Neil MacFall

Neil MacFallNeil MacFall

Neil MacFall worked for the British Meteorological Office from 1957 - 2001. Until 2001, he was based at the Ascension Island Detachment, where he had been on and off since 1998. He lived in Georgetown with his wife Sue, who was the island's midwife. Neil and Sue left the island in March 2001 to go into retirement, vowing to return.

 

Two of his books published by Coach House, ‘Letterbox Walks’ and ‘A Visitor’s Guide’ demonstrate his ongoing love for Ascension Island.

 

Books list

Click for detailsTitle (Publisher)/Short descriptionBuy
Click for details Ascension Island: A Visitor's Guide (Coach House Publications)
by Neil MacFall

Ascension Island: A Visitor’s Guide presents a concise history of the island, from its spectacular birth as a volcano over 1 million years ago, through its accidental discovery in the early years of the sixteenth century and its role as a naval base during Napoleon’s imprisonment on St Helena, and on towards its vital role in the NASA Space Shuttle programmes in the present day. 

£7.95

Click for details Ascension Island Walking Guide: Letterbox Walks (Coach House Publications)
by Neil MacFall

The concept of letterboxes on Ascension Island probably dates back to the 17th Century. Ships travelling south would leave messages on the Island for northbound ships to pick up and take home.
This idea obviously appealed to later visitors to the Island because by 1913 a green tin box was placed at Bottle Point near to the site of the modern day Letterbox. Notes were left by those visiting the area with the idea being that the next person to visit would take the note and put it in the general mail. From this simple beginning the letterbox walks have evolved.  
 

£4.95