Tresco Times 2018 Yearbook

2018 YEAR BOOK

OUR VIEWS ARE CLEAR

A NEW WALLPAPER COLLECTION IN COLLABORATION WITH ARTIST

SALES: +44 (0) 161 230 0882 | paintandpaperlibrary.com | LONDON SHOWROOM: +44 (0) 20 7823 7755 Image shot on location in the Isles of Scilly

TRESCO TIMES

2018 YEARBOOK

T H E T R E S C O FA M I LY

Edited by Tom Matthews editor@tresco.co.uk Design & Art Direction nixondesign.com Advertising trescotimesads@tresco.co.uk +44 (0)1720 424114 Published by © Tresco Estate 2018 The Island Office, Tresco, Isles of Scilly TR24 0QQ Illustration Livi Gosling Nicole Heidaripour Photography James Darling, Rob Besant, Paper & Paint Library, Nixon Design, Islands’ Partnership/ Adj Brown, Nick Walker, Phil Nicholls, Tom Matthews With thanks to Richard Mellor Anna Parkes Hugo Dalton Caspar Walsh Jon Keast

Print Four Way Print fourwayprint.com

Tresco has always been a family.

Since the 19th century, my family has preserved and enhanced the island. Today, our owners, renters and islanders are all a part of the family that makes Tresco unique.

I am delighted that our Tresco family is to be strengthened by the increasing involvement of my brother Jamie, following his retirement from a successful business career. Jamie’s experience – which culminated in his leadership of Schroders Americas – will be of immense benefit to the island.

As with any family, we also look to future generations, and it gives me great pleasure that my eldest son Adam takes an increasingly active role in the work of the estate.

We look forward to the future with great optimism, with exciting plans in the pipeline as we constantly improve and enhance the Tresco experience. Borough Farm has recently come back into the estate fold, which will allow us to deliver more Tresco excellence in this beautiful and tranquil woodland setting.

There are some significant and positive changes in the offing, not least the prospect of the helicopter service from Penzance, but also the Smart

Jamie and Robert Dorrien-Smith in Tresco Abbey Garden Islands programme, improvements to our waste processing, and South West Water taking over Scilly’s water infrastructure. These projects are all good news for Tresco and the other islands, but crucially, they will also have enormous benefits far beyond our shores.

I believe change is to be embraced, particularly when it has a positive impact on Tresco, the Isles of Scilly, and the wider world. After all, progress is impossible without change.

Robert Dorrien-Smith

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2018 YEARBOOK

in this issue P56 P20 ON A ROLL Artist Hugo Dalton brings Tresco home.

P30 THE CZAR

P44

Spirit, salvage and skullduggery – we look back at the 140-year history of the cut-throat gig.

P48 GOING GREEN From milk bottles to electric vehicles – Tresco’s plan for our blue planet.

P62

P56 A STONE’S THROW One family’s ode to the Flying Boat Cottages (with apologies to John Masefield).

P66

P72 ALL IN THE MINDFULNESS Transient trend or long-term life-changer?

P78 BANK TELLERS AND THE BOXER Anna Parkes reflects on 40 years on Tresco.

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P48

Features

P20

P12 #MYTRESCO

Sometimes it’s hard to keep Tresco all to yourself...

P42 THE TRESCO WINE COLLECTION

The very best way to get the very best wines to the very best island.

P44 THE SUPPLIER

From sitting-room hobby to favourite Tresco supplier, Jon Keast tells the story of Scarlet Wines.

P62 THE TRESCO TEN

Do you know how many benches there are on Tresco, or what the rarest plant in the Abbey Garden is?

P66 LOBSTER TALES

The claw is in the title...

P84 GALLERY TRESCO

Ellen Watson on her first – rather inauspicious – visit to Tresco.

Regulars P6 REVIEW OF 2017

Looking back at the highlights.

P16 2018 CALENDAR

What’s coming up this year.

P88 TRESCO ISLANDSHARE

Find out which cottages are currently available as Islandshare.

P92 TRAVELLING TO TRESCO

It’s easy to get here: just ask us to help.

P93 THINGS TO DO ON TRESCO From yoga to boating and tennis to cycling.

P30

P94 ISLAND PURSUITS

Your guide to getting the best from the islands.

P99 USEFUL ISLAND CONTACTS

Need a number? Find it here.

P100 TRESCO ISLAND MAP 2018 YEARBOOK | 5

YOUR OWN PRIVATE ISLAND

T R E S C O.C O.U K

TRESCO TIMES

2018 YEARBOOK

PICTOR I A L OV E RV IE W OF T WO THOUS A ND A ND SE V E N TE E N E IGH T T HOUS A N D Over £8,000 was donated to Cancer Research UK from the 2017 Tresco Triathlon, which was opened up to teams for the first time. Noel Miles was first male, our own Kitchen Gardener Emma Lainchbury was first female and Team Douglas/Stedeford from St Mary’s was the first team home. Tresco Triathlon consists of a 0.36-mile swim, a 12-mile cycle (three laps of the island!) and a threemile run. The 2018 Tresco Triathlon takes place on Sunday 30 September.

THR EE Three Tresco islanders have been given special awards for 20 years’ dedication to the islands’ emergency services. Tresco Coastguard volunteers Nick Shiles and Paul Christopher and Fire Service Watch Manager Richard Hobbs all received longservice medals – though none could believe they have really been doing the roles for so long!

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SI X T HOUS A N D Tresco Island’s support for the British Red Cross, led by Lucy Dorrien-Smith, got off to a flying start with a fundraising weekend raising over £6,000 for the charity. The weekend included a film screening, an open garden event at Tresco Abbey Garden, a gallery exhibition and a rafi+friends workshop for children at Tresco and Bryher Primary School.

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2018 YEARBOOK

T H I RT E E N T H Congratulations to our Tresco and Bryher Rowing Club ladies’ crew, which won Group B at the 2017 World Pilot Gig Championships, coming 13th out of 142 crews. We should also note the achievement of our men’s crew, which came 42nd out of 140 crews – not bad following a winter spent ‘training’ in The New Inn; even better considering Jamie Parkes later discovered he had rowed the entire weekend with a broken finger!

T H R E E H U N DR ED A N D T H I RT E E N It has become something of a running joke on Tresco that every year the New Year Flower Count is ‘record breaking’, with Garden Curator Mike Nelhams and Head Gardener Andrew Lawson not allowed back in by the fire until every flowering plant has been spotted. The 2017 count really was a record breaker, though. An incredible 313 plant varieties were found in flower across the Abbey Garden, at a time of year when most gardens are looking bare and dull.

FI V E Any more awards success for the Hell Bay Hotel team may necessitate the industrial strengthening of their trophy shelf. The team collected their fifth successive gold in the Boutique Hotel of the Year category at the Cornwall Tourism Awards during 2017. With his love of precious metal still not satiated, we gather Philip has Fran and the team feverishly filling out entry forms for the 2018 awards already.

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T WO T H I RT Y SI X Congratulations to Mark Pender of Bryher’s Island Fish Ltd, who got 36 hours off in May – a rare achievement indeed! Mark swapped his trademark oilies and yellow wellies for his best suit at the Fishing News Awards ceremony, where he was named Shellfish Fisherman of the Year. Less than two days later, Mark was back in wellies and oilskins for the Low Tide Event between Tresco and Bryher!

Congratulations to the team at the Ruin Beach Café, which has recently been awarded two AA Rosettes. The Ruin’s success brings the total number of restaurants recognised with AA Rosettes on the Isles of Scilly to three: Hell Bay Hotel, The New Inn and the Ruin Beach Café – all Tresco Estate businesses!

E IGH T Y ON E T HOUS A N D T H R E E H U N DR ED A N D FI F T Y The children of Tresco and Bryher School raised a staggering £1,350 for the Isles of Scilly Medical Launch by walking around the island of St Martin’s. The children were raising money for the boat that takes doctors, nurses, health visitors and the midwife to the off-islands.

T WO A N D FOU R Since the last yearbook, the Tresco community has celebrated two marriages and four engagements.

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Weddings Steve Whitaker and Joanne Geraghty were married in Devon in July, and Michael Dorrien-Smith and Isabella Monson were married in Kenya in September.

Congratulations to islander Eddie Birch on the occasion of his 80th birthday, which he celebrated with friends, family and a very large cake back in October.

Island visitors, staff and locals past and present sent their best wishes to Eddie, with fond memories shared of his famous island tours, RNLI fundraising, and even cakes baked for the nutritional benefit of seasonal staff!

Engagements Tom Matthews and Joanne Hulands, Andrew Lawson and Kate Clement, Chris Hopkins and Sue Shone, and Alex Sandford and Olivia Callan all became engaged.

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G O OD T H I NG S C O M E TO T HO SE W HO WA I T As the Times goes to press, the project to reinstate helicopter flights from Penzance to Tresco and St Mary’s continues apace.

Despite a barrage of legal attacks from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, we remain resolutely committed to reinstating helicopter flights from Penzance to Tresco and St Mary’s.

Subject to consent for our amended planning application, a full helicopter service will begin operating from Penzance Heliport to Tresco and St Mary’s from 2019. The Penzance Heliport service will reinstate genuine choice and real reliability to the Isles of Scilly transport system.

The service will operate from a purpose-built heliport, adjacent to the A30 and mainline rail connections in Penzance.

The near sea-level altitude of the proposed site will deliver greater weather resilience, enhancing the reliability of transport links to and from the Isles of Scilly.

To deliver the service, we have partnered with Sloane Helicopters – one of the most accomplished helicopter operators in Europe, with fifty years of industry experience. The company is already trusted by high-profile customers including air ambulance charities and the Royal Air Force, and enjoys strong Cornish connections.

Penzance Heliport will operate AW139 aircraft – the marketleading intermediate twin-engine helicopter and the benchmark for safety design features, performance capabilities and productivity all over the world. The helicopter will accommodate up to 15 passengers in a spacious and bright cabin, with passengers

enjoying a 20kg luggage allowance. The helicopter will be flown by two pilots to further enhance safety.

You may have heard that, despite their vehement opposition to the Penzance Heliport project, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company announced surprise plans to operate their own helicopter service, flying to St Mary’s only. This service will not operate to Tresco.

I would urge you not to be distracted by this proposed service. At the time of going to press, the only publicly available information is that this proposed service will operate a small helicopter from Land’s End Airport. This airport – which suffers disruption on one in every four days each year – is the problem, not the solution.

Penzance Heliport continues to receive huge and unequivocal support from the visitors, residents and businesses of the Isles of Scilly and west Cornwall, and we remain absolutely committed to the project.

As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait; better things come to those who don’t give up. I look forward to welcoming you on board.

Robert Dorrien-Smith Find out more and subscribe to updates at PENZANCEHELIPORT.CO.UK 2018 YEARBOOK | 11

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2018 YEARBOOK

R I C H A R D M E L LO R #MyTresco

Travel journalist Richard Mellor visited Tresco for the first time in May 2017, attending the Low Tide Event for The Guardian. Here he shares his first and enduring impressions of the island.

s our eight-person light aircraft whirrs over the Atlantic, me and my fellow neck-craning passengers are competing in an unspoken (but definite) game of ‘Spot the Scilly’. There’s sea, there’s sea, there’s sea and then – yes! I saw it first! – suddenly there are the Isles, abundant and sleek like some sort of epic whale pod.

“First time visiting Scilly?” asks Dave the skipper, after I’ve hopped aboard a tiny boat bound for Tresco. “You’ll be gutted to leave,” he promises when I nod.

It’s already obvious why. For here, as Dave plots a careful course around undersea rocks with murderous intent, is that fabled Isles of Scilly seascape: see-through water the colour of emeralds, yellow-tinged coral, kelpy reaches and long strands of sugar-white sand. A blazing sun also helps. “Cor,” I whisper, a bit light-headed.

So far I’ve resolutely resisted any clichéd “this could be the Caribbean”-type outbursts. But the arrival at Tresco’s jetty of islander Tom in a golf buggy clinches it. This really could be the Caribbean. But in fact it’s Grimsby – or rather New Grimsby, Tresco’s unofficial village ‘capital’. Tom, my bag and I traverse the car-free isle’s spine, a shallow hill, and chug past a churchyard into Old Grimsby, and my luxurious apartment. And so begin two terrific days.

What I ultimately love most about Tresco is the ease of escape. Yes, the twin Grimsbys get faintly chokka, with a little

bike and buggy traffic along leafy lanes and regular pier-side bustle. Nor, understandably, are the nearby Tresco Abbey’s glorious subtropical gardens deserted – though their size makes finding seclusion simple, and I have a nut-stashing red squirrel all to myself.

Yet walk north across gorgeous moorland to what’s left of King Charles’s Castle, or pedal south along the dune-ridden coast path, and you barely see a soul. Bar a passing buzzard, I have Pentle Bay – one of Britain’s great beaches – completely to myself on a balmy Friday afternoon in May. Bonkers.

Also brilliant is the low-key way that we tourists are treated.

There’s never a sense of being an outsider, and no sinister stares or sudden silence as I enter The New Inn. But neither is the friendliness excessive. I’m simply permitted to fit in, to be.

At the Ruin Beach Café, gazing out to sea and vaguely hoping to spot a dolphin, my wonderful languor is tempered only by the pestering memory of some ghastly place called London, where I’m due to be tomorrow. But then my Tresco Beef ragu and pappardelle arrives, and I forget all about it.

Richard Mellor (richard-mellor.com) is a freelance travel writer for publications including The Guardian, The Times, Metro and Lonely Planet.

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F LY I NG B OAT C O T TAGE S B each f ront elega nce We e k l y p e r c o t t a ge L OW FROM

MID FROM

HIGH FROM

£1, 6 8 0

£3,605

£5,460

T R E S C O.C O.U K

TRESCO TIMES

2018 YEARBOOK

YEAR AHEAD Walking Tides ht lt

30th – 11:17 | 31st – 12:02

Key

Music

Look

Walks

Food & Drink

Walk Scilly Festival

Revel in a week of themed, guided walks across the islands, including on Tresco. There’s something for everyone – ramblers, stargazers, wildlife lovers, sun worshippers, foragers and families.

Walking Tides

Walking Tides

ht lt

These are the dates and times of low tides when it should be possible to walk between Tresco and Bryher, but always check with the Island Office on the day.

16th – 12:09 | 17th – 12:47 | 18th – 13:26

MAY

MARCH Gallery Tresco Easter Show

Featuring the work of Nicola Hancox, Ian Shearman, Gary Long, Amanda Hoskin, Jon Evison and Geoffrey Bickley.

Everybody welcome at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

APRIL Walking Tides

Cross the channel between Tresco and Bryher on foot. Spend the afternoon exploring our neighbouring island, then hop on the boat back later in the day. ht lt

Walking Tides ht lt 1st – 12:38 | 2nd – 13:15

1st – 10:34 | 2nd – 11:20 | 3rd – 12:02 | 4th – 12:42

Tresco Guitar Retreat

Indulge your passion for the guitar in the perfect relaxed, supportive and inspiring environment, with expert tuition from Stuart Marshall.

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Wildlife Walks

Free, family-friendly guided walks around Tresco’s north end and rockpooling along the coast with experts from the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.

See posters on island for information.

World Pilot Gig Championships

One of the most spectacular sporting events in the world and one of the bestkept secrets too! More than 200 crews compete for the title of world champions.

Domestic gig rowing season opens

Ladies race on a Wednesday night and men’s crews on a Friday night. Catch the regular spectator boats to watch the races – see boat boards for details.

Scilly Swim Challenge

Swim and walk your way around all five inhabited islands of Scilly – and a couple of uninhabited ones – in a single day, with full support.

TRESCO TIMES

Paul Lewin Art Break

Join contemporary landscape artist Paul Lewin for a week of painting tuition on Tresco, in association with the prestigious Newlyn School of Art.

2018 YEARBOOK

Scilly Folk Festival

The finale of the folk festival takes place at The New Inn on Sunday afternoon, featuring some of the best folk music from Scilly and the South West.

Walking Tides

Wildlife Walks

The Crab Shack opens

Our rustic eatery on Bryher. Simple, communal dining with the freshest crab on Scilly. Booking in advance is essential – call Hell Bay Hotel on +44 (0)1720 422947.

Free, family-friendly guided walks around Tresco’s north end and rock-pooling along the coast with experts from the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust. See posters on island for information.

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14th – 12:05 | 15th – 12:53 | 16th – 13:42

Maggie O’Brien Art Break

JUNE

Landscape artist Maggie O’Brien leads a week of painting tuition on Tresco, in association with the prestigious Newlyn School of Art.

Walking Tides ht lt

Scilly Laughs Comedy Festival

A unique festival held over four islands on four different days, including Tresco on 10 June.

Shrimping season opens

A great tradition on Scilly; catch these little beauties, cook and serve up with crusty bread.

16th – 12:24 | 17th – 13:07

Seth Lakeman

Folk hero Seth plays his songs telling of seafaring, haunting legends and westcountry life. The New Inn, Friday evening and Sunday lunchtime.

Amanda Hoskin Art Break

World in a Garden Break

Our globe-trotting Garden Curator has travelled far and wide in search of fine gardens and plants, inspiring our World in a Garden Break, which gives you the opportunity to fine-tune your gardening skills.

Featuring the work of Sophie Harding, Tom Holland, Teresa Pemberton, Wendy McBride, Richard Guy, Rob Braybrooks and Will Shakspeare. Everybody welcome at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

Rejuvenate body and soul with Lucy Aldridge’s yoga break on Tresco – the ultimate retreat from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

July and August – Island Fetes

From dunk the hunk to the human fruit machine and the giant water slide, each island fete is unique yet every one quintessentially Scillonian. See posters on island for details.

Join Cornish landscape artist Amanda Hoskin for a week of painting tuition on Tresco, in association with the prestigious Newlyn School of Art.

Gallery Tresco May Show

Yoga Retreat

JULY

ÖTILLÖ Swimrun

A hundred teams of two from around the world tackle a 45km swimming and running course around the islands hoping to qualify for the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship.

Gallery Tresco July Show 1

Featuring the work of Paul Lewin, Lizzie Black and Iona Sanders. Join us at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

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Walking Tides ht lt

13th – 11:51 | 14th – 12:41 | 15th – 13:31 | 16th – 14:20

Gallery Tresco July Show 2

Featuring the work of Ellen Watson, Jenny Ulyatt and Rosemary Trestini. Join us at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

2018 YEARBOOK

Gallery Tresco July Show 3

Featuring the work of Maggie O’Brien, Marie Mills and Stuart Kettle. Join us at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

Miracle Theatre – The Cherry Orchard

This summer, the fabulous Cornish troupe brings Chekhov’s last and greatest play, The Cherry Orchard, to Tresco’s Sea Garden Lawn.

Festival Players – The Winter’s Tale

The Festival Players return to Tresco for outdoor theatre in Tresco Abbey Garden with Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Winter’s Tale, filled with psychological drama, hope and humour.

AUGUST Fabulous 59 Ford

All the classics from the rock ’n’ rollin’ 50s to fill the dance floor at The New Inn on Saturday night.

The Low Tide Event Gallery Tresco August Show 1

Featuring the work of Neil Pinkett, Ramie Leahy and Flynn O’Reilly. Join us at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

Our unique pop-up festival. Enjoy food, drink and merriment mid-way between Tresco and Bryher on a sandbar usually covered by five metres of seawater!

Gallery Tresco August Show 2

Featuring the work of Tom Rickman, Imogen Bone and Melanie Max. Join us at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

Wildlife Walks The Low Tide Event

Our unique pop-up festival. Enjoy food, drink and merriment mid-way between Tresco and Bryher on a sandbar usually covered by five metres of seawater! With live music on the sandbar from Fabulous 59 Ford.

Free, family-friendly guided walks around Tresco’s north end and rockpooling along the coast with experts from the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.

See posters on island for information.

Gallery Tresco August Show 3

Featuring the work of John Bampfield, Alasdair Urquhart and Nicky Walker. Join us at the artists’ reception from 6-8pm.

SEPTEMBER Wildlife Walks

Free, family-friendly guided walks around Tresco’s north end and rockpooling along the coast with experts from the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.

See posters on island for information.

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Walking Tides ht lt

11th – 11:39 | 12th – 12:28 | 13th – 13:15 | 14th – 14:00

Taste of Scilly Food Festival

A mouthwatering, month-long celebration of the very best in local food and drink from across the islands.

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Maggie O’Brien Art Break

Yoga Break

Walking Tides

Scilly Swim Challenge

Landscape artist Maggie O’Brien leads a week of painting tuition on Tresco, in association with the prestigious Newlyn School of Art.

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9th – 11:25 | 10th: 12:11 | 11th – 12:54 | 12th – 13:36

The Low Tide Event

Our unique pop-up festival. Enjoy food, drink and merriment mid-way between Tresco and Bryher on a sandbar usually covered by five metres of seawater!

Imogen Bone Art Break

Landscape artist Imogen Bone hosts a week of painting tuition on Tresco, in association with the prestigious Newlyn School of Art.

Scuppered live at The New Inn

“Probably the best Coal Aston-based folk band in the world” performing at The New Inn on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Rejuvenate body and soul with Lucy Aldridge’s yoga break on Tresco – the ultimate retreat from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

Swim and walk your way around all five inhabited islands of Scilly – and a couple of uninhabited ones – in a single day, with full support.

Swim and walk your way around all five inhabited islands of Scilly – and a couple of uninhabited ones – over two days, with full support.

Explore the magic of Scilly on a series of guided walks during the quieter but still spectacular autumn.

Ben Waters weekend

Ben has played with The Rolling Stones, Jools Holland, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis! Far more importantly, he’s been playing at The New Inn for the past 20 years, so he’s a bona fide island favourite.

Tresco Triathlon

Tresco’s biggest sporting event – a sprint triathlon with a 0.36-mile swim, a 12-mile cycle (three laps of the island!) and a threemile run finishing – rather conveniently – at The New Inn. Take part or just spectate…

Shrimping season closes

OCTOBER

Mindfulness Break

Chance for restorative, reflective immersion in the stunning wilds of island life.

Walking Tides Scilly Swim Challenge

Walk Scilly Weekend

ht lt

9th – 11:51 | 10th – 12:31 | 11th – 13:10

Gallery Tresco Falmouth Drawing Show

Featuring the latest talent to emerge from the Falmouth School of Art. Join us at the artists’ reception from 12.30-3.30pm.

Wildlife Walks

Free, family-friendly guided walks around Tresco’s north end and rockpooling along the coast with experts from the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.

See posters on island for information.

DECEMBER Christmas and New Year Festive Breaks at The New Inn

Whether it’s a quiet and cosy island Christmas or a New Year celebration at the heart of the island, join us for a festive escape on Tresco.

Walking Tides

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24th – 11:59 | 25th – 12:48 2018 YEARBOOK | 21

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ON A ROLL Taking Tresco Home

Standing on the top terrace of Tresco Abbey Garden, beside a tumbling wall pitted with succulent aeonium and crowned with azure agapanthus, gazing out across the canopy of palms to the endless Atlantic beyond, I defy anyone not to feel inspired.

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Paper: Lighthouse Palm – Pentle Paint: Tallanstown Grey

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Paper: Aloe Walk – Glass Paint: Glass III

Paper: Buds – Rufus Paint: Squid Ink 24 | 2018 YEARBOOK

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What sets artist Hugo Dalton apart is his ability to translate these inspiring vistas into stirring artwork.

Now, in a new collaboration with Paint & Paper Library, Hugo’s artwork is quite literally bringing the island home…

“Tresco is unlike anywhere else,” Hugo muses at his studio in bustling, buzzy central London. “There’s such freedom that you just can’t find anywhere else.

Whatever is going on in my life, however busy I am, escaping to Tresco gives me space to be creative.

“I’m very fortunate in my work that I get the opportunity to travel all around the world, but in the back of my mind I can’t help but think, ‘I kind of prefer Tresco.’”

Like so many, Hugo’s relationship with the island goes back several generations.

His grandparents visited every year; after a while, his parents joined them; not long after, along came Hugo.

It was on Tresco, under the tutelage of artist and teacher Mary D’Castro, that Hugo’s passion for drawing was nurtured.

Mary would bring groups of students to Tresco each year, taking them off around the island drawing and painting. A young Hugo would tag along. “I still have her words of encouragement ringing in my ears,” he reflects.

At the time, Lucy Dorrien-Smith was working on a new project that was to have a profound impact on the island, and on Hugo. Within the new Gallery Tresco, the fledgling artist found an enthusiastic audience for his first works; indeed, Lucy Dorrien-Smith became Hugo’s first paying customer.

“As we were getting the gallery up and running, Hugo would just potter around drawing and painting, showing me his pictures and taking part in the exhibitions hosted by Mary,” recounts Lucy.

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“One of Hugo’s works really struck me: a pastel of the middle terrace of the Abbey Garden; a pelagonium tumbling down the rockery wall. The pieces weren’t really for sale, but I made Hugo an offer and that’s how I became the proud owner of his first commercial work!”

In fact, it is thanks to this very drawing that Hugo can lay claim to a somewhat peculiar title; one he curiously leaves off his artistic resumé. Hugo remains – to this day – the only artist to ever have their art filched from Tresco’s hallowed walls!

“The piece was hanging in one of the flats in the Abbey,” recalls Lucy. “When I walked into the flat one day, I found Hugo’s piece had literally been cut from the frame – a truly dastardly art heist!”

The scoundrel chose well; clearly prescient of a bright future ahead for Hugo.

If it wasn’t for the fact Lucy could not bring herself to confess the loss to Hugo for many years, one could almost imagine this incident informed his artistic path. Today Hugo is best known for his wall paintings – far more challenging to make off with!

“My first commission after I graduated from Goldsmiths was at the home of Kay Saatchi,” Hugo says.

“I’ve created artworks for the V&A, the Royal Albert Hall and Tiffany & Co. on Champs-Élysées, and at Liberty of London. I’ve worked in some truly extraordinary places.”

It was through Hugo’s wall art that the Tresco Collection came about.

“It was just the right moment,” explains Hugo. “I’d been using Paint & Paper Library paints for some time and always loved the idea of making wallpaper.

“I’d been thinking I wanted to do something more accessible, and one day I was chatting with Ruth, the director of Paint & Paper Library, when the idea of wallpaper came up. It all stemmed from there.”

Interior designer David Oliver founded Paint & Paper Library in London over 20 years ago. Found in some of the most prestigious properties around the world, Paint & Paper Library paints create an unrivalled balance of colour, mood and light in contemporary interiors.

The Tresco Collection combines Paint & Paper Library’s famed palette of Architectural and Original colours with designs created by Hugo during his time on Tresco.

“The island has always been a place of joy and inspiration to me,” says Hugo. “The clarity and calm of Tresco provides such creative stimulation; the difficult part was choosing what to use in the patterns.”

The creative process saw Hugo work with the Paint & Paper Library team to whittle dozens of designs down to the eight that would make up the collection.

Hugo then used the same process as in his wall art, projecting his drawings onto walls to arrange patterns and see the overall effect. “You don’t want to print the paper and then find a pattern doesn’t work with repetition. The patterns have to feel beautiful, peaceful.”

Each work started life as a monochrome drawing and was brought to life by Paint & Paper Library’s colour experts who created multiple colourways, each with coordinating or complementary paint matches.

Some papers create a statement; others a peaceful feeling; all create a sense of space. “Opening up space is always my aim,” says Hugo.

The collection ranges from Abbey Gardens – a contemporary toile inspired

by Hugo’s watercolours drying in the sun on the garden paths – to Archipelago, with its island silhouettes surrounded by rippling water.

“I love Buds,” says Hugo. “I can remember being on the top terrace

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painting the protea buds, hoping and praying that Mike wouldn’t catch me standing in his flower bed! That for me just represents a real moment where I was drawing something totally openly, honestly and freely, which is sort of the spirit of Tresco.

“Then there’s Chart, which is inspired by an antique East India Company chart I saw in Tresco Abbey. As I was flying back to the mainland I was looking down at the sea, projecting those ancient lines onto the undulating surface in my mind. Those old charts were so practical and yet also beautiful; I just loved the combination.”

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Any Tresco regular will immediately recognise the hardy little plants portrayed in Aeonium, the quintessential agapanthus and aloe vera of Aloe Walk, the almost living Protea Trail and the striking and iconic Lighthouse Palm.

“Each paper has a story behind it, and that’s what makes them all special,” says Hugo. “I wanted to create something that was stylish and beautiful, but also something that would remind people of Tresco in an elegant, contemporary and sophisticated way. Tresco is honest, open, natural beauty and I’ve tried to translate that into the paper.

“People are using these papers in their homes on the mainland – a world that is inherently more complicated than Tresco.

“On Tresco you’re on this little island, just a couple of miles long, where everything is perfect and blissful and calm; a haven. I wanted to bring that feeling to people’s homes; that sense of a little island of peace and beauty and calm among the hustle and bustle of life.”

“You want your home to feel like a private island, and there’s a great synergy there with Tresco.”

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Paper: Chart – Stable Green Paint: Clean White, Stable Green

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Paper: Archipelago – Leading Lights

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Passion Flower wall-painting commission, gilded copper leaf and acrylic on wall, Massachusetts, USA, 2015

The Tresco Collection is available to view and order at Gallery Tresco, through Paint & Paper Library stockists nationwide, and at PAINTANDPAPERLIBRARY.COM Throughout 2018, Gallery Tresco will also stock an exclusive Hugo Dalton Tresco print.

More Hugo Dalton sculptures and lightdrawings can be seen at HUGODALTON.COM and @HUGODALTONSTUDIO 2018 YEARBOOK | 29

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Scilly’s postal ower service e perfect gift for any occasion Pop in and see us at Churchtown Farm, St Martin’s

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VISIT SCILLYFLOWERS.CO.UK CALL 01720 422169 ....................................................................................

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The Czar has a distinguished history of salvage and rescue. As she approaches her 140th birthday, Tom Matthews discovers how today’s Czar crew are continuing the proud tradition of ‘the cut-throat gig’…

Photography JAMES DARLING 2018 YEARBOOK | 33

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Listen carefully on a calm summer’s evening and you might hear the faint clack of leather against wood; a rhythmic, pulsing sound drifting across the warm summer air. Is it some ghost from the distant past, a gig crew battling to save a vessel in distress on Scilly’s notorious rocks?

“I WANT EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT – HEAVE!” The clacking of oars against pins grows louder, faster, more ferocious. Is the vessel foundering?

“EVERY STROKE COUNTS – COME ON!” Now another sound rolls across the ocean; a straining, groaning, scream of pain. Is it the final cries of the ship as her timbers splinter on some distant granite reef?

“ALL RIGHT GIRLS, WELL DONE. TAKE HER HOME.” Muscles get their respite; the coxswain rests his voice; the sound of laughter and conversation replaces the groans of exasperation.

The Czar ladies of Tresco and Bryher Rowing Club head for home, and their warm-down routine at The New Inn. Today, the gigs of Scilly may be rowed for pleasure, but the Czar and her sister gigs hail from a time when – as veteran coxswain, rower and master mariner Alf Jenkins put it – “vessels were made of wood and men of iron.”

The first record of a Scillonian pilot gig appears in 1666 – the year of the Great Fire of London – when gigs rescued the crew of the Royall Oacke, which had foundered on Bishop Rock. Originally built to transfer pilots to guide ships through the Scillonian waters, the gigs of Scilly also found purpose as the lifeboats and salvage boats of their day – not to mention the smuggler’s noble steed.

For centuries – long before the advent of flower farming and before the very notion of tourism – pilotage was the mainstay of the economy. In the days before reliable charts and lighthouses – let alone GPS and radar – gigs would race to reach passing ships, securing a pilotage fee which could feed their family for months.

Every island had several gigs, each owned by a family or shared between many. Tresco had the Gleaner, Hope, Longkeel and Swift; Bryher the Albion, Golden Eagle, March, Marene, Sussex, Venus and, of course, the Czar.

With pilotage, the first man aboard got the job, so competition among crews was fierce, and each crew was constantly trying to outdo the others. Often this was through sheer strength, grit and seamanship; at other times helped along by sheer dastardly cunning. This was certainly the case with the Czar. Built for the Bryher pilots by Peters of St Mawes in 1879, the stated intent of Czar was to outrun another Bryher gig, Golden Eagle. Peters had also built that gig, and such was his pride in her that he reckoned the only way in which she could be beaten was if the new gig was given thwarts for a seventh man. The Czar – nicknamed ‘the cutthroat gig’ – was born.

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The very day she arrived on Scilly – 27 July 1879 – Czar was immediately put to the test. Within hours, she was called to the rescue of two ships: the three-masted barque Maipu – wrecked on the jagged teeth of Bryher’s Hell Bay – and the much larger barque, River Lune, broken on the unforgiving granite just south of Annet.

It is, perhaps, fitting that the opening pages of the history of the Czar should be such a story of wreck and bravery. Yes, these boats were designed for boarding pilots to passing ships, but it is for the selfless heroism of their crews in the face of peril that the Scillonian gigs are best remembered. In his seminal 1907 volume Scilly and the Scillonians, JG Uren wrote: ‘Whatever else may be said of them the Scillonians are no cowards. Manning one of their long, six-oar gigs, and trusting to their skill as boatmen, they will fearlessly put to sea when not even a lifeboat would show her nose.’

There is no record of how many lives were saved by the Czar and her crews over the years – or the riches she brought to the islands in salvage.

There is an old Scillonian prayer, spoken by the Reverend Troutbeck: “Dear God, we pray not that wrecks should happen, but that if it be Thy will they do, we pray Thee let them be to the benefit of Thy poor people of Scilly.”

It is, perhaps, ironic that Reverend Troutbeck was the one to utter this prayer. Whilst wreck and salvage did benefit the islanders, it was for his involvement in a very different role of the Scillonian gigs that the parson was allegedly banished from the islands some years later. Scilly’s location at a strategic crossroads off the southern tip of England meant that ships carrying cargo from across the world passed through these waters. Scilly became a valuable staging post for free trade – or smuggling.

In just six months of 1825, four seizures by the Excise amounted to some 363 gallons of brandy. It was once stated that more contraband was landed in Scilly than ended up at the Excise warehouse in London. Clive Mumford tells us in his 1967 book Portrait of the Isles of Scilly that a bucket of island potatoes could be traded for a bucket of best tobacco (or ‘bacca’ as Scillonians called it). It comes as scant surprise, then, that alongside their noble lineage of pilotage, provisioning and protecting passing ships, Scillonian gig crews always kept a weather eye on the horizon for a passing East Indiaman, never to lose the opportunity to supplement their meagre island crops.

Over the years, smuggling was challenged by the sheer volume of resources the Excise sent to the islands; indeed in 1828, the Bryher gig Venus and St Mary’s gig Jolly were both confined to port for their habits. The gigs and their crews maintained their nobler, if less profitable, traditions of pilotage and rescue into the first half of the 20th century, but in a changing world of better navigation, and motorised lifeboats (the first arrived in Scilly in 1919), these roles gradually became obsolete.

For the Czar, however, there was to be one final hurrah – arguably her greatest rescue – in dense fog on the evening of 27

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© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

October 1927. The Czar – along with motor fishing boats Ivy and Sunbeam – raced from Bryher to the wreck of the steamship Isabo on Scilly Rock. On their arrival, the sea was thick with the Isabo’s cargo of grain, clogging the engines of the motor boats.

The Czar continued the rescue, assisted later in the evening by the St Mary’s lifeboat. In all, thirty lives were saved from the wreck in a rescue that would have been impossible with motor boats alone.

However, the inevitability of time marched on and, in 1938, St Agnes pilot Jack Hicks became the last Scillonian pilot to be put aboard a ship from a gig, bringing to an end centuries of tradition. Over the following decades many gigs were simply left to rot; some were even cut up and used as chicken sheds.

Almost all of the traditional Scillonian gigs were lost to woodworm and rot.

“Newquay Rowing Club took the few surviving Scillonian gigs to the mainland and restored them,” says Michelle Oyler, who rows in the Czar today.

“THE CZAR IS THE ONLY HISTORIC SCILLONIAN GIG IN USE TODAY THAT HAS REMAINED ON THE ISLANDS HER WHOLE LIFE. SHE’S ALSO PROBABLY THE MOST ORIGINAL; SHE’S HAD RESTORATION WORK OVER THE YEARS BUT THERE’S STILL A HUGE PART OF HER THAT IS THE ORIGINAL VICTORIAN GIG.” 36 | 2018 YEARBOOK

April 1910: The Czar passing Droppy Nose Point, Bryher, saving cattle from the wreck of the liner Minnehaha. The cattle’s heads are visible just above the waterline.

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Michelle is certainly an authority on the Czar ; she’s been rowing in her for four decades – not that you’d know it to look at her. Indeed, one of the Czar ladies’ favourite yarns is the time actress Alison Steadman, recording a television interview with the crew, commented that the girls were all “a similar age”. Cue giggles from the rest of the crew and calls of “we do have a grandmother in the gig!”

“THAT’S WHY WE ALL KEEP ROWING,” SAYS CREWMATE EMMA. “WE ALL WANT TO LOOK LIKE MICHELLE WHEN WE’RE 50!”

We’re sat in The New Inn, where Czar crews from years gone by gaze back at us from faded black-and-white photographs dotted with the names Pender, Pritchard and Bird.

I try to find an image that doesn’t contain at least one Jenkins. In 1964, the Czar won every race, her crew made up of no fewer than three generations of Jenkins: grandfather John, father Dennis and son Stuart.

A stunning pencil drawing of islander Bruce Christopher has pride of place on the inn wall. “It was Bruce that first got

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me into rowing,” recalls Michelle. “Back in the late ’70s rowing was a male-dominated sport, but everyone knew how to row; it was the only way to get around the islands. One day, around the Czar’s one hundredth birthday, Bruce said to me, ‘Right girl, time you were in a gig!’ I’ve been rowing ever since.”

Ironically, today it is the ladies’ crew that keeps the gig alive; the men’s and ladies’ novice crews row in Tresco and Bryher Rowing Club’s other gigs. The current ‘Czar girls’ consist of Tresco islanders Michelle and Heather, two Emmas (distinguished by the nicknames Emma Flowers and Emma Veg after their respective jobs in the Abbey Garden) and ‘honorary Czar girl’, coxswain Jon. Completing the crew – and continuing the 140year-old connection between the Czar and her home island – are Bryher residents Jo and Fran.

“ROWING IN THE CZAR MAKES ME FEEL ENORMOUSLY PROUD,” SAYS EMMA FLOWERS. “You look at these old crews and feel a part of history. Every time I get in the Czar, every time I even touch her, I feel proud. Just touching the thwarts, knowing how old she is; how many other people have rowed in her; the conditions they went out in; the lives they saved. We’re still carrying on the tradition – the races we take part in today have their roots firmly in the past.”

Emma Veg agrees: “I recall Steve Parkes saying to me once: ‘You’re part of the history of the Czar now, girl!’ That has always stuck in my mind. It’s just a massive privilege to row in her.”

With such a proud history to uphold, competition for a seat in the gig can be tough. The newest member of the Czar girls is New Zealander Heather, who earned her place in the crew after two seasons rowing in the ladies’ novice crew. So, is she looking forward to the challenge?

“I’m terrified,” she laughs. “I get butterflies just thinking about it, but I also can’t wait for my first season in the Czar.

There’s a lot of pressure, though; people look at the Czar and expect the crew rowing her to be good!”

For Heather, it will be in at the deep end; the crew’s first diary date for the year is the World Championships at the start of May. The first ‘champs’ took place in 1990, when a handful of Cornish crews travelled to Scilly and, over a pint or two in the pub, joked: “We should call this the World Championships!”

Nearly 30 years later, some 140 gigs, and more than 400 crews make their way to the islands each year, from as far afield as Bermuda, Holland and the USA. “It’s like the Grand National on the water,” says coxswain Jon. “The start line is over a mile long with 140 gigs all shouting and jostling for the best place on the line, you’re being blown around by the wind, buffeted by the waves. Then all of a sudden, you’re off. One hundred and forty gigs, each with six paddles, all starting at the same time. The sound is deafening, but you barely hear it because you’re concentrating so hard on what you’re doing – whether that’s rowing or trying to avoid colliding with other gigs.”

Ask anybody about gig championships and – after they’ve finished explaining why they were robbed of a better result –

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they will talk of the atmosphere.

“It’s unlike any other weekend on Scilly,” says Emma Veg. “The racing is sensational, but the atmosphere of the whole weekend is just amazing. You’re all there on the beach, all with a shared passion – you’re literally in the same boat! Everyone helps each other out; you might be fierce rivals on the water, but then you’ll help each other carry gigs up the beach. The competition gets left on the water – ” “ – Most of the time,” laughs Emma Flowers.

“Champs definitely broadens your horizons,” adds Jo, a Bryher girl born and bred. “You get to socialise with people who you simply wouldn’t meet otherwise, particularly living on a small island.

“That’s not just true of the World Championships, though; with our domestic races against the other islands, you all finish up at a pub on one island or another and the camaraderie – not just within crews but between crews – is really great.

“We must be pretty unique – rowing a race, celebrating in a pub on another island, then rowing home by moonlight. That’s the difference with rowing here on Scilly; it’s a social activity first and a sport second. It doesn’t mean we don’t take it seriously; it just means we have fun whilst doing it.”

It’s plain to see this is not just a crew; this is a family.

“ULTIMATELY, ROWING IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST WINNING – IT’S ABOUT CAMARADERIE,” SAYS COX JON. THE WHOLE CREW NODS. “We don’t just row together; we’re really close friends,” agrees Emma Flowers. “There are times when you’ve had a bad day and really don’t want to row, or you’re out in really bad weather, soaked to the skin and feeling distinctly out of your comfort zone, but often those can be the best times as a crew.

“When the crew truly bonds and is perfectly in sync there’s just this indescribable feeling, like a heartbeat, like the gig is alive. It feels like the Czar physically responds, like she lifts, like your spirit and hers sing out with the euphoria of it all. It’s the most indescribable feeling.”

Emma’s reflections remind me of a passage in JG Uren’s book: ‘With long, steady sweep, the boat seemed to bridge over the steepest seas, and propelled by six willing arms to walk the water like a thing of life. If kept head to wind and sea, she will ride like a duck, and shake herself free like a dolphin.’

“It’s the spirit of the Czar, I’m sure of it,” Emma continues.

“It’s like the camaraderie of the crew is a thread, running through the ages, somehow connecting us to those days when those brave men would have had to trust each other and the gig implicitly – in the most awful of weather – to save life and limb.”

“WHEN I HAVE ENOUGH BREATH LEFT AT THE END OF A RACE, I CALL OUT TO THE GIRLS ‘TAKE HER HOME’. TO ME, THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING: TAKING HER BACK TO HER ROOTS, GIVING HER LIFE ONCE MORE.”

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In 2018, the Czar girls will attempt to become the f irst female gig crew to row from Scilly to Penzance and back – nearly 100 miles in total.

The Czar girls will be raising money for Tresco and Bryher Rowing Club to help keep these beautiful pieces of Scillonian history alive.

The ladies will row non-stop to Penzance before rowing back to Scilly the nex t day.

The British Red Cross will also receive a share of the proceeds, helping people in crisis whoever and wherever they are.

The challenge will mark the 50th anniversary of the Czar’s first mainland row and celebrate her forthcoming 140th birthday.

To find out more, and to support the Czar girls in their challenge, visit TRESCOBRYHERGIGS.CO.UK Cheques can be made payable to TRESCO AND BRYHER ROWING CLUB and sent c/o THE ISLAND OFFICE, TRESCO, ISLES OF SCILLY, TR24 0QQ.

S E A G A R DEN C O T TAGE S S ea f ront lu x u r y We e k l y p e r c o t t a ge L OW FROM

MID FROM

HIGH FROM

£1, 8 9 0

£ 3 ,915

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T R E S C O.C O.U K

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Hell Bay Hotel is an award-winning hotel and restaurant on Bryher, the neighbouring island to Tresco. Owned by Tresco Estate, Hell Bay Hotel is the highest-rated hotel on the Isles of Scilly. Open daily for morning coffees, lunches and evening meals in the 3 rosette restaurant.

01720 422947 | hellbay.co.uk

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NEW FOR 2018, THE TRESCO WINE COLLECTION IS THE WAY TO GET YOUR PERFECT HOLIDAY WINE TO TRESCO. 44 | 2018 YEARBOOK

Jon from Scarlet Wines – our favourite west-Cornwall wine merchant – has pulled together a truly exceptional collection of wines, handpicked with Tresco in mind.

Jon and his team personally select the wines, which are delivered straight to your Tresco cottage, guaranteed to be ready for your arrival.

We’ll even pop the whites and rosés in the fridge, so all you need to do is turn up, crack open a bottle, and relax into your holiday.

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A IS L N D

A IS L N D

A IS L N D

White

RED

SUMMER

SELEC TION

SELEC TION

SELEC TION

When the sun is shining, what could be better than a chilled white? Mind you, this selection would taste great whatever the weather…

Superb reds to suit a summer sunset barbecue or a cosy winter’s evening in front of the log burner…

The pick of the bunch. This little set is perfect for any time of year but we think these crisp whites, refreshing rosés and rich reds just ooze summer on Tresco…

£45

£45

£60

TO TRESCO GUESTS

TO TRESCO GUESTS

TO TRESCO GUESTS

(usually £60)

(usually £60)

CA DI PONTI GRILLO Italy

MIR ABELLO PINOT GRIGIO Italy

VINA ZIELO GARNACHA Spain

PRIMORDIAL SOUP RED South Africa

PRIMORDIAL SOUP WHITE South Africa

VINA ZIELO MACCABEO Spain

CA DI PONTI NERO D’AVOLA Italy

CONDORITO MERLOT Chile

CONDORITO SAUVIGNON BLANC Chile

GOLDFIELDS CHARDONNAY Australia

GOLDFIELDS SHIR AZ Australia

TESORO DE LOS ANDES MALBEC BONARDA Argentina

(usually £75)

DOMAINE ROMAN GRIS DE GRIS Provence Rosé

LA VIELLE TOUR ROSE DE PROVENCE Rosé

LES GRANDS PRESBYTERES MUSCADET France

CLOUD FACTORY SAUVIGNON BLANC New Zealand

LE FOU PINOT NOIR France

BOUTINOT COTES DU RHONE LES COTEAUX France

NO COURIER CONCERNS. NO WARM WHITES. JUST THE PERFECT START TO YOUR HOLIDAY…

Simply place your order online now at TRESCO.CO.UK/WINE 2018 YEARBOOK | 45

JON K E AST Like all good ideas, Scarlet Wines began with a bottle of wine and a conviction things could be better…

“It literally began in my sitting room,” explains wine merchant Jon Keast. “I had a passion for wine, so friends and family would come to me for advice and I’d find them good wines. They kept coming back, and that’s where it all started.”

We’re sat by the roaring log burner at Scarlet Wines at The Old Forge in Lelant. Jon’s wine shop, delicatessen and restaurant is a charming, cosy haven, its shelves lined with gorgeous wines, artisan charcuterie and other locally sourced goodies. Just moments from the main road west to Penzance, you might come across the shop if you take a wrong turn heading for St Ives. If you do, it’s a wrong turn you’ll be taking over and over again.

Jon is quiet, considered and deeply knowledgeable about his specialist subject.

Tell him what style of wine you like and he listens intently, considers carefully, and introduces you to a real corker (pardon the pun). Jon is what every wine merchant should be – but rarely is.

“I just hate when wine merchants look down their nose at you,” says Jon. “Wine is all about discovery; it should be fun and exciting, not stuffy and pretentious.”

Our coffee arrives, and conversation turns to Tresco.

“I have so many happy memories of the island,” reminisces John. “My children learned to ride bikes there and the island holds a special place in my heart.

“The Tresco Collection actually came about many years later through Iona 46 | 2018 YEARBOOK

Sanders, who is a wonderful St Ives-based artist and also works here at Scarlet,” explains Jon. “Iona was on Tresco as artist in residence and got chatting to Kate from Tresco Stores. The rest is history.

“The whole thing has been really collaborative; it’s been great fun working with Kate. We knew we could work together to create something great; a collection made for people who love Tresco, by people who love Tresco.”

Curating the Tresco Collection has been a real indulgence for John, for whom wine is all about capturing a moment in time; part of the joyful celebration of life.

Everything in the Tresco Collection is there for a reason: some wines remind Jon of a particular place on Tresco; others are simply reminiscent of ‘that holiday feeling’.

“Take the Domaine Roman Gris de Gris for example,” Jon explains. “It’s the palest pink, fresh and impressively soft. Clean, refreshing and with delicate strawberry and cream notes, a single sip takes me right back to Farm Beach, looking across the channel towards Bryher.”

This palest of rosés is perfect with monkfish, crab, lobster, or – best of all – as a reward following a purposeful afternoon in the company of a shrimping net.

This is a truly unique wine collection, curated with Tresco in mind and which – just like the island – will have you coming back for more.

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R EL A X AND I N DU L GE Tresco Spa Treatments

ilã Ananda Face Therapy

60 mins | £85

Illuminating. Calming. Profound. Known as the blissful facial, this divine therapy restores natural luminance by increasing blood circulation and stimulating the free flow of energy to facial cells. Specialised techniques combine with powerful damascena rose otto and sandalwood oils to reduce inflammation, address hormonal imbalance and open the energy centres of the face: skin glows with radiance and a sense of peace pervades the body.

New for 2018: Indian Head Massage

40 mins | £55

This relaxing holistic treatment uses acupressure massage on the head, face, neck and shoulders to heal mind, body and soul.

New for 2018: Warm Bamboo FullBody Massage 75 minutes | £90 This therapy will leave you feeling relaxed, energised and with the sense that your muscles have been stretched, balanced and elongated with the use of gently warmed bamboo canes of different lengths and diameters. This therapy is wonderful if you like deep-tissue work.

ilã Kundalini Back Therapy

60 mins | £80

Soothing. Restorative. Profound. Ideal for emotionally exhausted souls, this nurturing treatment has an extraordinarily restorative effect on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Chakra and sound healing activate and channel the kundalini – the dormant energy at the base of the spine: tension is lifted, negativity is released, and the body is brought back to a state of awareness and balance. Individuals with stress, insomnia and exhaustion, as well as muscular back tension, will greatly benefit.

To view the full menu – or to chat through treatment options: Phone 01720 424075 Email thespa@tresco.co.uk Visit tresco.co.uk

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Going Green

“Surely we have a responsibility to care for our planet. The future of humanity – and indeed all life on earth – now depends on us.”

— Sir David Attenborough, Blue Planet II

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Anybody watching the closing moments of the BBC’s Blue Planet II cannot fail to have been moved by Sir David Attenborough’s closing words.

In the Tresco Times 2017 Yearbook, we expressed hope for the problem of plastic in the world’s oceans, with Tresco’s own eco-artist Emma Bagnall-Oakeley saying: “I think we’ve finally hit that tipping point where people have woken up to the problem of plastic pollution. When you get people like Sir David Attenborough talking about the issue, people really start to listen.”

We recognise that the Isles of Scilly is a unique landscape, enjoyed not just by us, but the foundation of an entire ecosystem.

That’s why we’ve been working hard to protect it for decades – but we’re not done.

Every year, we pledge to keep reviewing our practices to make sure we’re doing all we can to keep this little corner of our blue planet special. Below we’ve outlined our ten-step approach to doing our bit…

1 PLASTIC STRAWS SUCK Tresco is the first island on Scilly to be completely plastic-straw free in our restaurants and shop. It is thought 8.5 billion plastic straws are used in the UK every year. Each plastic straw may be used for just a few minutes, but will outlive all of us reading these words.

Since late 2017, our restaurants use only biodegradable straws.

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2 MAKING A MEAL OF IT All plates, glasses and cutlery used at our outdoor events, such as the Low Tide Event, are either reusable crockery from our restaurants or are biodegradable or recyclable. Extensive litter checks after all events ensure we leave only footprints.

3 WORKING TOGETHER We work closely with partner agencies across the Isles of Scilly and beyond to protect this unique place. Tresco Estate is one of the key funding partners in the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, actively supports the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, and works closely with the RSPB to protect and enhance more than 180 hectares of habitats on the island.

4 GETTING SMARTER Tresco Estate is one of the main partners in Smart Islands – a major programme that aims to help Scilly move towards a low-carbon future. The project is creating sustainable energy, water, sewage and waste solutions for the islands, which

will not only help create a better future for Scilly, but could also be used in other communities across the globe. We’re working with our partners, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, Duchy of Cornwall, Islands’ Partnership and Hitachi, to cut electricity bills by 40%, meet 40% of energy demands through renewables and see 40% of vehicles become low carbon or electric, all by 2025.

5 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE We’re encouraging the use of refillable water bottles, with five refill points across the island. Whether you’re staying with us or on a day trip, you’re welcome to pop into any of our restaurants, Tresco Stores or the Abbey Garden Café and refill your reusable water bottle for free.

6 SOMETHING IN STORE Tresco Stores has long been our island ecochampion. For over ten years they have been plastic-bag free, used biodegradable packaging in the deli and bought as much of their fruit and vegetables loose as possible. From 2018, plastic bottles will be phased out throughout Tresco Stores wherever possible. We’re even trialling good old-fashioned glass milk bottles!

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7 DRIVING TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE For many years now, we’ve been using electric vehicles on the island. We’re looking at all the options for electric vehicles and are active partners in the island-wide vehicle-to-grid charging project. Even Robert Dorrien-Smith is getting on board, with his new Birò (a 100% electric, zero-emission vehicle).

Of course, above all else we encourage cycling and walking as the best ways of getting around the island.

8 REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. REPEAT. For many years, Tresco has led the way in recycling on Scilly. We operate extensive waste separation and recycle everything we possibly can. Glass is crushed onisland and used as aggregate for building projects, whilst food waste is broken down in specially constructed concrete silos before being safely disposed of. During 2018, we’re investing in our facilities to make our recycling systems even better, with the separation of paper and cardboard. Waste and recycling is now compacted and shipped to the mainland for processing.

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9 POWERING AHEAD All of our new developments have at their core a commitment to minimising our use of fossil fuels. For example, the Sea Garden Cottages use air-source heat pumps to power water and underfloor heating, the indoor and outdoor pools on the island use heat exchangers to reduce energy consumption, and solar panels have been incorporated into The Flying Boat Bar & Bistro. Even our older, traditional cottages have had their insulation upgraded to minimise the environmental impact of heating them throughout the year.

10 TAKING PRIDE Our staff, islanders and visitors take pride in our island. Staff are encouraged to collect any litter that washes up on our beaches, and the whole island community is encouraged to take part in the annual Big Spring Clean beach clean.

You can do your bit by taking part in a #2MinuteBeachClean. Islander Emma Bagnall-Oakeley says: “If everyone takes just two minutes each day to clear away any rubbish they find on the beach, think what difference that would make. There’s a widely quoted statistic that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, but that prediction does not have to become a reality.”

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We know we’re not perfect; we know we can do more. Over the coming years, our pledge is to constantly review the steps we’re taking to protect our environment and, where possible, adopt new technologies and habits to help keep our little corner of this blue planet that bit more special.

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James Darling holds a MA in Photojournalism from Westminster, London. He now applies his reportage photography style to weddings, children’s photography and commercial commissions worldwide. www.jamesdarlingphotography.com info@jamesdarlingphotography.com +44(0)7799 674826

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THE NEW INN The hea r t of t he isla nd Ni g h tl y p e r p e r s o n L OW FROM

MID FROM

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£ 70

£10 5

£115

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( W I T H A P O LO G I E S TO J O H N M A S E F I E L D)

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I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky Thus begins a beautiful poem that I live my holiday by.

On Tresco’s shore our cottage sits, keeping watch across the bay, In the gentle breeze the water laps, just a stone’s throw away.

I’ve left my hectic life behind, 30 miles away across the sea, For a week of glorious restful peace In our house overlooking the quay.

I can feel my body slowing down To the pace of island life, The curlew’s call and the rippling sea Quickly quell the mainland strife.

The Bishop blinks brightly as I sleep, Its purposeful, watchful guard Protecting ships for centuries now From granite teeth cold and hard.

I leave the bedroom curtains open, The window casement unfastened too.

I peacefully sleep as the lighthouse beams And the whispering breeze drifts through.

Come morning we wake to nature’s sounds In our bed overlooking the ocean, For weary bodies and minds like ours, Tresco is simply the greatest potion.

Eating breakfast overlooking the harbour Where the flying boats once did moor, We take a moment to enjoy the peace, And breathe sea air, clear and pure.

We spend the day exploring the island, Discovering places old and new, And climbing over tumbling dunes,

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Toward the ocean sparkling blue.

We meander along marram-lined tracks, Past agapanthus waving blue and bold, The children play in Cromwell’s Castle, A soldiers’ game that never grows old.

As evening comes we stroll back home Along Tresco’s winding sandy lanes, But before we reach our beachfront home, An important job remains.

We head towards New Grimsby Quay To a Mecca for our hungry bellies: The Tuesday market with its island goodies, And fishermen in their yellow wellies.

Back at the cottage as the sun sets lower, And dips towards the rippling sea, We pour the wine, prep the fish, And light the barbecue ready for tea.

As we look out across the harbour The fisherman heads back to Bryher, His boat skips over the sparkling seas As our fish roasts over the fire.

Later the children play on the old boat slip, Crabbing with their new-found friends, As the curlews call and the glowing sun sets And our perfect first Tresco day ends.

Children’s voices echo across the bay, As they call and laugh with glee, From our patio seat we smile and sip wine, Overlooking the glimmering sea.

As we fix our eyes on the setting sun, We raise our glasses in a little toast, To good times together on our secret island, 30 miles from the Cornish coast.

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THE TEN TRESCO TIMES

1

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Six-year-old Tresco visitor Elouisa PrestonSparrow tries out the Tresco Ten – a treasure hunt devised by our reservationist Emma.

Pick up a sheet from the island office and see how many you can tick off during your holiday...

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MAKE SOMETHING FOR A FRIEND

"I made a hedgehog from pine cones by the treehouse"

WATCH THE SUNSET AND SUNRISE

WALK THE WHOLE OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE ISL AND

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"We watched t he sunri se over St Martin's and t he sun set over Bryher.

I loved it."

4

"There are some secret ones around The Ruin that don' t look like benches!"

COUNT ALL THE BENCHES ON TRESCO

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VISIT TRISTAN ’S TREEHOUSE

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TA K E A B O AT T R I P

7 5 10 8 9 DO A BEACH CLEAN

"We had so much fun here - including my daddy!"

"T he gig race wa s awesome"

"This really helps wildlife, but be careful picking things up"

GO TO TRESCO ABBEY

GARDEN AND FIND THE RAREST PLANT

"There were so many to choose from but we think we found it!"

FIND THE HIGHEST POINT ON TRESCO

"Jon t he gardener says t here are lots of rare plant s!"

VISIT CROMWELL’ S CASTLE

"I loved it here we pretended to use the cannon!"

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DISCOVER THE PERFECT PL ACE TO STAY

BY THE NIGHT OR BY THE W EEK. FROM T WO TO TEN PEOPLE. BOOK ONLINE NOW.

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LOBSTER TALES

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eeply territorial, possessing enough pressure in its limbs to break a man’s finger, and a creature that does not show signs of ageing. We’re not describing the Scillonian islander; we’re talking Homarus gammarus – the lobster.

Step into The Flying Boat Bar & Bistro this year and you will find a splendid selection of lobster dishes peppering Head Chef Jack’s new menu. From rich and creamy lobster mac and cheese to deliciously simple grilled lobster tails or a crisp and fresh lobster salad, Jack is determined to make the most of our delicious local fruits de mer.

“It seemed crazy,” says Jack. “Scilly has this incredible diversity of seafood and yet crab was the only thing really grabbing headlines. I wanted to change that.”

Cornish lad Jack arrived on Tresco in 2017, accompanied by partner Sophie and daughter Bella, having previously run his own restaurant in a small Cornish fishing village.

“I used to get lobster straight off the boats there, and wanted to do the same here,” says Jack. “It’s been great to be able to make The Flying Boat my own. Where better to be inspired to create a menu than on Tresco? We’re surrounded by an ocean teeming with lobsters, with local fishermen who literally walk along the harbour and hand over their catch at the end of the day.”

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The man responsible for this is fisherman MARK PENDER OF BRYHER’S ISLAND FISH. Each day, long before dawn, Mark boards his little fishing boat TRADEWINDS and heads out to the fishing grounds, returning later in the day to deliver the fruits of his labour.

Mark is the next in a long line of Scillonian fishermen of the PENDER CLAN. Centuries of Scillonian fishing heritage was formalised into Island Fish just a few years ago.

“My father still fishes every day,” says Mark. “I don’t know what he’d do if he didn’t… Drive mother mad probably.

Anyway, his father fished, and his father before him. There’s another generation following on behind us, too. Fishing isn’t a job; it’s a way of life.”

Every day Mark and Mike head out to their fishing grounds – anywhere from BISHOP ROCK to the far side of ST MARTIN’S – hauling pots to reveal the catch inside. Mark skippers TRADEWINDS whilst father Mike skippers the boat EMERALD DAWN that he built with his own hands 40 years ago. It is the Pender’s local knowledge that makes their lobsters something special. They know where to fish and when to land the very finest – and freshest – produce.

“You can now walk into your local bargain supermarket and pick up a lobster for a tenner,” frowns Mark. “The problem is they are usually American or Canadian so they’re not fresh at all, and it shows.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating; you can definitely tell a fresh lobster, which – of course – means a local lobster. A good way to tell is if the edge of the meat has taken on a little of the red of the cooked shell, but the rest should be bright white. By the time our lobsters hit your plate, they will only have been out of the water a matter of hours so they’re much sweeter and fuller.”

“Fresh, local lobster is the only way to go,” agrees chef Jack. “The difference is impossible to overstate. Lobster is best served simply, without too many distractions, but of course that means if your lobster isn’t fresh, there’s no hiding it.

“That’s why we only use Scillonian lobster. You can’t beat it, and it means we’re free to really let the meat be the star of the show. My favourite way to cook lobster is simply grilled; there’s not much that can match the contrast of the deliciously chewy, sweet meat against salty butter and tangy lemon.

“There are so many things we can

do with lobster though,” Jack says with a small but definite glint of excitement in his eyes. “Last year we did lobster samosas, which went down really well.

I’m really looking forward to getting some good classics on the menu, but also experimenting and seeing just what this amazing shellfish can do.

“People used to have two misconceptions about lobsters: that they were the preserve of the wealthy, and that all you could do with them was cover them in an overpoweringly cheesy thermidor sauce. I can’t wait to prove the old misconceptions wrong.”

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“Here on Scilly, the words ‘fresh’, ‘local’ and ‘sustainable’ are not new; they’re commonsense traditions.”

But does the new-found popularity of lobsters mean this species could become threatened?

“We only take what we need,” says fisherman Mark, who is Chair of the Isles of Scilly Fisherman’s Association.

“Sustainability is really important; you can’t just take away without putting back. We’ve learned from Scandinavia and the Mediterranean, where lobster stocks have completely collapsed.

“We operate to some of the strictest sustainability standards in the world. We notch the tails of egg-carrying females, which means they can’t legally be caught and landed for several years.

We also have the strictest landing size limits in the country – stricter than most of Europe, in fact. That means juvenile lobsters have plenty of time to reproduce.”

Island Fish is also the only business on Scilly to have signed up to the ‘buy one, release one’ scheme, meaning for every lobster order, they donate £1 to Padstow’s National Lobster Hatchery to rear and release a new lobster. Mark’s commitment to sustainability was one of the factors that led to him being named Shellfish Fisherman of the Year at the national Fishing News Awards in 2016.

“The words ‘fresh’, ‘local’ and ‘sustainable’ are real buzzwords these days,” says chef Jack. “What I love is that here on Scilly, they’re not new words; they’re old, commonsense traditions. Why would you ship in lacklustre imported shellfish when you have the finest lobster quite literally on your doorstep, once Mark has delivered? Why would you fish stocks to extinction when simple measures mean you can have a better-quality product, indefinitely?

“I see guests sitting down at their table, taking a pause from their grilled lobster, peering out through the window of The Flying Boat. Out of the corner of their eyes they see Mark in his little green punt and his yellow wellies and it dawns on them: this is the very essence, the very picture of Scilly.”

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SNAP UP A LOBSTER

Head to The Flying Boat Bar & Bistro, the place to discover Head Chef Jack’s succulent selection of lobster dishes, including rich and creamy lobster mac and cheese, fresh and crispy lobster salad or simply delicious grilled lobster with salty butter and tangy lemon.

Head to the Tresco Market at New Grimsby harbour every Tuesday afternoon (look out for the Pender family, usually distinguished by their yellow wellies!). If you miss the market, call them on +44 (0)1720 423880 and they’ll deliver to Tresco any day of the week.

Rumour has it the team at the Ruin can be persuaded to create a sumptuous lobster pizza by request.

The Tresco Times continues to visit the Ruin regularly to verify these claims. Do let us know if you have any success…

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GREEN PORTH, TRESCO, ISLES OF SCILLY 49° 57'31N 6° 19'54W

#MyTresco

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ALL IN THE M I N DF U L N E S S

TOM MATTHEWS discovers the power of being in the moment from Caspar Walsh, the man behind Tresco’s first Mindfulness Retreat…

I’m sat on one of Tresco’s white-sand beaches, where I’ve sat a hundred times before. My eyes are shielded against the glare of the sun shining on the water and the brilliant whiteness of the sand sparkling in the summer light.

I pick up a handful of soft, white sand, just warm to the touch, and gaze at the tiny specks captured in my palm.

I notice – for the first time – tiny silvery flecks among the darker grains: minute speckles of quartz or mica shining in the sun. I let the sand run slowly through my fingers, the tiny grains tickling my skin as they trickle from my palm.

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I may be sitting on a beach on Tresco, but not like I’ve ever sat before. This time, I am sitting mindfully.

Ask anybody about mindfulness and they will have heard about it. Everyone from politicians to top businessmen and Sir Paul McCartney are advocating the popular practice of ‘being in the moment.’ Big businesses are advocating mindfulness workshops for staff in their lunch breaks. Some, like Google – famed for their sleep pods and indoor slides – may not surprise you; others, like scientific GlaxoSmithKline and analytical KPMG, may raise an eyebrow.

But what exactly is mindfulness?

“One of the interesting things about mindfulness is that most of us already practise it; we just don’t know it.” I’m chatting to Caspar Walsh: a writer and journalist who is passionate about mindfulness and its life-enhancing effects. Caspar has been leading retreats for over ten years now, and will lead Tresco’s first Mindfulness Retreat in October 2018.

“If you’re sat there on a park bench on your lunch break and you find yourself really focusing on the movement of the wind in the trees or the paddling of a

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duck over the surface of a lake, that’s mindfulness. If everything else feels like it’s just falling away and, for a few blissful moments, you’re aware of little else, that’s being present, being in the moment.”

The power of mindfulness is in its universality.

“I think the modern world makes it very easy to lose ourselves in noise,” says Caspar. “Mindfulness is a very simple, common-sense remedy to that; an opportunity to connect back to that which we might have lost or forgotten.

That could simply be how to rest, or what it is to connect with the natural world.

It’s a way to quiet the noise of life and just slow down, even if just for a moment.”

Caspar is right. If we allow ourselves a moment of complete honesty, technology has fragmented our attention into smaller and smaller chunks. We answer emails from colleagues whilst watching the children’s rugby game. We order groceries to greet us at home whilst we’re still on holiday. We get lost in Twitter whilst watching that television programme we’ve been longing to see.

“Technology is a good thing,” Caspar continues, “but it has to be in moderation. On my retreats the first thing I do is invite people to turn off their devices. It’s very much an invitation; there is no zen master waving a stick – it’s a gentle invitation to a digital detox.

It’s simply posing that question to people: ‘How would it be if you switched off?’”

I ponder for a moment the last time I actually switched my phone off. Even on the short flight to Scilly I keep it switched on – in flight mode – in case I miss that perfect, Instagrammable photo opportunity. With the hustle and bustle of modern life, how can you really switchoff?

Caspar empathises.“I’m a physically active person, so sitting on a cushion for an hour with my eyes closed just felt contrived. When I discovered mindfulness, it clicked; I had discovered something that actually helped me deal with the stresses and anxieties going on in my life at the moment.”

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Like so many, Caspar found that his main anxieties were centred around two main areas: things that had just happened – had he just upset somebody, had he made a bad decision – and things that lay ahead – was his job secure, would he have enough money next month?

“Mindfulness allowed me to change and shift my focus of attention through simply being present and focusing on everything going on in that moment.

It didn’t mean any special equipment, an empty peaceful space, or hours of my time.

“Mindfulness can be as simple as being out walking, focusing on my footsteps and how it feels to walk. If I’m walking with someone, it’s making sure we’re not talking constantly, and that we have time to simply be and connect to the landscape around us. When I’m out and about I sit quite a lot. I might walk for half an hour and then sit and absorb the landscape. That’s how simple mindfulness can be.”

So if mindfulness is that simple, that natural, why are we not all walking around in some zen-like state? Caspar believes we’ve simply fallen out of the habit.

“In the modern world, there’s almost a competition about being busy,” he explains. “Being busy and stressed is an unconscious way of individuals striving to belong to a tribe; the tribe of busy.

If you’re not busy, you’re not part of the group, so who are you? It’s a way of connecting and belonging.

“It’s a hard thing to kick, for sure, and on my retreats I’m very careful to respect people’s lives. If you challenge people’s way of life too stridently then people may become defensive.

“The retreat is all about inviting people to find what works for them.

Everyone has different responsibilities, commitments and schedules, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about giving people a framework to explore and discover mindfulness for themselves.

“There’s a phrase I use myself, every day: ‘I do enough, I have enough, I am enough.’ It will be tools like that that people can take back and use in their

day-to-day lives. What I always find bizarre with other retreats is that people go on them, wind down, and then go straight back to everyday, manic life; straight back into the rat race. This retreat is about equipping people to find everyday ways to cope with that.

“We will have a number of short, simple meditation sessions peppered through the day, but much of the retreat will be about exploring the island, working with the island and the landscape as a way of reflecting where we are in our lives.”

Caspar’s retreats are all about finding inspiration and solace in the place we were born to be – the land and sea – so where better than Tresco?

“On a geographical level, because Tresco is so small you can experience a radically shifting landscape within two or three hours – from the low south end of the island with its beautiful white-sand beaches and the Abbey Garden, to the rugged north of the island.

“Tresco also offers a really good balance between real comfort and a true wildness on the doorstep. It’s somewhere you can nourish body and soul and truly look after yourself, which is what a retreat is all about. It was only when I actually left the islands that I felt the impact of the place.”

During the retreat, Caspar hopes to take the group to the wild and rugged north end of Bryher, where the next landfall after the craggy, weather-torn rocks is America.

“The schedule will be gentle,” says Caspar. “There will be an opportunity for deep rest; we’ll spend time together, time alone, and time exploring and connecting with the island, and with ourselves. A key theme of the retreat is how we return to a position of selfcompassion and gentleness; how do we treat ourselves kindly? One of the first steps is actually coming on the retreat in the first place – that is a massive act of kindness to yourself.

“The invitation to the retreat is, I suppose, more of a question,” Caspar concludes. “Why not do something truly kind and generous for yourself?”

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From 5-10 OCTOBER 2018, the Tresco Mindfulness Retreat is a chance for meditation, personal inquiry, exploration and restorative, reflective immersion in the stunning wilds of island life.

The break will include return flights, island transfers, five nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation and access to Tresco Island Spa. Prices start from £435 per person. Caspar will offer his teaching within the tradition of Dana, whereby you will be invited to contribute to the teaching cost based on the value of the retreat to you.

As a guide, previous retreatants have given between £30 and £150 per day, depending on their personal circumstances and the benefit of the retreat to them.

To find out more, visit TRESCO.CO.UK/MINDFULNESS

CASPAR WALSH is a writer and journalist who is passionate about mindfulness and its life-enhancing effects. He has founded two charities, including Write to Freedom, which sees Caspar work with young men involved in the criminal justice system and those with a background of addiction to create positive change in their lives.

On his retreats, Caspar uses similar themes of nature connection, creative writing and mindfulness to promote positive change.

Caspar’s new book, The Mindful Man, explores the opportunities mindfulness offers for emotional development and spiritual resilience, throwing aside traditional polarised views of masculinity.

Alongside frank anecdotes and a gentle wisdom, he guides the reader towards meaningful connections, consciousness and community.

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‘Another day in paradise’ is not a sign one usually sees in an office window – unless hung there with a heavy sense of irony.

In the window of ANNA PARKES’ office, however, it makes sense. From her window upstairs in Gallery Tresco, Anna looks out across New Grimsby harbour as pretty punts bob on the waves and the early-spring sun glimmers on the water.

A N N A PA R K E S R E F L E C T S O N 4 0 Y E A R S O N T R E SCO I sit here and think: ‘This is my life.’ I’m very fortunate, and it was only by chance that I ended up here…

It was 1978 – the year of Danny and Sandy and the winter of discontent, which seems appropriate to where this story begins. I was a bank teller in Scotland at the time. I would go in each day, do my hours, go home, then try and think up an excuse not to go in the next day. My friend Caroline and I just had that feeling that ‘there must be more to life’.

Every Friday night, all the tellers would head across the road for a few drinks, and one night we were talking about how frustrated we were with life.

One of the other tellers, who was a little older, just said “Go, live life!” Of course,

the more drinks we had, the more prompting there was and the more appealing the idea became!

The next morning, Caroline and I met up and said “Well, are we going to do this?” We went to the Post Office and bought those little paper passports you had in those days, along with backpacks, sleeping bags, bed rolls – the whole lot.

On the Sunday, we tore around saying goodbye to those that needed it, who, needless to say, were all completely horrified with our plan – or lack of it.

On the Monday morning, we rushed up to the bank and put these little notes through the door saying that we wouldn’t be coming to work any more. It was only about six weeks later that we heard the

impact this had had. The bank – sure that we’d done a runner, probably with a significant chunk of their cash – had called in auditors from Glasgow to check the safes and interview our colleagues!

We hitchhiked south, finally ending up in France where a lack of visas scuppered any idea of landing jobs.

It was a real blow to our dream of a hedonistic lifestyle in sunny France, but then I recalled a story I had been told by a friend a few years previously.

We headed to Newquay in Cornwall.

A friend had been there a few years previously and had told me there were lots of lovely boys, and lots of great jobs.

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plenty of lovely tanned surfers, seemingly half of Scotland had cottoned on and migrated south, taking all the summer jobs.

The locals actually resented us quite a bit, so we hitched a ride to Penzance, which seemed the next logical place to go.

We walked into the Job Centre, and as we walked through the door, the lady was just putting cards in the window advertising jobs at the Island Hotel. “Where’s that?” we asked, to be told: “Tresco”. “Where’s that?” we asked. “The Isles of Scilly,” came the reply. Our silence and vacant expressions must have belied our lack of local knowledge, and the islands were pointed out to us on a map!

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in hand, the next step of our adventure about to begin.

We hadn’t even heard of Tresco, so had no idea what to expect. When the island came into view through the helicopter window, we marvelled at this amazing little cluster of islands getting closer and closer. I’m sure everyone can recall the first time they saw the islands and many, like me, will recall seeing the turquoise water and white sand for the first time.

We were met by John Pyatt, the Island Hotel porter, who drove us up to the hotel that was to become our new home. I can still remember so clearly coming around the outside of the Abbey Garden and seeing Cordyline trees, whooshing past

Appletree and seeing the white sand, and just turning to Caroline and saying: “We’ve just landed in paradise!”

It transpired that these views made me a hopeless chambermaid. One of the rooms I cleaned – room two – overlooked the eastern isles; it’s the same view that captivates people from the Sea Garden Cottages today. I would stand there with a duster polishing the same spot for minutes on end, lost in the view.

Of course, then I’d hear the footsteps of the housekeeper so I’d have to start running about, looking like I’d been busy! Ironically, that housekeeper would, one day, become my mother-in-law.

A couple of weeks after arriving on Tresco there was a disco in the reading room.

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1 Another day in paradise.

2 Our wedding reception at the Island Hotel, with the Czar crew’s guard of honour.

3 Family fun on Samson with Sasha and Jamie.

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I was just standing there and this handsome young gamekeeper came up to me and asked me to dance. It was some years later that I discovered this move – totally uncharacteristic for Steve – had been prompted by a young garden student at the time by the name of Mike Nelhams.

Steve and I just kind of clicked; it sounds silly, but we even seemed to dance the same way! That meant something to me because I had been to many discos at home in Scotland and there just always seemed to be lots of chaps with two right feet, clomping about treading on your toes. Steve and I just seemed to be in sync. That was it: from then on, we were just a couple and spent the most idyllic summer together.

There was one night in particular that remains imprinted on my memory, even four decades later. Steve was in this little band on Tresco, which used to get together and jam at The New Inn. This one night, after they’d been playing, Steve was walking me home in the moonlight, and he just started singing ‘The Boxer’ by Simon and Garfunkel. I can still remember the beautiful dark velvet sky, the moon, those pinpricks of stars that you

only really see on Scilly, the light shining on the water at Old Grimsby, and Steve walking along, playing and singing to me.

It wasn’t about wooing me or showing off; Steve is quite a shy person. It was just completely organic and just started off as this little strum, then the chorus – ‘lie la lie…’ – and then he was actually singing. I didn’t want to breathe, didn’t want to break the spell. Forty years on, I can still hear our footsteps, see the moonlight striking the water, hear the music in my mind.

By 1981, we were married. Our daughter Sasha came along in 1989, followed by our son Jamie in 1991. I was a stay-at-home Mum and loved it, but one day there was a children’s fancy-dress party at the Reading Room. Lucy Dorrien-Smith was there with Tristan and Marina, and asked me when Jamie was going to school, which would have been in the following few months. There and then, Lucy asked me if I wanted a job at Gallery Tresco!

At first, I was worried – I had no art degree, no art experience, and certainly no knowledge of how to run a gallery, but she reassured me that I could learn on the job as a gallery assistant.

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Fortunately, Lucy was absolutely right; I worked with some great people and really did learn everything I needed to know.

Most of our artists are Cornish artists who come over in the winter for a residency, which is a fantastic opportunity to get to know them, connect with them and learn about their art.

Now here I am, 21 years later, at the age of 60, still in the Gallery and still loving every minute of it. I’ve had the gallery stairs measured for a Stannah stairlift; they’re not getting me out of here without a fight!

Day to day, my job is not only to curate the gallery; it also involves the entire Tresco art collection – all the art across the island, from The New Inn to the cottages to the Spa and Hell Bay Hotel.

Many of our guests don’t realise that much of the art they see all around them is original and is available for sale. People develop great emotional attachments to art over their time on Tresco – often a piece of art over the mantelpiece or above the bed in their cottage – and we want to make it accessible to people. The Tresco art collection is huge, but it isn’t the value of the paintings that is important; it is what they say and mean to people.

I recently celebrated my 60th birthday, and was very fortunate to be able to choose a cottage to stay in. I chose Nautilus – one of the most beautiful Sea Garden Cottages – but not for the reason many people would expect. The sea views, sense of space and beautiful light in the cottage are incredible, but I chose Nautilus for one reason: a piece of art.

There is a painting by Hugo Grenville that hangs in the master bedroom of Nautilus – A Brightening Sky – that used to hang above the Island Hotel bar and depicts the view across Old Grimsby. Its beauty is in its palette and textures; it just completely encapsulates what this young chambermaid saw when she came here four decades ago. It reflects absolutely why I fell in love with the place: the golden light on the water, a handful of boats sitting on the calm surface, a few people stood on the quay crabbing, Blockhouse overlooking the whole scene.

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That painting immediately takes me back four decades to my first days on Tresco, and that is the power – the magic – of art. I see it all the time in the gallery: someone will come in and buy something – from a paperweight to a painting – something that will remind them of this magical place when they’re away.

Perhaps they work in a stressful city job, but they pick up that paperweight or look at that painting and immediately they’re transported back to Tresco.

I think the island offers a sort of mindfulness to people when they’re here on holiday. They step outside their normal life to a world where there are no traffic jams, just miles of white-sand beaches and open farmland to explore.

So many people you speak to have a rock or a beach on Tresco that they go and sit on, just for a few minutes, and allow themselves to completely relax. Through art, that thread can run through their lives; they can pull that thread tighter, bring that Tresco moment closer to them, whenever they need it.

I am very fortunate in that I feel that my life – as it was supposed to be – really started when I came to Tresco. I truly am living the dream, as far as I’m concerned.

Every day – come rain or shine, cold or hot – I take a swim in the sea. It’s one thing that really helps me connect to the place, but also it has enormous health benefits (once you’re over the initial shock!). First thing each morning, I jump on my bike and head down to Appletree or Pentle or Old Grimsby and take to the water. By the time I get out – which can be anything from a few minutes to well over an hour – I feel I’ve conquered the world – and it’s perhaps only 7am.

When I come out I have an incredible feeling of well-being – an afterglow, a feeling of having completely connected with nature. As a little girl, I was asked by my primary teacher what I wanted to be when I grew up; I wanted to be a seahorse.

Perhaps there’s something in that!

Last year, I got in the water at New Grimsby and swam all the way around to Old Grimsby. I didn’t set out with the intention of going that far, but as I got to Carn Near I thought, ‘Well, it’s not much

further to Pentle.’ When I reached there, I just kept pushing on for Old Grimsby.

This year – my 60th year – I have set myself the challenge of swimming all the way around Tresco. It’s going to be a real challenge, but one of my mantras in life is ‘seize the day’. I’m a fit, healthy 60-year-old, and I know I can do it. Who knows what will happen next year? You have to do the things that are important to you today – much as I did 40 years ago.

Sometimes I have to take my own advice, mind you. Steve and I are pretty much workaholics, because we both do jobs that we love. If we go for a walk on Tresco, Steve will spot a tree that needs work, or if we go for lunch out I’ll spot a piece of art that’s in the wrong place.

Every so often, we have to consciously force ourselves off this beautiful little island and do something different.

A perfect day for me is getting up and finding that it is that sort of beautiful, calm, warm, sunny day on Scilly when you want to just jump in a boat and go and land on an uninhabited island with a picnic – and that’s what we do.

Steve will pootle off to the shop and pick up supplies, I’ll prepare a picnic, and then we’ll hop in the boat. It’s only once we’re on the water that we’ll decide where to go. Sometimes plans change at the last minute if someone else is already on the island we had planned to visit. I always remember Steve telling me many years ago that there’s an unwritten rule: if someone is already on a beach on one of the uninhabited islands, you go elsewhere, because they’ve come there to find some space and time to themselves. Besides, we’re spoilt for choice on Scilly!

We’ll land on some white-sand beach and just sit there for the whole day. We’ll eat our picnic, have a beer, I’ll go for a swim (Steve will go for a paddle and tell me it’s cold!). We’ll just sit and talk about life. We never talk about work; we talk about our family, of a holiday that’s coming up. More often than not, we’ll just talk about how lucky we are to live in this utterly amazing place; to be so happy with our lot; to be living just another day in paradise.

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HUGO GR EN VILLE – A BRIGHTENING SKY That painting immediately takes me back four decades to my first days on Tresco, and that is the power – the magic – of art.

A N N A PA R K E S

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EXHIBITIONS 2018 All are welcome to join our evening artists’ reception events on the opening night of each show, from 6-8PM at GALLERY TRESCO, NEW GRIMSBY. The artists’ reception for the Falmouth Drawing Show will take place at lunchtime, from 12.30-3.30PM. EASTER SHOW

MAY SHOW

SATURDAY 31 MARCH

SATURDAY 19 MAY

WEDNESDAY 4 JULY

Nicola Hancox, Ian Shearman, Gary Long, Amanda Hoskin, Jon Evison, Geoffrey Bickley

Sophie Harding, Tom Holland, Teresa Pemberton, Wendy McBride, Richard Guy, Rob Braybrooks, Will Shakspeare

Paul Lewin, Lizzie Black, Iona Sanders

SATURDAY 14 JULY

TUESDAY 24 JULY

SATURDAY 4 AUGUST

Ellen Watson, Jenny Ulyatt, Rosemary Trestini

Maggie O’Brien, Marie Mills, Stuart Kettle

Neil Pinkett, Ramie Leahy, Flynn O’Reilly

TUESDAY 14 AUGUST

FRIDAY 24 AUGUST

THURSDAY 18 OCTOBER

Tom Rickman, Imogen Bone, Melanie Max

John Bampfield, Alasdair Urquhart, Nicky Walker

Falmouth Drawing show

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Ellen’s work will be exhibited at Gallery Tresco’s Summer Show II on Saturday 14 July 2018, alongside work from Jenny Ulyatt and Rosemary Trestini.

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Trying to put my experiences of Tresco into words is proving frustrating. How can I describe the seas, coves, craggy islets and rugged uplands that are at the heart of my work, without trailing off into hackneyed clichés?

Not that my first visit to the island began all that auspiciously. I was wretchedly ill on arrival, having sailed over with my husband and children on a small yacht. We eventually moored up in New Grimsby Sound and, after a 12-hour sleep, awoke to clear weather and gentle seas.

The boys, then ten and 11, took off in the rubber dinghy. We swam and marvelled at the clear water and white beaches. I can remember wading through the translucent sea onto the beach, looking down at my sandy feet, the mica glittering and twinkling.

It was one of those holidays that was truly amazing; everything new to be discovered, the walks on Bryher and Tresco, being alone on Samson with only the oystercatchers skimming alongside.

Being a painter, my job is to carry that wealth of things seen – and above all felt – back to my workroom, there to be sifted and translated into paint. The process is always uneven, the challenge is to direct the work but allow random unconsciousness to be present as well.

Apart from the mental attitude, the layers of paint must develop at a workable rate. I apply many layers, and if I rush ahead too quickly the result is an unmanageable puddle with the consistency of single cream.

Sometime later, a picture may begin to appear. The emergent element in my way of working is sometimes stronger than the actual laying on of paint. Only when I feel that the painting is reflecting back some emotion and is saying something do I decide that it may be finished.

Despite my inauspicious first visit, I have decided that it is only by sailing to the islands in a low boat that you are seeing Scilly for what it is: a small cluster of rocks in a watery wilderness, with acres of sky above. For a painter, that is heaven.

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Chartered Insurance Brokers Who, like Tresco, are truly unique • Bespoke, tailor made, insurance solutions • Personal and independent advice • Understanding of your individual needs • Protect what you care about most

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Contact our Private Clients Manager on: privateclients@wpsinsurance.co.uk 01752 675483 | 424656 www.wpsinsurance.co.uk

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An impressive Georgian building with spacious double rooms and extensive sea views, Chapel House draws together classic style and contemporary comfort.

Chapel House —Penzance

Winner of The Sunday Times Ultimate 100 British Hotels: B&B — ‘This six bedroom B&B in Penzance is like walking into an Elle Deco cover story: its airy Georgian architecture and antiques are complemented by Ercol furniture and bespoke modern beds.’

— Sunday TimeS

chapelhousepz.co.uk

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TRESCO DISCOVER ISLANDSHARE – YOUR CHANCE TO OWN A PIECE OF THIS VERY SPECIAL PRIVATE ISLAND…

“SOMETIMES, YOU FEEL SUCH A SPECIAL CONNECTION TO A PLACE THAT SIMPLY BEING A ‘VISITOR’ IS NOT ENOUGH. OVER FOUR DECADES AGO WE FIRST DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT OF ALLOWING THOSE WHO LOVE TRESCO TO BECOME MORE THAN JUST GUESTS. WE CALL THIS OFFERING ‘ISLANDSHARE’.”

MARCUS MUNT Islandshare

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Since its inception, more than 3,500 families have become owners of their very own week in their favourite cottage on Tresco. Whether it is the unbeatable views from a Flying Boat Club cottage, the unparalleled luxury of a Sea Garden Cottage, or the peace, seclusion and charm of a traditional cottage, whatever makes your stay on Tresco special is what makes your Islandshare your own. Our cottages sleep from two to ten people, and with weeks available throughout the season, you can come at the time of year that suits you.

Islandshare is not simply an investment in a cottage; it is access to over 800 acres of private island paradise. As an Islandshare

2018 YEARBOOK

owner you will benefit from use of all the island leisure facilities, complimentary entry to the world-famous Tresco Abbey Garden and access to one of the most beautifully located golf courses in the country on St Mary’s.

Our Islandshare owners make a commitment to our island community – and in return we pledge to protect, preserve and enhance this island for them and their family, now and in the future. This promise is made by the Dorrien-Smith family; stewards of this island for nearly two centuries, who remain at the helm to this day.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ISLANDSHARE, DO CONTACT MYSELF OR MY COLLEAGUE DEAN WHILLIS ON +44 (0)1720 424111, OR EMAIL ISLANDSHARE@TRESCO.CO.UK FOR AN INFORMAL CHAT.

R ARELY AVAILABLE SUMMER HOLIDAY WEEKS HAVE NOW BEEN RELEASED, MEANING THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO SECURE A SCHOOL HOLIDAY WEEK AND MAKE LASTING FAMILY MEMORIES HERE ON TRESCO.

More often than not, Islandshares are passed down from one generation to the next; your very own piece of this unique place. Tresco is a haven for young and old, where generations can be reunited in a holiday spirit many believe long forgotten.

To quote Julian Allason from the Financial Times: ‘What, I wondered, would one pay to rediscover the golden summers of our childhood – of white

sands, blue skies and shallow waters in which to paddle and mess about in boats?

If only one could find such a place, ideally near home. Now, we have discovered a place so close to our ideal as to have united three generations in delight.’

Highlighted below are these rarely available summer weeks. Do act quickly, as summer weeks will prove exceedingly popular.

FRI CHANGEOVER

SAT CHANGEOVER

TUES CHANGEOVER

THURS CHANGEOVER

Garland (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 29 13 Jul 2018 £125,000

Gem (FBC) sleeps 6/8 Week 35 25 Aug 2018 £125,000

Doctors Cottage sleeps 4 Week 29 17 Jul 2018 £50,000

Glen sleeps 6 Week 29 13 Jul 2018

Bay House sleeps 6 Week 29 16 Jul 2018 £70,000

Pebble (SG) sleeps 2/4 Week 29 17 Jul 2018 £50,000 Week 34 21 Aug 2018 £50,000

Cliff Cottage sleeps 6 Week 30 26 July 2018 £100,000 Week 31 02 Aug 2018 £100,000 Week 32 09 Aug 2018 £100,000

£75,000

Seaflower (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 29 13 Jul 2018 £125,000 Week 30 20 Jul 2018 £125,000 Week 31 27 Jul 2018 £125,000

Flotsam (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 35 27 Aug 2018 £140,000 North End sleeps 6 Week 29 16 Jul 2018 £75,000 Sophie (FBC) sleeps 6/8 Week 32 06 Aug 2018 £125,000

Teal sleeps 4 Week 29 17 Jul 2018

£36,000

Pegasus (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 31 01 Aug 2018 £125,000 Week 32 08 Aug 2018 £125,000 Week 34 22 Aug 2018 £125,000

Colossus (FBC) sleeps 8/10 Week 34 23 Aug 2018 £152,000 Friendship (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 29 19 Jul 2018 £125,000 Week 32 09 Aug 2018 £125,000 Other weeks available overleaf

SG Sea Garden Cottage FBC Flying Boat Cottage Tresco Spa membership is included in all Islandshare weeks 2018 YEARBOOK | 91

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40 YEAR MON CHANGEOVER

WED CHANGEOVER

Barn Flat sleeps 6 Week 13 26 Mar 2018 £11,955 Week 24 11 Jun 2018 £25,500

Coastguards sleeps 8 Week 37 12 Sep 2018 £44,925

Curlew sleeps 6 Week 18 30 Apr 2018 £16,163 Week 19 07 May 2018 £18,394 Week 35 27 Aug 2018 £54,000 Farmhouse sleeps 10 Week 17 23 Apr 2018 £30,210 Week 21 21 May 2018 £41,100 Flotsam (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 12 19 Mar 2018 £18,510 Week 19 07 May 2018 £36,025 Week 23 04 Jun 2018 £43,080 North End sleeps 6 Week 38 17 Sep 2018

£35,500

Reading Room sleeps 6 Week 18 30 Apr 2018 £18,500 Snipe sleeps 2 Week 36 03 Sep 2018 £22,500

FRI CHANGEOVER Abalone (SG) sleeps 8/10 Week 19 04 May 2018 £36,525 Week 23 01 Jun 2018 £43,580 Week 37 07 Sep 2018 £60,120 Week 38 14 Sep 2018 £53,080 Garland (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 21 18 May 2018 £41,100 Week 28 06 Jul 2018 £91,500 Glen sleeps 6 Week 38 14 Sep 2018 Week 39 21 Sep 2018

£35,500 £27,000

Heron sleeps 6 Week 18 27 Apr 2018 Week 26 22 Jun 2018

£16,163 £25,725

Porth sleeps 6 Week 14 30 Mar 2018 £18,300 Rowesfield sleeps 6 Week 21 18 May 2018 £28,700 Week 43 19 Oct 2018 £21,900 Sandpiper sleeps 6 Week 14 30 Mar 2018 £14,080 Week 18 27 Apr 2018 £16,163

Seaflower (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 28 06 Jul 2018 £91,500

Sophie (FBC) sleeps 6/8 Week 21 21 May 2018 £41,100 Week 22 28 May 2018 £45,000

TUES CHANGEOVER

Coral (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 20 16 May 2018 £40,405 Endeavour (FBC) sleeps 8/9 Week 36 05 Sep 2018 £73,515 Gadwall sleeps 4 Week 26 27 Jun 2018

£17,150

Nurses sleeps 5 Week 21 23 May 2018 £21,900 Pearl (SG) sleeps 4/6 Week 26 27 Jun 2018 £30,455 Week 27 04 Jul 2018 £35,945 Week 36 05 Sep 2018 £51,245 Pegasus (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 14 04 Apr 2018 £26,740 Week 22 30 May 2018 £41,100 Week 24 13 Jun 2018 £41,100 Seapink (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 15 11 Apr 2018 £31,645 Week 23 06 Jun 2018 £43,080 Week 24 13 Jun 2018 £43,080 Week 36 05 Sep 2018 £73,015 Thatch sleeps 6 Week 28 11 Jul 2018 £43,000

Seaspray sleeps 6 Week 18 27 Apr 2018

£22,030

Smugglers sleeps 6 Week 29 13 Jul 2018

Beach sleeps 4 Week 13 27 Mar 2018 £9,713

THURS CHANGEOVER

£78,000

Doctors Cottage sleeps 4 Week 37 11 Sep 2018 £25,100

Cliff Cottage sleeps 6 Week 16 19 Apr 2018 £18,500

Fearless (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 16 17 Apr 2018 £30,210 Week 22 29 May 2018 £41,100

Colossus (FBC) sleeps 8/10 Week 19 10 May 2018 £36,525 Week 25 21 Jun 2018 £48,055

Green sleeps 6 Week 23 05 Jun 2018

Friendship (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 28 12 Jul 2018 £90,000

SAT CHANGEOVER Gem (FBC) sleeps 6/8 Week 21 19 May 2018 £41,100 Week 28 07 Jul 2018 £91,500 School House sleeps 8 Week 23 02 Jun 2018 £38,000 Starfish (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 15 07 Apr 2018 £31,645 Week 16 14 Apr 2018 £31,645 Week 17 21 Apr 2018 £31,645 Week 24 09 Jun 2018 £43,080 Week 25 16 Jun 2018 £47,555 Week 38 15 Sep 2018 £52,580 Week 39 22 Sep 2018 £40,405 Sunbeam (FBC) sleeps 6/8 Week 24 09 Jun 2018 £41,100 Week 25 16 Jun 2018 £45,360

£25,500

Pebble (SG) sleeps 2/4 Week 35 28 Aug 2018 £50,000

Mincarlo sleeps 8 Week 37 13 Sep 2018 £40,175

Seagrass (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 37 11 Sep 2018 £59,620

Ocean View sleeps 8/10 Week 41 11 Oct 2018 £32,975

Sunfish (SG) sleeps 8/10 Week 21 22 May 2018 £50,000

Rockpool (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 16 19 Apr 2018 £31,645 Week 27 05 Jul 2018 £50,345 Week 37 13 Sep 2018 £59,620

Teal sleeps 4 Week 16 17 Apr 2018

£10,775

Wigeon sleeps 6 Week 21 22 May 2018 £21,900 Week 36 04 Sep 2018 £42,750 Week 37 11 Sep 2018 £30,506

Sail Loft sleeps 8 Week 13 29 Mar 2018 £15,525 Shoreline sleeps 6 Week 40 04 Oct 2018 £26,650

SG Sea Garden Cottage FBC Flying Boat Cottage Tresco Spa membership is included in all Islandshare weeks 92 | 2018 YEARBOOK

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RE-SALES FRI CHANGEOVER Glen sleeps 6 Week 20 11 May 2018 Week 36 31 Aug 2018

£12,150 15yrs £7,330 4yrs

Heron sleeps 6 Week 28 06 Jul 2018 Week 38 14 Sep 2018

£27,667 20yrs £17,850 21yrs

Pentle sleeps 8 Week 20 11 May 2018

£13,752

15yrs

Porth sleeps 6 Week 16 13 Apr 2018 Week 17 20 Apr 2018 Week 18 27 Apr 2018 Week 19 04 May 2018 Week 25 15 Jun 2018 Week 39 21 Sep 2018 Week 41 05 Oct 2018 Week 42 12 Oct 2018 Week 43 19 Oct 2018

£14,985 £14,985 £14,985 £17,265 £15,075 £19,550 £15,640 £15,640 £15,640

23yrs 23yrs 23yrs 23yrs 18yrs 23yrs 23yrs 23yrs 23yrs

Rowesfield sleeps 6 Week 12 16 Mar 2018 Week 19 04 May 2018 Week 41 05 Oct 2018

£5,300 15yrs £10,811 15yrs £9,310 17yrs

Sandpiper sleeps 6 Week 25 15 Jun 2018 Week 33 10 Aug 2018

£12,113 19yrs £33,250 19yrs

Seaflower (FBC) sleeps 6 Week 37 07 Sep 2018 Week 38 14 Sep 2018

£54,500 38yrs £32,595 26yrs

SAT CHANGEOVER

MON CHANGEOVER Farmhouse sleeps 10 Week 20 14 May 2018 Week 38 17 Sep 2018 Week 39 24 Sep 2018

WED CHANGEOVER £18,182 15yrs £25,334 19yrs £18,182 15yrs

Ivy Cottage sleeps 4/5 Week 33 13 Aug 2018 Week 38 17 Sep 2018 Week 39 24 Sep 2018

£50,000 40yrs £10,089 15yrs £10,162 20yrs

Flora (FBC) sleeps 6/8 Week 23 04 Jun 2018 Week 24 11 Jun 2018

£33,450 35yrs £33,450 35yrs

North End sleeps 6 Week 27 02 Jul 2018

£36,769 37yrs

TUES CHANGEOVER Beach sleeps 4 Week 12 20 Mar 2018

£8,499

Coastguards sleeps 8 Week 24 13 Jun 2018

£24,700 26yrs

Dolphin Cottage sleeps 6 Week 37 12 Sep 2018

£13,727

15yrs

Nurses sleeps 5 Week 25 20 Jun 2018

£19,125

25yrs

Old Mill sleeps 8/10 Week 37 12 Sep 2018 Week 40 03 Oct 2018

£20,216 15yrs £15,611 19yrs

THURS CHANGEOVER

Ocean View sleeps 8/10 Week 40 04 Oct 2018

£23,000 16yrs

Shoreline sleeps 6 Week 18 03 May 2018

£32,000 38yrs

36yrs

Gem (FBC) sleeps 6/8 Week 14 31 Mar 2018

£8,690 13yrs

Green sleeps 6 Week 37 11 Sep 2018

£10,636 11yrs

School House sleeps 8 Week 40 29 Sep 2018

£14,391 18yrs

Merrick sleeps 8 Week 42 16 Oct 2018

£17,680 26yrs

Norrard sleeps 8 Week 24 12 Jun 2018 Week 25 19 Jun 2018 Week 26 26 Jun 2018 Week 27 03 Jul 2018 Week 37 11 Sep 2018

£27,867 £27,867 £27,867 £20,000 £20,170

Sandy Lane sleeps 6 Week 17 24 Apr 2018

£21,500 25yrs

Seagrass (SG) sleeps 6/8 Week 12 20 Mar 2018 Week 15 10 Apr 2018 Week 20 15 May 2018 Week 41 09 Oct 2018

£17,122 £26,110 £26,265 £29,228

Wigeon sleeps 6 Week 27 03 Jul 2018

£24,999 32yrs

TRESCO ISLAND IS AN RCI GOLD CROWN RESORT

22yrs 22yrs 22yrs 15yrs 16yrs

37yrs 33yrs 26yrs 36yrs

Please contact the Islandshare office on +44 (0)1720 424111 or email islandshare@tresco.co.uk for further details.

These weeks will be sold as a short-term Islandshare on a remainder-of-lease basis and include Tresco Spa membership.

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TR AVELLING TO TRESCO

STAYING ON ROUTE

Tresco may feel like a world apart but is just 28 MILES off the Cornish coast, easily accessible by both SEA and AIR. If you have any questions about your travel, do give our Island Office team a call.

Breaking up your journey can make for a far more relaxing start to your holiday.

Tresco RECOMMENDS these great places to stay.

By helicopter

Eat Drink Sleep

From 2019, subject to planning consent from Cornwall Council, helicopter services will be reinstated from Penzance direct to Tresco and St Mary’s. For more information, visit penzanceheliport.co.uk

Restaurants with rooms at The Gurnard’s Head between St Ives and St Just or The Old Coastguard in Mousehole. oldcoastguardhotel.co.uk gurnardshead.co.uk

By plane

By boat

Skybus flies to the neighbouring island of St Mary’s from Land’s End and Newquay all year round, and Exeter from March to October. On arrival on St Mary’s, you will be met by a Tresco representative who will accompany you to one of our boats and assist you on the final leg of your journey.

Alternatively, from March to November you can opt to take the two-and-a-half -hour ferry crossing to St Mary’s from Penzance.

From St Mary’s quay, it’s only a short boat journey to Tresco, where you will be met and taken to your accommodation.

Travel can be booked direct with Isles of Scilly Travel (islesofscilly-travel.co.uk or +44 (0)1736 334220).

To benefit from Tresco’s comprehensive island transfer service, please be sure to contact the Island Office with your travel details on +44 (0)1720 422849 or contactus@tresco.co.uk.

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Chapel House Best B&B in the Sunday Times’ ‘Ultimate 100 British Hotels’, this newcomer to Penzance has beautiful interiors and wonderful sea views. chapelhousepz.co.uk

Number 38 Award-winning townhouse accommodation in a recently converted Georgian merchant’s house in Bristol. number38clifton.com

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THINGS TO DO THE ABBEY GARDEN

FISHING

A unique, world-famous horticultural gem.

Enjoy the extraordinary diversity of plants from across the globe growing side by side in this perennial Kew without the glass.

Tresco Boat Services also arranges offshore fishing adventures (see Boating for contact details).

BOATING Tresco Boat Services visits other islands daily as well as offering trips to see birds and seals. Private charters and fishing trips are also available. For further details call +44 (0)1720 423373. Island Sea Safaris on St Mary’s offers ‘Shipwreck, Seals and Seabirds’ wildlife RIB excursions and private charters.

For further details please call Mark or Susie on +44 (0)1720 422732. Boat hire is available from Bennett Boatyard – call Dan on +44 (0)1720 422205. For long-term boatshare, call Scillonia Boatshare +44 (0)1720 422702.

GOLF There’s a nine-hole, eighteen-tee golf course on St Mary’s.

Call +44(0)1720 424075.

SAILING/WINDSURFING/ CANOEING/PADDLEBOARDING These are all available at the Sailing Centre at Old Grimsby. Call +44 (0)1720 424919 or +44 (0)1720 422060 for details.

GALLERY TRESCO Gallery Tresco is open throughout the season, with regular artists’ reception nights open to all. The exhibition calendar is on page 78.

There are indoor pools at the Spa and Sea Gardens, available to members, and three heated outdoor pools on the island.

HISTORIC MONUMENTS Two forts (the Old Blockhouse and King Charles’s Castle) were built in Tudor times to defend the harbours at Old and New Grimsby from French and Spanish invaders. The remains can be seen today.

In the 1650s, Cromwell’s Castle – a tall cylindrical building with a lower gun platform – was built and still dominates the channel between Tresco and Bryher.

BIRDWATCHING The island is a magnet for birdwatchers.

Tresco has three bird hides and two freshwater pools. Special spring and autumn tours are available with professional ornithologist David Rosair.

CYCLING

WELL-BEING

HORSE RIDING

The best way to enjoy Tresco is on two wheels. Bikes for all ages are available for hire next door to Tresco Stores.

For more information about spa treatments and yoga please call +44 (0)1720 424075.

St Mary’s Riding Centre caters for a range of abilities. They also offer trips on a horse-drawn carriage. Please call +44 (0)1720 423855 for more details.

TENNIS There are two all-weather courts near The Flying Boat and another at the Sea Garden Cottages. Pop into the Spa to book and for racquets and balls.

DIVING Isles of Scilly Diving School on St Martin’s organises diving and snorkelling excursions. Call +44 (0)1720 422848 for more information.

There’s a fully equipped gym at the Spa and the Sea Garden Cottages.

There is a network of footpaths criss-crossing Tresco. One option is to follow the coastal path along to Cromwell’s 17th-century castle on the island’s north-west promontory (built to guard the anchorage between Bryher and Tresco). A short hike up the hill behind leads you to King Charles’s Castle with fabulous views of the islands.

Don’t miss GIG ROWING The islands’ gig crews race throughout the summer from May to September. Men race on Friday nights and ladies on Wednesdays, and there are regular spectators’ boats to catch the action.

Check boat boards for details.

TALK TO AN ISLANDER Why not give the Island Office a call on +44 (0)1720 422849? You’ll talk to an islander who knows what’s what.

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BEAUTY AND ISOLATION

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Island size: 366 acres Population: 72

Images courtesy of Islands’ Partnership

cilly’s westerly outcrop, joined by a sandbar to the neighbouring island of Gugh (population: three). A wild little island with stunning coves and barren heathland.

Home to Wingletang Down, St Warna’s Well and Periglis.

– Cross the sandbar and discover the Old Man of Gugh.

– Hunt for shipwrecked beads in Beady Pool.

– Enjoy an ice cream at Troytown Farm.

– Enjoy a pint and the view at The Turk’s Head.

Images courtesy of Rob Lee

AN ISLAND OF CONTRASTS

Island size: 327 acres Population: 81

rugged yet deeply beautiful island of contrasts. Whilst Atlantic rollers crash on the western coast, turquoise waters lap white sands on the east.

Home to Hell Bay, Droppy Nose Point and Popplestones.

– Explore at your own pace in a hire boat from Bennett Boatyard.

– Discover Scillonian tattie cake at Bryher Shop or fudge at Veronica Farm.

– Climb the five hills of Bryher.

– Watch artist Richard Pearce at work in his beachfront studio.

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THE HUB OF SCILLONIAN LIFE

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Island size: 1554 acres Population: 1666

Images courtesy of Islands’ Partnership

he largest island in the archipelago. Take a look around the shops, galleries and eateries of Hugh Town, or explore beautiful countryside and the Civil Warera Garrison. Home to Giant’s Castle, Innisidgen and Maypole.

– Take a horse ride along the beach.

– Discover Scilly’s history at the museum.

– Explore the Wildlife Trust Nature Trails.

– Hire a kayak at Porthmellon or scramble across to Toll’s Island.

PREVAILING CALM

Island size: 568 acres Population: 140

Images courtesy of Islands’ Partnership

asily spotted by its redand-white daymark, St Martin’s is home to many small industries including flower farming, a silver workshop and a bakery.

Home to Tinkler’s Hill, Wine Cove and Brandy Point.

– Beachcomb for cowrie shells.

– Earn your stripes on a hike to the daymark.

– Grab a handmade pasty from the island bakery.

– Snorkel with seals on a once-in a-lifetime experience.

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CONNECT WITH SCILLY The Isles of Scilly are the first place summer arrives in England and the last place it leaves. Just 28 miles off the Cornish coast, the five islands offer a welcome sanctuary from stress with crystal clear seas, long sandy beaches and an opportunity to live the island life.

Travel Isles of Scilly

Travel Isles of Scilly

Discover more at islesofscilly-travel.co.uk or call 01736 334220 #connectscilly

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IS LE S O F SCI LLY

IS LE S O F SCI LLY

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Bryher Lunches & Dinners Drinks & Cakes Tel: 01720 422222

TEA ROOM • ST. MARTIN’S For delicious homebaked cakes, lunches, cream teas and Moomaid ice cream, join us in our conservatory, plantsman’s garden or Scillonian glasshouse. Licensed.

Open Sunday to Friday April to September

01720 422046 www.polreath.com

CYCLING The best way to enjoy Tresco is on two wheels.

01720 422849

TR ESCO STOR ES From everyday essentials to the gourmet, we have you covered.

01720 422806

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TALK TO

AN ISLANDER

The Island Office, Tresco, Isles of Scilly TR24 0QQ tresco.co.uk +44 (0)1720 422849 contactus@tresco.co.uk

We all live on Tresco, so we can help with any aspect of your holiday planning. Get in touch to let us help plan your perfect escape to Tresco.

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Check live availability, book online and see our offers and breaks at TRESCO.CO.UK

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TRESCO POSTAL ADDRESS:

TRESCO

Sailing Centre (St Mary’s): 422060

The Island Office Tresco The Isles of Scilly TR24 0QQ

Abbey Garden Café: 424108

St Mary’s Boatmen: 423999

Abbey Garden Office: 424105 mikenelhams@tresco.co.uk

St Mary’s Harbourmaster: 422768

contactus@tresco.co.uk Tresco Telephone Directory Dialling code: 01720 If calling from outside the UK, use the international dialling code +44 and remove first 0 from local dialling code.

Island Office: 422849 This is the number to call to enquire about availability or to book accommodation on the island.

Cottages Manager: 424106 (24hr emergency line) Flying Boat Restaurant: 424068 Gallery Tresco: 424925 Harbourmaster: 07778 601237 Hell Bay Hotel (on Bryher): 422947 contactus@hellbay.co.uk

St Mary’s Horse Riding Centre: 423855 Scillonia Boatshare: 422702 Skybus St Mary’s: 422905 Steamship Quay: 424230 Taxi (St Mary’s): 422555/422635/422260 Tourist Information on St Mary’s: 422536

Islandshare: 424111 islandshare@tresco.co.uk

MAINLAND

The New Inn: 423006

National Rail Enquiries: 03457 484950

Post Office (at the Stores & Delicatessen): 424113

Skybus Land’s End: 01736 787017

The Ruin Beach Café: 424849 Sailing Centre (Tresco): 424919 (July & August) Tresco Boat Services: 423373 Tresco Spa: 424075 Tresco Stores & Delicatessen: 422806

Steamship Freight Bookings: 01736 334249 Steamship Travel Centre: 08457 105555 Steamship Warehouse: 01736 334236

EMERGENCY Fire/Police/Ambulance/Coastguard: Call 999 in an emergency

SCILLY Bennett Boat Hire: 422205 Bryher Marine Engineering: 423047 Dentist: 422694 Doctor: 422628 Hospital: 422392 Isles of Scilly Diving School: 422848 Isles of Scilly Golf Club: 422692 Isles of Scilly Steamship Company: 424222 Island Sea Safaris : 422732 Island Supply: 422388 Island Fish: 423880

T R E S C O.C O.U K

Police: 08452 777444/422444

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KEY 1 King Charles’s Castle 2 Cromwell’s Castle 3 The Sea Garden Cottages The Ruin Beach Café Sailing School 4 St Nicholas’ Church 5 The New Inn Gallery Tresco 6 Bird Hides 7 Blockhouse 8 Monument 9 Tresco Abbey and Garden 10 Valhalla Collection 11 Tresco Stores and Delicatessen Post Office Bike Hire The Island Office Flying Boat Cottages, Bar and Spa 12 New Grimsby Quay 13 Old Grimsby Quay 14 Carn Near Quay 102 | 2018 YEARBOOK

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CLIFTON | BRISTOL

Adam and Michael Dorrien Smith invite you to visit their award winning Bristol Townhouse.

Rates from £135 for two people bed and breakfast.

www.number38clifton.com 01179 466 905

Certificate of Excellence

2018

Good Hotel Guide 2018 Editor’s Choice

TO MAKE A BOOKING +44 (0)1720 422849 contactus@tresco.co.uk T R E S C O.C O.U K