Ascension to St Helena via RMS

Hello from the S. Atlantic,
All is well here on the island of St Helena. After my overnight flight to Heathrow, I took a coach to Oxford which is where RAF Brize Norton is located. Another overnight flight landed me 7,000 nm to the south on Ascension Island. I began working immediately, interviewing a Saint who has lived on Ascension for 42 years. I also met Major Block, the U.S. base commander, and expect to interview him on my return transit.

Ascension is an interesting place. It is UK-owned and was used by the RAF during its war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Initially, a naval base on Ascension was intended to intercept ships attempting to free Napoleon from St Helena when he was imprisoned on St Helena from 1815-1821.

No one has the right to permanent residency on Ascension, at this time, although attempts have been made by some who’ve lived on the island and raised their family there. The 1,100 people that currently live on the island are employed by either the U.S. Air Force, the RAF or a contracted company called CSR. Some families are allowed to live on the island but this depends on the type and level of job one has. The employer provides housing, which is either a room in the barracks or a home large enough for a small family. About 300 U.S. or British live on the island and the rest are Saints. Despite the island’s function as a base, there are only three U.S. and 10 RAF military personnel, the rest are contractors. A normal wage on the island is 2.50 pounds per hour. Jobs are hard to come by on Ascension and many people apply from St Helena. Like many places, it depends on who you know.

I landed on St Helena Wednesday after a three-day boat ride aboard the last Royal Mail Ship in operation. It was a delightful and very British experience including a 4 p.m. tea everyday. I shot people playing a modified cricket game on the sundeck, which was a ton of fun. Obviously I have never shot this sport, so I was surprised to find how difficult it was to shoot the bowlers—there arms go over their face twice as they pitch (or bowl). I also shot Deck Quiots, which is an ancient sea-faring game where rubber discs are thrown on a shuffleboard type target.

My documentary began on Ascension Island when I met Sally, a 31-year-old who works in the Falklands and was traveling home with her two girls, her sister and her brother for their father’s funeral. Sally hadn’t been home in six years and her girls have never been to the island. Her father passed away on Dec. 26, but they were not able to get a flight and passage on the RMS until Jan 11. It is an expensive trip for her and at a time when money is tight due to Christmas. I shot the funeral today, which was uncomfortable for me. I’d asked Father Alan, the pastor presiding over the service, his advice on shooting the event and he was able to tell me about the processional from the hospital down the street to the church and then asked me to ride with him to the cemetery where they lowered the wooden casket down and grave diggers covered up the casket. After the burial, Sally asked me if I could shoot a few pictures of the family and about 30 people stood by the graveside for a family photo. I was happy to oblige because many will not be back on the island for several years.

I am also shooting Tara who is moving back to the island after five years in the UK. She brought her British boyfriend who has never been to the island before, but is willing to try living here for a minimum of 18 months. The concern is how they will earn a living on the island. Saints returning with exPat spouses/partners is common throughout history on the island, so I think this is important to demonstrate as a sidebar on the documentary Web site.

The third subject I began shooting is Anthony. Anthony lives on Ascension and works as a communications rigger, which means he climbs those 400-foot towers to fix whatever needs to be fixed. He has an 8-year-old son on St Helena and is coming home for a visit. We are traveling back on the same passage, so I will shoot him at his job on Ascension when we return.

I am also looking for more stories and people to interview. There are about 30 yachts in the harbor, which is more than anyone on the island can remember. Some of the boats are here as part of a race from Cape Town. They are having a race in the harbor Saturday that will include any locals wishing to board any of the boats, and I’ve been invited. I plan to shoot some Saints turning winches, etc.

This morning I climbed up and down Jacob’s Ladder, 699 steps. It occurred to me that climbing up one storey is about 30 steps, I think. This means I climbed up more than 23 stories. While this seems a ridiculous thing to do, the view is lovely.

I’ll try to update more later.

With love,
Tiff