Any one lived in the Falklands?

[weenawoo]

I've just found out that DH has got a years accompanied posting to the falklands. We will be going in January when DD will be around 18 months - anybody know anything about housing, stuff to do etc? Thanks.

oh my word! the races are hilarious.
i've not lived there as a wifey, but i used to be responsible for the quarters lol. will you be living in stanley or at mpa?
you don't need to lock your doors lol. it's probably changed a bit (but then how much can a peat bog in the middle of nowhere really change?!) but you will have the oddest most wonderful time, i'm sure. mpa had a wee little nursery... bit of a stretch to, er, 'town' though...
how exciting - i always said i'd love to go there with the kids
i'm all of a dither for you!

Well I'm still excited - I always said I wanted to travel - so south america will be there. MWA is it going to be terrible is Mount pleasant miles away from everything?

I take it that no one has anything to say to me about this then. Please help with tales of briliant times there...

Sorry Madwoman, you did bother, I was just thinking that sombody on here must have gone out there with their family for a year.

For what it's worth, friends of ours went out there on a two-year accompanied posting (they had two boys aged around 4 and 7 at the time) and they loved it. We've since lost touch, so I'm afraid I can't help with more pertinent information.

Thanks - thats a little reasuring!

I would love to go the falklands , infact wanted to go there to live before I had even met dh. We haven't done married accompanied down there but dh has just returned 2 weeks ago from another 6 months BFSAI deployment. As you say South America is just on the doorstep which is a massive pull for me too.

Not sure if you have seen this

www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/ServiceCommunity/OverseasPosting/BFSAI/BritishF orcesSouthAtlanticIslandsbfsai.htm

but thought the links on the right hand side may be useful to you.

hehe, the mention of flaklands always makes me think of dh's little story...

he went down there for a posting for the first time when he was quite young....when he told his step-mum that that was where he was going to go she said : " Oh that will be nice, you will get a nice tan " ...
of course he turned round and mentioned that he was likely to see penguins

I am rather excited about the penguins! Thanks for the link Lemonadesparkle.

the penguins are quite cool - but take the opportunity to get over to Sealion Island and see the elephant seals too - an experience not for the fainthearted but truly amazing! we camped in a penguin colony once - truly bizarre (and a bit whiffy) - if you put your torches on at night and shine them around, they all run towards you. odd, and a little disturbing, but unmissable.
... and FIXmas in the summer, and BBQ in the snow on 4th July...

ummm, it depends what you mean by 'anything' really, given that the islands are really just a peat bog floating in the South Atlantic, there isn't a lot of 'anything' on the islands to be close to... but you can drive to Stanley for the um, general stores... It used to be a gravel road with huge flood trenches either side and fairly dangerous (there used to be a lot of accidents with landrovers rolling) so I'm assuming they have upgraded it a bit to make it safer - it's been a few years since I've been out there tbh, but I don't imagine it's changed much lol.... as long as you are keen on a fairly quiet outdoorsy life with dinner parties thrown in to while away the long winter evenings then you'll love it

stuff to do... um. go to the beach and walk. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, but windy. no ozone layer... looks like paradise but no ice cream vendors lol. and the penguins give the game away a bit... go and see the argentinian graffitti in a few of the further afield places? see the wrecks around stanley...

what job is dh doing? i so wanted a family tour there.

DH is a supply officer so, some supply type job (he's not really sure at the mo). It's all been confimed now - we go on January 11th.
I'm looking forward to it really it's just a little scary when I think about how different it's all going to be! DD should be a nice age to go somewhere like that though and we do like walking, nature, the sea etc.
It's good to hear from people that have been there, most friends I've told are making pitying noises and ruining the positive outlook I'm trying to maintain!

are you green or blue? think the OC job alternates... the supply bar used to be ok think i've still got my t-shirt...

and the pool is terrific...

That's a point - theres always the bar! The base seems to have lots on it - have spent a lot of time looking at Mount Pleasant on Google earth and trying to spot quarters, golf course, play ground...
Sorry don't understand the blue/green thing, really should take more interest in DH's job!

army or raf lol - not too tricky! i'm assuming green... do they still have a monthly blackout exercise for when the argentinians come back? (lol, sorry )

our rule was sport M-F, bar at the weekends (apart from the sunday morning run to mare harbour and back... that would be the penance for sat night in the bar)... is it still a six day week? by saturday lunchtime the bar was very definitely calling...

at one point MPA had the longest corridor on earth i think... but there were places in it that you didn't really want to be... do you know which units will be on the island? it can make a big difference to the general feel of the place. we were v lucky and had ghurkas, which was fab from a cuisine pov... and far less fighting than an awful lot of other chaps!

i was only there for 6 months, but do envy you. have a fabulous time! I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on - i'll be in sunny/ snowy canada though, so may have got over my envy by january

Feel a little stupid now, that was rather obvious - he's raf. Think it's still a six day week from what we've found out so far. We don't know much about it all at the moment, just know the date we go.
May be posting lots with daft questions over the next few months!
I think Canada might be more fun, enjoy!

oh, and avoid the minefields.

top tip.

Thanks!

Hiya. I have spent a month down there 2 years ago with my DH after my return indulgence flight was full for 3 full weeks! LOL

We stayed in a fmily room besides MPA Primary school with all of about 20 kids in it! LOL This was also at the MQ end if the base. The MQs looked quite nice actually. Wooden type bungalows (I assume its just cladding but didnt get close enough to be sure). Each one had a nice conservatory on.

Alot of the wives and kids ate in the mess when we were there. There were pemanent high chairs in the mess. One of the wives said that food was so expensive to buy and a bit random as to what you could actually get hold of it was easier for her and the kids to eat in the mess alot and buy meal tickets.

I ate in the mess 3 x per day every day and have to say the food was brill. The only thing I noticed after a week or so was that most meals consist of root veg or frozen fruit/veg. I really began to miss FRESH fruit and Veg. It was there the day after the planes arrive (2x per week) but gone also the same day! So grab your fresh fruit quickly.

Usual cinema, bowling an various bars on base. A huge DVD library. I spent alot of time watching DVDs and in the Gym and swimming.

The drive to Stanley is about 45 minutes an the road is mainly a gravel track with a 40mph speed limit because you HAVE to stay on the road because of the landmines. Stanley is - eeerr small! Blink and you'll miss it, perhaps not after the mundane and bumpy drive there. The General stores and gift shop sell a random collection of stuff like Tesco washing powder next to Sainsburys shampoo. I saw a pink bottle of Salon Selectives conditioner on the shelf - not something I have seen in the UK for 10 years! I bought some Tesco biscuits which were 6 months out of date as were a few other items! So check the dates and OMG the price of it all is shocking!

Lots out lovely outdoorsy stuff to do. The trip to Sealion Island is highly recommended. There is a small hotel andtea room there so you could make a trip of it!!

I met a lady who living on base with her DH and she told me they were going to Ascension for a holiday! Its the nearest place at about 6 or 7 hours flight away. You stop off there going out and back to the Falklands. Its enerally hot and sunny. Several hotels/ rentals to choose from. The turtles on the beach to see etc etc. Would be an experience and break from the blustery Falklands I would imagine.

Hope this helps!! Cannot think of much else to mention but ask and I will try to answer, although I was only there for a month!

Thanks Slummymummy, I'm getting very excited about this move - does sound like a mad place though!
Have found out that we are entitled to at least two trips to the other islands so really looking forward to seeing the wildlife.
Am learning to drive at the moment so the prospect of a landrover and no proper roads s a little daunting!

i am madly bumping this just in case weenawoo did ever get there - how ya doin'?

i know someone who needs to ask some schooly q's

DH did the Falklands in 2007 (I couldn't go coz a. Job and b. we weren't married then!). He really enjoyed it and did managed to steal a week on Ascension Island under the excuse that he needed to make sure the accomodation was up to scratch!

He also spent 4 months in Ascension in 2003 - not a lot to do there with only 3 flights a fortnight, so he spent a lot of time fishing and diving!

I am so excited for you. I would love to go, but DH not interested, have no advice for you, but please keep posting and tell me what its like. You must get BFBS as the weather report & falklands 'news' is always on where we are.

BFBS 'Diary' has just been on there is a Battlefield Tour and Sub Aqua this week!