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A collection of items that, while about or related to St Helena, did not justify a page of their own or fit into any of our other pages.

This page is in indexes: Pictures, Island History, Island Place, Island People, Island Activity, Island Detail

Below: Mystery Helicopter • Skandi Admiral: Supplying passing ships • Woodcuts of St Helena? • Estimated international arrivals • Population Graphic • Marine Reservoir Corrections: St Helena • Portraits of Lt. Gen. John Skelton and his wife Mary Moore Cassamajor Skelton • Old photographs • Angola invades St Helena

Why this page is called ‘Zzyzx’

Zzyzx is the last word that appears in the online dictionary ‘Wiktionary’. It is actually a place name in California and various other things. It seemed a more interesting name than ‘Sundry’ or ‘Miscellaneous’. We could have called it ‘ort’, meaning a small scrap of food left after a meal is completed, but we didn’t.

It should be noted that the contents of this page may be fluid. At the time we add an item here it may not fit in anywhere else, but as Saint Helena Island Info continues to develop, we may find a better place for it and thus remove it from here. So if this page is empty please don’t contact us!

Mystery Helicopter

We have seen the image below, thought to date from the early 1960s, of a Navy helicopter landing on the lawn of Plantation House. We are curious to know what ship launched it and when it was visiting. If you can help, please contact us.

Mystery helicopter{a}

As at the time of writing{1} we have received one reply:

My guess is that it’s from HMS Leopard or HMS Lynx, which visited St Helena together 15-17^th August 1959 (see royalnavymemories.co.uk/hms-leopard-1st-commission). I remember the RM Band concert.

Can anybody confirm, or are there other theories?

Skandi Admiral: Supplying passing ships

In February2016 this website was contacted by the Vessel Superintendent of the tug Skandi Admiral with an unusual request. The message said the tug and payload would be passing St Helena at the end of February and could we put them in touch with an island merchant who could provide them with some essential supplies?

Naturally we were keen to help. We emailed the likely local merchants and Thorpe’s responded. Negotiations then proceeded between Thorpe’s and the Skandi Admiral, as a result of which a sizeable bag of supplies was taken out to the tug as it passed and winched aboard.

We’re glad to have helped!

Scandi Admiral and payload

Approaching the Scandi Admiral

Supplies being winched aboard

Woodcuts of St Helena?

These pieces of inlaid wood marquetry, apparently from the early 19^th century, state that they show St Helena. They certainly look a little like St Helena, but are far from exact. We think they are Pastiches, probably done from memory. What do you think?

Estimated international arrivals

The following chart was incorporated into an article ‘Airport Opens Up Opportunities On St Helena’ published on Money Web on 7^th November 2013. The article appeared on our Read articles about St Helena (Older) page, but has now been archived to our Much Older St Helena Stuff{2} blog. However we thought the data presented in the chart might still be useful.

Population Graphic

What this graph shows is the population of St Helena, broken down by gender and also into age bands. The blocks are figures from the 2016 Census; the lines are figures from the 1998 cennsus (before full UK Citizenship was restored to Saints).

What can clearly be seen is all the ‘missing’ people in the 20-40 age band. These people are working overseas, in the UK, Falklands, Acension Island or elsewhere.

The general effect of the ageing population can also be seen; a global issue!

Marine Reservoir Corrections: St Helena

This document seems to be a scientific study of rocks on St Helena, and is (probably) something to do with carbon dating. The document Abstract reads:

We present the first marine reservoir age and ΔR determination for the island of St Helena using marine mollusk radiocarbon dates obtained from an historical context of known age. This represents the first marine reservoir age and ΔR determination in the southern Atlantic Ocean within thousands of Km of the island.

The depletion of 14C in the shells indicates a rather larger reservoir age for that portion of the surface Atlantic than models indicate. The implication is that upwelling old water along the Namibian coast is transported for a considerable distance, although it is likely to be variable on a decadal timescale.

An artilleryman’s button, together with other artifacts found in a midden, demonstrate association of the mollusk shells with a narrow historic period of AD 1815-1835.

If you know what that means and would like to read more you can download the document (3.4Mb).

Portraits of Lt. Gen. John Skelton and his wife Mary Moore Cassamajor Skelton

In 1815 these people kindly gave up their summer residence in Longwood so that it could be used to house the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte (their winter residence was in what is now the Post Office). The property is now known to the world as Longwood House. But this couple rarely get even a mention in the history books, so we thought we would include their portraits here:

The Skeltons befriended Napoleon, and visited him on many occasions. Governor Lowe actually accused them of carrying clandestine corresponence for the prisoner, though nothing was ever proved. They left St Helena on 14^th May 1816.

Old photographs

We caption this picture: “Clearly mynah birds were a problem in the ‘before days’ too.”

Here are a few more for interest or amusement:

Jamestown school, 1906

George Singer memorial, St. James’ Church.

Angola invades St Helena

A BBC Radio 4 Radio Play, broadcast Friday 27^th November 2009.

Officially entitled ‘The Visigoths Are Coming…’, this is part of a series of plays by Jonathan Myerson depicting life inside the UK Prime Minister’s office, Number 10 Downing Street. In this edition, the Angolan Navy has occupied St Helena. After six days, the PM and the Angolan Ambassador are locked in talks to try to prevent the declaration of war. Interesting details emerge, which suggest that the 2009 ‘pause’ in St Helena’s airport project was behind the invasion…

Good drama and a few amusing references to (then) contemporary political developments on and in regard to St Helena.

More excellent BBC drama here….

Credits:

{a} John Coyle

Footnotes:

{1} W/c 19^th June 2017.

{2} See more blogs.

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