Two Great Leaders...

Havana, June 1981: Dr. Fidel Castro, Dick Francis.
The two Great Leaders have enjoyed a special relationship for many years.

A strange record by a teller of untruths.

This strange record was released in London in 1967. It didn't make much impact on the swinging scene but it did become a hit in The Netherlands.
The music is kitsch Latin swing.
Interviewed in Het Top Pop , The Netherlands leading pop paper in 1968 the band leader , Martin Martin (actual name Marvin Jacobsen) said:
I was actually born in Tamba- Tamba, it's a freaky kinda place. A wild little island.
In truth Martin / Jacobsen had never actually set foot in Tamba- Tamba.
We at Prott have made efforts to contact Mr Martin/ Jacobsen via various record companies and entertainment agencies, but all to no avail.
We don't even know if he's still alive.
Does anybody know?

In 1924 a whale was washed up on Berry Sands.

In 1924 a whale was washed up on Berry Sands.
Whales are not often seen in The Hargreaves Archipelago.

Happy New Year!

Pyrotechnics over Palmerston Harbour as 2010 gives way to 2011.

Dennis Grimes has died.

Sad to relate that well known Palmerston  man Dennis Grimes has died.
Dennis was born in Palmerston in 1930. His parents were English immigrants who had moved to Tamba- Tamba in the mid 1920's.
Dennis spent his working life as a fisherman and lived in a cottage near the Quays. He never married and had no children.
His nephew, Noel Grimes paid tribute:
My Uncle Dennis Grimes was a truly unremarkable man. His main attribute was his consistency. Posterity? Nothing. Just a 100% ordinary  fellow who went about his daily routines, year in year out. He never asked nothing of nobody. He didn't really have many interests and I can't think of anything amusing to say about him.

An Account of the Principal Events of My Life by Henry Bould.

 Here's some stimulating news.
A member of the Prott team, Dr Dennis Groves, has recently spent time at  The Bodleian Library in Oxford studying the manuscript of An Account of the Principal Events of My Life by Henry Bould.

Bould, you may recall,  was the only survivor of the crew of  HMS Dreadful that left Tamba- Tamba under Mr Jeffries
Midshipman Henry Bould was born in Bristol in 1757. A conventional Young Gentleman, his early career was unremarkable. He supported Summer's mutiny as he was a believer in 'fair play'  and thought that Captain Stokes was no longer fit to command.
Captured by the French shortly after leaving Tamba-Tamba, Bould spent ten years as a prisoner in Guadeloupe. He escaped and made his way to the United States. He was granted a Royal Pardon in 1798 and returned to Portsmouth the following year. He lived to the age of 96 in quiet retirement in Bath Spa.

 Dr Groves

Dennis Groves writes: An Account of the Principal Events of My Life is a remarkable document. Quite how it has never been  published commercially is beyond me, as it contains all the elements of the great adventure stories.
However, our interest here lies with Tamba- Tamba, and of the approximately half a million words that Bould wrote,  just a few pages tell us anything about the island and the events that occurred there.
Bould comes across as being  the sort  who, almost naively, sees the good in everyone, and seems to be able to justify the actions of others even at his own expense.
He attributes Captain Stokes' 'decline of reason' to the ardours of a long journey with a fractious crew.
He writes admiringly of Summers, but seems that he was scarcely aware of Cock until Tome- Tome.
Following the death of Summers Bould's main motivation was to be able to return to England. He sided with Jeffries, he tells us, simply because he felt that being on board the ship was preferable to being 'marooned on an unknown island'.
According to Bould's account the relations between the two factions were almost cordial even when they were arguing on the most important point of all- whether to leave the island or not. There was some dislike of Cock and Rowley, says Bould, as it seemed to the ordinary men that they 'were grown too clever, not like the regular fellows of before.'  He also refers to Cock as 'godless' on more than one occasion.

Bould found Tamba- Tamba most pleasant island. He was ill at ease in Wessels island, and welcomed the absence of natives. He observed that Cock was probably correct in his conviction that men could live easily on the island, but that they were in fact , 'creating a most desolate gaol for themselves by remaining there'.
Bould refers to the ease with which the men were able to catch turtles and a variety of fishes, and although he describes the interior of the island as being 'mostly forested; so dense as to prove impenetrable' (200 years of human presence have taken their toll there, I'm afraid!), he alludes to 'various species of mamals (sic) or rodents and great sorts of birds' that were also eaten.
Bould doesn't really tell us anything startlingly new about the island, and his account of the disputes between Cock (he scarcely mentions Cock alone, it is always Cock and Rowley) and Jeffries are far from dramatic. This is, however, a remarkable document and would be of great interest to any enthusiasts of Tamba-Tamba history.

Did you know?

The renowned sociologist, philosopher, cultural theorist and political commentator Hector Berry-Smith (1929-1984) had strong connections with Tamba-Tamba.
His mother, Hester Berry, was one of the Berry's of Tamba- Tamba. His father, Collin Scott Smith was a South African sea captain.
Hector was born in Cape Town and after studying at Cambridge he settled in London and Paris.
He visited the island on a number of occasions in the 1950's.
Hector Berry-Smith was one of only a few European based political commentators to write at length about The Revolution, and his work on the US Blockade of 1983- Simulacra of Oppression- The Blockade as Absurdist Theatre is considered a classic.

New Surgeon General Appointed.

 Dr R.J Leonard (photograph courtesy of The British Medical Journal)

Following the death of Prof. Hercules Hastings-Smith back in September The Peoples Council For Health and Medical Services have been engaged in the recruitment of a suitable replacement as Surgeon General.
Earlier today an official bulletin was released announcing that Dr R.J Leonard has accepted the post.
Secretary General of The Peoples Council For Public Services (Health and Medical Affairs, (subdivision recruitment)) Kyle Rowley said: Dr Leonard is just the sort of guy we were looking for. He's young, dynamic and a committed syndicalist. The Peoples Council are pleased to put the health of the people, our greatest asset, in his capable hands.
Dr Leonard was unavailable for comment, but we understand that he will be moving to Tamba-Tamba in February.

Xmas At Tamba- Tamba...

Here's an e mail we recently received from Joe in Kingston - upon- Hull, England.
Hi PROTT,
I am followin youre blog as part of  my school project on different societies.
I was just wonderin what Xmas is like on Tamba tamba?
Is there any special traditions or anything?
Is there turkey?
Also whats the wether like ?
My uncle Tony sez in some countries xmas is in the summer?
be lucky
Joe
Firstly Joe, it's nice to see young people taking an interest in Tamba- Tamba.Our culture is undoubtedly very different from yours in England.
You might be surprised to hear that we don't celebrate Xmas in Tamba- Tamba, at least not in the same way as you do.
This is for the simple reason that we are a secular society. There is no religion on Tamba- Tamba. I know that some people in the west say that Xmas no longer has anything to do with religion. But of course, being a Socialist Republic we are also opposed to conspicuous consumerism, capitalism and the generation of debt.
Don't worry though. it's not all bad news!
From the earliest days of the first settlers there as always been a winter holiday. Even though Thomas Lazenby Cock and his followers rejected Christianity, they still celebrated Xmas after a fashion, with big feasts and drinking parties.
In fact they still referred to this holiday as Xmas, even though it was absolutely removed from any religious context.
As time went on the 25th December was supplanted as the main winter holiday by New Years Eve /Day.
People at Tamba- Tamba celebrate this in much the same way as you do Xmas, by giving presents and getting together with their friends and relatives.  People here, of course, are not so able to spend massive amounts of money.
As for the weather we are lucky. It's not hot at Xmas but it's not exactly winter either. The average temperature for December/ January is 15 degrees Celsius.

 Here are some pics from last years New Years Holiday:

 Buffet at Palmerston Quays Maritime Workers Club.

 An eat out at Cox's Plantation- Joyce Stock tucks in!

 Girls from PROTT academy at the college party.

FC Tamba-Tamba New Years BBQ

Dick Francis' Hospitality Stand at The House of May 15th.

Enjoy your holidays!

Orlando Hooper Remembers...

Orlando Hooper c1910

 We have been privileged to conduct a series of interviews with the oldest living Tamba- Tambaman, 109 year old Orlando Hooper . As he speaks in very pronounced Tamba- Tamba English we have made the text more 'reader friendly'.

 

Prott: Citizen Hooper, you were born in 1901; what is your earliest memory?

OH:  Well, I fancy I remember lots of things that I can't rightly recall- small details from around the house and that, from when I was no more than a baby, but reckon these must be things I was told later. For sure though I remember watching the boats coming in, and I remember wanting to go to the school with the other children. Normal, everyday things. I remember my uncle telling me that all Hoopers were fishermen, and waiting patiently to go out with them.

Prott: And you went out as a fisherman at a very young age?

OH: Full time from when I was nine, but even before that I was able to do some work on the boats. It didn't seem like work as you might think of it. It seemed most natural like. It was just what we did.

Prott: So you left school at nine?

OH: Yes- school started when you were five. It was only a couple of hours a day. But you had to go. Then once you had the basics, enough learning to be useful, your father could go to the Council and put the case for you going off to work. Or to carry on with your learning. All of us was fishing. My family always wanted more boats out, more men, less hard work. We were the main fishing family and it suited the Council. By the time I came along we were already providing enough so we could trade overseas.

Prott: This was a time of great advancement...

OH: For sure, things were getting more advanced. The Old Kakoy, he was all for it. 

Prott: Clifton Gates?

OH: Yes. All for the progress; machines and the like. It was him that started the cannery and the pickle works...

Prott: Do you think it was a good thing?

OH: For sure. People wanted it. There wasn't the problems they had elsewhere. Unemployment and that. It just made life easier for the working people.

It was always exciting when some new thing came to the island, a steam tractor or something.

Prott: Recently we've been looking back to the time of the 1914-1918 war, what do you remember about it?

OH: I remember thinking would I have to be a soldier? (laughs). And folks worrying that the Germans would invade Tamba. I don't know why they would have (laughs). Older lads, my brothers and that, doing their turn in the militia, and of course, Father and my Uncle going off to sea with The Kakoy on his warship.

Prott: The sloop?

OH: That's right. The Kakoy looked very grand in his uniform. I don't think there could have been a German or English general looking grander. Then of course when he died we had the big funeral. What a day. Everybody on Tamba was out there that day. I mean everybody. Everything stopped. There was a great sense of sadness over the whole place for a long time afterwards.
Prott: What do you remember about the Kakoy?
OH: The Old Kakoy and Sir Hugo were right amazing men. Always something new. Interested in the life of the ordinary folk too.
HR was another thing alltogether.
Prott: You knew him personally?
OH: I considered him a friend. I don't like it when they calls him The Mad Kakoy. A more lovely man you couldn't wish to meet. I remember him working on the vegetable plots- just the same as the other men, digging away, drinking his cold tea from a tin bottle, always smoking miserable little cigarettes. he would turn his hand at anything. He even did some work on our boats, painting and caulking and the like. Never saying too much, keeping his counsel as they say...

We'll be hearing more from Citizen Hooper in the near future.

Harry Roy

During an early visit to Tamba- Tamba c 1901.

 

At New York, 1908.

Henry Royston Sleight, the Third Kakoy.

 Lady Harriet

Some notes:
Harry Roy, as he was fondly known throughout his life, was born in Bristol in 1890.
He was the only son of Clifton Gates and Letitia Sleight.
He was sent to boarding school at seven. He later attended Clifton College. Harry Roy had problems learning. He was affected by homesickness, over-activity and poor concentration.
From the age of ten he spent his summers on Tamba- Tamba.
He loved the island and the people, and spent more time at Palmerston Quays than at the Big House.
His lack of academic achievement worried Clifton Gates. Clifton Gates sent him to the USA under the supervision of Thomas Paine Cox, but this did not achieve the desired end. In 1908 Tom Cox wrote to Clifton Gates:
'We are all cut from different cloth; even the son can differ greatly from the father. I think Harry will never be suited to academic study, or to any calling that requires such a background. I'm sorry to have to tell you this. Rest assured he has been splendid company, and his conduct is at all times impeccable'.
Harry Roy was returned to Tamba- Tamba and placed under the mentorship of his Uncle, Sir Hugo Gates.
Sir Hugo retained an advisory role when Harry Roy succeeded Clifton Gates as Kakoy.

Harry Roy was known affectionately as The Mad Kakoy. There is no suggestion that he was insane, but he was prolifically eccentric. During his childhood visits he was indistinguishable from the poorer urchins of the quayside. In adult life he usually went about in the garb of a common labourer, and would, unsolicited, carry out various manual jobs around the island. Chimney sweeping was his favourite occupation. On other occasions he would assume the role of 'Lady Harriet' .
Paradoxically he was a great admirer of Lenin, and believed that the island should embrace communism. In the Kakoy household he treated his staff as his equals and insisted on doing his share of the domestic chores.
A keen smoker, Harry Roy promoted the growth of tobacco on the island.
He died at the age of 39, unmarried and without children.
It is commonly believed that he died as the result of a blow to the head received from a cricket ball some weeks before he was found dead in his bathtub.

Hargreaves Cicada

Chremistica Hargreavesia photographed by Elza Rowley- Hooper.
Visitors to Tamba-Tamba are often astonished by the noise of the cicadas. Chremistica Hargreavesia is among the loudest insects in the world.

PROTT vs FC Shakhtar Donetsk (2009)

6. Hartley Cox (Pompey)
15. Marvin Stock (Fagiano Okayama)
8. Wilson Stock (Albion)
1. Fidel Smith ( FC Tamba-Tamba)
13. Nicky Cox (Pompey)
7. Edinho (FC Tamba-Tamba)
14. Cas Rowley (Albion)
5. Lee Berry (FC Tamba-Tamba- capt)
11. Luke Rowley-Hooper (Workers)
10.Ivor Stock (Albion)
4. Elvis Howard (Workers)

PROTT appeared in this rather unfamiliar all- blue strip for the visit of  FC Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine during the winter break in the Ukranian season last year (December 2009).
A decent crowd at May 15th Stadium saw a well drilled young  Shakhtar side run out 6-1 winners. Lee Berry got PROTTs goal from a penalty.
FC Tamba-Tamba's  Edinho, born in Brazil, became the first naturalised immigrant to play for PROTT.
 Well done to Dick Francis and  Shakhtar Chairman Rinat Akhmetov for negotiating this visit.

Tamba- Tambaman played a part in famous hoax.

Readers might be familiar with the San Serriffe hoax.
On April 1, 1977 England's Guardian newspaper  published a seven-page supplement devoted to the previously unknown island state of San Serriffe.
Interestingly our very own Greg Rowley played a significant role in this, although his name does not appear among the credits.
When I mentioned the San Seriffe hoax to him the other day he smiled as though evoking a fond memory.
'Like a few of the bright boys at Tamba- Tamba at that time I was lucky enough to benefit from what was known as  a Kakoy scholarship. I went to London , to private school, and then on to The University of Sussex. After graduating I was given an internship at the Guardian (journalism was my forte then, the history side developed later).
Tim Radford took a particular interest in me, and was very keen to talk to me about Tamba- Tamba at any given opportunity. He even started taking me over to his place in Virginia Water in the evenings for dinner and drinks. At first I assumed that he was going to propose that we did some piece on Tamba- Tamba. 
I thought the article was hilarious. It resonated with me because during my time in England people would ask me where I was from and they would be completely ignorant of Tamba- Tamba, so as far as the majority of English people were concerned it was no surprise they fell for San Seriffe. As I remember it it was Tim who was responsible for developing the idea of San Seriffe more so than Phillip Davies...
Some of the guys on the staff were sure that San Seriffe was modelled on Tamba-Tamba more closely than it really was, but what Tim got from me was the notion that this country could exist, and have quite a complex history and that people in England, a pretty educated section of society, could be wholly ignorant of it.'

Heroes of The Revolution

Natalie Victoria Berry - 'The Fearless Girl Soldier'.

In an era when female freedom fighters often grabbed the headlines and the imagination of the public (Ulrike Meinhoff, Leila Khaled), Tamba- Tamba had Natalie Victoria Berry.

Natalie Victoria was a very promising scholar and a keen student of revolutionary politics, joining the forces of Dick Francis at a very young age. She was a great advocate of direct action and welcomed the Revolution as an opportunity to exact revenge on the military oppressors.

Following the Revolution she was engaged in diplomatic work for The People's Council, travelling to Brazil, Cuba and Vietnam.

She disappeared whilst visiting The Soviet Union, and is believed to still be living and working in Russia.

Island Scenes.

Hoopers Point- photograph by Elza Rowley- Hooper (2005).

Elza says: This was my first ever attempt at aerial photography. We flew around the archipelago in one of the People's Aircraft- a Cessna 195 piloted by Robin Howard.

The Death of Clifton Gates Kakoy.

Despite the martial atmosphere life on Tamba- Tamba followed a relatively normal pattern and the hostilities remained a very distant affair.
In April 1915 the islanders prepared for the Hargie Cull, which had taken place annually since at least 1800.
Every man, woman, girl and boy big and healthy enough to bear a weapon participated in the event.
Clifton Gates Kakoy and his party had a lodge near Cox's Plantation, and after breakfasting with their guest, Snr.  Juan Angel McDonald, an engineer from Buenos Ares, the Kakoy party set out to bag their first lot of bandicoots.

At approximately 11:00 the party divided into two in order to flush some quarry out of a thicket.
A rifle discharged and The Kakoy fell. He had been shot through the left cheek and died instantly. Dr Bramwell Livermore was at the scene, but could see that there was nothing to be done.
The identity of the person who's gun caused the fatality was never revealed.

Sons of Dreadful Hargie Hunting Club.

Members of the Kakoy's party on the fateful day, left to right: Snr. Juan Angel McDonald of Buenos Ares, Sir Hugo Gates, Harry Roy.

The Kakoy had been well liked and the island plunged into mourning. Every person on the island attended the funeral, as well as a group from Wessels Island.

Clifton Gates Kakoy lies in state at The Big House.

Clifton Gates begins his final journey- left to right: Lady Cecilia Gates, Letitia Sleight, Dickon Berry (he built the coffin),  Sir Hugo Gates, Harry Roy  Kakoy,  Dr Bramwell Livermore, Lawrence Stock,  Harold Makepeace (a member of the Kakoy household).

The Old Cemetery-used from 1777- 1965- note the solitary Christian gravemarker, that of The Unknown Sailor.

 

 

The Kakoy Mausoleum photographed in the 1970's. It was demolished after the Revolution.

The Sloop Brougham Sleight

Clifton Gates had been a keen sailor in his youth, and he assumed the office of Commodore of the Tamba-Tamba defense force.
The force actually consisted of the sloop Brougham Sleight.

 The Brougham Sleight on patrol in Hargreaves Sound.

 

Clifton Gates in his Commodore's Uniform, made by Smelt & Co., The Burlington Arcade, London.

Tamba- Tambamen at war, 1914-1918.

The Palmerston Pals, Edgar Howard, Albert Cox and Herbert Makepeace.These brave Tamba- Tambamen travelled to England together in December 1914 to enlist in the Royal Navy. They served together aboard HMS Marlborough which was damaged at Jutland. Howard and Makepeace returned to Tamba- Tamba after the war, and Cox settled down on the island of Hoy, where he married a local woman.

Tamba- Tamba born Wessels Hooper moved to Adelaide as a boy. In 1914 he joined The Australian Light Horse and saw action in Gallipoli. Trooper Hooper contracted measles in the Dardanelles  and died on a hospital ship in 1915.

Able Seaman Bill Berry. Born in Palmerston in 1888, William Brougham Berry moved to England in 1908. Bill had been serving in the Royal Navy since 1910. He perished at the Battle of Jutland when his ship, HMS Invincible, was sunk with the loss of 1126 lives.

Pvt. Joshua Stock of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Having worked his passage to England in order to enlist Pvt. Stock served with distinction on the Western Front.He was described by his commanding officer as 'the most able and resourceful man in his company... a credit to the Negro race'. He eventually returned to Tamba- Tamba in 1921.

The Great War

In 1914 news still took about three weeks to reach Tamba - Tamba from either Europe or the United States.
Clifton Gates officially received the news that Britain had declared war on Germany (4th August) on September 2nd.
An extraordinary meeting of the Council was held.
The possibility of Tamba- Tamba declaring war on Germany was discussed.
Sir Hugo Gates spoke of the strong ties that existed between Tamba-Tamba and the British Empire, even after 60 years of independence.
Clifton Gates pointed out that the United States was maintaining neutrality. He was increasingly enamoured with the USA. On a practical note, he pointed out that Germany was an emerging naval power and that a declaration of war might invite irresistable hostility from the Germans.
Leading citizen, Jeremiah Cox took the stance that Tamba- Tamba should not concern itself with power struggles in Europe. He accepted the concerns that the island was dependent on its trade links with Britain.
The following  resolutions were passed.

1. Tamba- Tamba would remain neutral.
2. The harbour at Palmerston would formally be placed at the disposal of the British Navy (Clifton Gates wrote to First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill to this effect, but no reply is recorded).
3. Any Tamba- Tambaman wishing to join the armed forces of the British Empire was free to do so.
4. Any Tamba- Tambaman wishing to join the armed forces of Germany, Austria- Hungary or their allies would be considered to have surrendered his citizenship of Tamba- Tamba.
5. A civil defence militia with the sole aim of repelling invasion would be formed. This would include a patrol boat which would cover the entire Hargreaves Archipelago.

 

Sir Hugo Gates (seated left) with a Militia patrol, 1915. Harry Roy stands directly behind him.

 Militia men at their post at Palmerston Quays, 1915.

The island did suffer some hardship in the early stages of the war as the regular shipping route to England was interrupted by German activity.
The Militia was operational from October 1914- December 1918.
The patrol sloop Brougham Kakoy  carried out almost continuous patrols of the archipelago for the duration of hostilities but never made contact with any enemy vessel.