Scilly Swim Challenge 2016
Yesterday, September 9th, was the 3rd Scilly Swim Challenge between the islands. 130 ish swimmers were attempting to swim between all the islands on one day. I was a volunteer kayak support paddler, paddling beside the swimmers, helping guide them to their next destination and giving help and moral support.
Starting from Bar Point they swam to St. Martins, then Tresco, on to Bryher, Samson, then very long over 2 hour swim to St. Agnes and finally the finish was on St. Marys again at Porthcressa beach. The longest swim from Samson to St. Agnes was a gruelling stage.
It was a long day for all. We started kayaking at 7.15 am the first swim was at 8.30. The first swimmers arrived at the finish at around 7.30 pm! Not all made it the whole way and that shows how exhausting a challenge it is! Congratulations to all who attempted it. The organisation was flawless, refreshment stops superb and the comradery wonderful.
I’m feeling a bit sore today but am glad I could help and honoured I was asked.
Below are some photos and some video from my experiences from yesterday, along with a map to show the routes we took, blue lines for swimmers and red for kayaks. I estimate I kayaked around 16-18 miles!
World Pilot Gig Champioships 2016
This past weekend Scilly was again the venue for the WPGC. We get a massive influx of gig rowers vying to become world champions. Its without doubt the busiest weekend of the year here and gives St. Marys a totally different character to the rest of the year. I’m posting a few videos below from ‘Scilly Aeriel Photography” ( that’s me by the way! ) to give you a feel for the atomsphere here. Enjoy!
Scilly Light festival - 19.02.2016
The annual Island Light Festival took place last night. Four giant withie lanterns covered in over 70 square metres of tissue paper, using 5 litre of PVA were the main eye-catchers! Also quite a number of smaller but still impressive lanterns made by local the school children.
Starting at Carn Thomas at 6.30 pm with the film premiere of the shadow puppet play ' Three tales of the swallow' made by the hugely talented year 5&6, the lanterns were carried in a procession through town with some spectacular fireworks to finish.
Well done to all those involved!
Sorry the video is a bit dark but it was dark!
771 NAS from RNAS Culdrose
771 NAS from RNAS Culdrose were on the Isles of Scilly this week on their Farewell to the Islands Trip. Over the few days they participated in a demo with the Lifeboat, working with the Coastguard, visiting all the islands and the Five Islands School. Many of us have very good reason to be very thankful for their service over the years so this is a great opportunity to say a heartfelt Thank You to those who have helped save the lives of many islanders. The Seaking was on St Agnes on Tuesday afternoon, on an exercise with the lifeboat later on Tuesday afternoon, on Tresco and St Martin's working with the Coastguard on Wednesday and at Circus Field on Thursday morning between 9.15. We went and had a good look over the word Famous Seaking, I got on board and had a chat to the crew and took some photos, they are below. Check out the last one of the crew saluting as they flew over the town flying a white ensign.
Pop-up event in Tresco Channel
Today, bank holiday Monday, we have been over to Tresco. Today was wall to wall sunshine, I didn’t see one cloud all the time we were out!
We are having very low, and high, tides at the moment, so low that it is possible to walk from Tresco to Bryher at low tide which was at 12.50 today. The Tresco estate organised a ‘pop-up’ event out on the sand bar between the islands which would normally be at the bottom of the sea It was well attended and a great success. On offer was bottled beer, procecco, muscles, cake, and live music too! Joanna and I had Muscles and beer! Very tasty. We bumped into some good friends and did some digging for razor clams. With some tuition we found quite a few, you have to be quick!
As the tide came in we retreated to the New Inn for more beer. Great company and overall a wonderful day out.
Below are some of my many photos, hope you like them. Alan.
( You can click on the top 5 panoramas to make them bigger )
Carn Vean lunch and walk home
Making the most of the glorious weather recently we took a taxi to Carn Vean cafe for lunch and then walked home along the costal path. The views from Pelistry across to the Eastern Isles and St.Martins beyond are just stunning! We met a group horse riding when we got to Porth Hellick. The horses took the opportunity to cool down in the sea, you can just see that in one of the photos below. Another great day today, where shall we go?
Eastern Isles and St.Martins
Today started off a bit dull but brightened up as promised in the forecast so we took a trip off island with St.Marys Boatmas Association’s Osprey. A one and a half hour ride to and around the Eastern Isles was very enjoyable and we saw plenty of seals and seabirds. I only had my camera phone with me so I couldn’t zoom in. There are seals in some of the photos if you look carefully!
Dropped on St.Martins afterwards, I lay on the beach and had a snooze! It’s a hard life!
Another Royal Visit
Back in July 2012 the Scilly Isles had a visit from Charles and Camilla, today, just over 3 years later they retuned for another visit. (See my blog of 7/2012 for the full story). They met local council officials Amanda Martin (Council Chairman), Steve Sims (Vice chairman) and Theo Leisjer (Chief Executive) amongst others and chatted with local produce producers in a marquee on Holgates Green. Later they will visit Holy Vale Winery, as we did last week, and then off to St.Agnes to see the new Community hall and new stained glass window produced by local artist Oriel Hicks. I took a few photos on Holgates Green and had the opportunity to shake Camilla’s hand and have a short chat with her.
A few photos of mine are below.
Holy Vale Wine Tasting
On Saturday night this week Joanna and I visited the at Holy Vale Winery. Owned and run by Star Castle proprietor Robert Francis, who also hosts the evening, it was a great experience. We went over with 7 friends and tasted various locally produced wines and imported ones for comparison. Robert is very knowledgeable on all aspects of the process from choosing the vines all the way through the production process. I won’t bore you with all that here but if you are interested why not read his blog. Nibbles are served between each wine ranging from cheeses to locally caught ( also by Robert ) lobster and crab. A very enjoyable experience which you might like to do yourself on a visit to St.Marys.
Look out for an article on the wine tasting experience in the next edition of ‘Scilly Now and Then’ our locally produced magazine full of interesting local articles and points of view. Why not take out a subscription and stay in touch with local events and news?
Northern rocks - St.Agnes - New window
Just a few photos from a trip with Fraser Hicks on the Sea King to the norther rocks and then to St.Agnes for the blessing of the new stained glass window made by talented local artist Oriel Hicks in the church, yesterday.
It was back to the Turks Head for a pasty and a pint afterwards too! Superb day with sublime weather!
