THE Western Group of the Manx Wildlife Trust has organised a talk and slide show by Manx lawyer Clare Faulds as part of its annual events programme.
The talk will take place in the Athol Room in the Centenary Centre, Peel, from 7.30pm on Thursday, October 14.
Clare is well known in the Isle of Man as Vicar General and is legal counsel at a Douglas based corporate service provider.
She took the decision in 2004 to embark on a new adventure and a few months later she found herself on the way to one of the most distant British Overseas Territories, the Falkland Islands, leaving family and friends behind.
Initially she took up a two year contract as senior magistrate and coroner but Clare enjoyed her stay so much she ended up staying in office for a further year and a quarter, returning to the Island in November 2008.
When asked about her memories of living in the Falklands Clare said: "I loved the huge, wide open spaces and the biggest skies I have ever seen.
"The wildlife was very accessible because the animals are not used to ground predators so it is easy to get close to them.
"I saw some extraordinary sights and got some great photos. I was very surprised by all the dry, sunshine days in the semi-arid climate as I was expecting something wetter and more temperate."
Clare will be showing the audience slides she took while in the Falklands with a focus on animal and bird life.
She will also cover more general aspects of living in such an environment.
Clare was struck by the many Manx connections she came across: "It was extraordinary how many connections there were with the Isle of Man.
"Apart from the people I met with family ties to the Island, there was also the famous shipwreck of the Lady Elizabeth, formerly owned by the Karran family of Castletown, which now lies in Whale Bone Cove in Stanley Harbour.
"I also discovered that the SS Great Britain, designed by Brunel, retired to the Falkland Islands in 1884 and was eventually returned to Britain in 1970 following the intervention of a Manx naval architect, Reverend Dr Ewan Corlett."
There will be an entrance fee on the door of £3 which includes refreshments and home baked cakes. All proceeds go to the Manx Wildlife Trust which is moving its headquarters and shop to Peel in the New Year.
