially as I was doing them in black andwhite. You had to know things like the state ofthe tide…but I did it because I loved doing it.We live on an island and the sea governs you,doesn’t it? The vast majority of people who livein England do not know what the sea is like inall its moods. To my mind, it’s part of Scilly andwhat Matt Lethbridge and the lifeboat crewshad to go out in.It’s the shipwreck photographs by my grand-father Alexander and his brother Herbert that Iparticularly admire. They worked damned hardto get them. Any boat that gets wrecked now, ayacht or anything and I’m there whatever!When the Romanian trawler Rarau got wreckedon the Seven Stones we were the first boatthere. I don’t wish for shipwrecks but if theycome along, I’m ready!Sir Harold Wilson did me a favour in one of thefirst years that he came down. The Timeswanted a special picture of him but he’d said “I

don’t want the Press over here.” He would go tochurch every Sunday and read the lesson. Iasked if he would allow me to take a picture ofhim after the service. He agreed and I thought“Well he recognizes that there’s a local boyhere!” After that he used to get me to take theirChristmas card family photograph, so he wasvery good to me and to Scilly.Photography is about recording life. Even at myage now, it’s still a part of what I do. I got myselfa little pocket digital camera, no weight to it, andI can just pop it in my pocket. And I get realenjoyment out of that, going round takingphotographs of people painting their boats andall that sort of thing. It’s these things to me, thatshould be recorded. It’s a way of life on Scilly,that city people just do not understand. I havealways thought, let’s get this all recorded. If it’snot history already, it will be soon.When I’m gone, I don’t want a park bench with“Frank Gibson” written on it. I want people tolook back at a book and say “There you are,that’s what his life was about.” I’ve never hadtoo deep a thought about it but I’ve alwaysthought that was the way to go” (courtesy of The Islander )

Frank Gibson 1929 - 2012

From left The gig Slippen takes a pilot out to Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Challenger; an islandperspective of Harold Wilson and the national press on Samson and a portrait of Scilly’s celebratedlifeboat coxswain the late Matt Lethbridge BEM.

Isles of Scilly

FIRETHORN~FALDORE~CYCLONE~HURRICANE

Day trips & half day trips Birds and wildlife trips Regular ferry services Thrilling jet-boat rides Private charter Gig race trips

For more information [email protected]

or to book call us on

01720 422886


Bringing the Mediterranean to Britain - Tresco’s Special Garden Break 2013

Sometime, the introduction of red squirrels toTresco has been under discussion. It has longbeen believed that the island could provide anideal safe haven for this vulnerable species.With the vital help of well-known countryman and journalist Robin Page, contact was madewith the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield,Surrey. In October, five squirrels were brought

over to theisland andhoused bythe gardensin a specially–constructedcage,courtesy ofTresco’sEngineeringDept. Thesewill bereleased inthe spring, at

which time it is hoped that six more squirrels willarrive. The proposed “2013 six” will constitutetwo breeding trios of one male and two females.These too will live in the cage initially but bereleased after a few months. David Mills, owner of the British Wildlife Centre,commented:"We are delighted to be involved in this veryexciting project. It is a wonderful initiativebecause not only will the red squirrels beentertaining for Tresco's visitors but moreimportantly they will be provided with a safebreeding haven, helping to ensure their survivalas a species. We thank Robin Page for his partin initiating this project and congratulate Trescofor showing the way by example in red squirrelconservation."The squirrels have already adapted well to theirnew surroundings and local pine cones. MikeNelhams observed:“We had been told that the squirrels are partial to

pine nuts but that our Pinus radiate cones wouldnot be suitable. However, they have beentucking into them with relish. Once released, Ihope that they will very much become part of ourvisitors’ experience of the Abbey Gardens. Ihave no doubt that by the end of next year thatthe squirrels will have developed a taste forVictoria sponge and flapjacks from the gardencafé, as well as pine nuts.” ( Squirrel imagescourtesy of Matt Binstead BWC)For more squirrel info please visitwww.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk

Curator Mike Nelhams is pictured above,peeking out from between two of the gloriouscycads which were donated to the AbbeyGardens by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. The South Africa Encephalartos plants had beenseized by Customs officials after being illiegallyimported into the United Kingdom.Mike was delighted with the gift and commented:“ It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good!” The plants are now firmly ensconced in a bedjust below Neptune’s Steps. It is hoped that theirdays of travel and criminal association are nowtruly over.

2013 sees the introduction of a new Trescoholiday – The Abbey Garden Special Break.Come and stay in our luxurious Sea GardenCottages, while discovering the delights of themost extraordinary garden in the British Isles andnew horticultural skills. In the expert company ofGarden Curator Mike Nelhams, Head GardenerAndrew Lawson and Propagator Dave Inch, youcan develop your gardening techniques andplant knowledge and return home with a bag fullof seeds and cuttings for your own garden.There’ll be plenty of time for you to enjoyeverything else that Tresco has to offer, such asrelaxing spa treatments, fine food andbreathtaking scenery, so you can take it easy aswell.Monday 29th April to Saturday 4th May.Mon: Arrival – meet and greet, show toaccommodation. Gather at 7pm for pre-dinnerdrinks with Mike Nelhams and Andrew Lawson,followed by a group dinner.Tues: 10am Meet at the Abbey Gardens for anintroductory lecture with Mike Nelhams, followedby coffee and a guided tour of the gardens.Afternoon freeWed: 10.30am for Plant Propagation tutorial and practical demonstration. From seed sow-ing to potting up, learn all the nursery andglasshouse skills with Dave Inch, AbbeyGardens’ Propagator. 1pm. Lunch. 2pm. Beyondthe garden walls: guided walk around the greenshelterbelt that surrounds the garden. 3.30pmfinish.

Thurs: 10.30am for Planting and Pruning tutorialwith Head Gardener Andrew Lawson – honeyour practical gardening skills with an expert.Afternoon free.Fri: 10.30am for a seed and cuttings bonanzawith Head Gardener Andrew Lawson. Gatheryour own cuttings from the Abbey Gardens andchoose your own seeds from our seed store totake home with you, along with your newhorticultural skills! Afternoon freeSat: Departure.Five nights dinner, bed and breakfast in a onebedroom Sea Garden Cottage with wine onthe first night’s dinner; all flights and islandtransfers and all elements of the AbbeyGarden course for £900 per person. For further info or to book please call TheIsland Office (01720) 422849

Propagator Dave Inch will be one of the expertgardeners sharing the tricks of the trade.

New Arrivals in the Abbey Gardens

Some exciting new arrivals have appeared recently in the AbbeyGardens, most notable of which are

five red squirrels.

Squirrelled away...The Nick Shiles Immigration

Facility: Guantananutkin.

Ill-gotten garden gains

Tresco Times


Tresco Times

Rainbow House is a family-owned beachfront holiday home on the island ofBarbados. Considered a gem amongst the south coast villas, it is situated on

a superb white sand beach looking out onto aquamarine waters.

Rainbow House has 3 air-conditioned bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom.There is an elegant veranda for dining, with seating for 10 people, as well as a large

open terrace with a gas grill/barbecue. For further details please call: 01720 422849 or visit www.tresco.co.uk/accommodation

Rainbow House B a r b a d o s


Our story begins with the war against France fromthe year 1793 or so until its conclusion with theBattle of Waterloo in 1815 . The French oftenwondered how it was that information and militaryinstructions were transmitted so quickly by theBritish. The answer lies in the use of the shuttersystem erected on top of a wooden cabin orsignal tower, worked by ropes with messagesbeing passed by the ladies at assemblies usingfans. Much has been written about lighthousesbut not about their use as navigational aids asdaymarks and as watchtowers, aided by the useof the optical telescope. The all important signalstations on the Isles of Scilly (Bryher, Tresco, St.Martin’s, St. Agnes and St. Mary’s) have hardlyreceived a mention. The shutter system wasinvented by Lord George Murray and adopted bythe Admiralty in 1794. The system is shown onthe fan with full instructions and on an AdmiraltyOffice bulletin from Charing Cross of March 1796. The pointed shape of the aptly named Watch Hillon Bryher was a helpful navigational aid, the hilllooking rather like a pyramid, even in poorweather. It was in direct line of sight for shipsapproaching from the West and looked Eastwardsdirectly over the Blockhouse on Tresco to thesignal station on St. Martin’s – again a wonderfulline of sight! The daymark on Watch Hill, probablyfirst erected around 1690, has been rebuilt withmodern materials, the blocks being some elevencourses high with a pointed top to aid navigation.Not much of the signal station remains to be seenon Watch Hill. This has been called “the OldLookout”. It was a signal station of importance. Itwould have had a garden and animal pens.Building materials are in great demand in Bryherand stone transportation from the site was easy. Beacon Hill on Tresco, pictured below, was aptlynamed and plans show the location on the hill ofan “Old Lookout”. The substantial foundations ofthe signal station’s tower survive, with signs of afireplace in the dayroom. A separate sleepingroom lies alongside. The floor of the signalstation, some six feet above natural ground level,is accessed by steps. Stones lie scattered overthe hill.The second signal station of importance wasconstructed near to the Chapel Down daymark onSt. Martin’s, using stone taken from the old churchbuilding adjoining the daymark, pictured below.Worked stones lie over the Down. The gardenand animal pens can still be identified. The towerbase steps and the open fire can still be seen.

The last tower of significance, hinting from itslater given name at the transfer from shutter tosemaphore and telegraph, is Telegraph Tower onSt. Mary’s, on the highest point of the ScillyIslands, some 165 feet above sea level. It wasdesigned in 1803 originally as a gun tower to fit inwith the scheme devised by Major Daniel Lymanand erected soon after 1805. It was then usedas a shutter signal tower. From the end of thewar in 1815, however, it was used as asemaphore tower, being in line of sight with St.Agnes Lighthouse and the three signal stationson Bryher, Tresco (the station on Tresco had tobe elevated by about six feet for this purpose)and St. Martin’s respectively. In good weather homeward bound shipping in the1790s, mindful of the many rocks and wrecks,could take back bearings but it was difficult to geta good fix because St. Agnes’ lighthouse wasalmost in line with the then signal tower in theGarrison. One wanted a third bearing and thiswas provided by the daymark on Bryher. The“cocked hat” thus produced by drawing in thethree back bearings taken on the chart wouldhave given a reasonable indication of position.The charts of the Scillies of that period werefaultily produced and longitude, despite thegrowing familiarity with the use of John Harrison’stimekeepers, could still be a problem. The signal station on the top of Watch Hill onBryher was one of the first to pick up messagesfrom ships approaching England from the South-West, transmitted by the use of flags. It wasprofessionally manned for that purpose. Acontemporary print shows that the control room(also shown on the Fan Makers’ Company’sAdmiralty fan) was manned by three officers.The view from the top of Watch Hill waspanoramic. Looking West one could, weatherpermitting, see with a good telescope the BishopRock (without a lighthouse at this time) and otherWestern rocks. Looking East one could, likewise,see the signal tower of the signal station on St.Martin’s, which is only some 18 miles from LandsEnd. The Murray system of communication wasadopted and run by the British Admiralty fromLondon. In 1795 the Admiralty ordered theconstruction of 48 new signal towers which werebuilt along the South coast of England fromSheerness to Land’s End. Everything wascentred on the Admiralty Office building atCharing Cross, the control point. The new Deal

line was completed in 1796. Nine towerscomprised the new Portsmouth line alsocompleted in1796. The Land’s End tower’sremains (described in some publications as a“look-out”) can be seen on the top of Maen Cliff,close to the Iron Age Hill Fort known as Maen orMayon Castle. Finally in 1807 a line of 18 towersrunning North from Admiralty Arch to GreatYarmouth was added to complete the system.The Murray system comprised shutters erectedon a mast secured to the top of the signal tower’scabin. It had six pivoted boards, each of whichcould be swivelled by ropes leading down into thecabin. Picked out by a powerful telescope eachboard was either edge on or fully visible. Sixshutters gave a 6-bit binary code, allowing 63non-zero states to be transmitted. Allocationsthus covered the 26 letters of the alphabet, 10numerals and useful pre-prepared messagessuch as preparatory signals for a forthcomingmessage and acknowledgements of receipt. Ithas been calculated that an average AdmiraltyOffice at Charing Cross to Portsmouth messagetook about fifteen minutes. How long would ithave taken a despatch rider on horseback tocover the distance?Fan number 150 in the collection of theWorshipful Company of Fan Makers shows aninside view of the signal station’s cabin and givesconsiderable information about signalling usingthe shutter method. English fans were very muchused in communication. News about victories on land and at sea in thewar against Napoleon could now be quicklytransmitted. A frigate could be dispatched fromthe fleet and start signalling as soon as it was inrange of the Scillies. The message would berecorded and acknowledged. Bryher wouldrepeat it to St. Martin’s who would record it andpass it on to a duty sloop midway between thesignal station and the Land’s End tower. It wouldsoon reach the Admiralty. All the principal Isles ofScilly would be kept informed of developments.They were first with the news!After the war, in 1816, the shutter system wasreplaced by a Chappe or semaphore typeElectric telegraph systems gradually took over,boosted from 1835 with the invention of theMorse Code by Samuel Finley Breese Morse(1791-1872).,

Island SignalsFirst with the news

on ScillyRegular Tresco visitor, Professor

John Salter, Master of theWorshipful Company of Fan

Makers, sheds light on some ofthe islands’ lesser knownhistorical monuments.

.The Old Lookout on Beacon Hill, Tresco. The Signal Station on St. Martin’s, in useuntil 1810.

A fan from the collection of theWorshipful Company of Fan Makersillustrating a signal station.

Watch Hill on Bryher, looking towards Tresco and St. Martin’s beyond.

Tresco Times


Tresco Times


Cruise from Penzance or Fly from Land’s End • Newquay • Exeter ATOL exempt. Terms and conditions apply to all offers

Isles of Scilly TravelIOSTravel

Island of TrescoSkybus fl ights and transfers to the

a seamless service

In partnership, Skybus and Tresco have created an all-in-one “car to cottage”

ticket, offering a seamless service for Tresco’s guests. The ticket price includes

all transfers within Scilly, such as taxi-bus to the quay and boating to Tresco.all transfers within Scilly, such as taxi-bus to the quay and boating to Tresco.

TRESCO FLIGHT PRICES

Return Skybus fl ights and transfers.

Prices are per adult return, call for child prices.

To book call Tresco or visit their website

01720 422849 tresco.co.uk

Exeter

£240

Newquay

£190

Land’s End

£150

Island of TrescoSkybus fl ights and transfers to the

a seamless service

NEW

FOR 20

13

Download - Tresco Times Winter 2012 - Volume 6.5

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