Time Teams excavation of the Colossus wreck site is finally to be aired on Channel four this week, following a project fraught with controversy. The popular Channel four archaeological documentary, fronted by Tony Robinson, will be shown on 9 o?clock primetime television this Thursday.

Channel four is promoting this programme as a ?documentary special? and has worked with the British Museum and the Archaeological Diving Unit to bring up priceless shards of Etruscan pottery and assist in the recovery of a 5metre figurehead from the sand.

The wreck was originally discovered in 1976 but the new site was found in 1999 some 1km from the original site. It is still not clear who discovered the new site first, armature divers from St. Marys or a team from St. Marys and Bryher. The Time Team programme had been scheduled for an earlier broadcast date but the programme ran into difficulties when the salvor in possession of the wreck demanded ?100,000. Since that time, the team have focussed on creating a 3D model of the debris from the wreck and how it has been affected by weather and tides.

Channel four promote this programme by saying ?This Time Team documentary special tells the story of HMS Colossus and its demise, and explains how two sections came to lie so far apart on the seabed. With the help of Brian Lavery and other experts, the programme revisits the first excavation 26 years ago and tells the story of the scandalous ?m?nage ? trois? of Nelson, Sir William Hamilton and ?that Hamilton woman?, Emma. The documentary culminates with the latest exciting and important finds, their safe excavation and preservation?. This documentary is a must for all Scilly enthusiasts and represents one of the biggest programmes centred around Scilly in recent years.

The clipper 2002 race around the World will begin on Sunday at Albert Dock, Liverpool. The tough race around the World will begin in the UK, travelling south to Portugal and on to America where they will finish their first leg. Sailing from Liverpool to Cascais, Portugal, the yachts will pass the Islands - either east or west, depending upon the weather - mid-week.

Clipper Ventures write: “Initially they may have to beat down St George?s Channel between Wales and Ireland before breaking out into the Celtic Sea. The direct course takes them to the west of the Isles of Scilly but some may tuck inside if they have a fair tide. They will pass well to the west of the famous island of Ushant off the NW tip of Brittany and head direct for Cape Villano on the NW corner of Spain. This 400 mile stretch takes them across the Bay of Biscay which they will be happy to put behind them. For the first third of this crossing they will still be on the Continental Shelf and the depth will be between 100 and 150 metres. Suddenly the depth will increase to over 4000 metres and this is significant as the short uncomfortable seas will become longer and the ocean sailing starts!”

Good luck to the crews - especially sailing from the UK, as the weather has been unpredictable, with stormy weather.

Links:
http://www.clipper-ventures.com/raceviewer/index.htm
Clipper Ventures: ?Clipper 2002?

British International Helicopters have announced a 10% rise in the costs of fares, largely due to the low confidence in the aviation insurance market.

After last years terrorist attacks in New York, many insurance companies have pulled out of the aviation market, forcing the remaining ones to increase their charges. Sources at BIH have pointed out that their insurance costs have risen by 230% as compared to last year. The above inflation rise in BIH’s tickets is directly linked to this insurance.

BIH were recently forced to back down on plans for a brand new helicopter as it was discovered that fares would have to increase by 200% to make the acquisition viable. Airport charges for British International have also gone up this year due to their own higher insurance.

It is expected that other travel operators running to the Islands will be forced to follow suite for similar reasons. The costs of British International flights are due to rise from this autumn.

The Steamship Company are hoping that all passengers due to travel on Mondays cancelled Scillonian can be re-accommodated to their ‘Skybus’ service.

Continued bad weather forced the Scillonian to remain docked at the Albert Pier, Penzance, as a combination of tides, rough seas and increasing wind speeds made it unsafe to risk a voyage.

The decision will have meant that all the Company’s aircraft, several ‘Islanders’ and a ‘Twin Otter’, will have had to fly on an almost continuous Schedule. This will have been a welcome mishap for many ‘Scillonian III’ passengers as journey times will have been reduced by several hours.

Late on Monday afternoon, one of BIH’s two helicopters, ‘Foxtrot Juliet’, developed a technical fault, reducing the service to one helicopter. Some delays were due to mount into hours, meaning flying would have to be extended until well after 8 P.M.

The cancellation of Monday’s sailing rounds off a difficult weekend for the ‘Scillonian’, Saturday seeing an early return trip at 2 P.M to avoid a bad spell of weather which took hold on Saturday evening. As the Scillonian is now on her winter Schedule, the next sailing will be on Wednesday the 23rd.

Like most of the South, the Islands had a late Summer (or a bright Autumn). Fortunately, the late summer also ended late. Winter weather began on Friday 11 October, when weather started becoming overcast.

Now there have been two storms on the Islands in the last week, with gale force winds and boughts of heavy rain. These storms have made few disruptions so far, with passenger trips running smoothly, and the lifeboat has not been called out.

Birdwatching season is at it?s peak on the Islands, with very few interesting birds present. Twitchers are hoping these strong winds will blow something their way after a last week?s disappointment.

The mainstay of the Scillonian winter economy is blooming yet again with the early arrival of several varieties of narcissus. The Flower industry has always been important to the local economy and the mild weather means that Scillonian growers can send flowers to market well in advance of their mainland counterparts.

‘Innisidgen’ and ‘Paper Whites’ (pictured) are two of the earlier varieties and fields across The Islands are beginning to glow in their trademark extravagance. The flower industry has always been important to The Islands, with farms on every inhabited Isle. The flower season overlaps well with The Islands’ primary industry, tourism, ensuring the economy retains its vigour right through the year.

Once the flowers are picked, packed and tied, they are transported to the mainland by helicopter or Freight boat. Whilst the fields are fairly sparse at the moment, the coming weeks and months will see the many different varieties bloom and be sent away for sale, many destined for high profile markets such as Covent Garden in London.