Well, I didn’t manage as many updates as I had hoped this half term, life as always gets busy.
Before we knew it, we were in our new routines of work and school, and then exploring our new surroundings in the times in between. The girls have taken school on with relish, made so many new friends I’m getting dizzy with the number of times they are in and out of the house playing with other children, or just off to the park to play for hours on end (after a few weeks I’ve managed to let go somewhat and let them take themselves off– it really is much more relaxed here for kids!). Within the first few weeks both A and M were awarded ‘star of the week’ from their class teacher, a reassuring nod to the fact that they have settled into their new surroundings so well. We are one of the lucky few houses who have a tree in the garden, and so Chris was able to make a rope swing which has provided hours of entertainment to all three – sometimes all at once! The eldest two have joined Brownies here, and absolutely loving all the games, songs and activities that they get up to.
After the second week of term we managed to experience the kind of Friday evening we envisaged when we first came here; it was a beautifully sunny evening and so we managed to borrow a car and drive out to Gypsy cove, a beach only ten minutes away. Not only were we rewarded by the beautiful scenery of Yorke Bay (closed to public access due to the last land mines still being recovered from there – the last one is due to be removed in November) but also the first of the Magnellic penguins to arrive back to the shores and begin nesting into the banks around the cove. Whilst watching out to sea, we were also treated to a pair of dolphins swimming past. Hopefully a taster for us of the months ahead as we move on into spring.
The weather has generally been fairly good, temperatures ranging from 3 to 13 degrees over the past few months. It certainly is very changeable – the ‘four seasons in one day’ is definitely a thing here, if its windy and wet in the morning, there is a great chance that by midday it will have given way to glorious sunshine. And the sunshine is intense, even on a cloudy day sun cream needs to be applied due to the thin ozone layer over the Falklands. The daffodils are now out, a very strange thing to see in October, not sure I will ever get used to the upside-down seasons of the southern hemisphere.
I have settled well into my job, and dare I say it am really enjoying the change of career. The office is located across the road to the girls’ school, and right on the water; providing fabulous views out over the water and beyond on a sunny day. It also has the flexibility I need to be able to be around for the various pick ups and drop offs at the primary school which is pretty perfect. In my spare afternoons ive also managed to explore the local area, all of the (4) cafes have been visited and cake sampled, as well as my first successful swim in the ocean – complete with wetsuit of course – hopefully much more of all of this in the months to come!
The nightlife of Stanley is also a little different from the lights and noise of Manchester or Wigan; both Chris and I have had separate nights / evenings out. I was at the fancy hotel for drinks, Chris at a place that until he went I hadn’t even realised was a pub – no signs to indicate what the building was so I had always just assumed it was another house! As there is only one cash machine in Stanley, the main way to pay for things is either via cheque or cash and so Chris has the joy of having to pay at the pub with a cheque – quite a unique experience I’m not sure he is keen to repeat! Places in Stanley close at a respectable hour, and we were both happily tucked up in bed before midnight – no hangovers here!
Stanley also does have a cinema that has one screen. It’s a recent addition to the Malvina hotel and shows both old films and new releases. They also do a meal and movie night, so I had a great evening out having a meal and watching little shop of horrors – a classic! Last week we took the eldest two out to see the first Harry Potter film; they’re showing each film over the next few months, fabulous films to watch on the big screen!
Family life in the Falklands 