The Government of Montserrat's ash cleaning project, funded by DFID, is gathering momentum.

On 12 July 2003 the biggest dome collapse of the eruption saw some 75 million cubic metres of the dome collapse during heavy rainstorms with resulting ash deposits of over 2 cms in the west - central part of the island from Woodlands to Plymouth.

The north of the island also received ashfalls of up to 1 cm but it was the Salem, Old Towne, Olveston areas getting the most ash. In areas of Old Towne deposits of up to 15 cms were recorded.

Realising that they were faced with an environmental and health disaster if the ash was not moved, the Government of Montserrat approached DFID for funds to mount a major clean up campaign.

On 14 October, DFID announced that £4 million was being provided for the clean up and appointed Melvyn Tebbutt MBE as the Project Manager. Mr Tebbutt had previously worked on the island with the hospital project in St John's.

The project is designed to clean up habitable areas between Iles Bay Hill and Cheap End, St Peters. The areas have been divided up into six geographical zones, namely;

Area A Happy Hill, Frith's, Flemmings & Hope
Area B Old Towne
Area C Lime Kiln, Olveston, Glebe & part of Salem
Area D Olveston
Area E Woodlands, Palm Loop to south of Cheap End
Area F Iles Bay Hill.

The project is being managed from the EOC and they also have an office at the Salem Police Station. Nearly 300 persons are being employed with the project and an unspecified amount of heavy equipment and trucks are being used.

A management team comprising of a project manager, project co-ordinator, assessment surveyor & agricultural advisor, transport manager, dump site manager, information systems manager and site supervisors are overseeing the project on a day-to-day basis. This team has been devised to effectively manage the key operations necessary to successfully complete the project.

A site, owned by Government on the Cork Hill Road in the Day Time Entry Zone (DTEZ) has been chosen to receive the ash that is being moved and on completion this will be covered with top soil to allow grass to grow back over the area. A rotation system has been developed with local truckers to move the ash from the affected areas to the site.

The project, expected to last for six months, was delayed by recent heavy rains but is now moving steadily forward and already great improvements can be seen in Old Towne and other areas which just a few weeks ago were covered in ash.

(Picture shows one of the many trucks being used in the project dumping its ash at the Corkhill Rd site)

Good progress is being made on the new prison project. With the new perimeter fence complete, work has now started on the second and main phase of the project - construction of a new cell block and rehabilitation of the existing remand centre. This will provide both a normal prison block and high security unit and allow for proper segregation facilities for women and juvenile inmates. The project is due to finish next summer and, once complete, Montserrtian prisoners who are currently being held in the BVI and TCI will also be able to return to serve their sentences on-island. The project is being jointly funded by the Government of Montserrat and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office through its Good Government Fund.

(for full size image and other pictures of the prison click here)

'UK Trade & Investment' has become the new single identity for the UK Government's business support organisation British Trade International and its operating arms Trade Partners UK and Invest.UK.

The aim of UK Trade & Investment is to help UK companies build their international business and to encourage foreign direct investment.

With teams based in 200 markets around the world, and a regional network that provides local knowledge right across the country, UK Trade & Investment is able to provide specialist advice and tailored programmes to help UK exporters and inward investors achieve business success in the global market.

This new identity reflects the increasingly close relationship between trade and investment work within the organisation and its continuing commitment to provide an integrated service - delivering business opportunities through a global network.

Sir Stephen Brown, Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment, said: 'Our new identity signifies our commitment to deliver business opportunities through our global network. It underpins the closer relationship between trade and inward investment work in our posts overseas and in the UK regional network, allowing us to reach more customers with wider services.

UK Trade & Investment, the new name for British Trade International and its operating arms, Trade Partners UK and Invest.UK is the United Kingdom Government's lead organisation for supporting UK Companies in overseas business, and attracting inward investment. UK Trade & Investment has staff in over 200 locations worldwide and more than 40 offices throughout the UK. Its parent departments are the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Every year Trade Partners UK has helped thousands of companies to either improve their existing exporting activities or to take their first steps in the world of international trade. Last year, Invest.UK recorded over 700 investment projects from overseas, generating more than 34,000 new jobs in the UK.

In early November, the annual Training Camp of the Royal Montserrat Defence Force (RMDF) opened at Gerald's under the direction of the new Commanding Officer of the RMDF, Captain Horatio Tuitt.

Captain Tuitt, the Director of the Emergency Department, has taken over command from Captain Roosevelt Jemmotte who retired from the RMDF on October 30, 2003. Captain Jemmotte served as Commanding Officer since the RMDF was re-assembled in January 2001.

Twenty-one (21) members of the Montserrat Secondary School Cadet Corps and ten individuals from the RMDF participated in the camp. The Cadets Corps were under the supervision of Lieutenant Alvin Ryan.

During the camp, the annual Remembrance Day service was held and members of both bodies were involved in this annual event to remember persons from Montserrat who fell in the two World Wars.

Cadets and RMDF members spent Remembrance weekend outdoors. Among the field exercises was a map and compass reading exercise. The camp ended on Sunday, 16 November.

His Excellency the Governor, Anthony J. Longrigg CMG has congratulated Lionel Baker, the young Montserrat fast bowler, for being named in a 14-man West Indies team for the upcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup tournament to be played in Bangladesh next year.

In a letter to Mr Baker, who is currently in a training camp in Antigua, the Governor urges him to strive to become the first Montserratian to play Test Cricket for the West Indies.

The West Indies squad will be led by Trinidad and Tobago's Under 19 captain, Dinesh Ramdin, while his vice captain will be Barbadian Kirk Edwards.

Lionel Baker has been a regular member of the Montserrat side for the past few seasons and has also played for the Leeward Islands youth team in the Caribbean Junior competition. In addition, he recently represented the West Indies under-19 squad in the regional Red Stripe Bowl limited overs championship.

The tournament in Bangladesh, which runs from February 15 to March 5, 2004 will be contested by 16 teams - the ICC's 10 full member countries plus Canada, Ireland, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Uganda.

The preliminary round will be played on a round robin basis with the teams divided into four groups. The West Indies will be in Group D. The other teams in Group D are Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Uganda.

The full squad is: Dinesh Ramdin (captain), Kirk Edwards (vice captain), Xavier Marshall, Tishan Maraj, Lendl Simmons, Assad Fudadin, Liam Sebastian, Ravi Rampaul, Mervin Mathew, LIONEL BAKER, Barrington Yearwood, Jonathan Augustus and Zamal Khan.

Roland Sampath has been named Manager with Clyde Butts as Coach.

The Royal Montserrat Police Force (RMPF) and the Fire Brigade held their Community Week of Activities during the last week of October.

The week included church services, a family beach day, sports events, an open day at Police HQ, radio interviews, lectures, a treasure hunt, a concert and charity ball.

Commissioner of Police, Mr John Douglas, reported that the week had been a great success and singled out the sports afternoon and the concert as being high spots of the week as large crowds turned out for both these events.

During the lecture on domestic violence which was held at the Police Conference Room on Thursday 30 October, His Excellency the Governor presented a portable computer for use at the Cudjoe Head Centre where victims of domestic violence are housed and cared for.

The week culminated with a grand charity ball, dinner and dance held at the Good Life Night Club in Little Bay.

(Picture shows Red House taking part in the march past at the Sports afternoon at Blakes with Acting Chief Minister, Mrs Dyer Howe, looking on. For full size image click here)

Montserrat's Alphonsus Cassell, known to all as Arrow, received the Goodwill Ambassador Award for Hot, Hot, Hot at the Bollywood Music Awards 2003, held at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday night, 1 November.

Arrow performed Hot, Hot, Hot with a new arrangement by Montserratian Roland Richards which incorporated Indian music and dance.

The Bollywood Awards is an annual event honoring Indian filmmakers and those who have contributed to Indian films. Several of Arrow's songs have been used in the soundtracks of Indian Movies.

The extravaganza drew thousands of people from the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut to Atlantic City where the audience could see music stars in flesh and blood, as well as enjoy live performances of contemporary stars Sonu Nigam, Kumar Sanu, Hans Raj Hans, Sukhwinder, Sunidhi Chauhan, Bombay Vikings, Harry Anand, Anamika, Rdb, King of Caribbean music, Arrow, Trinidadian heart throb Inder Kanhai and the middle eastern sensation Alabina.

A very special award for the Most Outstanding Music Producer of the Year went to Pritish Nandy for the phenomenal success of the music in all four movies produced by Pritish Nandy Communications last year: Kaante, Sur, Jhankaar Beats and Mumbai Matinee. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Pankaj Udhas, who retained the grace and charm which had made him the heartthrob of millions. The other Goodwill Awards went to international choreographer Darren Henson who has choreographed for Britney Spears, N Sync, Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez and Arrow, whose song Hot,Hot,Hot is a global anthem.

Mr John Douglas, Montserrat's Commissioner of Police, has agreed to extend his contract for a further year.

His Excellency the Governor, Anthony J. Longrigg CMG said Mr Douglas' contract runs out in March 2004 just a few weeks before a new Governor takes office.

"Mr Douglas has been doing an excellent job and it would be extremely difficult for a new Governor and a new Commissioner of Police to ensure continuity within the RMPF when both are starting together," said the Governor.

He continued by saying "It will be far better for the new Governor to be able to benefit from an experienced Commissioner's advice and then participate in choosing a successor".

The Governor Longrigg pointed out that this will be a key area of the new Governor's responsibilities.

Police Commissioner Douglas has agreed to extend his contract until March 2005 at which time he will retire from the Force.

A four-member British team visited Montserrat in late October to hold constitutional talks with members of the Montserrat Legislative Council. The UK team comprised - Mr Alan Huckle, Ms Susan Dickson, Mr Ian Hendry and Mr Michael Bradley of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).

They joined up with His Excelency the Governor, Mr Anthony J.Longrigg CMG as they met with the Hon. John Osborne, the Chief Minister of Montserrat and other Government Ministers in the Conference Room at the Office of the Chief Minister.

Governor Longrigg and the UK team also met with the Hon. Rueben T. Meade the Leader of the Opposition and with all members of the Opposition in the Legislative Council (LEGCO).

The British officials also talked with a cross section of local lawyers and other interest groups over dinner at Government House in Palm Loop. All the discussions that took part were described as being 'very cordial' by the visiting British team.

Professor Sir Howard Fergus headed a Commission to review the Montserrat Constitution. The Commission has since submitted its Report to the Governor and the Legislative Council. The other Commission members were Jean Kelsick, Rev. Florence Daley, Fitzroy Martin and Peter White. MLC Hon. Chedmond Browne was also a member of the Commission but resigned before the Commission completed its work.

The Legislative Council later established a Parliamentary Select Committee to take a closer look at the Commission's Report and submit further recommendations to Parliament and these are expected shortly.

Montserrat celebrated Remembrance Day on Sunday 9, November. The Remembrance service was held at the Brades Pentecostal Church and was attended by all the uniformed bodies of the island including the Royal Montserrat Police Force and the Royal Montserrat Defence Force. The music was provided by the Seventh Day Adventist Pathfinders and Miss Ann Marie Dewar.

The multi denominational service was attended by His Excellency the Governor and by Ministers of Government and their Permanent Secretaries and was started with an impressive flag ceremony and the laying of wreaths. The names of those Montserratians who died in both World Wars were read out during the service.

Following the service, the Governor met with Montserrat's veterans and took the salute at a march pass of the uniformed bodies.