An early view of Redonda Island, 1740

Did you first hear of Redonda in the Johnny Depp movies, "Pirates of the Caribbean" or in the computer game, "Vendetta: Curse of the Raven's Cry" or its soundtrack album composed by Victor Stoyanov and Sebastian Dierkes? Perhaps you know the name from the contemporary British artist, Stephen Chambers', "Court of Redonda", the set of one hundred paintings shown at the Venice Biennale in 2017, inspired by the diplomatically unrecognised, "Kingdom of Redonda". Or if you are interested in Conservation and Environmental Reinstatement, you might have heard of the outstanding success story of the restoration of Redonda by international agencies, a project covered by the National Geographic magazine.

Here is a small watercolour of the kind executed by artists on "hydrographic survey" ships of the Royal Navy. I can't locate an earlier view.

UNCERTAIN CLOSING DATE

People keep asking me when the final date will be but I don't have it: there are unsettled matters that are none of their business. However, clearing out the shop is my priority; I am making progress and "regulars" are noticing the difference with some regretting not buying things which have now gone.

The vultures have landed

At long last, after spending enough on online advertising, I'm seeing the buyers I need: the value-focussed trade buyers, the keen-eyed vultures who look for items at rock bottom prices which you only find when a business is closing down.