Brilliant & Beautiful

Brilliant and beautiful, two words that very appropriately sum up my seven months in Montserrat. And this is it - my final post here on this blog which I first started 224 days ago when I was fresh off the boat in that beautiful, tropical paradise. I would like to thank a few certain individuals in particular who have been immensely helpful whilst I was there and would like to pay tribute for without their help, my job would have been made much more immensely difficult.

First, Herman "Cupid" Francis is truly the epitome of the Montserrtain spirit - he grew up there and has stuck with Monty all through the various Soufrière eruptions, and now is a vital member in the community who is continually enthusiastic, helpful and loyal. As Director of Culture, he has a massive responsibility in making sure the arts and culture of Montserrat continues to thrive from strength to strength, and also ensures that tourism continues to flourish. Thank you for your help in getting me settled in, in helping to move things along and for helping to get organised when I first stepped off the plane without any much of a clue as to what to do.

Next, I would like to thank the governor of Montserrat and his wife, Adrian & Sujue Davis, for always being such welcoming hosts. If the spirit of Montserrat could be condensed into a brick-and-mortar household, it would be yours - endearing, generous and warm. Thank you for all your help, especially in planning the diamond jubilee recital. Sujue - I will always fondly remember your cooking (and wonder when might be the next chance I get to taste it)!

To everyone whom I met on Montserrat, thank you for showing me such a wonderful time - you have made it essentially a wonderful 7-month working holiday for me. Jo & I would also like to thank everyone who come to our informal wedding reception at the Royal Palm Club. It has been absolutely wonderful to get to know all of you and we hope to see you again soon at some point!

And finally, thanks to Sir George & Lady Judy Martin, Gordon Young and Clare Catchpole for essentially making it happen. Nothing would have even gotten off the ground if not for all the support, belief and conviction towards this inspiring project. And best wishes to Rebecca - I'm starting to get a bit envious of the wonderful year which I'm certain is lying ahead of you! And thanks to all my blog readers whom I hope have managed to enthral and entertain in some small way or another - I hope you've had as much fun reading it as I have been writing it. Here's till the next time I find myself on the Emerald Isle!

Mud & Slopes

On my final full day in Montserrat, I decided to take on something which I always wanted but never got the chance to - tackling the tallest peak in the Centre Hills, Katy Hill. According to the Montserrat Tourist Board website, they mention that "you will definitely need a guide" and "hikers should be prepared for a very strenuous experience, as well as mud and moisture in the Katy Hill cloud forest". As such, I managed to cajole Paddy to take Gerren and myself up the Katy Hill North trail, which is the most direct way up and down the summit.

Little did I know that I was to end up embarking on the steepest hiking trail I've ever done. Hiking seemed like an inappropriate term in this case - towards the end of the trail, we were scrambling up 60-degree angle slopes and traversing 2-foot wide ridges with 80-degree drops on both sides. It was certainly not for the faint of heart - indeed, I'm surprised that over all these years no one (that I know of, at least) has fallen off! The trail was extremely steep and uneven throughout, and coming down was more of exercise of sliding down on your bum and hoping that the wet, slippery mud doesn't send you flying off the side of the hill.

Nonetheless it was rewarding work, despite only being able to catch glimpses of the stunning scenery through gaps in canopy, and with no distinct summit marker it was a little hard not to put off the "oh, so this is it?" feeling. Should you ever visit Montserrat and decide to embark on this trail, be prepared!

Making our way back down the muddy trail.

Taking a scenery break.

View of the north end of Montserrat from the slopes of Katy Hill.

With Montserrat being such a hilly island, hiking certainly is a great way to tour the island and soak in the views from the numerous vantage points scattered about. Indeed, Monty has more cliffs than beaches, giving it its imposing character when seen from air.

Onwards & Forwards

A huge congratulations to Becky Chalmers, who has been selected by Guildhall & the Montserrat Foundation (UK) as the next music education specialist to be based full-time in Montserrat for a year. Becky, also a Guildhall postgraduate, is a major in orchestra studies with flute as her principal instrument.

Becky previously trained as a chorister and has extensive experience leading choirs. She also plays the piano and has musical directed productions with Newcastle University. I am excited to see her carry out the continuation of education and outreach work in Montserrat and I am sure her presence will be a huge inspiration to students and the wider community!

Becky will also be maintaining her own blog about her endeavours in Monty, so stay tuned!