I sailed to St Helena with my whole family (6 of us) from Cape Town in early 1982, aboard the Long John Silver, a 50-foot aluminium schooner we built ourselves. That was our first ocean crossing voyage. First day out was foggy and calm, motoring through the offshore fishing fleets (most Russian and Chinese), second day we ran into a rapidly strengthening gale from the south that turned into a hoolie of a storm that lasted more than a week. The seas were mountainous, some taller than our masts, and navigating by traditional methods (sextant with sun, moon and star charts) was difficult with densely overcast skies and extreme rolling motion with only fleeting glimpses of a lumpy horizon! Eight days out we were in the vicinity but could not locate the island, and would not have been able to make landfall in those conditions. We headed for Walvis Bay, and made landfall there after another 5 days. After 2 weeks at WB resting and making minor repairs, including a memorable visit into the Namib Desert, we were ready to set sail again. This time we had beautiful steady tradewinds and had no difficulty navigating. At dawn on the seventh day about 100 miles to go, as expected, we sighted the peaks of the island showing above the horizon. What a spectacular sight it was sailing in round those great cliffs at the north end of the island, and a relief and excitement to finally set anchor in fifty feet of crystal clear water in James Bay. Went ashore next morning to clear the port authority and started making acquaintances with the welcoming and friendly islanders. Such lovely people made lovely memories, exploring the spectacular island, learning some of its history and current circumstances… Memories of St Helena- jumping from the boat to the dock off the top of those south Atlantic swells… the fishing for tuna and all sorts of other fish, impossible to starve in such a place!… the quaint historic settlement of Jamestown, nestled in its steep valley, the 699 steps of Jacob’s ladder, the old charabang tour of the island… great barren lava cliffs teeming with sea birds, the green interior, tree ferns, coffee and flax… Longwood House, the ancient tortoises at the governor’s residence… a special night out at the Jamestown disco, the incongruity of watching Saturday Night Fever at the drive-in cinema at the old fort atop Ladder Hill… blissful days falling in love in paradise… We stayed 6 weeks, exploring all around the island. I wished it could have been longer, but we had to move on. We set sail for Archipelago di Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) with a seventh crew member, my St Helenian girlfriend, Gail. Wonderful memories of youthful days to be sure, my life was richer for knowing her, and that’s another story.
I sailed there over 30 times from Cape Town as a yacht delivery captain and knew many of the locals.Such a wonderful life experience.I loved the local food especially the famous fish cakes and every time I moved on I would take a batch with me.Sad to think the ship will no longer operate.
Being a sailor for 26 years, i can feel her emotions. I miss the sea. But i need to change course, to be with my family. St. Helena is an island of dreams. Love this documentary.
The anticipation and isolation of Saint Helena Island come alive in this documentary. The resilience of its residents, many descended from exiles like Napoleon, is inspiring. Thanks to the documentary for revealing the unique world at the end of the Atlantic.
At the age of 10 ( 1958 ) on our way from Cape Town to Southampton the boat stopped and anchored at St Helena . My 2 older brothers and me went ashore with a smaller boat. We climbed the 699 steps and visited Napoleons residents ( prison ) and stood in the room he died. Before the stop at St Helena the boat made a stop at “Ascension Island” and after St Helena the Canary islands “ las Palmas . Great memories !
A rare memory… that rugged volcanic edifice jutting out of the ocean, going ashore at Jamestown, Jacob’s ladder, Longwood House, etc. The boat from Cape Town would stop at St Helena first (about 1200 miles from Cape Town), then Ascension about 500 miles North of St Helena, then Islas Canarias, and on to Southampton.
My father was a captain. We have traveled from Istanbul to Cape Town a lot. We visited more than 20 countries and my favorite city was Sao Paulo and Miami. I used to accompany my father on his journey. When he was 13, he went on a trip to the island of St Helena and I wanted to go with him. We had the opportunity to tour the island. It was wonderful to see the house where Napoleon spent his last years. I was in heaven for a week.
The RMS St. Helena. I feel something watching this documentary, mixed in with a certain degree of sadness. The last ever ship built in Aberdeen Scotland, after a long history of shipbuilding there. There is a fair portion of my soul, blood and sweat imbued into the very fabric of that ship. We were aware that this boat was most likely the end shipbuilding in Aberdeen. Hall Russell's (the yard had been privatised and had been renamed, but was still HR at its heart) was the last yard there to succumb to the fashion of de-industrialisation of major heavy industries in the UK and beyond, something that needn't have, nor should have happened. The ship was supposed to have been launched by Sarah Ferguson but for whatever reasons her husband, Prince Andrew launched it instead. I remember looking down at the top of his head. On Launch day, the folks that you see going down the slipway on a ship are not there for a "jolly" but have to go below into the darkness as soon as it hits the water, armed with torches and a large spanner to check all spaces, tanks etc below the water line for leaks and if necessary take the appropriate actions to stop any flooding should anything be discovered. Everything was checked prelaunch, but..........there is always a but......it would not the first time a new ship has been found taking on water. It was all clear. Anyway. It was good to see the ship still working and in good order even though it is now no longer serving in this role. I have good, if somewhat nostalgic, memories attached to being heavily involved in fabricating the steelwork of this ship, there were not so many of us left by the time this was being built.
Fuzzie, It looks like some International electric race car group has bought the ship and will be used to transport what they are calling Formula E, as in electric, to the various racing areas.
@Fuzzie Thanks for sharing your story of the building of the ship. A fascinating insight. It never occurred to me till now that the men on board during launching had an important job to do. I live by the sea and enjoy watching shipping. But behind every ship that passes are countless untold stories like yours.
Wow! St Helena has changed dramatically since HMS Minerva anchored off Jamestown in 1970. Napoleon's house was largely empty of furniture, certainly not the grand tourist attraction it is now. The biggest surprise to me for such a small island was the contrast between a dry and barren edge and a constantly wet interior - it was the constant damp that leeched the arsenic from the green wallpaper (standard at the time) into the atmosphere that killed Napoleon. At the time the currency was the old British £SD - pounds shillings and pence, and the sailors used to scatter pennies for the urchins to scramble after. At one time my photo of Jamestown from the sea was the only picture of Jamestown on Wikipedia, but replaced with better ones a long time ago. A lovely island, and I treasure my memories of it. I hope it remains as unspoilt as it was 52 years ago.
Arsenic is not volatile in air or water, therefore, the only way Napolean could have been poisoned by arsenical wallpaper (if indeed it was) would be by licking the walls.
And you should have heard the Boers were sent to St Helena (amongst other places) during the British War on the Boers (1899-1902), a war which has not ended because the British never honored the Peace treaty of Vereeniging, and Boers are still persecuted and murdered (kill the Boer) by the British today for their land, which the world think is the illegal British colony of Sick Africa, because there are resources.
@lana lake Seth could be right though. How come for so many years her husband worked on the Island / ship she never ones visited. Is her husband that boring not to ever take her on tour ? Some of us are too smart to believe these things.
My father's great grandfather ( Afrikaner Boer) was held captive on a small boat, by the British and while departing from Cape town to board a ship to St Helena, he jumped overboard and swim back to shore. He received a few medals for bravery still in possession of our family. ( His surname was Scholtz) When the camera zoomed in on the gravestones you can see the Viljoen surname on the grave. The same surname of my husband who is also an Afrikaner Boer.
I visited during Christmas in 1995! Had the absolute time of my life! I worked on Ascension and had many Saints working for me. A wonderful people in their own right. Hello St. Helena, Johnny and Whiskey and Bridigette, and Neville's family! Thank you forever for Jeffery and Sharon's wedding! And God Bless you May Murcury and hello to you Jason and Danny and Keddil, Dilly and Len,....... I remember you all fondly!
I am checking this replies to see if any of your friends Johnny, Bridget, Whiskey etc have responded ☺️☺️. I hope they do. Is there internet access on the island?!
Privileged to have visited the island on the then RMS St Helena in 1982 and an honour to have met the crew of professionals who served her and us on our way South. Slainte.
Privileged to have visited the island on the then RMS St Helena in 1982 and an honour to have met the crew of professionals who served her and us on our way South. Slainte.
I had the privilege of sailing as 3rd mate on the St Helena on her maiden voyage to the island, I was lucky enough to stay on the island whilst she sailed off to Cape Town and had the opportunity to meet many people there who made so welcome, it really is a magical place with the friendliest of people I have ever met on my world travels. I hope one day to return and find the many kind people I was once honoured to call my friends.
Been on this beautiful Island a few times while working for Silversea Cruises,,we sail from Rio de Janiero, to Asencion island, St. Helenas, Walvis Bay and finally to Capetown.
That was very, very interesting as an old sailor my self it brings back fond memories of the sea but i travel the Mediterranean after WW2 and thank you DW Documentary.
Spend half a year there and enjoyed being the only tourist. Guess I hiked down all the amazing fisherman's paths into the lonely bays. A dream come true. Never saw such a bedazzling night sky again.
I visited there for a couple of weeks in 2019. Some of the most friendly people as a whole that I have ever been around. Two weeks of hiking, hanging out with the locals and watching cricket at the The Standard pub in Jamestown. Great time.
Interesting to listen to St helenans & people from Tristan da cuhna. They present an accent that comes accross as a missing link between old British, American & southern hemisphere accents. Fascinating
Never ceases to amaze and amuse me that those of us in the Southern Hemisphere who speak English have ALL flattened the vowels. I was mistaken for an Australian frequently when I lived in England for a while. I’m from Cape Town.
Yes the accent, I hear American / South African / British . It’s like some words are pronounced in uk accent and the “r” rolls like USA and flattened vowels mix . Fascinating
It's so rewarding to find these little gems of DW, just waiting for me to discover them. A fascinating program about a fascinating place, which I may never have the opportunity to visit, if it weren't for DW's programing. I'd of course heard about St. Helena, and Bonaparte's banishment to it, but wasn't certain just "where" it was. Well, there you are, mystery solved. He started on an island, and he ended up on one. Thanks DW.
Island life,I miss the island I grew up on,it was a simple life, but every day was amazing,I wish these people all the best,would love to visit one day.
@@haydendunlap8143 True very true, but captain Young didn't expect it. Also, it looks like a lot of Saints are obese, as well, like the meteorologist at the met office near the airport.
I live in Southern England and my sons friends mum comes from St Helena. I was honoured to meet someone from St Helena! She moved to England as a teenager.
My mother lived there off and on for some 10 years. She often complained that you had to leave the island by law and after a period of time apply to return.
We left part of our hearts 'on island' in 2016 when we visited - cannot wait to return at some stage. God bless all you Saints over there and around the world.
ST Helena Island once had a Shortwave radio station called Radio St Helena that made special broadcasts on the shortwave band from their island once every 2 years or so around Nov 7 back in 2006 i made a phone call to the island from Florida (cost a whopping $40 for ten minutes)_ and the announcer asked if i wanted to go live on the air so i said YES and I had a minidisc recorder connected to my shortwave radio to record the broadcast through the static i later heard my phone call and it was a really special day that day, LAter on I got an Email confirmation of my call and they later sent me a station sticker and s postcard signed by the station broadcast engineer confirming my reception . Unfortunately a few years later they decided to shut down and dismantle the station sadly it is now only a memory. Thanks to the people of St. Helena for making this possible I hope one day Shortwave radio may return to the air from there or I can make a visit to your island! Cheers ! George Clement KF4ZKU Keystone Heights Florida.
I love these type of films that take you away to a far off place. Thank you. I wish I was still young and able to do adventures like this. Such a shame a titan of history like Napoleon was relegated to spend his last years castaway on such a bleak and remote island.
DW is excellent as usual.Helena is beautiful , brooding and mysterious.Apart from its most famous historical resident it's the resting place of so many other souls ,many who had to involuntarly settle down here. It's a chilling thought really to consider that once you landed here there was no going back in the old days.
@Reinier Jacobus of course Elba was his first exile destination, but since it was not very far from the mainland in the Mediterranean, he was able to round up a force and go at it again and then was defeated at Waterloo. His final forced exile on Saint Helena was impossible for him to escape from. He lived for about 6 years and then it was said he died of stomach cancer, but the age-old question still remains, was he poisoned with arsenic? The 200 year old argument was reignited several years ago when his hair analysis from a sample that was from the Paris Museum indicates a strong concentration of arsenic.
I would have liked for the video to explore more of the Island, particularly if there any other developed areas other than the built up area around the Port of Jamestown. Are there housing areas in other parts of the Island and what is the local road infrastructure like? If people wanted to emigrate or at least visit long term, are there accommodations for rent/lease? What is the feasibility of new home construction if someone wanted to move to the Island permanently?
A very good video, thank you. I found the accent interesting too. I thought some of them sounded somewhat like people who have lived on Islands off New Zealand and Australia, such as Norfolk Island [descendants of 'Mutiny on the Bounty' type folk], who even today retain some of their quaint expressions from years gone bye.
Absolutely fascinating. Makes the northern hemisphere "civilization" seem like another world. The documentary presented by several young Women is very informative. I detect a definite St.Helena accent, a blend of British & South African; definitely not 'American' style, and quite refreshing. Long live St.Helena and its straightforward residents! Thank you so much.
@@frankroso2278 watch Sailing SV Delos episode 155 called "Hey Babe you wanna go for a ride?!?! Sailing Vessel Delos" about 5 minutes in it shows the airport. At the time that was shot no airplane landed there yet but now there have been a few since. great vid to watch
@@dopeytripod I follow Delos adventures too and completely forgot about this ! i had to start at ep.150 to have a lead up to it but it was still great to watch again! Thanks for the info!
Becca Minkin Hmmm sad part...but atlest the mountains and the vast valley and awesome view is just a few steps away. I feel like I could escape anytime.
When I was a boy from 1943 to 1954 (just before Hurricane Carol hit), we went to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard for the summer. Part of the fun of going was the ferry ride. It was the time machine that made the transition from 'something to do every minute' city life to 'nothing much to do' island life. Swimming and diving off the second bridge, fishing off the jetty, crabbing under the first bridge, biking over the entire island, boating (in the harbor only), chasing the fire engines and meeting the ferry were the daily events. On the island was a man who had grown up on St. Helena as the son of a whaling ship captain. His stories of the island, the staircase to the top of the island, the ships coming and going and his own going to sea at sixteen as a cabin boy on a whaling ship were documented in his book "Sails and Whales" by Harry Allen Chippendale. In his retirement years after his years as a Merchant Marine captain, he owned the 'pay beach' as we called it, where for a dime, you had a sandy beach, dressing rooms and a snack bar to spend the days swimming and diving off the private pier. The required one hour rest after lunch was spent listening to Captain Harry's stories of his youth and his St. Helena island. When Hurricane Carol struck the island, everything changed. The Pay Beach disappeared, literally, wiped clean off the map by the storm. The Steamship Authority pier disappeared as well, as did most of the waterfront piers and yachts. The yachts ended up impaled on those pier pilings. The island charm is still there; the summer venues, the gingerbread houses, the main street walk after dinner, the steamship pier is smaller now and so is the ship (diesel powered), the "Flying Horses" merry-go-round, the Island theater. It would be a nice place to retire. I'm not ready, yet. I love the internet travel to all the 'bucket list' places I wanted to go, but couldn't afford to in my adult life. I can go to St. Helena by boat, traveling in a way that makes the transition to island life gradually, with the sea air and the ship movement lulling me into the island pace of life, one more time.
@@bhekinyoni2775 yes you are wrong. I've landed at many airports without a need for a fly-by first, as do most pilots, otherwise there would be way too many planes flying around airports.
@@bhekinyoni2775 well, maybe I did, but the principles of coming in to land are the same each time, so really there isn’t a need to do a fly by. Airstrips are designed to certain standards and anyway, when I land at a airstrip I haven’t been to before, it’s still new to me, but I just use the principles I have learned to land there. If it becomes hazardous, then there are procedures to follow.
if you're an introvert person, this kind of island is like heaven. the relative peace and quiet and just minding your own business. I'll love to live or retire in such places. It'll be a great place for a getaway or holiday.
@@prolefeed9371I don't agree, I am an introvert & have lived in both very rural small villages & London. I'm actually from London, but I much prefer rural life. As an introvert I hate the crowds & finding nowhere free of people to relax. Whereas bumping into a friendly local isn't so bad.
The RMS St Helena has now been decommissioned and will no longer be running a service to St Helena, the island bid farewell to her on Friday, 9 February 2018, she set sail on her final voyage to Cape Town on Saturday, 10 February having served the island for 27 years. Apparently the only way to travel there is by owning your own vessel or taking a flight there which leaves South Africa and stops in Namibia for refuel.
A freight ship, M/V Helena, handles all freight to the island (some express mail is transported by air). It sails from Cape Town to Saint Helena and Ascension Island, from the beginning of 2018. It uses a wharf at Ruperts Bay which was built to assist the airport construction.
The British government invested far more than 3 million pounds to develop and construct the airport, according to Wikipedia it has cost in excess of 285 million pounds. The first commercial landing of the 737 didn't attempt and fail 2 times before finally landing, it is typical to make a couple of approaches before finally landing when flying into a new airport like this one. The first practice approach to the airport was with gear up, the second was a gear down practice approach and on the third they landed quite normally. Nicely done, I enjoyed watching.. Thanks!
The winds are in fact a problem and say what you like there's a reason why only limited flights are allowed. It's so severe that only a few pilots are certified to fly there and its under a lot of restrictions.
This is so weird watching. I travelled on the RMS At Helena when I was 7 years old in 1997. The boat seemed so big to me at the time. I still have my certificate for blowing the horn. We used the trip as a way to return to the UK having lived in Botswana for 7 years. We did the full journey from Cape Town to Cardiff. It is now parked in just off Weymouth and Portland. Funnily enough that is where my parents have retired to now.
A nice way to see how an island is able to pull in many different types of people socially and professionally. It gives them an all round service throughout the entire year.
That is one island that I would have loved to visit, but the closest I got was Ascension and the Falkland Islands, Tristan-de-Cuna would have been on my list as well. This documentary shows just how you can live and work happily in such a remote location and be happy as well.
I was fortunate enough to live on Tresco for a few years. A 2x4 mile island which is part of the Scilly isles, off the coast of Cornwall. Island life is special . As a South African, I've always been fascinated by St. Helena and also Tristan. It's surely two places I'd love to visit.
Tresco once was indeed a very special place. After so many changes, nowadays Tresco is effectively an exclusive resort for high-net-worths that happens to have a stunning sub-tropical garden for less fortunate daytrippers who once might have afforded the island's accommodation.
Visited in the mid 60's and was hugely impressed with the warmth of the locals. Quite often the conversation was centered on a visit by the Queens visit some years earlier.
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Saint Helena airport ended up becoming exceptionally safe and has already saved the lives of malformed babies and patients who needed more advanced treatment on the continent. I hope this radio host bit his tongue, long live aviation.
NO WAY....... I never imagined it'd be worth a look for an island so incredibly far out in the Atlantic...!!! This is a superb stumble-upon gem. Replete with the accounts of former inhabitants on this very page :) The water depth out there must be a few miles (?). It's not always about the depth but the distance to shore that matters, but what a spot to live on when the hurricanes hurl across from the western African coastline. Excellent video, much thanks for sharing it.
Thankyou for sharing this wonderful Doco. Really enjoyed hearing the feeling the residents have snout their home and their connectedness to each other. Long may your peace last. Hopefully the airport will bring tourists and supplies in a managed way. Thankyou again
can't agree more! Also the narrator's voice is soothing, I am fascinated by this island now, I hope it won't be disturbed, don't understand why building an airport when most of the inhabitants don't want it.
My grandparents were born here and moved to the uk around 1950 ish. I hope to travel there in the near future and discover a part of my family heritage
I was very privileged to visit ST Helena island with it's rich history. The maiden trip by MSC made it possible for us from Namibia. They forget to mentioned about the nice coffee that are grown locally. Most of their fresh produce and groceries are comming from Sout Africa. The island is worth visiting
Hi @Yazuri Azurdia, The documentary is also available in Spanish. Here's a link: th-cam.com/video/S6PTU258pWQ/w-d-xo.html :-) Best, The DW Documentary Team
The Portuguese first discovered it. 1502-04. Found it uninhabited, with abundance of trees and fresh water. They imported livestock, etc built a chapel. But no permanent settlement. Dutch East India Co. Made a claim in 1633 but didn't settle the Island. The English East India Co was granted a Charter in 1657. My 3xs Great Grandfather signed on the ship CERES in 1812 for the East India Militia. He sailed with his wife Arriving in 1813. He died in 1820 is buried on the Island. His daughter, was a baby when he died. She returned to England and married my Gt, Gt, Grandfather. I'm nearly 83. Liverpool
Great video. I can imagine how the airport project must have divided Helenians, some saying "be careful what you wish for". Let's hope that things are not simply left to tourism market forces, so that the island stays very special.
Not likely. They are isolated and not self sufficient. In a war, who will bring you the potatoes and onions you need? It’s likely that people would gradually starve to death after going through a societal degeneration into barbarianism and cannibalism.
That's bs! Our ancestors, the hunters & gatherers ate meat(such as fish) as their main food source during 2.5 millon years of our recent evolution. Human's did not eat potatoes and other starches since the last thousends years. Nutritionally, it's better to live on an island like St. Helena and live off fish compared to live in Europe or America with their sugary diets.
As a ham radio operator here in the states one of the rarest contact to make is this island..think there are only 2 on the island and after years of trying finally I was able to talk to Peter over 9k miles from my home the conditions were just right..sent him a qsl card hope he can send one back...thanks for the video great job..Bob Pgh Pa.
Hi julie! Any chance you might know of Jason Mercury or possibly the family of Neville or Earl Hearn? I think it was xmas 95 i was there had a bunch of Saints working...Speegle, Theyd all smile if they heard my name. Went to the clubs!!! Wild!!! Fun!!! Girls!!! I didnt know where to put my face! Wonderful!
Its beautiful, I wanna visit one day....it looks like some of the Caribbean island... And the rocky mountain reminds me of cape town.... Love from, Nagaland India.
Apparently, I almost ended up living here. My mum is a solicitor, and there was an opportunity to move here as they needed a lawyer (for whatever reason). Apparently they came very close to saying yes, but in the end thought it would be bad for me and my sister, and also their parents were not long to die, so wanted to be here to say goodbye etc. It would've been one hell of a change of lifestyle, being on a tiny island like that away from everything. I remember one of the biggest issues I had with it was that the wifi signal would apparently be awful.
Yes, internet is slow and very expensive. It’s still satellite dial-up! We have many solicitors / lawyers that come on short term contracts. We have a legal system and a prison!
From a tourist point of view, this documentary would be 10 times better if it covered more about facilities on the island. Like, are there other musems apart from Napolen's house/prison? Other noteworthy attractions? Tours/excursions? Accomadation? Cafes/restaurants? Prices? Etc.
i had the same thoughts. There's so much land and not too much work,why can't they grow something, at least apples and potatoes? mb the soil isn't good,it's kind of rock. But Malta is rock too, and nevertheless they grow a lot here.
If you only grow for 4500 people farming is not going to be very profitable. Exporting low value goods is not worth it. That said I saw windmills so it should be easy to build greenhouses for local demand of veggies. Use the wind to power the waterpump and maybe additional lighting. Most plants do not really care about a little bit of moisture. So it should be possible to grow food there.
People on these remote islands seem to be very happy and content with their lives. I really envy that.
Take away the government paid supply runs, let them start paying actual costs of living there, and then see how they feel about it.
it's a video
It's all mindset. In UK we have so much comfort and people just moan moan...
Maybe we need a bit more of challenge to be happier
@@okwaleedpoetry😂🤣
Yeah bcs you are happy every day you & all your stuff isn't blown away to sea or to smithereens 😂
I sailed to St Helena with my whole family (6 of us) from Cape Town in early 1982, aboard the Long John Silver, a 50-foot aluminium schooner we built ourselves. That was our first ocean crossing voyage. First day out was foggy and calm, motoring through the offshore fishing fleets (most Russian and Chinese), second day we ran into a rapidly strengthening gale from the south that turned into a hoolie of a storm that lasted more than a week. The seas were mountainous, some taller than our masts, and navigating by traditional methods (sextant with sun, moon and star charts) was difficult with densely overcast skies and extreme rolling motion with only fleeting glimpses of a lumpy horizon! Eight days out we were in the vicinity but could not locate the island, and would not have been able to make landfall in those conditions. We headed for Walvis Bay, and made landfall there after another 5 days. After 2 weeks at WB resting and making minor repairs, including a memorable visit into the Namib Desert, we were ready to set sail again. This time we had beautiful steady tradewinds and had no difficulty navigating. At dawn on the seventh day about 100 miles to go, as expected, we sighted the peaks of the island showing above the horizon. What a spectacular sight it was sailing in round those great cliffs at the north end of the island, and a relief and excitement to finally set anchor in fifty feet of crystal clear water in James Bay.
Went ashore next morning to clear the port authority and started making acquaintances with the welcoming and friendly islanders. Such lovely people made lovely memories, exploring the spectacular island, learning some of its history and current circumstances… Memories of St Helena- jumping from the boat to the dock off the top of those south Atlantic swells… the fishing for tuna and all sorts of other fish, impossible to starve in such a place!… the quaint historic settlement of Jamestown, nestled in its steep valley, the 699 steps of Jacob’s ladder, the old charabang tour of the island… great barren lava cliffs teeming with sea birds, the green interior, tree ferns, coffee and flax… Longwood House, the ancient tortoises at the governor’s residence… a special night out at the Jamestown disco, the incongruity of watching Saturday Night Fever at the drive-in cinema at the old fort atop Ladder Hill… blissful days falling in love in paradise… We stayed 6 weeks, exploring all around the island. I wished it could have been longer, but we had to move on. We set sail for Archipelago di Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) with a seventh crew member, my St Helenian girlfriend, Gail. Wonderful memories of youthful days to be sure, my life was richer for knowing her, and that’s another story.
You need to make a documentary, I want more, great stories!
I sailed there over 30 times from Cape Town as a yacht delivery captain and knew many of the locals.Such a wonderful life experience.I loved the local food especially the famous fish cakes and every time I moved on I would take a batch with me.Sad to think the ship will no longer operate.
Sounds like ideal work.
So you're that guy.
so if the ship cant operate wat iscthe mode of transpo?
@@leilagepte3677 it will be a fighter jet from ellon musk
What did the cakes taste like?
Being a sailor for 26 years, i can feel her emotions. I miss the sea. But i need to change course, to be with my family.
St. Helena is an island of dreams. Love this documentary.
How to be a sailor as a mechanical engineer?
@@balkrishnachhetri8609 boats probably
I love you Razel. Terry and i are still doing brisket tonight if you want to come by.
Long Live Napoleon Soul
@@Wangchung405tf u talking about
The anticipation and isolation of Saint Helena Island come alive in this documentary. The resilience of its residents, many descended from exiles like Napoleon, is inspiring. Thanks to the documentary for revealing the unique world at the end of the Atlantic.
⁰l
At the age of 10 ( 1958 ) on our way from Cape Town to Southampton the boat stopped and anchored at St Helena . My 2 older brothers and me went ashore with a smaller boat.
We climbed the 699 steps and visited Napoleons residents ( prison ) and stood in the room he died.
Before the stop at St Helena the boat made a stop at “Ascension Island” and after St Helena the Canary islands “ las Palmas .
Great memories !
What an experience that must've been!
A rare memory… that rugged volcanic edifice jutting out of the ocean, going ashore at Jamestown, Jacob’s ladder, Longwood House, etc.
The boat from Cape Town would stop at St Helena first (about 1200 miles from Cape Town), then Ascension about 500 miles North of St Helena, then Islas Canarias, and on to Southampton.
Yes they was ❤
You visited his residence where he was once a resident
My grandmother is from St Helena. She left 70 years ago, still has her accent
My father was a captain. We have traveled from Istanbul to Cape Town a lot. We visited more than 20 countries and my favorite city was Sao Paulo and Miami. I used to accompany my father on his journey. When he was 13, he went on a trip to the island of St Helena and I wanted to go with him. We had the opportunity to tour the island. It was wonderful to see the house where Napoleon spent his last years. I was in heaven for a week.
How old was your father when you were born ? There seems to be an inconsistency in your post.
@@henriettagibril6381 My father is 24 years older than me. He was 37 when I was 13 in 2009. He's 51 now, I'm 27
i think he meant "when i was 13", not when his father was 13@@henriettagibril6381
@@napoleonbonaparte1789_ Ah That explains it. You went with him when YOU were 13 not when HE was 13.
@@henriettagibril6381yup
It appears that 4 million people just found out about how awesome it is to visit St. Helena...Thanks DW Documentary!
The RMS St. Helena. I feel something watching this documentary, mixed in with a certain degree of sadness. The last ever ship built in Aberdeen Scotland, after a long history of shipbuilding there. There is a fair portion of my soul, blood and sweat imbued into the very fabric of that ship. We were aware that this boat was most likely the end shipbuilding in Aberdeen. Hall Russell's (the yard had been privatised and had been renamed, but was still HR at its heart) was the last yard there to succumb to the fashion of de-industrialisation of major heavy industries in the UK and beyond, something that needn't have, nor should have happened.
The ship was supposed to have been launched by Sarah Ferguson but for whatever reasons her husband, Prince Andrew launched it instead. I remember looking down at the top of his head. On Launch day, the folks that you see going down the slipway on a ship are not there for a "jolly" but have to go below into the darkness as soon as it hits the water, armed with torches and a large spanner to check all spaces, tanks etc below the water line for leaks and if necessary take the appropriate actions to stop any flooding should anything be discovered. Everything was checked prelaunch, but..........there is always a but......it would not the first time a new ship has been found taking on water. It was all clear.
Anyway. It was good to see the ship still working and in good order even though it is now no longer serving in this role. I have good, if somewhat nostalgic, memories attached to being heavily involved in fabricating the steelwork of this ship, there were not so many of us left by the time this was being built.
Fuzzie, It looks like some International electric race car group has bought the ship and will be used to transport what they are calling Formula E, as in electric, to the various racing areas.
@Fuzzie Thanks for sharing your story of the building of the ship. A fascinating insight. It never occurred to me till now that the men on board during launching had an important job to do. I live by the sea and enjoy watching shipping. But behind every ship that passes are countless untold stories like yours.
Quite an informative an fascinating post on your personal intricate part in this historical documentary.. Thank you so much for your contribution!
P
Q
Wow! St Helena has changed dramatically since HMS Minerva anchored off Jamestown in 1970. Napoleon's house was largely empty of furniture, certainly not the grand tourist attraction it is now. The biggest surprise to me for such a small island was the contrast between a dry and barren edge and a constantly wet interior - it was the constant damp that leeched the arsenic from the green wallpaper (standard at the time) into the atmosphere that killed Napoleon. At the time the currency was the old British £SD - pounds shillings and pence, and the sailors used to scatter pennies for the urchins to scramble after. At one time my photo of Jamestown from the sea was the only picture of Jamestown on Wikipedia, but replaced with better ones a long time ago.
A lovely island, and I treasure my memories of it. I hope it remains as unspoilt as it was 52 years ago.
You must have alot of interesting stories
I read he died of stomach cancer.
Arsenic is not volatile in air or water, therefore, the only way Napolean could have been poisoned by arsenical wallpaper (if indeed it was) would be by licking the walls.
@@sof5858This is correct.
That was most interesting and enjoyable. I knew nothing about St. Helena except that Napolean got exiled there. Thanks for the education.
And you should have heard the Boers were sent to St Helena (amongst other places) during the British War on the Boers (1899-1902), a war which has not ended because the British never honored the Peace treaty of Vereeniging, and Boers are still persecuted and murdered (kill the Boer) by the British today for their land, which the world think is the illegal British colony of Sick Africa, because there are resources.
Boers shouldn't have any rights, they stole the landa
@@KIM-xl6zs that is not a kind thing to say, I don't think you have any idea what suffering the boers had to encounter by the British.😡
P
I’ve learned something new today ..love youtube
My ex-husband used to work on the RMS St Helena. he always said how beautiful the island was, now I can see it for myself.
Can I be your new husband.
Gulzar Malik you really can’t believe anything you read in a TH-cam comment section. Probably had a girls name 11 months ago
i went here in 2011 with the royal navy, very strange but very cool place.
@@zanderboy I am sure you are an Asian. " I went here"
@lana lake Seth could be right though. How come for so many years her husband worked on the Island / ship she never ones visited. Is her husband that boring not to ever take her on tour ? Some of us are too smart to believe these things.
My father's great grandfather ( Afrikaner Boer) was held captive on a small boat, by the British and while departing from Cape town to board a ship to St Helena, he jumped overboard and swim back to shore. He received a few medals for bravery still in possession of our family. ( His surname was Scholtz) When the camera zoomed in on the gravestones you can see the Viljoen surname on the grave. The same surname of my husband who is also an Afrikaner Boer.
St. Helena and the Ascension Islands are the most beautiful places I've visited. My kind of paradise. Very fortunate to have the privilege.
I visited during Christmas in 1995! Had the absolute time of my life! I worked on Ascension and had many Saints working for me. A wonderful people in their own right. Hello St. Helena, Johnny and Whiskey and Bridigette, and Neville's family! Thank you forever for Jeffery and Sharon's wedding! And God Bless you May Murcury and hello to you Jason and Danny and Keddil, Dilly and Len,....... I remember you all fondly!
just out curosity, does St Helena follows British Immigration rules?
Proximity Symbol in some countries immigration laws varies from region to region. Like Hawaii and US immigration laws.
I am checking this replies to see if any of your friends Johnny, Bridget, Whiskey etc have responded ☺️☺️. I hope they do.
Is there internet access on the island?!
priyadarsini, they are probably too bored to type
Priyadarsini KL I’m wondering also 🤔
Privileged to have visited the island on the then RMS St Helena in 1982 and an honour to have met the crew of professionals who served her and us on our way South. Slainte.
Privileged to have visited the island on the then RMS St Helena in 1982 and an honour to have met the crew of professionals who served her and us on our way South. Slainte.
@@barbaraolson9288 were you going to the Falklands?
I had the privilege of sailing as 3rd mate on the St Helena on her maiden voyage to the island, I was lucky enough to stay on the island whilst she sailed off to Cape Town and had the opportunity to meet many people there who made so welcome, it really is a magical place with the friendliest of people I have ever met on my world travels. I hope one day to return and find the many kind people I was once honoured to call my friends.
I hope you do, too. I have similar sentiments regarding a place I spent 2-1/2 years. We’ll see…but my life is full regardless.
Spent a week there in 1988, beautiful place, wonderful people. A highlight in my life.
Been on this beautiful Island a few times while working for Silversea Cruises,,we sail from Rio de Janiero, to Asencion island, St. Helenas, Walvis Bay and finally to Capetown.
Sounds like a great trip
Rio de Janeiro.
That was very, very interesting as an old sailor my self it brings back fond memories of the sea but i travel the Mediterranean after WW2 and thank you DW Documentary.
I was lucky I think, I work on the BAS ships, so I got to see places where extremely few people have been.
Hello Sir, nice to hear you. Be a sailor is a adventurous job. They have various experience to share. I wise to become a sailor and sail like a fish.
@@saswatibhattacharjee7387 Follow your dreams with all your heart
+Saswati Bhattacharjee Fish don't sail.
@@abhisekbhowmik4626 he’ll probably be home more that way. All the best to the young man, however.
Spend half a year there and enjoyed being the only tourist. Guess I hiked down all the amazing fisherman's paths into the lonely bays. A dream come true. Never saw such a bedazzling night sky again.
I visited there for a couple of weeks in 2019. Some of the most friendly people as a whole that I have ever been around. Two weeks of hiking, hanging out with the locals and watching cricket at the The Standard pub in Jamestown. Great time.
How much money and time did it take you to get there?
@@sean2015 i probably spent total about $10K . That includes business class flights to and from California.
@@larryfisher7056 😳 wow. You were a man on a mission.
@@sean2015 Totally worth every penny...
Will someone be able to get job over there?
Interesting to listen to St helenans & people from Tristan da cuhna. They present an accent that comes accross as a missing link between old British, American & southern hemisphere accents. Fascinating
Never ceases to amaze and amuse me that those of us in the Southern Hemisphere who speak English have ALL flattened the vowels. I was mistaken for an Australian frequently when I lived in England for a while. I’m from Cape Town.
IMO. Capetonians have one of the very best english accents.
As an American, their accent is quite unusual to me. It's almost not English anymore but more like a patois in cadence and intonation.
Yes the accent, I hear American / South African / British . It’s like some words are pronounced in uk accent and the “r” rolls like USA and flattened vowels mix . Fascinating
It's so rewarding to find these little gems of DW, just waiting for me to discover them. A fascinating program about a fascinating place, which I may never have the opportunity to visit, if it weren't for DW's programing. I'd of course heard about St. Helena, and Bonaparte's banishment to it, but wasn't certain just "where" it was. Well, there you are, mystery solved. He started on an island, and he ended up on one. Thanks DW.
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Island life,I miss the island I grew up on,it was a simple life, but every day was amazing,I wish these people all the best,would love to visit one day.
Having been to St Helena on the RMS several times, this very enjoyable documentary brings back very fond memories, thank you!
R I P Captain Young, Bridge captain in this video who died unexpectedly about 3 years ago of a heart attack.
Time and tide, wait for no man.
Unexpected? The guy was obese
@@haydendunlap8143 True very true, but captain Young didn't expect it. Also, it looks like a lot of Saints are obese, as well, like the meteorologist at the met office near the airport.
Salute to the Captain
May he rest in peace.
I live in Southern England and my sons friends mum comes from St Helena. I was honoured to meet someone from St Helena!
She moved to England as a teenager.
My mother lived there off and on for some 10 years. She often complained that you had to leave the island by law and after a period of time apply to return.
I just want to say thank you, this video puts me to sleep in the best way ever for years!
We left part of our hearts 'on island' in 2016 when we visited - cannot wait to return at some stage. God bless all you Saints over there and around the world.
The island, the people, the accent - all lovely. I want to visit this island.
ST Helena Island once had a Shortwave radio station called Radio St Helena that made special broadcasts on the shortwave band from their island once every 2 years or so around Nov 7 back in 2006 i made a phone call to the island from Florida (cost a whopping $40 for ten minutes)_ and the announcer asked if i wanted to go live on the air so i said YES and I had a minidisc recorder connected to my shortwave radio to record the broadcast through the static i later heard my phone call and it was a really special day that day, LAter on I got an Email confirmation of my call and they later sent me a station sticker and s postcard signed by the station broadcast engineer confirming my reception . Unfortunately a few years later they decided to shut down and dismantle the station sadly it is now only a memory. Thanks to the people of St. Helena for making this possible I hope one day Shortwave radio may return to the air from there or I can make a visit to your island! Cheers ! George Clement KF4ZKU Keystone Heights Florida.
Are you autistic by any chance
Spent time on Ascension Island working on the Runway, and Power Station, very interesting being so islolated, can understand young wanting to leave
I love these type of films that take you away to a far off place. Thank you.
I wish I was still young and able to do adventures like this. Such a shame a titan of history like Napoleon was relegated to spend his last years castaway on such a bleak and remote island.
That's why Napoleon should have stayed on Elba to begin with. It was a lot nicer.
DW is excellent as usual.Helena is beautiful , brooding and mysterious.Apart from its most famous historical resident it's the resting place of so many other souls ,many who had to involuntarly settle down here. It's a chilling thought really to consider that once you landed here there was no going back in the old days.
So they only checked if wind conditions were suitable After they built the airport?
Clever.
@Freddie Mercury.....crazy eh? Someone messed up big time on that!!
No doubt some people made a lot of money off that "mistake". I suspect it was the primary concern.
@Reinier Jacobus of course Elba was his first exile destination, but since it was not very far from the mainland in the Mediterranean, he was able to round up a force and go at it again and then was defeated at Waterloo. His final forced exile on Saint Helena was impossible for him to escape from. He lived for about 6 years and then it was said he died of stomach cancer, but the age-old question still remains, was he poisoned with arsenic? The 200 year old argument was reignited several years ago when his hair analysis from a sample that was from the Paris Museum indicates a strong concentration of arsenic.
I don't think they had any choice regarding that. The terrain there is really hilly and they probably didn't have any option.
@@Bulletguy07 u
I would have liked for the video to explore more of the Island, particularly if there any other developed areas other than the built up area around the Port of Jamestown. Are there housing areas in other parts of the Island and what is the local road infrastructure like? If people wanted to emigrate or at least visit long term, are there accommodations for rent/lease? What is the feasibility of new home construction if someone wanted to move to the Island permanently?
I think St Helens is a fascinating and beautiful place. Thank you for this remarkable documentary !
Nobody mentioned st Helens glass or the rugby
St Helena. St Helen's is by Liverpool.
They have such an interesting accent. Similar to South African, English (clearly) and at times, even American.
A very good video, thank you. I found the accent interesting too. I thought some of them sounded somewhat like people who have lived on Islands off New Zealand and Australia, such as Norfolk Island [descendants of 'Mutiny on the Bounty' type folk], who even today retain some of their quaint expressions from years gone bye.
I hear a little tinge of something that sounds almost Welsh in there too.
Michael Lenoch b
Matt Olsson, the radio guy sounds like he's from Sweden.
something something accent
St. Helena, a remote island in Atlantic is an astonishing documentary! I truly did appreciate it so much. Thanks a lot for sharing! Keep it up!
In the Czech Republic EU lives the man who was born at this island.Perhaps someone wants to greet him or get in touch with him....
Was fortunate to visit the island on our sailboat on a passage from South Africa to the Caribbean. Incredible place and lovely people.
Absolutely fascinating. Makes the northern hemisphere "civilization" seem like another world. The documentary presented by several young Women is very informative. I detect a definite St.Helena accent, a blend of British & South African; definitely not 'American' style, and quite refreshing. Long live St.Helena and its straightforward residents! Thank you so much.
St. Helena is now accessible by air.
really ?
@@frankroso2278 watch Sailing SV Delos episode 155 called "Hey Babe you wanna go for a ride?!?! Sailing Vessel Delos" about 5 minutes in it shows the airport. At the time that was shot no airplane landed there yet but now there have been a few since. great vid to watch
@@frankroso2278 The South African based airline called Airlink flies there
@@dopeytripod I follow Delos adventures too and completely forgot about this ! i had to start at ep.150 to have a lead up to it but it was still great to watch again! Thanks for the info!
This is amazing! My great grandfather is from here and I see my family in them. So beautiful to have been able to see this
It's an introverts paradise. I'd like to go there. 😊
True
I wish I lived on st Helena
I think places like that are only good to go when you are seeking peace of mind.
Yes! I would love to live in a place like that
It's guessing it's more social than like London
Amen to that statement! Peace and quiet!
considering my introverted personality this is such a perfect place for me.
did you miss the part about how everyone on the island will try to know you?
Becca Minkin Hmmm sad part...but atlest the mountains and the vast valley and awesome view is just a few steps away. I feel like I could escape anytime.
@@beccaminkin8399 lol fair point
Hahahahahaahahahaha
Me too 😅
When I was a boy from 1943 to 1954 (just before Hurricane Carol hit), we went to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard for the summer. Part of the fun of going was the ferry ride. It was the time machine that made the transition from 'something to do every minute' city life to 'nothing much to do' island life. Swimming and diving off the second bridge, fishing off the jetty, crabbing under the first bridge, biking over the entire island, boating (in the harbor only), chasing the fire engines and meeting the ferry were the daily events.
On the island was a man who had grown up on St. Helena as the son of a whaling ship captain. His stories of the island, the staircase to the top of the island, the ships coming and going and his own going to sea at sixteen as a cabin boy on a whaling ship were documented in his book "Sails and Whales" by Harry Allen Chippendale. In his retirement years after his years as a Merchant Marine captain, he owned the 'pay beach' as we called it, where for a dime, you had a sandy beach, dressing rooms and a snack bar to spend the days swimming and diving off the private pier. The required one hour rest after lunch was spent listening to Captain Harry's stories of his youth and his St. Helena island.
When Hurricane Carol struck the island, everything changed. The Pay Beach disappeared, literally, wiped clean off the map by the storm. The Steamship Authority pier disappeared as well, as did most of the waterfront piers and yachts. The yachts ended up impaled on those pier pilings. The island charm is still there; the summer venues, the gingerbread houses, the main street walk after dinner, the steamship pier is smaller now and so is the ship (diesel powered), the "Flying Horses" merry-go-round, the Island theater. It would be a nice place to retire. I'm not ready, yet.
I love the internet travel to all the 'bucket list' places I wanted to go, but couldn't afford to in my adult life. I can go to St. Helena by boat, traveling in a way that makes the transition to island life gradually, with the sea air and the ship movement lulling me into the island pace of life, one more time.
Glad you retold the story
The first "attempt" at landing was a deliberate fly-by, while the second pass encountered some wind sheer hence the go-around for the third "attempt".
I think its normal procedure when landing at a new airport to fly-by with gear up, fly-by with gear down and then the landing, l might be wrong though
@@bhekinyoni2775 yes you are wrong. I've landed at many airports without a need for a fly-by first, as do most pilots, otherwise there would be way too many planes flying around airports.
But maybe you missed the part where l said new airport
@@bhekinyoni2775 well, maybe I did, but the principles of coming in to land are the same each time, so really there isn’t a need to do a fly by. Airstrips are designed to certain standards and anyway, when I land at a airstrip I haven’t been to before, it’s still new to me, but I just use the principles I have learned to land there. If it becomes hazardous, then there are procedures to follow.
My grandmother, Rosemary Clarke, was also from St Helena. Hope to go there soon
One of the best documentaries by DW.
St Helena has changed forever. Very sad to lose the wonderful RMS.
I'm a Londoner. My bestie was a Saint and I got familiarised with their community here in UK and I have a huge fascination for the island.
if you're an introvert person, this kind of island is like heaven. the relative peace and quiet and just minding your own business. I'll love to live or retire in such places. It'll be a great place for a getaway or holiday.
You've got that wrong. The city is the place for an introvert. Small town life demands far more interaction. In the big city noone would notice you.
THIS IS MY HEAVEN
@@prolefeed9371 Very true.
@@prolefeed9371I don't agree, I am an introvert & have lived in both very rural small villages & London. I'm actually from London, but I much prefer rural life. As an introvert I hate the crowds & finding nowhere free of people to relax. Whereas bumping into a friendly local isn't so bad.
The RMS St Helena has now been decommissioned and will no longer be running a service to St Helena, the island bid farewell to her on Friday, 9 February 2018, she set sail on her final voyage to Cape Town on Saturday, 10 February having served the island for 27 years. Apparently the only way to travel there is by owning your own vessel or taking a flight there which leaves South Africa and stops in Namibia for refuel.
wow, someone can copy and paste from wikipedia.
salvaje20 - Wow! Maybe people know these things without having to browse Wikipedia! Like I did. You are so rude.
@@salvaje20 He hasn't copied it from Wiki. I did though and took the time to read the whole page.
Sad that the boat is gone.
A freight ship, M/V Helena, handles all freight to the island (some express mail is transported by air). It sails from Cape Town to Saint Helena and Ascension Island, from the beginning of 2018. It uses a wharf at Ruperts Bay which was built to assist the airport construction.
"We do not want McDonald's on every other corner." You said it, sir.
Mohit arora i never seen a McDonald’s on every corner but I have seen a liquor store
...Nor a Nando's; there's no "sneakin' off for a cheeky Nando's" on St Helena then ({; D ...!
Exactly, that struck me as well.
No work then.
Ezra Borg Maybe there are restaurants out of people’s homes? Little romantic bistros, maybe, that seat 6-10 people?
Strange that 750 people gave this a thumbs down. What could possibly have been that contentious?
I guess they're just haters
One of the few places in the world you can go and discover yourself.
The British government invested far more than 3 million pounds to develop and construct the airport, according to Wikipedia it has cost in excess of 285 million pounds. The first commercial landing of the 737 didn't attempt and fail 2 times before finally landing, it is typical to make a couple of approaches before finally landing when flying into a new airport like this one. The first practice approach to the airport was with gear up, the second was a gear down practice approach and on the third they landed quite normally. Nicely done, I enjoyed watching.. Thanks!
i learned of st helena watching sv delos, they walked up to the airport, it looks scary as they get.
Scott Brettis
3 million pounds - what a joke.
The winds are in fact a problem and say what you like there's a reason why only limited flights are allowed. It's so severe that only a few pilots are certified to fly there and its under a lot of restrictions.
Are you a native English speaker ?..I ve written two pages about smart homes and self powered technology so I need help to fix it
This is so weird watching. I travelled on the RMS At Helena when I was 7 years old in 1997. The boat seemed so big to me at the time. I still have my certificate for blowing the horn. We used the trip as a way to return to the UK having lived in Botswana for 7 years. We did the full journey from Cape Town to Cardiff. It is now parked in just off Weymouth and Portland. Funnily enough that is where my parents have retired to now.
Oh nice life story Carly
Nice story, thank you. Xx
A nice way to see how an island is able to pull in many different types of people socially and professionally. It gives them an all round service throughout the entire year.
That is one island that I would have loved to visit, but the closest I got was Ascension and the Falkland Islands, Tristan-de-Cuna would have been on my list as well. This documentary shows just how you can live and work happily in such a remote location and be happy as well.
I was fortunate enough to live on Tresco for a few years. A 2x4 mile island which is part of the Scilly isles, off the coast of Cornwall. Island life is special . As a South African, I've always been fascinated by St. Helena and also Tristan. It's surely two places I'd love to visit.
Tresco once was indeed a very special place. After so many changes, nowadays Tresco is effectively an exclusive resort for high-net-worths that happens to have a stunning sub-tropical garden for less fortunate daytrippers who once might have afforded the island's accommodation.
Were you working at the daffodil farm? I looked at that job for years in my 20s wanting to go & work a season there.
21:05 I'm not a scientist but couldn't they have sent in the meteorologists before building the airport? Seems like a solid plan.
Visited in the mid 60's and was hugely impressed with the warmth of the locals. Quite often the conversation was centered on a visit by the Queens visit some years earlier.
How cool it was to be British back then! Did you travel there or serve?
Their accents are all over the place, love it!
Multumesc frumos " DW " pentru acest documentar excelent ! Stoian Gheorghe, Alba Iulia , Romania .
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Saint Helena airport ended up becoming exceptionally safe and has already saved the lives of malformed babies and patients who needed more advanced treatment on the continent. I hope this radio host bit his tongue, long live aviation.
NO WAY....... I never imagined it'd be worth a look for an island so incredibly far out in the Atlantic...!!! This is a superb stumble-upon gem. Replete with the accounts of former inhabitants on this very page :)
The water depth out there must be a few miles (?). It's not always about the depth but the distance to shore that matters, but what a spot to live on when the hurricanes hurl across from the western African coastline.
Excellent video, much thanks for sharing it.
I still rather live in the Caribbean
DW are doing a very good job with these educational and interesting programmes.
at 5.10 the comentator says that time is passed in a very british way, I immediatly thought that she was going to say DRINKING .
lol
Antonio Leitao finish the sentence, DRINKING TEA!!!!
That's Irish.
Antonio Leitao i was thinking the same
Antonio Leitao I expected tea and crumpets... or something like that.
Thankyou for sharing this wonderful Doco. Really enjoyed hearing the feeling the residents have snout their home and their connectedness to each other. Long may your peace last. Hopefully the airport will bring tourists and supplies in a managed way. Thankyou again
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I sailed there many times...a wonderful place..lots of good memories.Such nice people.
I'm going to visit that island one day. Its on my bucktlist.
Same here x
Let’s go together!
Do it, you won't regret it.
this was a really cool video I stumblied upon. It was also very calming and relaxing to watch. L
can't agree more! Also the narrator's voice is soothing, I am fascinated by this island now, I hope it won't be disturbed, don't understand why building an airport when most of the inhabitants don't want it.
@@ericaran8628 You remind me of Taos, New Mexico
My grandparents were born here and moved to the uk around 1950 ish. I hope to travel there in the near future and discover a part of my family heritage
I was very privileged to visit ST Helena island with it's rich history. The maiden trip by MSC made it possible for us from Namibia. They forget to mentioned about the nice coffee that are grown locally. Most of their fresh produce and groceries are comming from Sout Africa. The island is worth visiting
Superb story. Superb production. Bon voyage captain.
Lindisimo video.inolvidable,que odisea. Tan interesante.y que linda isla.gracias por este reportaje.felicitaciones dw documental
Hi @Yazuri Azurdia,
The documentary is also available in Spanish. Here's a link: th-cam.com/video/S6PTU258pWQ/w-d-xo.html :-)
Best,
The DW Documentary Team
I would like to visit this place
Me too. By boat.
Ce montagne volcano, ce bien Conny Du Monde..
Well your in good company napoleon stayed there for free courtesy of the British empire
@@nickyg4776 Indeed.
After having destroyed Europe and bankrupted France courtesy of the grande armée 😁
@@rheinhartsilvento2576 Waterloo = karma
The Portuguese first discovered it. 1502-04. Found it uninhabited, with abundance of trees and fresh water. They imported livestock, etc built a chapel. But no permanent settlement. Dutch East India Co. Made a claim in 1633 but didn't settle the Island. The English East India Co was granted a Charter in 1657. My 3xs Great Grandfather signed on the ship CERES in 1812 for the East India Militia. He sailed with his wife Arriving in 1813. He died in 1820 is buried on the Island. His daughter, was a baby when he died. She returned to England and married my Gt, Gt, Grandfather. I'm nearly 83. Liverpool
That's great. God bless 🙌
Great video. I can imagine how the airport project must have divided Helenians, some saying "be careful what you wish for". Let's hope that things are not simply left to tourism market forces, so that the island stays very special.
Always enjoy the DW documentaries - different from most, well told
If world war 3 or global nuclear war happen, this must be one of the safest places to settle.
It would become a military installation immediately.
until you ran out of supplies
Not likely. They are isolated and not self sufficient. In a war, who will bring you the potatoes and onions you need? It’s likely that people would gradually starve to death after going through a societal degeneration into barbarianism and cannibalism.
That's bs! Our ancestors, the hunters & gatherers ate meat(such as fish) as their main food source during 2.5 millon years of our recent evolution. Human's did not eat potatoes and other starches since the last thousends years. Nutritionally, it's better to live on an island like St. Helena and live off fish compared to live in Europe or America with their sugary diets.
It already is.
amazing accents on these people. Sometimes seems American, sometimes British then Australian...
It's not Australian. The Australian you think you're hearing is actually South African.
But yeah, sounds like a very American British accent.
Its German accent
@@rijilkp6951 No its Russian 😂😂
Nate B wishing on the Yank ... British and South African only.
@@geoffreylee5199 yeah definitely no American in those accents ha id say 60 percent south African and 40 English
As a ham radio operator here in the states one of the rarest contact to make is this island..think there are only 2 on the island and after years of trying finally I was able to talk to Peter over 9k miles from my home the conditions were just right..sent him a qsl card hope he can send one back...thanks for the video great job..Bob Pgh Pa.
Love this documentary of my home! ❤️
Its my dream to live into Saint Helena.
@@AhmedSalah-gl9ri Me too ✋
Hi julie! Any chance you might know of Jason Mercury or possibly the family of Neville or Earl Hearn?
I think it was xmas 95 i was there had a bunch of Saints working...Speegle,
Theyd all smile if they heard my name.
Went to the clubs!!!
Wild!!! Fun!!! Girls!!!
I didnt know where to put my face! Wonderful!
I will love to travel to Saint Helena... I love everything about Saint Helena
How do you get your goods now, Julie, if you don’t mind the asking? How’s the island doing, in your opinion, if I may ask?
This is beautiful DW.
Enzoy Richardson I
british has a lot of asset of land
carries the queens mail in bags.....................she is a bag
Excellent documentaries
Another good video from the DW team.Thank you for making this.
Internet has destroyed my attention span. But this was so interesting I was engrossed until the end. Thank you Deutsche Welle.
Hi @Wayne Hasch,
Glad to hear the documentary kept you hooked until the end. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Best,
The DW Documentary Team
Its beautiful, I wanna visit one day....it looks like some of the Caribbean island... And the rocky mountain reminds me of cape town....
Love from,
Nagaland India.
Apparently, I almost ended up living here. My mum is a solicitor, and there was an opportunity to move here as they needed a lawyer (for whatever reason). Apparently they came very close to saying yes, but in the end thought it would be bad for me and my sister, and also their parents were not long to die, so wanted to be here to say goodbye etc. It would've been one hell of a change of lifestyle, being on a tiny island like that away from everything. I remember one of the biggest issues I had with it was that the wifi signal would apparently be awful.
Lies
Yes, internet is slow and very expensive. It’s still satellite dial-up! We have many solicitors / lawyers that come on short term contracts. We have a legal system and a prison!
For me, if our kids lived in Siberia I’d stay there. BUT we’d love to visit if we could safely make the trip.
The solitude is part of the charm. The airport limits that. What a nice place anyway.
Thank you so much for making this documentary. Definitely on my genuine bucket list for life. XOXO ;)
From a tourist point of view, this documentary would be 10 times better if it covered more about facilities on the island. Like, are there other musems apart from Napolen's house/prison? Other noteworthy attractions? Tours/excursions? Accomadation? Cafes/restaurants? Prices? Etc.
I have been there on a ship bringing fuel and took the mail in our journey to South Africa. Amazing experience. Nice to see it again
They can’t grow onions or taters there?!come on,those are two of the easiest crops to grow and both can be grown in pretty adverse environments.
i had the same thoughts. There's so much land and not too much work,why can't they grow something, at least apples and potatoes? mb the soil isn't good,it's kind of rock. But Malta is rock too, and nevertheless they grow a lot here.
Because that's hard work. Obviously they don't want to work the Land. Lazyness.
Might be possible but the cost of production is probably higher considering the humidity there.
Makes more sense to grow fodder for cattle.
I am pretty sure they grow their own items.
If you only grow for 4500 people farming is not going to be very profitable. Exporting low value goods is not worth it. That said I saw windmills so it should be easy to build greenhouses for local demand of veggies. Use the wind to power the waterpump and maybe additional lighting. Most plants do not really care about a little bit of moisture. So it should be possible to grow food there.