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NAPOLEON BONAPARTE  I  am coming to find you.
Sixty eight years ago I boarded the Breamar Castle (part of the Union Castle shipping line) to start a journey of a lifetime. We left from Tilbury, London’s major port, and although I was on my own, in no time I made lots of friends.  A very pleasing cabin, delicious food, a swimming pool and deck games. Our first port of call was Madeira. We had very little time here, however it was very pleasant to stretch one’s legs.

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We were not allowed to go ashore here and our stay was very short. However we were entertained by loads of large sharks and dolphins. Not long now until I will be at Saint Helena. Wildly excited.

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Oh my goodness!  What a tiny island, high rocks, small beaches, pastures up high. I must get off the Breamar quickly as we are not here for long. Brazil, 5,000 miles to the west and Cape Town, 3,130 miles to the south east.
J A M E S T O W N  is the capital of the island. I took a quick trot around the town. Saint James' Church is the oldest Anglican church in the southern hemisphere, dating back from 1774.
The ship’s crew had told me there was one MUST! 
JACOB'S LADDER.
Jacob’s Ladder is a run of 699 steps up from Jamestown to a fort at Ladder Hill and
is one of the Seven Wonders of St Helena.
Big panic!  I suffer from vertigo. Not just going up but somehow I will have to get down!  I have to make up my mind  to have a go or not. But then I see some kids coming down by rail! I will leave you to guess how I got down!! An amazing experience!
Time now to find a car and head to pastures new. Not much room for cars coming the other way! Indeed not many cars at all here at this time.
The dark rocks below starts to change to all colours of the rainbow.
Lonely lad!
I have found you Napoleon at last! Napoleon Bonaparte was here from 10 December, 1815, until his death at the age of 51, on 5 May, 1821.
St Helena must be the loneliest island in the world and likely not the place Napoleon would have chosen to be in exile.
I imagined him standing there, looking at nothing but water, pondering on his past, when I arrived at his home, Longwood House, 6kms from Jamestown.

No one was there to show me around. But this was a LONG, long time ago!
However it was most interesting. His bed and very old-fashioned furniture. The garden was a delight, filled with flowers. Most of the animals had been brought in from abroad. Donkeys, sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, mice and loads of rats!
The grandest house on the island was that of the governor, Plantation House, 3.6km to the south of Jamestown.
In front of this picture is a marvellous land tortoise, his name was Jonathan. He came in from the Seychelles in 1882. I was told he was the longest living vertebrate in the world. He was 50 when he arrived. I could stroke him and another three smaller ones were not far away, he hardly seemed to know anything, I was told that he was very SEXY!
Well my time was running out and my dream had come true. Back on board with very mixed feelings. We head for Cape Town.