From Prison To Paradise

St Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic, has just opened its first airport, allowing visitors to delve into its fascinating history.

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Descended from British settlers, East India Company employees, slaves and indentured Chinese labourers, ‘Saints’ are easily recognisable for their laid-back attitude and lyrical speech. Their English sounds archaic, a sort of mix between the West Country, Australian and Jamaican.

Saints’ disposition is amiable and easygoing. This is not surprising, as they live on a piece of paradise free of many of the modern world’s ills. There’s practically no crime, no drugs, no pollution, and no poverty or excessive wealth. Children play unsupervised, old dogs sleep in the main street and everyone offers a greeting as you pass.

St Helena is a tiny island boasting a disproportionately large slice of history. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, it became a strategic waypoint for homebound sailing ships and was kept a secret for more than 80 years. The British occupied the island in 1659 and, apart from a brief Dutch invasion, it has flown the Union Jack ever since. Many historical figures have stepped ashore, including Captains Cook and Bligh, Wellington and Darwin.