Letters
My mother-in-law Smé van Zyl has always wanted to visit St Helena island. Over the years, she and her late husband read almost every book about the Anglo-Boer War and the prisoners kept on St Helena, but they never got the opportunity to sail there aboard the Royal Mail ship. So, as a special treat for her 90th birthday, we booked a flight for Smé and 20 of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Here we are at Jacob’s Ladder in Jamestown. Our group caused quite a stir on the island! South Africans could learn a lot about hospitality from the Saints, as the residents of the island call themselves. It was an unforgettable experience. We snorkelled, scubadived, fished, climbed Diana’s Peak and visited Longwood House where Napoleon stayed during his exile. We also went to his grave and visited the Boer graves on the island. We played golf on the so-called “most remote golf course in the world”. The Saints had hoped that tourists would flock to their island once the airport opened, but it hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully your article in last month’s issue will change that!