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One Year On By Graham Bound and Bill Richards Graham
Bound It's now almost a year since the occupation ended, and perhaps a good chance to take a breath and try to take stock. There's no doubt that Stanley has changed, but I don't think Camp has changed significantly. It was a pleasure to get away from Stanley the other weekend and visit Long Island, Green Patch and Brookfield. The hospitality was just as I always remember it, and it was lovely to experience the peace and tranquility again, that is, apart from the flock of sparrows (or was it motorbikes) that swooped from settlement to settlement. Stanley has changed: the harbour is full of ships, the sky is seldom empty of aircraft, and the streets are full of traffic. There's no doubt that the roads in town are having a depressing effect on everyone. It's impossible to keep anything clean. It's not mud, mud, glorious mud at all! The guy who wrote that song got it wrong. It is difficult to see beyond the present, the muddle and the mud, but when I occasionally manage to sit down and look at the prospects in the far, seemingly unreachable, future I do get the odd twinge of excitement. This time last year we were so shell shocked life was a bit bewildering. The mess the Argies were making everywhere, with their surrender. Gear everywhere. I remember that, from where I live at the East End of town, it was impossible to get the car into the centre of town because of the piles of gear the Argies had left strewn over the roads. That has all been cleared up. We all had soldiers in our houses. They are still in some houses, but that could soon end, and we are gradually getting our buildings back. We couldn't move out of town for fear of booby traps and mines. What a magnificent job the EOD boys have done. It's possible to move out of town now and go for walks. To me that is a tremendous psychological relief. We had no electricity or water; things in that line are still a bit shaky, but much improved. Housing is still a very big problem, but the pressure should ease soon. It's all taking time, perhaps more time than it should have but it is happening. We should end up with concrete roads in town, a new airport, a new jetty, hopefully a new GP centre, sheltered accommodation for the old folk, perhaps even a new squash court. Restaurants are opening up; we have a Folk Club. Let's hope it all happens. With the news that the Sir Caradoc had to turn back from Ascension with mechanical trouble comes the realisation that the memorial cannot be finished in time for the first anniversary. It's a great pity that a lot of hard work has been in vain, but it does give more time for a proper job to be done, and I believe it was five years before the Battle of the Falklands memorial was put up. Relations with the Military have had their ups and downs, but generally speaking have been very good. I do feel strongly that we must resist any temptation to let the Military, with their resources and manpower, take over any jobs that civilians were responsible for previously. We must live in harmony with the Military, but it's not in our interests, or theirs, that they should take us over. Our biggest problem, as always, is manpower. A week ago one of the television crews interviewed a group of Junior and Senior school children. The children were all asked the same question - Did you like it better before the invasion, or as it is now? On all the other questions there was a variety of answers, but on this one they were all generally agreed. They preferred it as it is now! I thought that interesting, and wondered how many parents would agree with that assessment. A pointer to the inevitable? Bill Richards It would be very satisfying if I could tell you that one year after the liberation of the Falklands everything was back to normal. Unfortunately that seems not to be the case; but as we all know such observations are often based just on what we can see, and just now all we can see is mud, damage and the worst roads the Islands have ever known. Nevertheless we should not ignore the progress that has been made. Almost everything depends on the roads which were never designed and constructed for the volume and weight of traffic imposed on them at present; they have broken up very badly and very quickly. Roads such as Davis Street and Brandon Road which are the main thoroughfare from the Darwin Road - where the stone crushers are situated - to the site south of Callaghan Road (known as the German Camp) where the concrete is prepared, are now in a very poor state resulting in damage to the sewers and water mains. It has been necessary for large vehicles to come down to Ross Road and back up to Davis Street via Philomel Street on the concrete roads. Unfortunately even parts of these roads have started to crumble, and a stretch of Ross Road from the Police Station to the corner of Barrack Street collapsed. Repairs have been carried out to one side of this section of road in terrible weather conditions, and now that is complete the other side is receiving attention. There has been some criticism of the contractors who are entrusted with building the new roads, though personally I have a great admiration for them. The winter has been very bad and not in the least conducive to work of this nature, yet they have persevered. In addition to that part of Ross Road currently under construction they have almost completed Hebe Street which will make it concrete throughout the entire length and will do much to keep heavy vehicles out of the town - particularly those vehicles taking loads from the slipway at Ross Road East to the Airport Road. Other progress is slow, but the excavations are difficult and much deeper than any previous Stanley roadworks. This is further hampered by the inability to close off complete sections of road while work is in progress, and the heavy rainfall which floods the excavations requires hours of pumping out before filling. Then the curing time for concrete in cold conditions is extended which delays the use of the completed sections considerably. During June there were two particularly bad periods of snow and low temperatures which resulted in Davis Street, Brandon Road and Reservoir Road being the only available route for military vehicles, and on occasions only vehicles under 3/4 ton were allowed on this route. In very bad conditions all military vehicles were prevented from moving in the town. There have been many accidents causing damage to property, and in particular the poles carrying the mains electricity supply, causing power cuts. however there have been no personal injury accidents, and very seldom was more than one vehicle involved. Accommodation in Stanley is still inadequate, and there is a constant game of musical chairs. When one family goes on holiday another moves into their house in their absence. I am currently living in a house while the occupier is on holiday. The houses being built for the Falkland Islands Government have suffered in the same way as the road builders and the erection of a house shell appears to take only a few days, but completion of the interior, water, electricity and sewers takes very much longer. It would appear that it will be some time yet before the accommodation situation improves. At the present time there are about 200 persons away from the Islands on holiday, many to see relatives and friends for the first time since the invasion and others taking advantage of direct passages to and from the Islands, both by sea and air. These people have had a rough time during the last year, and it is hoped they will make the best of their holiday and try to put all behind them. I would think that the reunion party this August will be well attended. Despite all the problems, to think there is no sign of improvement here would not be correct. The movement of heavy loads will reduce, and with the coming of better weather there will be faster progress on the road construction. There are many other plans gradually coming to fruition, and I would anticipate most of these to be nearing completion in about three years. in the meantime there is much being done behind the scenes, and one should be very careful not to make judgements solely on what can be seen on the streets. This article first
appeared in the Falkland Islands Newsletter, Edition 15, August 1983.
The Falkland Islands Association is an independent organisation which
brings together those who support the continuing freedom of the people of
the Falkland Islands. Its Constitution states that its objectives
are to assist the people of the Falkland Islands to decide their own
future for themselves without being subjected to pressure direct or
indirect from any quarter. |
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Introduction, Brief
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