Tristan : Tristan Continues its 500th Celebrations
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 07.02.2006 (Article Archived on 21.02.2006)
Governor Clancy has received a tour of the Island and went to a birthday party.
PRESS RELEASE: TRISTAN –MONDAY 6 February
Governor Clancy spent the morning becoming acquainted with the crayfish or Tristan Lobster fishery on Tristan da Cunha.He first visited the factory . When there are fishing days for the waters around Tristan itself the factory is bustling. The catch from baited traps is brought outside the factory and falls down chutes. Here that are quickly sorted into live or dead lobsters.\ The dead ones are immediately processed for their tails which are cooked and then frozen in blast freezers. The whole lobsters attract a premium price. \Thus the live ones go into tanks for purging for about 48 hours. They then are also cooked, carefully arranged and frozen.
The lobster around the outlying islands such as Nightingale and Inaccessible are caught by the fishing vessels, Edinburgh and Kelso and Governor Clancy with Administrator Hentley also clambered aboard both of these. They have their own on board washing, cutting, freezing and storing areas.
2p.m. the Governor with visitors from the RMS as well as proud parents attended a packed school hall for a performance of the pied piper of Edinburgh. This was a thoroughly entertaining adaptation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin interspersed with songs and dances from the total school population of 31. Nevertheless it had its poignant moments because rats are a considerable problem for the settlement and nesting birds. If only it were as simple as piping them away into the sea!
The governor gave the vote of thanks on behalf of all the visitors and the rest of the audience.
The performance was speedily followed by a football match pitting the Tristanians against a combined team from the 2 fishing vessels . Forget a level playing field here. The slope of the pitch is about 30 degrees. The visitors with the advantage of playing downhill in the first half established a six goal lead. This was never really threatened after the change of halves and the sailors emerged as ten goals to six victors.
5 to 7 p.m. and toasted the 500 years of Tristan since its discovery.
Then it seemed most of the island and visitors were off to Prince Philip Hall to help Maria celebrate her 21st Birthday. There was a table groaning with savouries and cakes, dancing and plenty of opportunities to informally exchange yarns.
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