Remembering 1982

Walk through the story of the 1982 conflict as it was lived by the people of Stanley. Starting at the Public Jetty, we follow the harbour front to Government House, where the Royal Marines made their stand on 2 April, and on to the Liberation Memorial, paid for entirely by Falkland Islanders. We pass Christ Church Cathedral, where each Liberation Day begins, and hear how daily life in the city changed during the 74 days of occupation. The walk ends quietly at Memorial Wood, where a tree stands for each British serviceman who lost his life. This is a tour of remembrance, told with care and respect for everyone who visits.

Where it began and where it ended

On the morning of 2 April 1982 the fighting in Stanley centred on Government House, where a small detachment of Royal Marines held out for several hours before the Governor ordered them to stop. Seventy-four days later, on 14 June, the war ended with the surrender. We start where it began and walk the harbour front to the 1982 Liberation Memorial, designed by Falklands-born architect Gerald Dixon and paid for entirely by Falkland Islanders. The names on the curved wall behind it take a few minutes to read, and we give them that time.

Life in the city during the occupation

Between the two memorials is the city itself. Walking east along Ross Road, I talk about what those weeks meant for the families who lived behind these front doors: curfews, blackouts, and a community that carried on as best it could. Christ Church Cathedral is where every Liberation Day begins, with a service of thanksgiving before the wreath laying at the memorial and the parade along the harbour.

Memorial Wood

The walk ends at Memorial Wood, near Stanley Cemetery at the eastern edge of the city. A tree has been planted for each British serviceman killed in 1982, each one carrying a name, with an annex for those who have died serving in the Islands since. The trees are small, because little grows tall in Falklands peat, and the wood is looked after by the local Scouts and Guides. We spend twenty minutes here, and there is no rush.

For every visitor

People come to this walk for very different reasons: veterans and their families, visitors from Britain and from Argentina, and travellers who simply want to understand the place. I guide it in English or Spanish, and I tell it as a story of remembrance and of the people of Stanley, not as a story of winners and losers. Everyone is welcome.