Capstan traditionally said to be from 'Award' (see FHD0001). This item, formerly in the Tresco 'Valhalla' collection, no longer exists, for the following reasons. In the 1980s it was suffering from rot due to weather exposure, long disguised by being covered with sand-finished paint making it look like stone. On local disassembly for potential conservation it also became clear it was not a real, original capstan but a mock-up of softwood dress pieces nailed onto a 3-foot 'core' cut from a pine telegraph pole or similar timber. It had then long been acting as a stand for the 'Golden eagle' figurehead (FHD0031) and we assumed that this was perhaps why it had been made locally, though when was unknown. What happened to the original 'Award' capstan is also unknown but it may never have existed, not least since merchant vessels tended to have windlasses (which need less men) rather than capstans, though 'Award' was fairly large at over 800 tons so may have had one. The 'fake' (or a predecessor) could equally have acquired the name from being made up as a figurehead stand of salvaged timber from the ship, much of which was used at Tresco Abbey. In any case it was agreed to have no historical value justifying further conservation and the pieces were scrapped. There should somewhere be a file note to that effect. [PvdM 6.07]