St Helena has been known for its fusion of nationalities - we're the melting pot of the South Atlantic with cultural influences from around the world which can be seen in our ancestry, built heritage & local traditions. I always wondered what the funny symbol on my childhood wooden wardrobe stood for with its weird looking EIC initials…little I knew it was a throwback to the East India Company (a multi-national trading company) which once administered St Helena during the 17

We are well into the new year here on St Helena with the Christmas decorations being taken down, our visiting 'Saints' returning back to their lives off island, whether it be back to the UK, on Ascension Island, the Falkland Islands or even Australia. But there's much to look forward to with St Helena's first International Conference happening over 2 weeks at the end of Jan/ early Feb with both local & international speakers, all coming together to research & discuss 'Diverse