ISLES OF SCILLY
wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 103competition between the islands is
fierce. Back down on St Agnes, we
popped into a boatshed to admire
a legendary gig called The Shah, which
dated back to 1872 and was still raced
by an island team. Parts of the boat
had been replaced over the years,
and at the nearby Pot Buoys Gallery
I admired a handmade book covered
with wood from The Shah. The profits
from its sale went to support the
racing team: ‘Own a piece of history,’
read the accompanying sign.
Gallery owner Emma Eberlein
came over as I admired a cabinet with
jewellery made from recycled plastic.
“Most of the work here is made
from materials found on the islands,
whether it’s plastic, glass or driftwood
from the beaches,” she said. “This
cabinet is made from wood from
a shipwreck – the Cita.” She took
me over to another cabinet that
contained jewellery made from beads
found on ‘Beady Pool’, a cove on
the south-east of the island where
ceramic beads from a 17th century
shipwreckarestillfoundtoday.
Intheisland’schurch,abeautiful
stained-glasswindowdepictedthe
StAgnespilotgigsrowingtothe
rescueafterashipwreck,asdescribed
byChris.ItwasdesignedbyOriel
Hicks;andbychance,thenextday
Ifoundmyselfinherstudioonthe
islandofStMary’s,whereshewas
busymakingadecorativewindow,
andwherearangeofexquisiteAll at sea
(clockwise from bottom right)
The stained-glass window by
artist Oriel Hicks documents
the kind of sea rescues that
were once common on the
islands; gazing at St Agnes’
quay; the sandy tombolo
linking the tiny island of Gugh
to St Agnes; the St Mary’s racing
gig Nornour dates back to 1971
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