Down to the Deep South, Stanley

1 Dec to 3 Dec. Having cleared formalities one of the first priorities for many of us was to get ashore and get online so we could catch up with loved ones back home. Having purchased my internet pass card I found a reasonably comfortable corner in a café above the supermarket where I could tarry over a coffee and indulge in a long chat with Mary-Jo, was good to catch up after 15 days of radio silence.

After completing the social niceties I moved on to the small Falkland Islands museum, which, despite only being small was very informative about the history of the islands from their original discovery by Europeans in the 16th century, colonisation in the 18th century, along with attendant sovereignty disputes, through the strategic importance they held in the late 19th and early 20th centuries up to the current day. There was also a fairly small section on the Falklands war of 1982. The main ‘display’ in this section was a video using archive photographs and films from period but voiced over by islanders who had been children at the time. This film was quite poignant and moving. I understand that there are future plans to move the museum to a much larger site on the outskirts of the town where there will be the space for more comprehensive coverage of the 1982 crisis. This is a bit of a shame as it will probably loose the intimacy of the current facility.

The museum also had sections on the Falklands contribution to the allied cause during WWI &WWII which is an aspect of their history that I was hitherto ignorant of.

Both of the above monuments may be found on the coast road where it runs out to the North of the town. The below memorial, which is the general war memorial is found adjacent to the town cemetery which is also on the coast road but to the South side of town. Behind this cemetery is a memorial wood planted to commemorate those (British and commonwealth subjects) who lost their lives in or in the aftermath of the Falklands War. The memorial contains a tree dedicated to each of the fallen and is a place suited for quietly reflecting on the futility of it all.

One of the better know features of Stanley if the Whale Bone Arch which is adjacent to the Cathedral (Victorian). This is apparently constructed from the lower jaw bones of Blue Whales but looks rather plasticky. Those who had been here before said it used to be natural but have now been refurbished to their detriment. I was lucky enough to be passing as a rain storm blew through allowing me to catch this framed rainbow.

Even in Stanley itself there is wildlife that has little or no fear of man which is of course one of the aspects that draws so many nature lovers to the location. Below are a small sample.

Another point of interest in Stanley was the Falkland Islands Distillers at Philomel Distillery right on the water front behind tourist information. A gin distillery set up in Mach 2019 by Richard McKee a British expat who had previously been a hobby gin distiller when working as a fisheries protection officer in South Georgia. The main product, Darwin’s Botanicals Gin’ is a corn spirit double distilled with locally foraged botanicals. Unfortunately when I visited there was no Darwin’s available due to a breakdown in the supply chain for the raw corn spirit which is bought in from the UK. However, all was not lost, Richard had diversified and using a locally sourced (Montevideo) cane spirit he has started producing a second gin, again featuring local botanicals, called Dog-Watch and in line with the nautical themed name this gin carries a picture of a sailing ship on the label which is no other than our Europa. I think he did a roaring trade with us as many wanted the bottle with its label as a souvenir. Just meant the hardship of having to consume the gin. Whilst on the subject of alcohol I also note that there is a small brewery in Stanley, Falkland Beerworks, who make some very passable ales.

During the later part of the 29th century and the early years of the 20th Stanley became a place of refuge for old ladies of the sea who, having battled the cape and Drakes Passage, had either been beaten back or had come through but seriously wounded and managed to limp to into Stanley where they were to suffer the further ignominy of being written off as not worthy of repair. Many of these vessels and their cargos were purchased by local businesses and ended up their lives as storage hulks, one of the most famous of which was Brunel’s who arrived her in 1884 and sank in 1937. After languishing underwater for 33 years she was raised, patched-up and towed home to the Bristol dry dock where she had built and where, after major restoration works she now sits as a major tourist attraction. Few of the wrecks have survived till today but one, the Lady Elizabeth, often features in images of Stanley.

So some final thoughts on Stanley and The Falkland Islands in general. I found the Falklanders that I met to be open, friendly and hospitable people who had a great pride in their islands and their British heritage. This pride in their roots brings us to the thorny issue of The Falklands verses Las Malvinas and the sovereignty wrangles that have been going on for centuries. After the ’82 war a referendum was held in 2013 for the populous to register whether or not they wanted to remain a British territory. 92% of the registered voters voted of which 99.8% voted in favour. So I guess that, if the will of the population is to be respected the islands remain British territory despite any international political shenanigans that may be going on. Surely what the vast majority of the current population desires should take precedence over who may or may not have done what several hundred years ago. This said I noted that there are a large number of new residents in the Falklands who come from all over the world. Many of these may not have the strong ties to ‘the old country’ so thing might change in the future?

One thing is for sure, ’82 was all about cynical games being played by politicians which, as has often been the case in the past, led to the loss of many young lives. What was it all for and was it worth it.