Illustrated report of the Tristan da Cunha Association Annual Gathering held on the 10th April 2010 in Southampton. Captain Paddy McAlpine talked about repairs to Calshot Harbour during Operation Zest.

See also:

2009 Southampton Annual Gathering

Most Successful 2009 Annual Gathering

The 2009 Tristan Association Annual Gathering was the fifth in a residential format, and the third year running held at the Southampton Holiday Inn.
Many members arrived on Friday 17th April to greet old and new friends in the foyer and bar. The hotel leisure complex, including fitness room and swimming pool were enjoyed and many shared dinner in the hotel restaurant on Friday evening.
After breakfast on Saturday morning exhibitions and stalls were set up in the Hampshire Suite. The informal morning session was a chance for day visitors to meet old friends, and it was particularly good to welcome Tristan islanders, staying overnight and visiting for the day.
After a generous two course buffet lunch in the restaurant, we assembled for the Annual General Meeting. President and Chairman welcomed everyone, especially those who had travelled from afar, including Tasmania.

Ann and Alan Ashworth

Elaine Repetto, Conchila and Gillian Repetto and Gordon Monkton

Margaret Humby and Anna Coulbeck

Cindy Buxton with Michael Swales

Jim and Sue Kerr
Rosemary Jordan and Dorothy Evans
New committee members

It was agreed to appoint four new committee members :

Rosemary Jordan (who served as doctor on Tristan),
Sir Clive Elliott (son of Tristan's first Administrator Sir Hugh Elliott who spent time on Tristan as a young boy),
Cindy Buxton (who has made a wildlife film on Nightingale Island)
John Cooper (Tristan Education Officer 1982-5 who previously served as Chairman of the Association until travelling to take up work in Thailand from where he is returning in 2009).

Roger Le Maitre and Sir Martin Holdgate

Chris Bates

John and Margaret Humby

Tristan Film Festival 2010

Please note that arrangements for the Film Festival are now on hold awaiting further liaison with the Scottish Small Islands Film Trust.

Tristan Government Representative Chris Bates announced the forthcoming Tristan Film Festival to be held in Kelso on 13th November 2010. Organised by the Scottish Small Islands Film Trust, the festival will include the showing of rare Tristan films and it is hoped there will be Tristan exhibitions and stalls. We will publish a separate page giving full details as they become available. The February 2009 Tristan Newsletter featured an article by Chris which highlighted Chief Islander Conrad Glass' visit to Kelso in 2008 to attend a planning meeting. Corporal William Glass, founder of the modern Tristan da Cunha community, came from Kelso, and there is great interest about Tristan in Scotland. Committee member Elaine Mawer (nee Repetto), who lives in Glasgow, is hoping to help with the organisation of the festival.

Susan, Pat and Gemma Patterson

Ron Burn, Elaine Mawer and Anita Repetto

Rosemary and Laurie Holland

RMS Cruise 2010
Michael Swales announced that, after much lobbying, the RMS St Helena will make a return to Tristan da Cunha in 2011, to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the evacuation of the island in 1961 following the volcanic eruption. Andrew Weir and Company have confirmed that the RMS Voyage 154 will depart from Cape Town on Tuesday 25th January 2011, hoping to arrive at Tristan on Sunday 30th January for a three day stay until Wednesday 2nd February when the ship departs for St Helena, arriving on Sunday 6th February for a two day stay until Tuesday 8th February for planned arrival in Cape Town on Sunday 13th February. For prices and further details of the 20 day cruise can be found by emailing Andrew Weir & Company via Sharon Ide on sai@aws.co.uk.
Michael is liaising with the Tristan Government regarding detailed arrangements for the RMS's visit, which will be announced on a separate web page. In the meantime, Association members are urged to contact Andrew Weir and Company immediately to express interest and reserve a cabin, as they are bound to fill up as soon as details of the cruise are more widely known. In this respect the RMS St Helena website was still showing an earlier version of the schedule for Voyage 154 (with the RMS continuing to Ascension and back before returning to Cape Town on 19th February) on its website on 5th May 2009.

Ken and Fran Rogers

Elizabeth and Guy Marriott

Austin and Valerie Mears

Talk by Paddy McAlpine

Highlight of the annual gathering was a talk by Captain Paddy McAlpine OBE who led the successful Operation Zest to re-furbish Tristan's Calshot Harbour in 2008. Paddy treated us to an insider's view of this amazing logistical exercise which he reckoned cost £7.321 million. Paddy paid tribute to the hard work of his team and described the work (featured in the August 2008 Tristan Newsletter). Paddy enjoyed a close working relationship with Administrator David Morley which included daily site and logistics meetings, and praised David's support for the Task Force. He also highlighted the friendliness and generosity of the Tristan islanders, culminating in the Queen's Day celebrations (see Queens Day web page) when the Task Force were awarded 'Freedom of Tristan da Cunha'.
Paddy was accompanied by his wife Janette and now has Command of the Royal Navy's latest destroyer HMS Daring.

Janette McAlpine
with Jennifer and Ken Gardiner

Captain Paddy McAlpine

Peter Millington and Alison Hentley

Auction for the Tristan Education Trust Fund

A lively and successful auction was conducted with his usual aplomb by committee member Ron Burn. A wide selection of Tristan artefacts included stamps, knitwear, model longboats and art work. Over £900 was raised. A draw was organised by Liz Marriott and the Association are most grateful to members who donated prizes and articles for the auction.

Brian Frederick and Ron Burn

Part of the AGM gathering

Susan and Robert Webb

Dinner Dance and a Frank exchange

The well attended dinner dance featured a two course buffet and dancing until midnight. The prize for the Tristan picture quiz was presented to islander Frank Swain by Frank Rogers who had inadvertently been presented with it earlier (your editor has decided to be frank about his error!).

Overall, this year perhaps marks the 'coming of age' of the Association's residential Annual gatherings as we confirm the Southampton Inn as our regular venue and continue to welcome many members and guests, all seeking to support the Tristan da Cunha community.

A full report and further photographs is published in the August 2009 Tristan Newsletter, sent to all Association members.

Frank Rogers, Hazel and Barry Carter

Lorna, Drew, Charlie
and Abi Lavarello-Smith

Alison, Mike and Janice Hentley

Mike Hentley and Frank Rogers
leading the dancing
Beau Rowlands and Ann Ashworth
who provided the photos on this page
Susan and Robert Webb