At 4pm on October 31st 2019 with daylight rapidly failing, the last visitor of the season boarded the Gower Ranger and turned to wave. Little did we know then what was to follow. It would be 547 days before a visitor set foot on Ramsey again.
But on 2nd May 2021 return they did. With the boat restricted to a max of 12 it was a small but enthusiastic group who paved the way. Nia gave her first talk as the new Ramsey Warden, the revamped, covid secure, outdoor introductory talk space worked well and even the lack of a cup of tea at the end of the day couldn't dampen spirits!
The Ocean Ranger landing our first passengers of 2021
Nia giving the first introductory talk of 2021
The first day of the new visitor season ended very much like most of the preceding month had been, warm, dry and sunny.....and then it all changed! After just 10mm of rain in the whole of April we saw 25mm fall in 24 hours as 60mph winds battered much of the UK and left it feeling like autumn. The log burner, dormant for most of April was fired back into life, the tractor was put away following weeks of preparing the arable plot and all hatches were battened.
The 2nd May dawned bright and sunny to herald the arrival of our first visitors
Today was dry and sunny at least but the chill north westerly still touched gale force, slowly easing as the day went on. Tomorrow looks a bit more hopeful and Thursday even more so, but the long range forecast is 'mixed' at best with more gales and rain forecast for this weekend.
After the torrential rain of bank holiday Monday came sunshine and fierce showers
Now don't get me wrong, the island is in desperate need of rain, the scorched grassland is fast becoming a desert and the ponds resemble the puddles normally seen in July. But it would have been nice to get a few more days of visitor landings under out belts first!
If you are planning a visit, don't give up hope! Keep in touch with our ever helpful boat office staff at Thousand Islands Expeditions who will keep you posted on forecasts and the best days to aim for. Give them a ring on 01437 721721 or email them at info@thousandislands.co.uk to book your place on the boat.
No one said it was going to be straightforward, this is island life after all!