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Vicki Returns with a 'Touch of Class' By Sharon Marsh A young Falklands woman has returned to the Islands armed with a new qualification, stencil and a contagious enthusiasm for her trade, wool classification. Vikki Lee (20) has spent three months under the guiding hand of wool classing teacher Des Humphreys at the Warwick TAFE in Queensland, Australia. Vikki said Des is 'passionate' about wool classing, an attribute he appears to have successfully conveyed to her although she added that he 'even likes to study people's sweaters and socks to see what micron they are'. Vikki was educated in Stanley's schools leaving with enough GCSEs to go to college but being unsure of what exactly she wanted to do preferred to 'work around and find out'. She described herself at that time as 'not particularly mature' adding that she certainly wasn't ready for a 'life plan'. Following six months with the YTS (Youth Training Scheme set up by the Department of Agriculture) working on a farm at Fox Bay Vikki moved into some part time work with the Market Garden, then spent two and a half years with Standard Chartered Bank, until eventually the lure of 'more money and travel' enticed her into a shearing gang where she worked for two seasons both in the Islands and the United Kingdom. Vikki's interest in wool classing goes back to when she was a child. Ken Berntsen the wool classer on her family's farm taught her the rudiments of 'crimps and colours' and in later years the interest was reignited through hanging around with (former classer) Lisa Pole-Evans (who has also spent time in Australia on an Agricultural Scheme) 'getting in her way'. At the age of twenty Vikki said she had found what she wanted to do so she initially went to the Government with her business plan to get funding for her training. They agreed to fund half the scheme and she then approached Falklands Landholdings for the balance. For a number of years Falklands Landholdings has brought in wool classers from overseas - an expensive exercise - so agreed to the funding if Vikki was to guarantee three years work with them after gaining her qualifications. Vikki was on her way. She takes up the story of her journey to, and arrival in Australia. 'I left the Islands full of the flu and upset at leaving, the journey seemed never ending. Des my teacher met me and I really wasn't very well at all, I certainly didn't feel like talking too much. I had to have a few days off as I was quite ill and suffering jet lag.' 'I could talk about Des for hours, I really got on so well with him, he's fifty-six years old but is just like one of us, it would be difficult for anyone not to get on with him. I didn't know anything about microns or the finer details of wool classing, however Des was so laid back it didn't really seem as though I was learning, but in no time at all I realised that I understood what everyone was talking about and I started to feel good about myself.' Vikki said the course she undertook is normally spread over two years but she completed it in three months because she worked full-time and much of her tuition was one to one. She had also completed ten of her assignments before leaving the Islands. Most of the work is of a practical nature and there are no written exams as such. There is class room work but the theory is tested in the wool rooms. A lot of the work revolves around sorting through fleeces and determining the bloodline micron, yield, colour and strength. There was a lot of Australian media interest shown in Vikki and her quest to become a classer. She appeared in newspapers, undertook radio interviews and appeared on television. Newspaper headlines included 'Islander shows some class', 'Falklands fair dinkum about improving fleece' and 'Wool expert in a class of her own'. As a result of this high profile one of the highlights for Vikki occurred toward the end of her training when she attended a sheep show with tutor Des. They were both continuously recognised and approached by people. At the same show she was given the honour of presenting prizes to some of the top sheep breeders. Another highlight was when she travelled 16 hours from Queensland to Melbourne for a week. 'We went to wool buyers, topmakers, wool testing plants and to people's properties to see different breeds of sheep. Everyone was so keen to help me and because I was from the Falklands they were also interested in what we do... they all wanted to teach me what they do.' It wasn't all celebrity status though and on several occasions Vikki found herself in sheds classing super fine wool (17-19 micron) on her own for several hours. She described it as 'nerve racking' but added that she couldn't thank Des enough for 'putting his trust' in her to do the job, boosting her self confidence. As a qualified wool classer, armed with her own stencil, Vikki will be responsible for the quality control in the Falklands Landholdings shearing sheds throughout the forthcoming shearing season and wants the wool to be prepared in the best possible way. 'It's my stencil going on the bales and my reputation with it.' On the fun side of Vikki's trip to Australia she got to meet Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter and went on a hot air balloon trip with fellow Islander Mark Gilbert - no mean feat for someone who is scared of flying. Vikki said she never let got of the basket to take a photograph. However, not content with that hair-raising experience, she took to the air once again, this time on a hang-glider. Vikki thoroughly enjoyed her time in Australia and says she will certainly visit again. So how do the Falklands measure up? What did Vikki most look forward to on her return? 'Seeing family and friends, my sister's macaroni cheese and chicken curry, Leif's crispy bacon roll, and catching up on the gossip.' On a serious note Vikki wished to extend her thanks to Mandy McLeod from the Department of Agriculture for her help, to the Government and Falklands Landholdings 'for believing in me', and to Des Humphreys (and his family) for 'passing on his knowledge and being a good friend.' Sharon Marsh is Deputy Editor of Penguin News but for almost 20 years was a farmer on West Falkland First published in the Penguin News on 20 August 2004 and reproduced with the kind permission of the Editor
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