St Helena - would you?

[nepkoztarsasag]

I am considering taking a job in St Helena, the remote British Overseas Territory of Napoleonic fame.

Would you though?

Amy views about the island or pros and cons of expat existence (with DCs) there welcome.

[glastocat]

I've just read a book called Outliers, describing life in various British outpossts. There is a chapter on st Helena you might find interesting.

[grassroots]

I would have done it before I had kids - but would probably not be so keen now.

[WallyBantersJunkBox]

I think it depends on the age of the kids. Could be an Enid Blyton blissful existence for younger ones, hell for teens.


Is there an airport there yet?

[madwomanintheatt1c]

Really? I don't know much about St Helena, except for chatting to the many St Helenians working in the Falklands in low wage paying jobs to be able to send money home to their families...

What job? Fascinating that they are looking to employ foreigners when their own workforce leaves to earn enough money?

[NigellasDealer]

no airport at St Helena -
depends on how old your DC are tbh - if they are tiny then go for it - if they are older it might be hard for them to fit in -
this is one of the 'most remote settlements on the planet' and is very expensive to travel to or from.
I would think very hard about what it might be like to join such a closed off community.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

No. Bear in mind that if you get ill, you are basically fucked. Some friends of mine went there to work, she got ill and died. I don't know what she died from, but I would imagine that had she been anywhere else with reasonable medical care, then the chances are that she would have lived longer. If you have a medical emergency, it will take weeks to either get you to civilisation or get someone to you.

I don't think the schools are much cop, either.

[runningmad]

I know someone who has just moved there as his partner is from there, so I of course did a bit of nosing. The airport is being built, at the moment it's still the boat from South Africa. 3 primaries, 1 secondary, population under 5000. It's a very small community. It's not somewhere you're going to be able to easily do a reccie to. I think you'd have to be happy to be alone there.

[toykitchen]

I've done it! Lived there for a few years. Depends very much on your mindset and how old your children are, what kind of education and healthcare you need etc. How close you are to your extended family - could you cope being so far away from them etc. We enjoyed it. Some hate it, some love it.

[NigellasDealer]

also there are specific problems that go with being a small closed off community - let's just say i wouldnt take my teenage girl there.