There is so much still to tell you about this place. I haven't said much yet about the people we have met and are getting to know.

Debbie Wahle and her family have been a real life line for us from early on. While back home and still planning they were able to answer all our random questions about schools and shopping and lifestyle here, and of course Debbie was the one who met us at the port on the first day with daughter Mia. Debbie is the island's public solicitor and they have been here for about 18 months. It's clear she is a really well respected and influential member of the community. She seems to know everyone as she is involved in all sorts of things outside of work, including the Christmas panto, New Horizons youth group, and the Family Support Trust (more about those later). She is also a self confessed closet estate agent! She loves finding and checking out vacant houses for arriving ex-pats!
Her husband Simon is a very warm and welcoming person, every time he sees us he checks we are ok and have everything we need! He is teaching part time and working in an accounts office, and is also involved in various community projects. As well as Mia, they have Dan who is eight, and Rosie, an 'island dog' (which is code, I think, for slightly insane cross breed with dodgy eyes!!!)

Last Sunday they invited us up to their house (a mile or so further up the road) for coffee. After half an hour Martin was whisked away with Simon to help another ex pat family who were moving house. Debbie took us to some of her local shops, which, like many on the island, are tucked away, garages, or even front rooms of residential properties, selling an eclectic / slightly random range of products. At one for example, you can buy groceries, plus a selection of shoes. Another is good for DVD rentals, and another will sometimes sell watermelons, (supermarket shopping is a distant happy memory, more about that too later!) Debbie also showed us Plantation house and gardens, famous for Jonathan the tortoise, allegedly about 200 years old and surprisingly agile for such an old boy! We were able to get within a few feet of him, but thats not something we will be able to do for much longer. Plans are afoot to install walkways in the grounds at Plantation House, to keep people well away from Jonathan and his friends, so they are not too stressed in their dotage.

We went back to Debbie's for a bite of lunch, and she then proceeded to cook enough pasta to feed about 50 people, which we drove over to Luffkins, the new home of another ex-pat family, to feed all the troops who were helping with the move. Children and dogs everywhere, it was organised chaos, but really showed the spirit of a community that pull together to support and help one another because the resources we are used to (in this case a removal firm) are just not available here. We found Martin assembling a trampoline with one of the other newly arrived ex pats. He'd been well supplied with beer and it seemed a good, blokeish way for him to get to know people and get involved.

The Stevensons; Mark, Morag, and sons Aaron and Matthew, have also been really welcoming. Morag is the island's prosecution lawyer (can you spot a theme here?!) and Mark works in the prison with Martin as well as having numerous other jobs/ roles/ fingers in pies! Mark, bless him, spent time cleaning our house before we got here, has lent us a TV and other bits and pieces, and seems to have taken Martin under his wing. nothing is too much trouble!

Last Saturday they offered to give us an island tour. I went in morag's car, boys in the back and dog milo at my feet! He's their dog from the UK, not an 'island dog' though arguably just as crazy. He's really chubby due to a mix up of dog rations on his voyage out here, but that's another story! (they have a Suzuki jiminy, similar to the one arriving in our container, it's a fab car for these roads, a good choice!) Mark went with Martin and the girls, and we drove in convoy up to Longwood, and out to millennium forest, which was not what I was expecting, the tallest trees are about 3 ft. I think the clue is in the name, it's a forest to encourage the growth of an indigenous tree, conceived at the millennium!

The Stevensons have also promised to take us out on a boat (not sure if it's theirs or one they borrow). We are finding this with several expats, there's a real generosity, they are keen to support us, make us feel welcome, and help us settle. I guess they have all been there.

I met Josie briefly at the crazy house move event on Sunday, then caught up with her for coffee on Tuesday. She has a daughter, Nell, in Lottie's class and also a son, Gull, who is 4. She had phoned me and said "are you sure there's nothing you need to borrow?" And after racking my brain, I realised I needed hangers, plus a heavy bottomed pan for cooking (the saucepans supplied with the house are thinner than a can of coke, cooking is an art form, nearly impossible to heat things up without burning!) the loan of those items has made a huge difference! She has clearly done this before! Josie is really friendly and good fun. She is keen to learn to scuba dive so we are hatching a plan to be dive buddies...