Royal Air Force Station Ascension Island; The Navy's Secret.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

The next time you chaps stage through ASI, here's something to think about; BBC News - Charles Darwin's evolution experiment on Ascension isle (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11137903)


Ascension was an arid island, buffeted by dry trade winds from southern Africa. Devoid of trees at the time of Darwin and Hooker's visits, the little rain that did fall quickly evaporated away.

Egged on by Darwin, in 1847 Hooker advised the Royal Navy to set in motion an elaborate plan. With the help of Kew Gardens - where Hooker's dad was director - shipments of trees were to be sent to Ascension.

The idea was breathtakingly simple. Trees would capture more rain, reduce evaporation and create rich loamy soils. The "cinder" would become a garden.

So Green Mountain wasn't always green.

[BEagle]

Yes, and it buggered up the local microclimate to such an extent that 'island holding fuel' was in danger of becoming declared inadequate a few years ago.....

Which would have meant staging through Recife instead.

[Gainesy]

Not as bad as the evolution experiments in Norfolk.

[teeteringhead]

is it true that Norfolk folk celebrate success by exchanging high sixes??? ;)

[BEagle]

It is indeed. But at least motor cars are now so common in Norfolk that the locals have stopped pointing at them.....

[SirToppamHat]

at least motor cars are now so common in Norfolk that the locals have stopped pointing at them.....

Only in the southern parts of Norfolk. Venture north of Wroxham, however ...

STH

[BEagle]

Indeed - they'm funny buggers that way....

If you hear the sound of drumming, run like f***. It'll be the locals drumming the webs between their fingers; this will inevitably be followed by chants of "Fresh meat....fresh meat...." :eek:

Even worse if you hear banjos...:ooh:

"Squeal loike a pig, buoy"

[Dengue_Dude]

Plus one for the experiment.

At least it gave us somewhere to walk to, mind you there were SOoo many crabs. Lovely views too.

Prior to that, I'd always thought that crabs was something to be ashamed of . . .

[BEagle]

Then there was the other Great Idea - cats....

When the Navy's wooden wonders called in for a spot of shore time, the cleverest of their rats obviously though "Thank f*** for that, follow me chaps and we'll escape this life of rotten meat and squalor", then led his chums to freedom.

However, having no natural predators, the little $ods bred like crazy.

"Hmm", opined someone in the Admirality, "what can we do? I know - let's send some cats - they'll sort the buggers out!"

So Qty. Lots of pussy cats were duly rounded up and transported to Ascension. They probably didn't get much of a vote in this - and were undoubtedly rather peeved to be booted out to fend for themselves upon arrival.

A few spotted the odd rat, but chasing them across the volcanic wastes was rather painful on the paws. But then one of them spotted a bird. Now birds knew what rats were, because they stole their eggs. But they'd never met these furry things with four legs and a tail before, so went over to say hello....

Mistake. BIG mistake!

From that moment, the cats never looked back. Rats were far TFD, but birds were a piece of pi$$....

Hence the current feral moggy population at ASI.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

But apart from that. Anyway, thanks for letting the cat out of the bag on the negative points.


Dengue_Dude. The Andrew's been complaining about the crabs for years. :E

[27mm]

Those of us six-fingered Norfolk brethren who understand the local accent will smile at this notice outside Stibbard village hall last week:
"People of Stibbard don't despair,
The Autumn Fair is nearly here"

[minigundiplomat]

To be fair,

The crabs knew the land wasn't flat, and that sea monsters didn't exist long before the Royal Navy.

In fact I'm sure their charts (the ones omitting Norfolk Island) still have 'End of The World' printed on all four sides.

Nonetheless, well done on introducing trees to Ascension. You're well worth keeping post-SDSR!

[teeteringhead]

And weren't the trees also planned to provide replacement masts for the RN's finest?

[NRU74]

Still off thread....
.... in Norfolk, wasn't incest called 'rolling your own' ?

[oxenos]

Beagle
"pussy cats" ? Since the Navy were involved, should that not be "pusser's cats"?

[Dengue_Dude]

And weren't the trees also planned to provide replacement masts for the RN's finest?

If you got to the top, or very near it (can't quite remember) and look downslope on the Western side, there are a group of extremely straight tall trees - some species of conifer.

I was told that it was these particular trees that were planted to produce replacement masts - looking at them, I'd believe it.

I still like Green Mountain.

Also, wandering back from the Mess to Tristar village, I'd lay on the path and just look up (it was safer and assisted by the Bacardi) looking at the Milky Way and sundry satellites . . .

[Kronenburg]

Was there earlier this decade for an 18 month stint and the Asi wild pussy problem (other than 216) was taken care of by a band of Kiwi cat killers contracted by the Foriegn Office. :)

[PingDit]

Apparently the crabs were imported from Norfolk, that's why they're always hiding in bushes!

[Krystal n chips]

I like the bit about "adapting to life in Norfolk".....just wondering if this course will be available to the rest of the UK population...:E


I want to spend a penny, not go to the shop: nurses to be taught euphemisms | Society | The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/31/foreign-nurses-taught-english-euphemisms)

[ian16th]

They all speak exceptional English, but that doesn't necessarily cover the type of English spoken in Norfolk. We have many different phrases and sayings in this part of the world.I propose this as a candidate for the 'Understatement of the year'

[Pontius Navigator]

there are a group of extremely straight tall trees - some species of conifer.

I was told that it was these particular trees that were planted to produce replacement masts - looking at them, I'd believe it.

Douglas fir I believe.

Then of course no one mentioned the Welsh sheep :)

Or the Donkeys.

[Impiger]

Got stuck at ASI once (u/s Timmy can you believe it!) so off to 2 Boats for a round of the ancient game. Local Rule: ' If ball comes to rest in a pile of donkey pooh or said pile could interfer with either stance or swing then a free drop within 2 club lengths (not nearer the hole) is permitted'. Been too much free dropping already by the looks of it!

[Ali Qadoo]

Isn't that already covered by the rule regarding “playing the ball while in motion?” Hat, coat....

[Dengue_Dude]

Pontius Nav

Yep, must admit, I thought they were Douglas Firs, but it was so long ago I didn't want to test gravity with a testicle.

:)

[pbk]

Funny, but my Flt Sgt at Marham in 85 reckoned those conifers were Norfolk Pine

[Pontius Navigator]

DD, I had 6 months there in '84 and crawled over most of the rock except the area beyond Cricket Valley. I left the east behind the airfield too just in case I got a second tour there.

Found some amazing things with perhaps the most amazing being the train station with a ticket office/waiting room and a toilet. There was no roof on the toilet but there was still toilet paper in the holder - it was Bronco IIRC.

[Dengue_Dude]

We were on the way to the blow hole one day and we went past the Ariane tracking station.

We stopped to have a natter with the guys, as they were outside. As the dish was pointed upwards, I asked why. They said they were tracking the rocket. I then asked 'shouldn't it be pointing into the sea?' (They'd had quite a few failures with their S American launches).

Oddly enough . . . end of conversation. No sense of humour, some people

:E

I also did a runway inspection with OC216 and we went beyond the overrun and into the Tern colony - by, they were quite aggressive little tykes. The runway was well cracked and shortly afterwards we used Recife for a while.

Oh memories . . .

[Amateur Aviator]

Having undertaken some tree recce at Asi in the past week, the conifers are definitely Norfolk Pines :8.

Furthermore, the plantation is much safer than the namesake county (praise be!) during daylight, but I still wouldn't want to be there after dark (and that's the plantation as well as Norfolk).

How time flies down there...

[Dengue_Dude]

How time flies down there...

Yep, along with the Falklands, they must be approaching the 20th Century about now.