‘Do you like it?’ is the common response when you tell anyone that you are staying at Piccolo Hill!
There’s been some ‘bad press’ about Piccolo Hill, so I hope this is a fair summary of life in Longwood.
As with anywhere you live there are pluses and minuses.
Here on St Helena, the area known as Piccolo Hill is a collection of 14 bungalow style detached homes owned by the St Helena Government (Chief Secretary Housing) and is mainly used to house Technical Co-operation Officers on fixed term contracts. It is situated in the Longwood District, approximately 500 metres above sea level and 6 miles or so outside of Jamestown.
Until fairly recently, the estate had begun to fall into disrepair, however some improvements have taken place and the estate has been tidied up, with regular gardeners keeping the lawns, hedges and borders in check. The outsides have been painted, albeit in a regimented pale yellow throughout!
The houses themselves are fairly substantial. Mainly 3 bedroom bungalows, with large open plan lounge/dining room from which you can access a large patio/balcony area, perfect for a glass of wine whilst watching the sun go down to the left of the Barn or a BBQ, all have an identical layout. There is a basic but functional kitchen, bathroom and separate toilet. Each has a garage and shed as well as an enclosed courtyard. Outside the homes are surrounded by extensive lawns.
Piccolo Hill taken from the Golf Course looking towards the Barn and Flagstaff
There is electricity and water (which is safe to drink) The power supply is the same as in the UK, with the same 3 pin plugs, so no worries about electrical equipment being compatible. The houses are sparsely furnished with essentials that, in many cases, have seen better days. Don’t expect top of the range furnishings, but rather outdated (1970’s style) is the order of the day. Each house comes with an electric cooker, fridge/freezer, washing machine, 3 piece suite, dining table and chairs, TV cabinet, coffee table, various non-matching bookcases, beds (we have one double and one single supplied in our house, but this varies) chest of drawers. Each bedroom has fitted wardrobes and there’s a cabinet in the bathroom. Most houses are carpeted in the main living areas in red, blue or grey carpet (or a combination) Curtains are also supplied, as is a ‘transit pack’ whilst you wait for your container to arrive!
The rent is ‘fixed’ - some people have moved to privately rented properties, only to have their rent increased within a short time and whilst private homes are often furnished more substantially, this means less room for your own belongings, unless the landlord is prepared to remove unwanted items.
The houses are definitely improved by adding your own touches, such as rugs and pictures.
So what else is good about Piccolo Hill?
The amazing views from Piccolo Hill
Well, the golf course is literally opposite the entrance to the estate, so when you finish at the 9th hole, all that is needed is a stroll across the road! It’s really peaceful. The views are to die for (but to be fair, so is anywhere on the Island) and in the height of summer the temperature in ‘the country’ is a good few degrees lower than the high heat in Jamestown, for which Piccolo residents are very grateful – particularly as it is hot most of the year! There is a small ‘supermarket’ within a 5 minute walk and a farmer who sells locally produced vegetables once a week from his farm shop, also a short walk away. Longwood House, where Napoleon lived and died is close by too.
There is company nearby if you want it – but you can choose to be as involved as you like. There are often ‘Piccolo gatherings’ where one home hosts an afternoon or evening and everyone brings a contribution. Or sometimes sharing a bottle or two with neighbours in the evening is a nice way to unwind, with no need to drive.
So what are the disadvantages?
It can be damp in ‘winter’. As it is quite high up, during the winter there is a fair amount of low cloud, which, at 100% humidity, can make it damp. It is not, however, cold – unless you are a Saint! The lowest outside temperature we have seen during winter this year on our weather station was 13.5⁰ with an inside temperature averaging 19⁰ - 22⁰ during ‘waking’ hours. There is no heating in the houses, although an electric heater is supplied, as is a dehumidifier for the damp weather! I used the heater once for about an hour throughout the whole winter period and did not find in necessary at any other time. The inside humidity runs at around 70% when using the dehumidifier and can climb higher when not.
It is a little over a 6 mile drive into ‘town’ (and work for most) taking anywhere between 20-30 minutes depending on the ‘traffic’ (well the number of times you have to pull over to allow others past!) Most of the night-life is in town as are the main handful of shops and eateries….The public transport system is poor at best, with spasmodic buses, rarely operating to the scant timetable, supplemented with taxis which are expensive and not always to be relied upon. This is mainly down to the lack of communication available – no mobile phones here, so booking has to be some time in advance and can be difficult to change if your plans do.
Did we consider moving elsewhere? Yes we did. I wanted to be closer to living life as a local, however, if you have pets, as we do, accommodation accepting them is scarce. Our lives would not be complete without the dogs. In fact the RMS is in harbour for the last time today, before Pippy and Smudge arrive! The next time I hear the sound of the RMS arriving with any luck, our girls will be on-board - I hope they forgive me for their extensive journey and don't hold a grudge too long!
On another note, we have been caring for a neighbours cat whilst he is on a return visit to the UK. He's back soon, but as you can see from the pictures, little Jo has practically moved in to No 3 - must be something about being called Andy LOL !
I've just been sent some AMAZING photos from Jane, who lived in the same house as me in 1965 - Thank you Jane
Piccolo Hill 1965
