Globusz^® Publishing 

“Good evening everyone and welcome to the third meeting of the Enniskerry Island community. I think every member, including all our children, are assembled here today with the exception of Jock and Morag as Jock is unwell and understandably doesn’t feel up to the long journey south. This will be the last meeting before moving to the island. I hope you will all continue to get to know each other and use the opportunity to ask any questions to clear up anything that is concerning you. I do not guarantee that everything will go like clockwork on the day we take up residence on the island but maybe that will make it all the more exciting and adventurous, for the very reason that everything is so new.

“First, I would like to give you an update as a result of the experience of our advance party who returned from Enniskerry just a few days ago. The lodge where I will reside has six spare rooms and can house up to twelve people if necessary, some of the other rooms being used for storage. As most of you are aware, there are twenty crofts in total. I am pleased to announce that sixteen are now up to habitable standard; the other four will be completed soon after our arrival when further materials will be delivered.

A number of people have volunteered to camp until their crofts are ready. Materials are on site for this purpose and for the construction of two large outbuildings for temporary storage and for a canteen-cum-kitchen. In the meantime two large ex army tents will be used.

“I would like to draw your attention to the arrangements for deliveries north for onward transfer to the island, which are contained in the folders that have been handed out to all of you. Please read carefully and ensure we have the minimum of hassle on the day.

“You will know that we have now established a large temporary store near to the jetty on the mainland in order to house all communal equipment plus all your individual equipment and belongings. We intend to take delivery of all our requirements into this store progressively up to the eve of our departure to the island. Then we shall commence ferrying as much as possible to the island on the day of our take over.

“Islanders are asked to make their own arrangements for transporting their belongings to the temporary store during the coming weeks and co-ordinate all these delivery arrangements with Denise. We simply cannot risk everybody’s belongings arriving on the same day. It is essential that everything be labelled with your Christian name and the number of the croft, room or place allocated to you. We have arranged for a number of large removal vans to be collecting communal requirements from the London and other Midland areas and travelling to our mainland assembly point two days before departure to the island. If you have any difficulty with your own arrangements some space may be available on these removal vans but, in order to avail yourself of this possibility, arrangements must be made via Denise in good time.

“Please note carefully the maximum permitted sizes for crates. If you do not conform to this request, you risk your luggage being left on the mainland for a much longer time. Also you have been given the dimensions of the rooms in your allocated croft, so be careful that your larger items, for instance your bed, table, wardrobe, or cupboards do fit the rooms, if not they may have to be left out in the rain.

Your own journeys north, taking, should be completed by the day before departure to the island. There is no need to co-ordinate these journeys with Denise but please make sure you are there on the day. Hotel accommodation has been booked in your names for the night prior to departure to the island.

“On the day of departure priority will first be given to the transport and erection of the two large army tents for our storage requirements, and kitchen. All families and individuals will be provided with a double burner bottled gas cooker and a gas heater with gas bottles, two saucepans, a Tilley lamp, a packed lunch and a miscellaneous box containing the minimum of plate, bowl, cup, cutlery, matches and candles etc. for use on the day. Islander’s individual possessions will then follow.

“On the day of take over, transport and deliveries to the island will commence at first light. Angus will provide our own ferry service and will supervise the loading of his boat. Volunteers will be asked to do the actual manual work of loading and off loading, perhaps with a rota system. If there is particularly stormy weather priority will be given to most essential items.”

“Once on the island, belongings will be transported to your individual accommodation by a trailer pulled by a tractor. Again, in the event of bad weather, essential supplies will be taken first. May I suggest that although the temptation will be great to sort out your own belongings in your new home directly they are delivered, please remember that others will not have reached that stage. It would be wonderful if we could all help each other, so as to avoid some, other than the young children of course, being snugly tucked up in bed while others are still toiling in the rain to get their neighbour’s possessions to them.”

The afternoon session seemed to go well, everyone mixing to exchange his or her thoughts. The children talked excitedly with each other and before we could believe it we were into the more formal session of questions.

“Nick!”

“Will we ‘ave a disco, a pub, a fish and chip shop an’ a bettin, shop, like we’ve got at ‘ome?” There was a round of laughter.

“The answer to that is you can have whatever you want provided that a sufficient number of your island colleagues agree. Each request would come before the committee and be voted upon. Sound out Angus and see what he thinks about a fish and chip shop, he might have at least a fifty percent interest in the fish if not the chips. I’m not sure about the betting shop, what with the lack of race horses and a race course on the island, but if you’re keen on betting I’ll give you £100 to £1 that this island will be a great success.” At that everyone gave great cheers.

“Alison!”

“Will we be able to take pets because we’ve got a dog a cat?”

“Yes, you will be able to take your pets but you must understand that we will be effectively living on a farm and so your pets must be controlled and not allowed to worry the sheep. Some farmers have been known to shoot dogs that persistently annoy their sheep. Which brings me to another point for parents to note as well. Resist the temptation to name the animals that are being farmed. It’s nice to adopt a fluffy lamb and personalise it by giving it a name but you may then have the responsibility of explaining how you child’s most favoured and delightful pet came to be piping hot on a plate in front of them ready for them to eat. Terry, it’s your turn.”

“I’m still a bit concerned about this contract. Suppose I want to purchase something solely for my own use from the mainland, and pay for this with my own money, how would this be affected in terms of the contract?”

“The answer to your question lays in the word ‘reasonable’ which is used in the contract. I want the islanders to be free to operate, if possible, in the market economy — free enterprise if you like. Inevitably there will have to be financial exchanges with the mainland. I will certainly have to involve myself in this way solely for the needs of the island. In terms of something exclusively for your own benefit or financial gain, I am determined not to act as a God and dictate what any one of you should do or not do. It will be your responsibility to act fairly. If you are seen by your colleagues to be living on this island without making a fair and reasonable contribution to its progress then I would suggest that in fact you would not be an islander.

“I am still considering, the possibility of doing away with the need for money completely on the island. You may feel that this is a crackpot idea but if my ambitions are fulfilled we will eventually be self-sufficient. When you move on to the island, many of your colleagues and I, will progressively be providing you with accommodation, food, heating, lighting, education for your children, technical and personal assistance and many other things, free. Soon we will all owe each other a perceived debt that will only be relieved by us giving freely of our own efforts. I ask you, where would there be a need to exchange actual money. I hope this has gone some way to answer your question. Jonathan, what would you like to say?”

“My Dad has just said to me that I might not get any ‘pocket money’. Is that right?” Among some laughter, I replied: “Jonathan, it’s up to your mum and dad whether they give you any pocket money. Think of it like this. Mum and Dad may not yet be earning any money here, and you will not have anything to spend it on even if you were given any. There isn’t a shop on the island yet and so there is nothing to buy. Perhaps we will have a shop one day but that needs some thought.

“Andrew?”

“I think we should have a flag for the island.”

“Nicola?”

“Yes, and it should have three colours, yellow for the sun, grey for the mist and green for the green fields.”

“Miranda?” (This was Terry’s young daughter.)

“I think it should have a lamb to remind people of all the animals we will have there.”

“All great ideas. You three get together, make a drawing or painting in colour, give it to me and I will get a flag made to be hoisted to the mast on the lodge from the day we arrive.”

The more formal part of the evening ended and we returned to a number of smaller groups, all in animated discussion, full of expectation and good humour.

“During the evening I had a long chat with Miranda, our teacher, about how she felt the school could be best run. I gave her the anticipated number of children with their approximate ages: six children between five and eleven and eight children between eleven and eighteen.

As Mark, Richard, Nicola and Zoe would be five or under, she felt that a playgroup would be more suitable if one could be formed.

I was pleased that many of her ideas ran in tandem with mine. She had already produced two draft timetables for the Junior and Senior schools. We both felt that the basic structure of the school would be greatly enhanced by having islanders with differing skills and interests combining for a varied input to the lessons. I mentioned Belinda with her musical training, and Lynda, who had many valuable qualities for instructing in Physical Education. I suggested that perhaps Miranda should also consider Lynda’s suitability as an assistant teacher. I added that we were fortunate in having Robert who had volunteered his help and was available for all computer related studies and that perhaps that we should incorporate this into the syllabus, perhaps it was essential anyway.

I learned later that Miranda and Lynda had met, and that they got along well together. Miranda thought she would be ideal as an assistant teacher and Lynda was over the moon to have been considered. Lynda had been given a free hand to organise the entire PE, games and sports during particular periods in the week. Later, I added in the need for adult sports such as badminton, karate and yoga when we were better organised during the evenings.

I was not certain about the school accommodation but envisaged that it would have to be temporary at first, probably in a large army tent of the type that would also be used for our kitchen/canteen that I was assured are very secure and stable if erected correctly. It would be OK in size but would require a suitable solid floor, and, of course, adequate heating and suitable lighting.

Slowly, as the evening progressed, people began to leave and those left became less excitable and more constrained in their discussion. I wondered how many would be having difficulty in wrenching themselves away from friends, family and loved ones to start on this adventure. I wondered if any would have real regrets. I wondered if the pressures would begin to show in some after the first month or so. I wondered many things but I considered that I had carried the scheme through to this stage without any major disasters and I remained firm in my belief that the project as a whole, was sound and that only good could come from it, for each of my new friends and for myself.