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2009 Annual Gathering
The 2009 Tristan Association Annual Gathering will be held on Saturday 18th April 2009. For the third year running it will be at the Southampton Holiday Inn following another universally successful event in 2008.
So, book the date in your diaries and look out for a special page with hotel booking details and later event booking details.

2008 Annual Gathering
A most successful Annual Gathering was held in Southampton on 5th April - see 2008 Annual Gathering Page for a preliminary report.

Alison Hentley takes over as Secretary
Alison Hentley was appointed Secretary to succeed Elizabeth Marriott at the 2008 AGM. Alison has been very active in running several half marathons to raise money for the Education Trust Fund,(see Trust Fund Raising Page) and her youth and enthusiasm are most welcome addition to the Association Committee.
Education Trust Fund tops £10,000
See Education Trust Fund Page for details.
Donation to Svensson-Enstrom Fund
At their March 8th meeting the Tristan Association Committee agreed to donate an initial £500 to the Svensson-Enstrom Fund to help alleviate any hardship caused to Tristan Pensioners as a result of the factory fire on 13th February 2008. This will be reviewed in the light of reports from Tristan da Cunha, especially after the start of the fishing season on 1st July, when some pensioners would normally report for part-time processing work at the fishing factory, which will not operate until it is re-built. The Svensson-Enstrom Fund was established by the Swedish writer and artist Roland Svensson, and supported by its major benefactor and fellow Swede Mr Enstrom. It is managed by a committee headed by Lay Reader Lars Repetto and distributes funds to needy Old Age Pensioners from time to time.
Newsletter Index
covering issues 1-42 are available free to members via email - apply to Richard Grundy on newseditor@tristandc.com.
A printed copy in A4 format can also be bought, but these will be individually printed to order for £1.50 + postage 60p UK ; £1.40 EU or £2.20 rest of world via the Association Order Form.
Veteran Member emigrating to New Zealand

102 year old association member Eric King-Turner served on HMS Invincible in World War II, and as Surgeon-Commander (specialising in dentistry) aboard HMS Magpie which transported the Cambridge University Gough Island Scientific Survey to Tristan da Cunha in 1955.

He is a long-term member of our Association and is pictured at the Hythe 2005 Annual Gathering with his wife Doris.

The couple left Southampton by ship on 6th January en route to Doris' former homeland. Eric said he felt it might be "rather fun to move to New Zealand", adding that his wife, who is from the country, was getting homesick. The couple, who shared the same surname prior to their marriage, met when the New Zealand King-Turner family visited the UK to research their origins.
We look forward to sending Eric & Doris future newsletters in New Zealand when we know their address and wish them well in their new adventure.

See also a BBC story of Eric's travels on news.bbc.co.uk
Record February 2008 Newsletter
The next Tristan da Cunha Newsletter is to be the largest yet published with 24 full colour pages to do justice to the wealth of island news and images.
So make sure you are a member of the Tristan da Cunha Association to receive your copy - join or re-new your membership now - see Association Order Form for details of joining and our Newsletter page for details of future and published newsletters, including how you can contribute.

Obituary for Elizabeth Lady Elliott
We regret to announce the death of Elizabeth Lady Elliott on 5th May 2007 at the age of 96. Elizabeth accompanied her husband Sir Hugh Elliott as he became the first civilian Administrator of Tristan da Cunha in 1950. She served as a nurse to the community until leaving in 1952. Lady Elliott has been an active Life Member of the Association and extracts from her diaries can be found in back numbers of the Tristan da Cunha Newsletter. Lady Elliot's funeral was held on Monday 14th May in St Andrew's Church Oxford where the Tristan Association was represented.

2007 Annual Gathering in Southampton
The Tristan da Cunha Association held its 2007Annual Gathering at The Holiday Inn in Southampton on Saturday 14th April 2007.
A record attendance of members and friends attended the event, including a larger group of Tristan islanders and their families. The event was so successful that the venue will be booked again for 2008. See 2007 Annual Gathering for further details and look out for a new page with details of our 2008 Annual Gathering to be held on Saturday 5th April at the same venue soon.

Alison Hentley' Fund Raising Efforts

Alison Hentley has now completed two

half-marathons in aid of the Tristan da Cunha Education Trust Fund launched by the Tristan Association in 2006. For details of the runs check out the Education Trust Fund page.

Alison is photographed right with right to left : Ian Mathieson, Karen Gee &
Elizabeth Marriott at the RGS Dinner to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Tristan da Cunha
£1000 and rising
Alison Hentley presented a mock cheque for £1000 to Tristan Association President and Chairman Michael Swales at the Dinner Dance during the Annual Gathering in Southampton on 14th April 2007. This represents the total money pledged so far. Please send promised cheques asap to Association Treasurer Brian Frederick using the Association Order Form link. New sponsors are most welcome to add to this worthwhile appeal.
Tristan da Cunha Education Trust Fund
The Association has launched an Education Trust Fund with a target of £100,000 to provide funding for educational projects identified by the Island community. The 2006 RMS St Helena Cruise raised an initial £1210 for the fund through raffles and donations.
See separate Education Trust Fund page.
Obituary for Allan Bryant Crawford MBE
We regret to announce the death of our Life President Allan Crawford on 26th February 2007 in his 95th year. Allan has made an immense contribution to the Tristan da Cunha community over 70 years and has been the leading light of the Tristan da Cunha Association. The funeral was held on Monday 12th March at Tidebrook Church, Wadhurst, East Sussex.
There is a summary of Allan's contribution to Tristan da Cunha and the Tristan da Cunha Association on a special page, and a further announcement on the Tristan Family News Page. The August 2007 Newsletter will feature an Obituary which will pay tribute to Allan's work on behalf of Tristan da Cunha.
February Newsletter
Has now been published and distributed to members by post on 12th February. Now is a perfect time to join the Association and receive an up to date newsletter immediately, have a chance to join our Southampton Annual Gathering and support the extra-ordinary Tristan da Cunha Community. See details of the newsletter's contents on the Newsletter Page.

500th Anniversary Publication
The 32 page full colour commemorative publication has been printed and is available for purchase.
Association members can order the publication for £5 including post and packing.
Others will pay £6, plus £1 p&p in the UK and £2 overseas. 1000 copies will be dispatched to Tristan da Cunha, for presentation to each island family and to be sold to islanders and visitors.
See the Association Shop and Order Form pages to purchase the publication.

As a guide to the publication we reproduce its preface :
All places are unique, but Tristan da Cunha is extraordinary. This publication seeks to chronicle the remarkable history of this place, show images of the community in 2006 and contains a summary of achievements and aspirations from leaders representing Islanders, the British Government and the Tristan Association to commemorate 500 years of human history. In so doing it is hoped to provide an insight into why people decided to live and eventually thrive in a beautiful, yet often hostile environment, further from their neighbors than anywhere else on earth.
The Publication contains 120 images, including three maps and photographs from 40 individuals. These illustrate the islands and show its people and their way of life. Members and others interested in obtaining a copy are urged to move quickly to secure what is sure to be a sought-after memento of Tristan da Cunha.

The Duke of Edinburgh attends RGS Dinner
HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attended the Formal Dinner to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Discovery of Tristan da Cunha held at the Royal Geographical Society on the evening of Friday 3rd November 2006.
The photograph left shows:
Sir Martin Holdgate, Vice President of the Association
Lorna-Lavarello-Smith Vice Chair of the Association
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Michael Swales, Chairman of the Association

Shown left are Mike Faulds and Tristan Association Committee member Ron Burn with displayed in between two of the copies of paintings by Edward Seago made during the Duke of Edinburgh's memorable visit to Tristan da Cunha aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in January 1957

A full report and more photographs of the dinner will be published in the January Newsletter.

The Tristan da Cunha flag, kindly donated by Chief Islander Anne Green during the February RMS St Helena Cruise to Tristan will always be displayed as Association Events.

Millennium Tapestry
Photograph taken on 1st July 2006
shows far left Lizzie Owen, Chief Executive
and far right Robyn Owen, Planning Director
of the Millennium Tapestry Company - www.goldentapestry.com
with committee members
Michael Swales, Lorna Lavarello- Smith and Brian Frederick

The Tristan da Cunha Millennium Tapestry was designed and made by pupils
of St Mary's School Tristan da Cunha. We hope to publish future photographs of the tapestry
featured with other designs from across the Commonwealth.

500th Anniversary of Tristan da Cunha 1506 - 2006

Reception at the House of Lords
Tuesday 23rd May 2006

Lord Alton, Islanders, Association Members and guests
celebrate in the heart of the capital city
(The Cholmondeley Room Terrace is on the far left)

Proud Hosts

Pictured left to right are :
Brian Frederick - Association Treasurer
Lord David Alton of Liverpool who sponsored the event
(and whose wife lived on Tristan as a child)
Michael Swales - Association Chair

The Reception was held on the Terrace of the Cholmondeley Room
overlooking the River Thames with The London Eye and Westminster Bridge behind

Islanders Celebrate their 500th Anniversary

Pictured left to right are :
Debbie Elsmore (nee Repetto), Brian Rogers, Jessica Rogers,
Frank Rogers and Linda Lavarello. In front is Debbie's daughter Megan

who joined other Islanders, Association Members and Guests
in this stunning location to mark the Tristan Quincentenary with style

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Team

Pictured left to right are :
Tristan da Cunha Administrator Mike Hentley
Janice Hentley
Paul Kingford - FCO Tristan Desk Officer

Mike and Janice returned to the UK from Tristan on 22nd May
and Paul was one of the RMS St Helena Cruise passengers in February

Island Flag
The full sized island flag presented by Chief Islander Anne Green is now proudly displayed at all Association meetings.
Disaster Fund
Total
 The Tristan Association has raised a total of £29,694.58 towards repairs following the 2001 Hurricane.
Christmas Cards
The Association has printed Christmas Cards using designs by pupils from St Mary's School produced in a competition organised in 2006. The cards have been delivered to Tristan and are now on sale there, and available to members at £1.75 a set including post and packing - See Order Form for details.
2006 Quincentenary Cruise
For a report see 2006 RMS St Helena Q5 Cruise
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Published by the Tristan da Cunha Government and the Tristan da Cunha Association. Copyright © 2007 and all Rights Reserved.
This page published March 2005