St Helena: Empire, slavery, prison, flax and donkeys – a history of this remote and challenging island

By JOHN TYRRELL 

St Helena is a remote volcanic island in the middle of the South Atlantic. A self-governing overseas territory, it’s the home of an ageing population of ‘Saints’, a mixed-race people from the British Isles, Asia and Africa. John will tell us about the history of the island, its economy and famous prisoners. He will go on to describe modern St Helena and introduce Jonathan, a 190 year old tortoise. John has visited St Helena three times and is a member of the Friends of St Helena.