FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD: TUESDAY, 05 OCTOBER 2004
Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)
FCO VISITORS HAVE A LOOK AT THE FALKLANDS
By J. Brock (FINN)
Two Foreign and Commonwealth Officials are visiting the Falklands for a five-day stay. Mr. Tony Crombie, Head of the Overseas Territories Department and Mr. John Hughes, Ambassador designate to Argentina are in the Islands for a familiarisation visit and will be touring venues in Stanley as well as in Camp.
Both men will be at a news conference at Government House on Thursday. They depart the Falklands on Saturday.
INTERNET NEWS:
Death Notice: Gordon Robin, Former Head of the Scott Polar Institute. In the 1960s, he predicted that Global Warming at the poles would lead to rising sea levels. He also was a meteorologist at FIDS in the late 1940s. He was 83.
POOR WEATHER DELAYS ARRIVAL OF BAS PLANES
By J. Brock (FINN)
Poor weather has delayed the arrival of British Antarctic Survey aircraft that were due to arrive next week. A Dash Seven and three Twin Otters have been delayed while flying from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to the Falklands and are now due to arrive on Friday, 15 October 2004, providing there is no more bad weather.
In other BAS news, the James Clark Ross left the UK on 24 September and anticipates arriving in Stanley on 20 October. The Shackleton will call into Mare Harbour on 24 November but has no plans to call into Stanley.
FALKLAND FOCUS:
Falkland Focus Issue 78 for October/November 2004 should be in your mailboxes in Stanley.
FIBS NEWS DIRECT: 05 OCTOBER 2004 - Corina Goss (CG)
PARTY CONFERENCES:
The Conservative Party Conference is into its second day. Cllr. Stephen Luxton (SL) is in Bournemouth manning our stand along with Cllr. Norma Edwards and FIGO Rep. Sukey Cameron. Yesterday afternoon, I asked Cllr. Luxton how the first day had gone.
CG: Last week, yourself, Cllr. Norma Edwards and Sukey Cameron were in Brighton for the Labour Party conference. How did that go?
SL: It was very successful. We had quite a number of MPs through the stand and all sorts of other people as well. There is obviously people like Bill Rammell passed through to get updated on things. We met him the week before anyway but we had a number of MPs through to get updated on everything and it was very worthwhile.
CG: How did the stand go down?
SL: I think most people thought it was very good. We had a wide range of information on display and various brochures about the Islands and so on and obviously three of us were available to answer any questions about the Islands. I suppose inevitably you get the same questions time and time again but it’s no bad thing and it gives us the opportunity to correct a lot of miss-conceptions that people have about us. I think it’s very useful.
CG: Regarding the conference itself last week, did you get much of a chance to look around? Was there anything interesting to see?
SL: Most of the other stands around the conference are sort of fairly local items. The only other international stand really that’s sore of relevant to us, I suppose is Gibraltar, really. They had the stand there with their representative and their Chief Minister was also there. Many of the others at the conference are labour unions and things like that. Nonetheless, it was interesting talking to quite a few of them and a lot of them were very interested to learn about the Falklands.
CG: Feedback here at the public meeting last week was that your meetings with Bill Rammell were very positive. What came out of that?
SL: I think, really, he’s just sort of an update on the general situation. If you don’t know that the Foreign Office in general and Bill Rammell in particular are 110 percent behind us at the moment and we couldn’t wish for any stronger support in our position with the Argentines in actually the way they are at the moment.
CG: This week, you have moved on to your now in Bournemouth for the Conservative party Conference. How’s that been going?
SL: We’ve been pretty much flat out all day. There is beginning to be a lot of people coming through the conference. We are quite fortunate because our stand is actually on the main route through into the conference hall where all the main speeches are taking place. So, we’ve had an awful lot of people come past and an awful lot of people have been through the stand today. It’s been very busy.
CG: So what are you up to now? Are you relaxing for the evening or do you have receptions or functions for you to attend?
SL: I’ve just got back from a Gibraltar reception and I am shortly going out again for something else. So, it’s not for the faint hearted. There’s likely to be a few 12-hour days involved so it’s fairly hard work despite the views of some who accuse us of being on a jolly. I can assure people in Stanley that standing under lights in a suit on a boiling day is not a jolly.
TOURISM NEWS:
The annual tour guiding course starts on Monday and, for the first time, will be under the watchful eye of new Director of Tourism, Mrs. Connie Stevens. Connie told us that she was looking forward to it and has been taking advice from previous tour guides and others involved in the course, hoping to learn we go along. There are a number of new sessions introduced in this year’s course: a talk on aviation and port security, the supply chain, life in camp and various aspects of Stanley Growers by Tim Miller, including a talk on recycling wastage. A number of services will be talking to the hopeful tour guides, the Royal Falkland Islands police, the fire and Rescue Service, and Medical services, so that they will be able to answer everyday questions on everyday life from the tourists. The course costs £45.00, although the Training and employment centre are offering a 50% reimbursement to an yone passing the course and meeting their criteria. Connie says there has been a lot of interest from local companies in the certified tour guides and currently there are around 20 people enrolled. The closing date for applications is today but the Tourism Office will accept anyone wanting to enrol on the course tomorrow. You can contact them on 27019.
COURT NEWS:
Fund raising and celebrating should keep party goers busy during October, if Friday’s Licensing round is given the go-ahead by Stanley’s JPs. Carl Stroud will be applying to extend the Beagle Bar’s opening time on the 28th for the 340th birthday of the Royal Marines. He’s also asking for a Children’s Certificate to be granted. The Globe Tavern will be applying for two extensions one for a divas and super heroes night on the 16th. This will be raising money for the Stanley Football Club to go to next year’s Island Games. The other is for a Halloween Fancy Dress party on the 30th to raise money for the Stephen Jaffray Memorial Fund. And, the Narrows Bar will also be asking for an extension of hours. They are holding a fundraiser next Saturday for the Russian School Hostage Crisis and also the Stephen Jaffray Memorial Fund.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY:
It’s a double celebration at the Rose Bar for Tracy and Rag McAskill. Not only are they celebrating the 1st year anniversary of the Bar re-opening under their management, but Tracey and Rag are also celebrating their 8th wedding anniversary today. I went along to the Rose and asked Tracey (TMC) what changes they had made to the bar in the first year.
TMC: We didn’t make a great deal of changes. We just put new wallpaper up, decorated and painted. Since then we really haven’t done anything. We are waiting for the house sale in the UK to go through and then we hope to make big changes to the Rose.
SF: And those changes will be?
TMC: We’d like to extend a little bit to give more people space for darts and things like that - maybe a pool table. And, where the pool room used to be, we’d like to put a small restaurant.
SF: How do you feel the response has been from the public coming in here and about you taking over?
TMC: We had a really good response. Everybody’s been really good. We’ve had a lot of support and we have been busier than what we expected.
SF: Have you introduced any competitions or promotions since you’ve been here?
TMC: No but people have asked if we could have darts tournaments. We’ve had folk nights and things like that and we are always very open to offers for people wanting support for charities and things like that.
SF: Have you supported any charities?
TMC: The darts night was for the Stephen Jaffray Memorial Fund but that really is the only charity night that we’ve had.
POLICE NEWS:
Strong winds were the cause of a traffic accident yesterday. At 1142 near Bluff Cove there was an accident causing damage to a vehicle and one of the passengers sustained an injury. The Police would like to remind all drivers to lock their vehicles at night as there have been reports of interference with vehicles. Officers on patrol have also found keys in the ignition. They would also like to remind you not to buy shares from a company ringing people around the Islands. There have been a number of further reports of people being offered shares in international oil companies and French vineyards. Sgt. Dave Roberts urges you to point blank refuse and ring the police station if you are contacted.
