The only Christmas bird that Helen Bell will see this year is likely to be a penguin.

The teacher from Bradford on Avon is spending four years living and working in the Falkland Islands.

The 55-year-old has been working as deputy headteacher at the Falkland Islands Community School since the beginning of September.

She travelled out with her husband Christopher, who recently retired from the Ministry of Defence in Bath, to help the school improve.

The couple, who have two grown-up sons living in the UK, will be spending Christmas Day with friends.

Mrs Bell said: "There are quite a few teachers out here who don't have families with them, so we have booked a table at a restaurant."

They will be eating a traditional Falklands dinner of lamb and new potatoes, but they have still bought an English Christmas pudding.

Because there are no trees grown on the islands, they have had to have an artificial Christmas tree for the first time.

Mrs Bell, who used to work in a school near Bristol, said: "The thing I am most missing is the real Christmas tree, I miss that Christmassy smell."

Because it is summer in the Falkland Islands at the moment, on Boxing Day the community will be coming together for barbecues at a horse-racing event.

On Christmas Day, Mr and Mrs Bell will be speaking to family back at home over an internet phone, but say both their sons are independent and happy spending the festive season without their parents.

The couple are already planning a month-long trip back to the UK next Christmas when they will get together with family and friends to celebrate.

Although they intend to stay in the Falklands for up to four years, the couple say there is not much they miss about home.

Mrs Bell said: "Life is very, very different.

"We have a much smaller community here, about 3,000 people. You are living and working with the same people all the time, so you get to know them really well.

"Although my working day is about the same length, I have the prettiest drive into the school."

Mr and Mrs Bell have recently been travelling around some of the smaller islands to look at the scenery and wildlife.

Mrs Bell said: "It is good to see some of the fantastic wildlife here.

"When we were back in the UK we could never have imagined eating our sandwiches sitting next to penguins and elephant seals."