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When my father retired from UNESCO in the late 60’s, my parents went to the West Indies and decided to settle in Barbados.
They purchased an old plantation house in Christchurch and converted it into a small apartment complex.
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My parents met with a few challenges but I only have details of the one:
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My father often wrote letters to editors!
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Barbados is a beautiful little island that I visited many times. It was wonderful to escape from New York in January, after the Christmas holiday and before the madness of Carnival. The flight to Barbados continued on to Trinidad where Carnival was a major event. For about ten days over that period there was not a seat to be had.
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Sadly, I have almost no photographs.
On one occasion, my brother was in England on home leave from his job in Zambia.
In secret, I arranged for him to fly from London, flying myself from New York on the same day.
We met at Grantley Adams Airport and turned up unexpectedly while Mum was watering the garden.
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My showing up was not unusual, but my brother’s arrival was a big surprise.
It was one of the very few occasions when we were all together as a family.
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Managing apartments was hard work and eventually my parents decided to sell, but this took years. Then it happened in a big rush.
My friend Tim, who took this photograph, came with me to help bring my parents to New York. In January. 13 pieces of baggage was all they had.
There is a side story to this but I won’t divert there just now.
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When I first went to Barbados, I remember being fascinated by the vault mystery my dad mentioned in his letter:
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Oistins was a pretty little fishing village, now in chaos following the recent hurricane, pounding Jamaica as I type. The Barbados fishing industry is in ruins.
A very old friend of mine who lives in Barbados told me she had never been as frightened in her life as the night Beryl hit. But she is grateful that her home and family are all safe.
Visitors to Barbados often enjoyed sunset cruises on the Jolly Rodger which she told me sank that night.
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As bad as it was in Barbados, the hurricane seems to have hit Grenada the hardest, specifically the tiny island of Carriacou which is devastated. The photographs are truly shocking.
An American by the name of Jonathan Petramala who is a journalist and documentarian, posted some coverage of the damage and of interviews he did with victims which I found humbling.
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Person after person stood surveying the total ruins of their homes and businesses, each of them smiling and talking matter-of-factly as you might if you’d had a minor flood.
You could say they were glad just to be alive, but it was not the impression I got. One of them said it was their attitude of looking forward, not back.
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Some day ago, I heard the Prime Minister of Barbados speaking before the storm. I don’t know anything about her but her words impressed me.
The message I got was: “We are all in this together, we know what to do and we will get through.”
There is nothing that bonds people like enduring and surviving a tough experience together.
Hearing the Prime Minister’s voice took me back to the islands and to all the West Indians I have known. As I believe I wrote before, I think they carry a little sunshine in their hearts.
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This was the earliest hurricane ever experienced at such a strength, the result apparently of elevated sea temperatures. It is a very worrying thought that I couldn’t not write about.
Thank you, Carolyn, for the fascinating look at the past! Lovely pictures of your family, and a riveting tale of the mice liking for beef. And what is the secret of all those suitcases?
Joanna
The 13 suitcases represented the entirety of their possessions. Everything else they sold or gave away, not having anywhere to forward anything to. As I said, there is a small story but probably not of great interest.
A real tragedy. I cannot begin to imagine the horrors they are having to endure.
St Vincent and the Grenadines are also devastated and as their PM said, the WI contribute very little to global warming while paying the heaviest price. It is desperately depressing for them seeing how little regard the rest of the planet pays to climate change.
It is terrible to see houses in ruins after such a strong hurricane (not to mention people losing their lives). For you, who have such fond memories of Barbados, it must be hard to see what damage Hurricane Beryl causes. On a lighter note, I really enjoyed your father’s letter about the mice – your mother was a very determined woman, it seems to me!
I think you could safely say Mum was not a quitter!
Great to have those photos to reinforce your memories. You look very ‘prim and proper’ in them! 😊 Best wishes, Pete.
That’s funny Pete. I have never been proper and certainly not prim!
What a tragic outcome and happening more often these days as the weather becomes fiercer than before.
A lovely surprise when you and your brother landed there on the same day!