The Ins & Outs of Barbados
Ins & Outs OF BARBADOS 2014
2014 Edition
People
THE
EDITION
," ,
!" " #"$ % &'( )&*+
CONTACT
ON OUR COVER a full-time painter, Michael’s love for painting has led him to travel far and wide from Borneo to Africa.
michaeljackson-art.com A
F
B
G
C
D
H
I
E
J
M, O, Q - Heather-Dawn Scott Heather-Dawn is well known and loved on the island for her ability to interpret her surroundings into joyful, celebratory images. Her work is available at On the Wall Gallery, The Tides Gallery and Gallery of Caribbean Art.
kinrarasutherland@hotmail.com P, Y - Catherine Forter-Chee-A-Tow K
P
L
Q
M
R
N
S
O
T
Her art celebrates a certain tropical art de vivre with its generous, vibrant colours and movement. Catherine’s art may be seen by appointment in her Garrison Historic District Studio, at Tapas Restaurant, or in several galleries islandwide.
T: (246) 427-7859 | 262-6238 c.forter.cheeatow@gmail.com K - Christine Taylor
U
V
W
X
Y
On Our Cover - Artists by Painting A, G, S, T, X - Vincent Castellanet
E, L - Virgil Broodhagen
An award-winning Chicago born artist who returns to Barbados every year to recreate the island’s beauty on canvas. He is well received in Barbados and his work is shown at the Gallery of Caribbean Art.
Son of well-known Barbadian sculptor and artist Karl Broodhagen, Virgil has emerged as an award-winning artist in his own right, working primarily with oils, watercolours, pencil and charcoal, and rendering images of Barbadian life with atmospheric intensity.
originalartofVFC@aol.com
T: (246) 423-6803 | 258-4029 vishniart.com C - David Alleyne David enjoys capturing indigenous aspects of his country in vibrant true-to-life fashion. His work can be found in a number of local collections in Scotia Bank, Texaco, Round House Inn and the office of the Prime Minister.
davidalleyne.fineart@gmail.com davidalleyne.webs.com D - Wayne Branch Long regarded as one of Barbados’ foremost artists, his work is highly regarded and sought after in Barbados, the Caribbean, North America, Europe and Asia.
T: (246) 428-7242 | 230-5127 waynebranchstudio.com
4 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
facebook.com/christine.taylor.3958914 U - Ras Akyem
T: (246) 436-0122
A true Caribbean artist, Ras Akyem lives by the personal statement ‘art is an act...’ and co-founded “De People’s Art Movement”. He currently lectures in art at the Barbados Community College and has won numerous awards throughout his career.
F, N - Janice Brock
T: (246) 252-0185 art.animal@yahoo.com
B, H, R - Vishni Gopwani Her rich cultural background in design and dance, and her love for people add a unique vibrancy to Vishni’s paintings. Her work has won 2 NIFCA awards and has been recognised in several annual exhibitions on the island.
Christine is a self-taught Barbadian artist who paints rural landscapes and vibrant seascapes which capture serene reflections of the Barbadian milieu. Christine’s paintings hang in many private collections in Barbados and overseas.
The vibrant hues, sense of movement, free style and offbeat treatment of subjects imbue Janice’s paintings with joie de vivre. Her work can be seen by appointment at her Brocklands Studio Gallery in St. James .
T: (246) 432-6061 | 237-7670 janice@brock-gallery.com I - Kris Choy Kris began painting about 12 years ago after moving to Barbados. Since then she has participated in group art shows with the Festival Art Gallery and Barbados Arts Council exploring her favourite subjects - landscape and portraiture.
T: (246) 416-9238 | 239-5955 kris.creations@yahoo.com J - Michael Jackson Artist Michael Jackson has had a passion for art ever since his high school days where he would win regular awards for his work. Today,
V - Vanita Comissiong Vanita paints primarily in acrylics. Her work focuses on people: at work, play, worship and in reflection. Vanita especially enjoys painting the many characters and scenarios that keep our Barbadian culture alive today. Her work has been featured in many magazines, overseas publications and on CD covers and is hung at her own On The Wall Gallery.
T: (246) 234-9145 onthewallartgallery.com W - Corrie Scott Corrie, self-taught, has photographed and also scribbled and painted on everything she could find since childhood. Working and experimenting in all mediums, she does not restrict herself in subject matter. Her work may be viewed by appointment at her studio.
T: (246) 424-3965 | 233-6078 corriescott.net
©2013 movado group, inc.
LILY COLLINS, ACTOR, WRITER, ARTIST. CERENA™ MODERN WHITE CERAMIC AND STAINLESS STEEL DESIGN WITH NEW DIAMOND BEZEL. MOVADO.COM
#32 Broad Street, Bridgetown Tel. (246) 429-7072 www.theroyalshop-barbados.com
CONTENTS
Celebrating our Crop Over Festival at Grand Kadooment Photo: Sally Miller
CONTENTS
FIND
38 Participate 40
Meeting & Incentives
44
Calendar of Events
70
Lessons & Classes
74
Sports
83
Sports Associations Directory
84
Service Clubs & Charities
86 Shop 88
Bridgetown
94
The Bridgetown Express
96
Bridgetown Map
108
Shopping Centres
112
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre
140
Island Style
150
Interiors
160
Food Shopping
162
Fresh Produce Markets
166
Art & Craft
Photo: Magical Moments Photography by Steve Cumberbatch Bouquets by Simply Flowers
184 Escape 186
Weddings
196
Health & Beauty
202
Useful Information
204 Experience
Photo: Mike Toy
6 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
206
Sailing
216
Underwater Life
222
Island Hopping
Aquaracer Diamonds
%$5%$'26 $,53257 ‡ %52$' 675((7 '2&.6,'( %$5%$'26 ‡ 9,67$ %$5%$'26 &RORPELDQ(PHUDOGV FRP ‡ 1R 'XW\
CONTENTS
Dudley “Sammy” King - Floral Arranger at The Crane Resort Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
CONTENTS
FIND
226 Explore 228
Adventure
231
Car Hire
240
Gardens
244
Historic Treasures
264
Beach Life
272 Live 274
Property
304
Purchase Process
314
Property Listings
318 Enjoy
Barbados makes The Biggest Baddest Bucket List
320
Nightlife
330
Restaurant Guide
332
South Coast Restaurants Map
333
West Coast Restaurants Map
334
Restaurant Classifications
MyDestinationBarbados.com
Feature Articles
Photo courtesy Royal Westmoreland
8 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
26
Life - Bajan Style
34
Biggest, Baddest Bucket List
244
Vignettes of Eight Interesting Barbadians By Dr. Karl Watson
274
Barbados - Past, Present & Future - Perfect! By Professor Henry Fraser
Š theo fennell plc copyright
theo fennell
oceania bespoke earrings and stacking rings limegrove lifestyle center, hometown st james (246) 419 31 08 / (246) 419 31 06
www.theofennell.com
CONTACT
CREDITS
Frank Kim
PUBLISHED BY
Janell e
Miller Publishing Company
ADVERTISING SALES Sally Miller Christine Wilkie
CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Venable Senator Henry Fraser Dr. Karl Watson Sally Miller Keith Miller Christine Wilkie
Tao y Wend
Lyn
ARTWORK & LAYOUT Sally Miller Christine Wilkie Tao Howard Janelle Bryan Lyn Armstrong
tine Chris
PRE-PRESS CO-ORDINATOR Janelle Bryan
Ins and Outs of Barbados 2014 The “People” edition
Tao Howard Janelle Bryan
DESIGN DISTRIBUTION Lyn Armstrong Frank Collymore
Miller Publishing Co. Ltd. Edgehill, St. Thomas, Barbados Tel: (246) 421-6700 Fax: (246) 421-6707 Email: miller@caribsurf.com MyDestination.com/Barbados insandoutsofbarbados.com BarbadosBooks.com While every care has been taken in the compilation of information contained in this guide, such information is subject to change without notice. The publishers accept no responsibility for such changes. © 2014 MILLER PUBLISHING CO. LTD. All rights reserved.
10 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Keith
The Team at Miller Publishing
MY DESTINATION BARBADOS WEBSITE CO-ORDINATORS
Tao Howard
Sally
Join us at Ins and Outs as we celebrate the people who have shaped the island of Barbados. We’re getting personal in this, our 31st annual edition. In our Historic Treasures section Dr. Karl Watson, President of the Barbados National Trust, has contributed 8 vignettes highlighting extraordinary people from our past. In these stories, readers will gain an appreciation for the rich history of this small but accomplished country. In the Property section Senator Henry Fraser has researched and written about celebrated people who have chosen Barbados as their second home over the past 80 years and made valuable contributions here. For our “Meet A Bajan” series we’ve selected 26 Barbadians and our accomplished culinary team, who are excelling in their fields today and represent various aspects of what makes Barbados tick. Sarah Venable shares with you an entertaining glimpse about Life – Bajan Style in our opening article. The work of 26 artists grace our cover and the calendar of events. And last, but by no means least, those who fund the Ins and Outs, our advertisers, have featured the people in their businesses. They’re getting personal this year too! I am truly thankful for the superb team at Miller Publishing, individuals who are personally committed and dedicated to the success of each edition. The Ins and Outs of Barbados has all the information you need to participate, shop, escape, experience, explore, live and enjoy Barbados. We invite you to delve into the lives of people from our fascinating past, and be part of our present, by getting to know Bajans and really enjoying your time here with us – in true Bajan Style.
Sally Miller Publisher
Hold on to summer.
Sterling silver charms from $25
Harrisons, Sunset Crest
PAUL WORRELL 36
WAYNE “POONKA” WILLOCK 72
MAC FINGALL 82
KEMAR SAFFREY 85
RAWLE FRANCIS 158
TIM WALSH 161
JACKIE NORGROVE 163
ROSLYN WATSON 178
DUDLEY “SAMMY”KING 194
SHEILA HOPE-HAREWOOD 201
PROF. ANSELM HENNIS 203
BRIAN TALMA 214
ANGELIQUE BRATHWAITE 219
VANITA BRATHWAITE 236
RAMONA ROACH 238
GREGORY POLLARD 242
IRENE HALL 259
TREVOR “TAFFEE” GRANT 260
PATSY JORDAN 267
MICHAEL YOUNG 271
MARCIA WALKES 283
STEPHEN AUSTIN 294
PEDRO ARTHUR 324
JAMAAL BOWEN 329
RHONDA STRAKER 334
MEET A BAJAN BARBADOS CULINARY TEAM 332
GLORIA WILKIE 336
GALLERIA BOUTIQUE: ROYAL WESTMORELAND GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, ST. JAMES TEL: 430 -2400
800 -51-JEWEL
WWW.DIAMONDSINTERNATIONAL .COM
GRANTLEY ADAMS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT • • THE CRUISE TERMINAL , BRIDGETOWN LOWER BROAD STREET , BRIDGETOWN • • WEST COAST MALL , HOLETOWN, ST. JAMES T
THE FAIRMONT ROYAL PAVILION, ST. JAMES • • TAMARIND COVE HOTEL , ST JAMES TURTLE BEACH RESORT, DOVER, CHRIST CHURCH LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE , HOLETOWN, ST. JAMES
T
H
E
A
R
T
O
F
F
Classic Fusion Aer Aero ro o Chr Chronograph. onograph. Self-winding skeleton chronograph chronograph movement. Case crafted in a newunique red red gold alloy: King Gold. Black rubber and alligator strap.
U
S
I
O
N
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James Tel: 271-8228 Lower Broad Street, Bridgetown Tel: 430-2412/13 1-800-51-JEWEL www.DiamondsInternational.com www.hublot.com t
UXJUUFS DPN IVCMPU t
facebook.com/hublot
LIFE - BAJAN STYLE
FEATURE
LIFE - BAJAN STYLE Bajans love their country
The bands of the Royal Barbados Police Force and The Barbados Regiment
How do you say Bajan? Make it rhyme with Cajun. What does it mean? Barbadian! Life here is not all about sunshine, though that’s what you probably came here for. Behind the scenes are Bajans, from accountants to zoologists, artistes to X-ray technicians, making this little island work — people who have emerged with the fabric of a nation intact, from a complex history when much was acheived despite its bitter sweet nature. Bajans are proud of their country, as well they might be. One measure is the UNDP’s Human Development Index, which measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. Barbados ranks in the top 20% of the 187 countries measured. Expressed as a grade, it would be in 82.5%. There are 274,500 of us living here, with a life expectancy of 77 years and a mean gross national income per capita of USD $17,308. On average, a Bajan gets 9.3 years of schooling. Whereas it used to be normal to work one’s way up, many now consider a university degree to be essential, and post-graduate education will further one’s career with the island’s single largest employer — government. Until recently, government has provided free education through tertiary level. Now, due to financial constraints, tuition is going to be charged at the University of the West Indies as from the 2014 new academic year. Barbados is a stable democracy, with the third oldest parliament in the world. Though private practitioners flourish, government provides free medical care for all who choose it, as well as free medicines for children and pensioners.
Bajans love to talk University of the West Indies welcomes students from around the globe
Slammin’ dominoes at the rum shop in Chalky Mount All photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
26 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
It’s perhaps not as trivial as it appears to note that the number of phones (land and cell phones combined) per 100 people is 177.9. We love to talk! In church, public lectures, speeches, TV talk shows, Parliament and rum shops, the spoken word is wielded with sometimes surprising flourish. Current events and moral issues — especially as reported in the newspapers, which are very well read — are popular topics. The several radio call-in programmes aired everyday bear this out and provide insights into Bajan society. For many Bajans, standard English is their second language, reserved for use in business and formal settings. But dialect may pop up anywhere—either judiciously added for emphasis or composing the whole conversation. Sometimes called “nation language,” our dialect is a Creolised English that probably originated as pidgin amongst the enslaved, and grew into a way of communicating without being understood by most slave owners ... and now, without being understood by other outsiders. With its archaisms (such as “Mistress” as a form of address,) smattering of African words, (like “wunna,” meaning “you-all,”) and odd usages of words (such as “rice” as a verb meaning to support, feed, or maintain,) it can be both colourful and confusing.
Photo: Barbara Secher Greenidge
LIFE - BAJAN STYLE
FEATURE
“Pompasetting” in Queen’s Park on Christmas Morning
Bajanisms occur in both standard English and dialect. Examples: Instead of “there are,” we often say “it have,” and people like to say “much” instead of “many,” as in “It have too much people in there.” Greetings are pegged to time of day, but not quite what you’d expect: “Good evening” starts as early as 3 p.m. When the sun goes down, you’ll hear “Good night.” You are not being bid adieu or being tucked in; this too is a greeting. So is “Awright.” We pronounce things funny too. Film is flim. “Used to be” is “nuzed to be.” “To use here or tek away?” asks whether you are eating on the premises or not. Malapropisms abound: Milk and cigarettes come in cartoons. If you break a bone, you would get an X-tray at the horsepital. If you are getting on bad, you are not declining, you are misbehaving. And yuh does prume your trees and shrubs. Wuhloss boazie! Bajans pepper their speech with proverbs. “An eyeful en a bellyful” means seeing is one thing, possessing is another. “De higher de monkey climb, de more he show he tail” means the more you show off, the more your faults are exposed. “Evah skin-teet en a laugh” means that not all smiles or other outward signs of friendliness should be taken as genuine. There are paradoxes too. To characterise Bajans as serious and hilarious are equally true. The same goes for prim and bawdy, entrepreneurial and laid back, modest and inclined to display, helpful and recalcitrant, reserved and loud. But underneath the variations are qualities you can count on: Peaceful, friendly and kind — that’s a Bajan.
Bajans love to dress up Bajans love to dress up, sometimes to the hilt. Uniforms are everywhere — both for school and for work. All of this helps keep the island’s many designers, tailors and seamstresses in business, as well as the small traders in the warren of Bridgetown’s back streets. On Saturdays, many people go to town to shop or lime (hang out socially,) always looking freshly scrubbed. Even at casual gatherings, to be “untidy” is shameful. Grooming is also important; notice people’s nails and makeup. Hairstyles are sometimes elaborate, and even men get in on the act, with designs shaved into short hair, or locks piled in sculptural arrangements. Showing off your style is known as pompasetting. The best places to see what we mean are Christmas morning in Queens Park, events such as Spirit of the Nation at Independence time, at weddings and funerals. (Much to employers’ dismay, Bajans love funerals and go as often as possible.) Predominantly a Christian people, Bajans tend to be religious, and attend church regularly. The tiny churches seem to generate the most ebullience per capita, with loud singing and tambourine rhythms pealing out into the air. Many people spend an entire day in church. Men attend less than women. Cleanliness is next to godliness, it seems. Bajans value a clean home and spotless clothes, even when they have to wash them by hand. Every Christmas, most households undergo a thorough bout of maintenance, complete with curtains taken down for washing or replacement and sometimes a fresh coat of paint.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
27
FEATURE
LIFE - BAJAN STYLE Bajans love gardens
Jan Yearwood and her orchids
Whether it’s for food or flowers, Bajans like to garden. Even humble homes show attention to presentation in the front. It’s usually in the rear that edibles are raised — everything from fruit trees to spinach, pumpkin and pigeon peas. This practice has increased during the recession. So has insistence on organics. Although changes in housing developments have had a dampening effect, some households still keep a little livestock. You won’t see the chicken coop or pig pen behind the paling, but you might notice sheep tied out to graze in a vacant field. Even in upscale homes, you’ll often find well tended vegetable and herb gardens. Herbal remedies have long been used here. There’s even a column on it in the paper! Examples are too numerous to mention, so let’s stick with the majors. Wonder of the world plant (Kalanchoe Pinnata) is used for almost anything — muscle aches, headaches, hypertension, kidney stones, coughs and rheumatism. Though it’s used for much more, Cerassee (Momordica Charantia) works well against colds, fever, osteoporosis, and is a detoxifying tonic. Young or old, rich or poor, Bajans cherish fruit. Some gather wild ones, like ackee (ginnip), sea grapes, hog plums, fat porks and dunks, either for home consumption or for sale at the side of the road. From others, we make delicious juice drinks. Golden apple, Bajan cherry, soursop and five-finger (carambola or star fruit) — those that are not eaten find their way into jugs and bottles, and increasingly into the supermarkets. Other drinks we like are mauby, a uniquely bittersweet delight made from bark; sorrel, made from sepals of a plant in the hibiscus family; and coconut water. Unlike coconut milk or cream, which are extracted from the grated flesh of mature coconuts, the water sloshes in the centre of green nuts. Subtle in flavour and high in electrolytes, it’s excellent on its own, as a sports beverage, or mixed with rum or gin.
Bajans love sports Coconuts being picked in Tent Bay, St. Joseph
Saturday cricket in Belleplaine, St. Andrew All photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
28 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
From simply walking to team sports, Bajans are hooked on physical activity. Cricket is king, of course, but the range of sports per square mile is staggering — too many to list. With Bushy Park being upgraded to a Formula 3 race track, and frequent races on and off road, motor sport has grown to attract international competitors. Hiking is popular too, with groups going out on a regular basis. Body building is nearly obsessive, and brings our competitors medals from abroad. Bajan Earl Maynard won many titles, including Mr. Universe, twice. Lots of seniors keep moving. They gather on the beach for early morning swims, and compete in the annual Senior Games both here and in Utah. What may surprise you is the devotion to field hockey and netball. There are also shooting clubs and game fishing tournaments. The sports segment of local television news often features highlights of school competitions, even at primary level. A certain echelon pursues dressage and polo. Horseracing is popular too, with all kinds of people flocking to the Garrison Savannah on race days, and an overflow crowd for the annual Sandy Lane Gold Cup race. Some of our jockeys have also proved themselves overseas. Take Patrick Husbands, for instance, who has racked up well over 2000 wins at Woodbine in Canada.
LIFE - BAJAN STYLE
FEATURE
More sedentary games like bridge and drafts also have their aficionados. The Bridge League serves the former, while drafts are a pastime at clubs and rum shops. The world champion in drafts is our own Suki King.
Bajans love to party Bajans love music, dance, and partying in general. At any festive occasion, from limes to karaoke sessions to Cropover and other festivals, Bajan joie de vivre comes out. Family is strong here, and many activities are multi-generational. The number of festivals per year here is astounding. Festivals make our year more manageable. At Crop Over, we chew on the season’s calypsos, which deride our foibles. In huge parties and at Kadooment, music, rum and euphoria erase our inhibitions. In November, independence is celebrated with NIFCA, when Bajan talent emerges from everywhere, and the Community Independence Celebrations, when the parishes “big up” themselves and vie for crowns. There’s the Food, Wine & Rum Festival to celebrate cuisine; the Holders Season of music and theatre under the stars; the festivals for jazz, gospel, reggae and soca; the popular Holetown Festival; and sports festivals as well. At some you’ll hear tuk bands, accompanied by big-botsy Mother Sally, dancing shaggy bears, stilt-men and our very special acrobats disguised as green monkeys. In between these annual events, there are pageants of all sorts, from Mother and Daughter to Miss Bikini to Big and Beautiful. Food is important, and even if it’s just roasting a breadfruit, most people can cook. At parties and picnics, the spread is vast, with the biggest pots of food you’ve ever seen, almost all of it traditional. With the exception of starches like macaroni pie, most of it would be well-seasoned, preferably with a little pepper and fresh herbs. Given the right context, Bajans love to laugh at their idiosyncrasies. In fact these are derided in calypsos and such annual theatrics as Laff it Off, which is almost burlesque in its sensibility. Everybody recognises the stereotypes, and the vigour of the laughter nearly rocks some people off their chairs. With or without a microphone, we can be loud. If there’s a fête going on within half a kilometre, you’ll hear it. Some preachers like for the whole neighbourhood to experience their sermons. In rum shops, dominoes are slammed on the table with ferocity, and the heat of friendly arguments crank up the conversational volume. It is said that in the years just following the great migration of West Indians to Britain, their police were sent here to see first-hand that raised voices were not a sign of imminent violence; it’s just the way we express ourselves. Music is like water on this island. It’s in the air, runs deep, and at times it inundates us. Indigenous forms include spouge (a vigorous precursor to reggae) and tuk band music. Played on pennywhistle, bass and snare drum, and sometimes a triangle, tuk combines British marching music with infectious African rhythms. Jazz combos, steel bands, and the renowned Royal Barbados Police Band (one of the oldest of its type in the world,) provide other outlets for the musical impulse. Played on the radio all year round, calypso and its cousin, Soca, bubble over in the summer heat of Cropover, when competitions in the “tents” select the various monarchs in the genre. Many hotels and night spots feature live performances, especially during high season.
Car Racing is the #1 spectator sport in Barbados Photo courtesy Barbados Rally Club
Partying in the street on Kadooment Day Photo: Barbara Secher Greenidge
The Gaggs Hill Rum Shop in St. Elizabeth Village, St. Joseph Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
29
FEATURE
LIFE - BAJAN STYLE
Photo: Mike Toy
Members of the Landship performing their manoeuvres
From choirs to karaoke, Bajans like to sing. Some do it exceedingly well. We’ve been exporting our sounds since the 1960s, when the Merrymen helped introduce carefree calypso to North America and Europe. Now young Bajan musicians such as Rihanna, Cover Drive, and Shontelle spread pop sounds to the world. Bajans like to dance and they have a good sense of rhythm. At fetes and festivals, dancing is informal, and anyone can join in, with or without a partner. That’s where “wukkup” erupts. Like “wining,” it’s a sensual, gyrating movement of the hips and waist, but can be quite extreme. Line dancing and ballroom are also popular with the slightly more sedate. Check the newspapers and you’ll see numerous classified ads of this sort: “Bosie, driver of P2085, invites you to a dance with DJ Dusty at De Grillers Place. Bar solid, C & B there.” Everybody’s out there, doing a different Bajan thing. Dance is also for viewing. Whether as backup for musical shows or in dance concerts, our performers are highly trained in many styles of dance. Groups like Dancing Africa present Afro-centric dance performed by exuberant youngsters in vivid costumes. You can see the best of these at NIFCA, the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts, held in November. And then there’s the Landship, which is unique to Barbados and celebrating its 150th Anniversary. It easily mystifies the casual observer. Dressed as nurses and sailors, and accompanied by a tuk band, the Landship dancers mimic naval manoeuvres and shipboard tasks. That’s only the visible part; the “ships” also hold social activities that build community. One of their practices — the meeting turn — is popular well beyond the “docks” or houses of the groups. Members of a meeting turn pool a set amount of money each week or month, and pay out one member at a time, in full. This informal method of saving originated when poor folks did not have access to banks, and relies heavily on trusting each other.
Bajans love to make things Bajans are skilled with their hands, and talent is evident in sewing, basketry, pottery, jewellery making, wood sculpture and
30 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
carved coral-stone. Though we don’t have a strong visual arts culture like Haiti or Jamaica, there are painters galore. As for photographers, their numbers and standards are exceptionally high. Film-making is emerging on the creative scene, with a number of feature films being produced in recent years. Although most Bajans are helpful, people complain about service, and sometimes with good reason. But if you look at what’s offered by small providers, there’s much to appreciate. Supermarkets are full of bag-packers who’ll help you out to your car; red caps still throng the airport, ready to assist; and in large car parks you can usually find someone eager to give your vehicle a wash. Plus, we never have to get out and pump our own petrol; that’s done for you. Life, Bajan style, is so rich in contrasts, which work together surprisingly well. In such a small space, that’s important. Comfortable (even wealthy) homes and those of modest means are often side by side. More so than in other islands, you can be posh or not. You can wear flip-flops all day and your Jimmy Choo’s at night. Or go into the lowliest rum shop wearing your Louis Vuitton bag, knowing you’re safe to have a good time.
Bajans love meeting people Visitors are welcome to join in Bajan life. The best ways to meet local people include joining in the hikes held every Sunday or the Hash House Harriers held every Saturday, attending National Trust Open Houses, and going to the weekend farmers’ markets at Brighton, Holders, or ArtSplash. Join the locals on Thursday afternoons down in Martin’s Bay for a seaside cook up of fish and shell fish; venture up to the Moontown fish fry on a Friday or Saturday night, or head to Oistins where the grills are blazing, any night of the week. Stop and join the spectators when you see cricket or other sports being played. Attend a meeting of an international club like Rotary. Take a dance, yoga, or zumba class. Go to a rum shop. Or simplest of all: just take a bus and start chatting. Have a great time!
Enjoy Barbados to the max with our
G R E AT LO C A L T I P S ON ALL YOUR MOBILE DEVICES
MYDESTINATION.COM/BARBADOS INSANDOUTSOFBARBADOS.COM BARBADOSINANUTSHELL.COM
WE ARE YOUR BAJAN BEST FRIENDS S
BIGGEST, BADDEST BUCKET LIST
Sampling Rum at the historic distillery, St. Nicholas Abbey with Heather Stoute and Simon Warren
Their first morning in Barbados, the brothers went surfing at world famous Soup Bowl in Bathsheba
Marko Ayling being readied for his Microlight Flight by pilot Paul Nugent Photo: Sally Miller
34 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
BIGGEST, BADDEST BUCKET LIST
FEATURE
alifornian brothers Marko Ayling, writer, and Alex Ayling, videographer, won MyDestination.com’s Biggest Baddest Bucket List trip around the world. MyDestination.com/barbados is the online extension of this magazine. Their task was to shoot and script a travel vlog (video blog) documenting their visits to 22 of the most amazing destinations in the world. Beginning in July 2013, their third stop was Barbados and here is Marko’s account of their action packed and quite incredible 7 days with us: “Our experience in Barbados could not have started off any better. We were greeted by local MyDestination reps Sally and Keith Miller with ice-cold beers in the airport parking lot and quickly taken to a double suite at the historic Crane Hotel, one of the most luxurious resorts on the island and far surpassing any notion of luxury we ever had. The property spreads out along Crane Beach, consistently named one of the top beaches in the world and our corner room contained two full apartments looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, complete with a private swimming pool on the balcony. Later in the week, we moved over to The Sandpiper on the west coast, a central location which offered the calm seas of the Caribbean and plenty of room to relax and watch the sunset. But we didn't come to relax – we had a bucket list to check off – so after a quick radio interview with Mix96FM, Courtesy Rent-A-Car hooked us up with a ride for the week, and we set off to have some fun. Barbados' Atlantic Coast has some of the best surf in the Caribbean and we met up with Christian Boos of Boosy's Surf School and 14-year old shredder Ché Allan to paddle out at Soup Bowl, one of the best breaks in Barbados. Next, local legend Brian “de Action Man” Talma, invited us to his action sports school on the south shore and took us out on SUP (stand-up-paddle) boards, riding waves and exploring caves down the coast. We ended in Oistins, a small fishing town where we got an inexpensive lunch in the fish market and were interviewed about our trip on CBC Evening News. After so much time at sea, we hit the skies with pilot Paul Nugent of Barbados Microlight Flights to fly in his micro-light airplane for a tour of the island. It was our first time in a microlight, and the combination of an open-air cockpit and the ground just 1,500 feet below us made it really seem as if we were flying. As we touched down, I was reminded of a quote by Leonardo da Vinci: “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Our eyes, however, quickly turned to food. Bajan cuisine is a unique blend of African, Indian, and European influences, a culinary richness found on any point in the price spectrum. We had street-side rotis before a cricket match, went to beach-front Champers for high-end twists on local favourites like coconut shrimp, West Indian curry and flying fish, and wrapped up our week in The Cliff, ranked among the top 50 restaurants in the world. Bajan cuisine is a reflection of its cultural heritage dating back almost 400 years to its founding as a British colony. The booming sugar industry made
BIGGEST, BADDEST BUCKET LIST
FEATURE
Bucket list... Getting lost in Barbados with three gorgeous girls... Check!
Barbados a major hub in the trans-Atlantic trade and turned its capital, Bridgetown into one of the richest places on earth. Local historian Dr. Karl Watson took us on a tour of the city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while James Blades showed us the George Washington House, the only residence of America's first president outside the United States and a cool way to see the subterranean tunnels that criss-cross the colonial garrison. We quickly learned that the best way to sample living history is through rum, a drink many believe originated in Barbados. Local travel blogger and MyBBB entrant Malou Morgan took us on a tour of the island, which included a stop in the historic distillery at St. Nicholas Abbey, an immaculately preserved Jacobean plantation house that produces craft rum right on the premises. That was the high-point of our sophistication. The rest of the rum was swilled with Malou and her friends on a pirate ship, a massive booze-cruise on the Jolly Roger followed by a sunset party at Harbour Lights Beach Bar, a long day that taught us a lesson: all-inclusive drink tickets combined with Caribbean sunshine and Bajan rum combine into one giant hangover. In our short visit, we covered as much of the island as we could,
wrapping up our days in one of Barbados' 1,500 rum shops before returning to the Sandpiper to edit our vlogs, write these articles and prepare to go to destination number four. We headed to the airport at 4AM on the eve of Barbados' biggest festival, Crop-Over. As our car passed by streets full of revelers urging us to skip our flight and join the party it was hard to say no - but Destination #4 awaited.” The amazing trip ended on Christmas Eve in New Zealand meeting up with their Kiwi Dad and Californian Mum for Christmas. You can watch Alex’s two videos of Barbados at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucGdi36jZu0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ3vLJUkXwE Keep up on the adventures of Marko and Alex (The Vagabrothers) by following them here:
YouTube www.youtube.com/user/watchbbbtv Facebook www.facebook.com/Vagabrothers Twitter & Instagram @vagabrothers
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
35
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
PAUL WORRELL LOOKING AFTER THE JETSET othing is more symbolic of the ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ than a beautiful, sleek, powerful, private jet. And Barbados gets to see lots of them! Any day of the year, whenever landing at the Grantley Adams International Airport, chances are that you will see several of these magnificent machines neatly parked to the left of the main terminal. During peak season, around Christmas, it is common to see as many as twenty private jets lined up on the tarmac at the same time, patiently waiting to carry their illustrious passengers back home after their vacation. When the world’s AAA-list celebrities happily slip quietly in and out of Barbados, they usually do so through the IAM Jet Centre. Paul Worrell is the unassuming but intrepid Barbadian entrepreneur who has made all of this possible. After working for many years for Eastern Airlines, Paul cleverly spotted an opportunity to launch a new business supplying a dedicated, customized service to the then embryonic private jet industry. ‘Back in 1989, I wrote the company’s first business plan on a yellow legal pad. I still have it. It’s amusing to read it
36 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
By Keith Miller all now but we have certainly come a long way since.’ Indeed they have! As well as the flagship Barbados IAM Jet Centre, there are others in Jamaica and Grenada, with a fourth on-stream in Tortola, plus IAM representation at twenty-four airports around the region. ‘We operate the centre as if it is a 5-star boutique hotel. The only difference is nobody sleeps here. We provide an elegant, very private location that offers our guests the very best creature comforts and the ultimate experience of absolute convenience and comfort while travelling.’ Although the private jet service is the core business of the IAM Jet Centre, travellers flying First Class on British Airways also benefit from the unparalleled convenience of this unique facility. Passengers drop off their bags, pass through the in-house customs and immigration and relax in a private BA lounge. Just prior to departure they are driven to the steps of the aircraft in an air-conditioned Mercedes coach. ‘Of course we get lots of very high profile celebrities using the centre and that certainly makes life interesting for us. But we will never divulge the names of our clients. Our service is exclusive and confidential. You’ll have to read the society news to find out who’s been here!’
Above Barbados See the beauty from above
Get a unique bird’s-eye view of Barbados’s stunning coastal and rustic scenery in a private aircraft. Our pilot will point out landmarks and give a brief history of points of interest. You can even book a romantic sunset flight with your special someone. Our plane seats up to 3 persons and transportation can be arranged. Contact us today to book your flight.
Mr. K. Hall: 1 246 260 5642 abovebarbados@gmail.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
37
Participate in the weekend Farmer’s Markets at Holder’s, Hastings and Brighton Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Visit the lovely open gardens hosted by the Barbados Horticultural Society Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Learn the art of Batik making with Henderson Reece at The Batik Studio Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
38 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ARTICIPATE 40 MEETINGS & INCENTIVES 44 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 70 LESSONS & CLASSES 74 SPORTS 83 SPORTING ORGANIZATIONS 84 SERVICE CLUBS & CHARITIES
Join in the fun and excitement in the stands at Kensington Oval during a cricket match Photo: Nick Reid
MEETINGS & INCENTIVES
Tan Tan and Saga Boy Sunlinc & Stephen R. Smith - Photo Dynamics Inc.
Concorde Experience Photo courtesy Barbados Concorde Experience
Beach Lounge Photo: Sunlinc & William Cummins
40 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
MEETINGS & INCENTIVES
PARTICIPATE
ncentive Travel’. This phrase to most is a foreign one – the type that produces a blank stare followed by a lengthy explanation about targets, goals and the ultimate corporate travel reward. ‘Meetings’ on the other hand conjures images of grueling hours locked away in a windowless boardroom while being subjected to flip charts, pie graphs, presentations and a bald fellow with a monotone voice. Barbados as a mind-shattering and amazing Meetings & Incentives destination is here to dispel those fuzzy stereotypes and provide the framework for truly memorable programmes and events. Positive recognition is the most effective way to reinforce desired behaviours. People tend to repeat the behaviours that they believe will be rewarded. When a company makes the ultimate decision to reward their top performers with a once-in-a-lifetime, custom designed, meeting or incentive in Barbados, this becomes the ultimate carrot-on-a-stick! Tangible recognition, like travel, provides not only a way to thank major contributors dramatically, but also to send a message throughout the organization that outstanding performance is highly valued and rewarded. Even mundane meetings become a thing of true beauty when the announcement is made: “We are having our meeting . . . . on the Caribbean Island of Barbados . . .” That’s a pretty tough offer to turn down!
Why Barbados? Let’s start by stating the obvious. The Island is breathtakingly gorgeous – gently rolling hills, crashing rugged east coast, magnificent azure waters and fluffy white sand beaches. It is safe, with genuinely warm and friendly people, a ‘joie de vivre’, cutting-edge infrastructure and a stable government that is invested in Tourism. It is also incredibly diverse. Most Incentive calibre accommodation features meeting and function space and you’ll find our Hotels and Resorts embrace the sometimes challenging needs of this market segment - Teams are eager to deliver on their promise. To whet your appetite, the Island offers internationally recognized names such as the Fairmont Royal Pavilion, Hilton Barbados, Sandy Lane Resort, the Elegant Hotels Group, the Crane Resort, Radisson Aquatica, Accra Beach Resort and a Marriott Courtyard. Activities run the full gamut, from the depths of Harrison’s Caves and the Atlantis Submarine, to the heights of sitting atop the east coast on an island safari. A cruise along the gorgeous west coast on a luxury catamaran (and we do mean luxury); soaring through the centre of the Island on a zip-line; championship golf; thoroughbred racing and exhilarating polo matches. World-class restaurants dotted along the coasts rub elbows with the likes of the Friday night fish fry at Oistins. Conference facilities at the Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre rival those found anywhere in the Caribbean, and of course, the professional services of our audio visual, photographic, lighting and event partners complete the spectrum of extraordinary events. Barbados features world class entertainment options, including Acrobats, Aerialists,
Etoile Sur La Plage Photo: Sunlinc & Stephen R. Smith - Photo Dynamics Inc.
PARTICIPATE
MEETINGS & INCENTIVES
Photo: Sunlinc & Ted Martin
White Nights
Fire artists, Dance troupes, Theatrical groups, Jazz artists, the Royal Barbados Police Band, Calypso, Steelpan and Contemporary bands, Classical ensembles, top 40 . . . you name it, Barbados has it. And if by chance we don’t, we’ll do what we do best – find it for you! And then there is the not-so-obvious. Like being one of the few islands in the English speaking Caribbean with multiple daily direct flights from the USA, Canada and the UK. Or the fact that Barbados is home to a British Airways Concorde – a ‘must see’ tour by day which can be transformed into an evening event sure to knock the socks off even the most seasoned traveler. This venue can also be the backdrop to a spectacular meeting under the wings of this majestic aircraft. The island can also cater to the multilingual needs of our guests, covering over 20 languages (including Bajan, of course!). There is also no shortage of amazing event venues. Whether for a group of 10 or 1,000 the possibilities are endless. From a night under a clear-top marquee dripping with jewels, lights and smothered in fabulousness, to an evening cocooned in the glow of a 350 year old dining room. Plantation Houses boast magnificent surroundings and fine dining with the likes of Fisher
42 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Pond Plantation House, appropriately located in ‘Sweet Bottom’, St. Thomas; majestic Clifton Hall Great House or the antique beauty of Sunbury Plantation House – just to name a few. Private Villas abound, kissed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and luxurious rendezvous including Apes Hill, Lion Castle estate and the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre. And last (but by no means least) – one critical ingredient to any successful meeting or incentive, Barbados has some of the best DMC’s (that’s – Destination Management Companies for the lay-folks) that the Caribbean has to offer, with the professionalism and outstanding delivery to make even the most complex requirements seamless. Fast Track arrival service for your VIP’s? No problem. Your group just went from 60 to 200 and they land in 3 weeks? Easy breezy. That indoor event that you’ve been planning for 8 months just got moved to the beach and happens tomorrow? They are on it. Your local DMC will make jumping through hoops and bending over backwards look like child’s play, and all of course with the excellence and professionalism that our local DMC’s are known for and our clients have come to expect. So now really, the only question is . . . how soon can you get here to experience all that Barbados has to offer?
MEETINGS & INCENTIVES
PARTICIPATE
Spotlight On Team Sunlinc The brainchild of CEO Helen Schur Parris, Sunlinc is a full service Destination Management Company. When it was first formed in Barbados in 1983, there was a recognized need for a DMC servicing the complex needs of the Meeting and Incentive markets. With a wealth of industry knowledge and the desire for excellence, Helen formed Sunlinc and the company has since become a benchmark in the Caribbean DMC community. British by birth, Helen has enjoyed a career almost exclusively in the Hotel and Tourism Industry. Educated in Switzerland, she earned her degree in Hotel Management in Montreal, Canada and after eight years with Hilton International, Helen moved to Barbados where she became a founding Partner in Sunlinc. As CEO she has spearheaded Sunlinc’s growth and development and is also the founding President and past Board Member of the Association of Destination Management Companies of Barbados and was a founding board member of the Caribbean Chapter of SITE. Helen also sat on the Business Advisory Council of the University of Miami. Today, some 30+ years after its inception, Sunlinc has grown to a Team strength of some 80 members and encompasses operations in Barbados, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, and Grenada. With an international Marketing & Multimedia office in Florida, Sunlinc continues to develop strong relationships with their clients, and has proven itself as the leading DMC in the Caribbean.
Tel (246) 436-1710 Web www.sunlinc.net | Email sales@sunlinc.net
Five Star Fast Track Team
FIVE STAR FAST TRACK Why waste your arrival day in Barbados? Save time and hassle with Five Star Fast Track at Grantley Adams International Airport. Count on their Team for personal VIP assistance immediately as you enter the Arrivals Hall. All guests are individually met and escorted through dedicated Immigration and Customs lines, and assisted with baggage claim before being whisked away to spend their time in Barbados. This is a great service not only for the most seasoned traveler but also great for business travelers and families travelling with children, who want to enjoy a seamless arrival experience.
Tel (246) 421-6777 Web www.fivestarfasttrack.com Email info@fivestarfasttrack.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
43
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
The Open Water Festival swim in Carlisle Bay Photo: Sophie Warren
J24 First Citizens Nationals Banks Esperanza Winner Photo: Peter Marshall
Polo at Apes Hill Club Photo: André Williams
44 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
PARTICIPATE
arbados is a place where people usually come to lie in the sun and relax on our beautiful beaches. But make sure you also take the opportunity to participate in some of the events mentioned in this section, because even though its small, Barbados is a very happening little island! There is a very busy schedule of events taking place throughout the year, many of which are annual, such as the Barbados Horticultural Society’s Flower and Garden Show, The Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race, The Sandy Lane Gold Cup, Agrofest - the National Agricultural Exhibition, the Holetown Festival, the Oistins Fish Festival, Crop Over Festival, and the list goes on and on! Each year, Barbados also plays host to several international events which attract visitors to our shores such as polo, golf, motor racing, sailing, cricket, surfing, windsurfing, football, hockey, tennis and running. They also come for game fishing, bridge and chess. The competitors look forward to coming to the island, not only to participate in their respective sport, but also to enjoy the many facets of Barbados. But it’s not all sports and games. The Virgin Atlantic Holders Season offers a varied and exciting programme of theatre and music each year. Other musical events are Gospelfest and the Barbados Reggae Festival. Visitors and locals alike also enjoy the annual Open House Programme presented by the Barbados National Trust and the Open Gardens presented by the Barbados Horticultural Society. If you’re intersted in getting some exercise and want an opportunity to see the hills and back roads of Barbados, take part in the National Trust’s Hike Barbados programme. These hikes take place every Sunday throughout the year, and you can choose between a morning or afternoon hike. They also have a 5:30pm moonlight hike every month. The National Trust also hosts Gun Hill by Moonlight, which takes place on the Friday closest to full moon from January to May, at the historic Gun Hill Signal Station in St. George. Horse racing is another regular event, taking place on Saturdays at the historic Garrison Savannah. There are three racing seasons per year, so be sure to check the racing calendar on their website. Not to be forgotten are the very enjoyable art gallery shows and museum exhibitions, the culinary festival and all breed championship dog shows. Some new and exciting events taking place in 2014 are the Naniki Caribbean Jazz Safari and the Davis Cup in January, the International Womens Day Expo in March, the ITU Pan Am Triathlon Cup in April, the Top Gear Festival in May, and the Darren Eastmond Memorial Invitational Water Polo Tournament in June. Another relatively new event taking place next year is the Open Water Festival in November. This event will include 1.5km and 5km swims in Carlise Bay, a stand up paddle relay, a kayak relay and waterpolo games. If you are interested in attending or taking part in any of the events listed in this section be sure to get in touch. Telephone numbers, email addresses and websites are listed with each event. Full event details are also listed at:
www.mydestination.com/barbados
Bright, colourful costumes and happy revellers are easily spotted on Kadooment Day Photo: Barbara Secher Greenidge
JANUARY
JANUARY
PARTICIPATE
Public Holidays New Year’s Day: Wednesday 1st Errol Barrow Day: Tuesday 21st
Full Moon Thursday 16th Full event details at: mydestination.com/barbados
‘Country Evening’ by Tracey Williams Oil, 24”wx24”h
About the Artist: Tracey is a Barbadian who started her career as a full time artist in 1995. Her first passion is for colour, which led to floral painting, but later she made a natural progession to landscapes. Her love of colour and exploring the layer of one colour paint over another, create atmosphere, mood and vibrancy. Her work is available at On the Wall Gallery at Champers Restaurant in Christ Church and Earthworks Complex in St. Thomas. Telephone (246) 426-3380 Champers; (246) 438-9246 Earthworks.
Horticulture
Jazz
Art Shows/Exhibitions
Barbados Horticultural Society Annual Flower & Garden Show
Naniki Caribbean Jazz Safari
Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown.
‘Night of the Legends’ - Thu. 16th at Frank Collymore Hall at 8pm; ‘Moon Over Carlisle Bay’ - Fri. 17th at Charles’ Fort, Hilton Barbados at 8pm; ‘Echoes of the Caribbean’ - Sat. 18th at Harrison’s Cave at 4pm; ‘Fusion in the Woods’ - Sun. 19th at Ilaro Court at 2pm; ‘I Remember Oscar’ - Mon. 20th at Holders at 7pm; ‘Errol Barrow Day Bajan Jazz Picnic’ - Tue. 21st at Naniki Amphitheatre at 1pm. For further details visit:
Featured artist: Catherine Forter-Chee-a-Tow Sat. 18th January, 5-8pm and continuing to Thu. 13th February. For further details call 419-0858 or visit:
Sat. 25th & Sun. 26th from 10am-6pm at Balls Plantation, Christ Church. For further details call the BHS at 428-5889 or visit:
www.horticulturebarbados.com
Open Gardens Sun. 12th - garden of Professor & Mrs. Julie Landis, 1 Fairview, St. John; Tue. 21st (Errol Barrow Day) - Mr. & Mrs. John Chandler, Fisher Pond Great House, St. Thomas. Open Gardens are presented by The Barbados Horticultural Society and usually take place on Sundays from 2-6pm. Tea and refreshments are available. For more information call the BHS at 428-5889 or visit:
www.nanikicaribbeanjazzsafari.com
Polo
www.artgallerycaribbean.com Gallery NuEdge, Limegrove Lifestyle Centre. Exhibitions featuring digital photographic works by international artist Amel Chamandy and paintings by local artist Terrence Rupert Piggott. For further details call 621-0067 or email:
gallerynuedge@galerienuedge.com
Roger Gooding Memorial 6 Goal
Gun Hill by Moonlight
Mount Gay Sailing Week
Thu. 16th at Holders; Sat. 18th at Lion Castle; Sun. 19th at Apes Hill; Thu. 23rd at Holders; Sat. 25th at Lion Castle; Sun. 26th at Apes Hill. For further details visit:
Fri. 17th at the Signal Station, Gun Hill, St. George. Gates open at 5:30pm. Lowering of the flag ceremony at sunset. Complimentary refreshments included.
Thu. 16th to Sat. 25th. For more details visit:
www.barbadospoloclub.com
www.horticulturebarbados.com
Sailing www.sailbarbados.com The Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race Tue. 21st (Errol Barrow Day), starting at 8am in Carlisle Bay, St. Michael. For more info visit:
www.mountgayrumroundbarbadosrace.com
Tennis Davis Cup Barbados will host Chile in Round 1 of the 2014 Davis Cup Americas Zone Group II, at the National Tennis Centre, Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, Wildey - Fri. 31st January to Sun. 2nd February. For more information visit:
www.tennisbarbados.org
46 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Horse Racing
Open Houses
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Wednesday from 2:30-5:30pm. Dates for January are 15th, 22nd and 29th. Venues to be decided. For more information and venue details call 426-2421.
Golf
Hike Barbados
Sagicor Family Golf
Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
Saturdays at the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
Sun. 12th at the Barbados Golf Club. For further details call BGC at 428-8463 or visit:
www.barbadosgolfclub.com
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY
PARTICIPATE
Full Moon Saturday 15th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados
‘Ace of Hearts’ by Paola Baldi, Acrylic
About the Artist: Paola Baldi is an Italian artist who works in acrylic and collages medium. She has exhibited in Barbados, the USA, France, Singapore and MonteCarlo. Her work has also been published in art books in Italy as part of the collection of Aprile di Cimia edited by Gribaudo - Turin. Living in Barbados for the past 33 years has inspired her daily with a style that depicts many emotions and metaphors of life. Her studio is at Bannatyne Plantation House and her work is available at On The Wall Gallery (see Ad page 171).
Cultural Festivals
Horse Racing
Agricultural Show
Holetown Festival
Saturdays at the historic Garrison Savannah. For details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
Agrofest (The National Agricultural Exhibition)
Sun. 9th to Sun. 16 - music, tuk band, folk dancing, art and crafts, food, vintage motor vehicle parade, flood lit Tattoo by the Police. An annual festival commemorating when Barbados became a British Colony in 1627. For further details visit:
http://www.holetownfestivalbarbados.org
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Bridge Sun, Sea and Slams 24th Annual International Bridge Tournament
Polo
Tue. 11th to Sat. 15th. For further details visit:
Tue. 11th; Thu. 13th and Sun. 16th. All matches played at Holders.
Annual St. James Harvest Garden Party
www.barbadosbridge.org
Sat. 1st at 1:30pm at St. James Parish Church in Holetown ($10 Adm). For further details call St. James Parish Church at 422-4117.
Golf
Open Gardens
Sat. 8th at The Barbados Golf Club. For further details call 428-8463 or visit:
The Crane Classic
Sun. 2nd - Mr. & Mrs. Orson Daisley, ‘Wind Blown’, 54 Turtle Drive and Mssrs. Ed Thal & Joe Murphy, ‘By De Sea’, 79 Ocean Drive, both at Long Bay Dev., St. Philip; Sun. 9th - Krissi Collett & Damian McKinney, Woodland, St. George; Sun. 16th - Mr. & Mrs. Keith Simmons, 7 Gibbs Hill, St. Peter. Open gardens are presented by the Barbados Horticultural Society and take place on Sundays from 2-6pm. Tea and refreshments are available. For further details call 428-5889 or visit:
www.barbadosgolfclub.com
www.horticulturebarbados.com
Exhibitions featuring paintings by local artist Terrence Rupert Piggott and mixed media works by Cuban artist Kadir López Nieves. For further details call 621-0067 or email:
Fundraiser ‘Because of Jenna’ Trust Charity Ball Sat. 8th at Fisher Pond Great House, St. Thomas at 8pm. Theme: ‘Lighting up Lives’.
48 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Fri. 28th February to Sun. 2nd March at Queen’s Park, Bridgetown. For further details visit: www.agrofestbarbados.com
Art Shows/Exhibitions Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown. Featured artists: Susan & Asher Mains - Sat. 15th February, 5-8pm and continuing to Wed. 13th March. For further details call 419-0858 or visit:
www.artgallerycaribbean.com Gallery NuEdge, Limegrove Lifestyle Centre.
gallerynuedge@galerienuedge.com
Villages Tour
BPC Ladies Tour Tue. 18th; Thu. 20th and Sun. 23rd. All matches played at Holders. For further details visit: www.barbadospoloclub.com
Gun Hill by Moonlight Fri. 14th at the Signal Station, Gun Hill, St. George. Gates open at 5:30pm. Lowering of the flag ceremony at sunset. Complimentary refreshments included.
Open Houses Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Wednesday from 2:30-5:30pm. Dates for February are 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th. Venues to be decided. For more information and venue details call 426-2421.
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421.
MARCH
MARCH
PARTICIPATE
Full Moon Sunday 16th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados
‘Sandy Lane Gold Cup’ by Glenroy Jordan Oil on Canvas, 20”hx24”w
About the Artist: Glenroy Jordan has been around art from a very young age and always had a keen eye for colour and art. He enrolled at the Barbados Community College where he studied under the tutelage of Winston Kellman. His pieces continue to attract art lovers and casual spectators who are captivated by his work, which is available at the Gallery of Caribbean Art in Speightstown, St. Peter. Telephone (246) 419-0858.
Horse Racing
Women’s Expo
Gun Hill by Moonlight
Sandy Lane Gold Cup
International Women’s Day Expo
Sat. 8th at the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
Entitled “YOUniquely You!” 2014, including talks, workshops, fashion, beauty & well-being. Sat. 8 and Sun. 9th at Bellevue House, Waterford, St. Michael at 10am. For more information call 269-2010 or visit:
Fri. 14th at the Signal Station, Gun Hill, St. George. Gates open at 5:30pm. Lowering of the flag ceremony at sunset. Complimentary refreshments included.
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Cricket International Home Series Twenty20 England vs. West Indies Sun. 9th; Tue. 11th and Thu. 13th at Kensington Oval at 2pm.
Music & Drama Virgin Atlantic Holders Season Sat. 22nd March to Sat. 5th April at Holders House, St. James. For further details call 432-6385 or visit:
www.holders.net
Open Gardens Sun. 2nd - Tony Taylor, 24 Flamboyant Drive, Rolling Hills, St. Philip; Sun. 9th - Mr. & Mrs. T. Hansen, Chummery, Sandy Lane, St. James. Open gardens are presented by the Barbados Horticultural Society and take place on Sundays from 2-6pm. Tea and refreshments are available. For further details call 428-5889 or visit:
www.horticulturebarbados.com
Dog Show Barbados Kennel Club’s All Breed Championship Dog Show Sun. 16th at Waterford Pltn., St. Michael, Judge: Keith Nathan (UK). For further info call 417-0607 or visit:
www.barbadoskennelclub.org
www.ayouniqueyou.com
Museum Tour ICOM International Women’s Day Tour Thu. 6th at 9:30am. This tour will focus on places of interest which highlight the work of women or which have collections of particular interest to women. For further details call the Barbados Museum at 427-0201 or email:
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Royalist Regatta Barbados 2014 Sat. 1st. Being staged by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Barbados. For further details contact sailbarbados@gmail.com or visit the Barbados Sailing Association website at:
www.sailbarbados.com
Polo
icombarbados@gmail.com
Cheshire Tour
Art Shows/Exhibitions
Barbados Open 8 Goal
Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown. Featured artist: Vincent Castellanet - Sun. 16th March, 5-8pm and continuing to Thu. 17th April. For further details call 419-0858 or visit:
www.artgallerycaribbean.com Gallery NuEdge, Limegrove Lifestyle Centre. Exhibitions featuring mixed media works by Cuban artist Kadir López Nieves and paintings by acclaimed wildlife portrait artist Michael Jackson. For further details call 621-0067 or email:
gallerynuedge@galerienuedge.com
Waterman Sports Waterman Festival Windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing, SUPing, conch-shell blowing, beach cricket and swimming. Fri. 7th to Sun. 9th at Silver Sands, Christ Church. For further details call 428-2027 or email:
irieman@sunbeach.net
50 •
Sailing
Sun. 2nd; Thu. 6th and Sun. 9th. All matches played at Holders. Thu. 13th at Apes Hill; Sun. 16th at Lion Castle; Tue. 18th at Holders; Thu. 20th at Apes Hill; Sun. 23rd at Holders.
Lion Castle Tour Tue. 25th; Thu. 27th and Sun. 30th. All matches played at Lion Castle. For further details visit:
www.barbadospoloclub.com
Open Houses Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Wednesday from 2:30-5:30pm. Dates for March are 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th. Venues to be decided. For more information and venue details call 426-2421.
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421.
APRIL
APRIL
PARTICIPATE
Public Holidays Good Friday: 18th Easter Monday: 21st
Full Moon Tuesday 15th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados ‘Harmony’ by Sue Trew Oil on canvas, 48"w x 36"h
About the Artist: Sue was born in Barbados, daughter of renowned artist, Jill Walker. She and her husband Chris, run the family business, Best of Barbados Gift Shops. With her daughters grown up, Sue spends more time painting and is delighted to sell her own range of prints and giftware in their shops. Her latest venture, ‘Turtle Tracks’ is a children’s book she has written and illustrated. To view originals and to shop, visit www.best-of-barbados.com
Cultural Festivals
Art Shows/Exhibitions
Polo
Oistins Fish Festival
Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown.
Apes Hill Tour
Sat. 19th to Mon. 21st - music, art and crafts, food and fun! An annual festival held over Easter weekend in the historic town of Oistins, Christ Church.
Featured artist: Vincent Castellanet continuing to Thu. 17th April. For further details call 419-0858 or visit:
Tue. 1st; Thu. 3rd; Sun. 6th; Tue. 8th; Thu. 10th and Sun. 13th. All matches played at Apes Hill.
www.artgallerycaribbean.com
Tue. 15th; Thu. 17th and Sat. 19th. All matches played at Lion Castle.
The Barbados Reggae Festival
Gallery NuEdge, Limegrove Lifestyle Centre.
Club Matches
Sun. 20th to Sun. 27th. For further details visit:
An exhibition featuring paintings by acclaimed wildlife portrait artist Michael Jackson. For further details call 621-0067 or email:
Sat. 26th at Holders. For further details visit:
http://thebarbadosreggaefestival.com
Museum Events
Lion Castle Tour
www.barbadospoloclub.com
gallerynuedge@galerienuedge.com
Horse Racing
Sat. 5th.
Chess
The Barbados Guineas (1st Jewel in the Triple Crown)
Kite Making Workshop
Heroes Day International Cup
Wed. 9th, Thu. 10th, Fri. 11th & Sat. 12th. Fri. 18th April to Sun. 21st September.
Fri. 25th April to Thu. 1st May at The Chess Centre, Cavans Lane, Bridgetown. For further details visit:
Ole Time Excursion Bus Tour
www.barbados.org/chess
Hike/Walk
Nature Outdoor Exhibit Launch
Sat. 19th.
African Art Workshop
Triathlon
Sat. 19th & Sat. 26th.
ITU Pan Am Cup
National Heroes Day Walk
Sun. 27th at Spring Garden Highway. For further details visit:
Sat. 26th. For further details on all events call the Barbados Museum at 427-0201 or visit:
www.triathlonbarbados.com
www.barbmuse.org.bb
Game Fishing Barbados International Fishing Tournament Wed. 9th to Sun. 13th at Port St. Charles Marina, St. Peter. For further details visit:
www.barbadosgamefishing.com
52 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Tennis Barbados Junior International Championships (ITF Junior Circuit) Mon. 14th to Sun. 20th at the National Tennis Centre, Wildey, St. Michael. For further details visit: www.tennisbarbados.org
At the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Gun Hill by Moonlight Fri. 11th at the Signal Station, Gun Hill, St. George. Gates open at 5:30pm. Lowering of the flag ceremony at sunset. Complimentary refreshments included.
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
#VU U FS nZ ,J T T FT CZ #FM M F £U PJ M F › CFM M FFU PJ M FK FXFM S Z D PN
MAY
MAY
PARTICIPATE
Public Holidays May Day: Thursday 1st
Full Moon Wednesday 14th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados ‘Nets’ by Hilary Armstrong Acrylic, 14”hx19”w
About the Artist: Hilary was born in Barbados in 1959 and educated in Barbados and England. Starting out as a Batik artist in 1977, she now also paints in acrylics on paper and canvas. She also paints large murals and does decorative finishes on furniture and other surfaces. Her work is available at On the Wall Gallery (see Ad page 171).
Motor Sport
Polo
Music Festivals
Sol Rally Barbados
Club Matches
Gospelfest
Scrutineering: Sat. 24th Scotiabank King of the Hill: Sun. 25th Sol Rally: Sat. 31st and Sun. 1st Jun. For further details visit:
Sat. 3rd at Lion Castle; Sat. 10th at Apes Hill; Sat. 18th at Holders; Sat. 24th at Lion Castle.
Sat. 17th to Sun. 25th. For further details visit:
Sat. 31st at Holders. For further details visit:
Golf
www.rallybarbados.bb
www.barbadospoloclub.com
Sir Garry Sobers Festival of Golf
Top Gear Festival
Museum Events & Tour
For further information please call the Barbados Tourism Authority at 467-3600 or visit:
African Art Workshop
Thu. 1st to Sun. 4th at four venues - Apes Hill, Royal Westmoreland, Sandy Lane and the Barbados Golf Club. For further details visit:
Sat. 3rd, Sat. 10th, Sat. 24th & Sat. 31st.
www.sirgarrysobersfestivalofgolf.com
www.visitbarbados.org/sport
Sat. 17th
Horse Racing
Ole Time Excursion Bus Tour
Saturdays at the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit their website at:
Sailing
Presidents/Kearns Trophy
Turtle Walk
Sat. 17th
Super Centre Offshore Regatta
International Museums Day ‘Family Day’
Sun. 4th
Super Centre J24 Regatta
Sun. 18th at The Barbados Museum. For further details on all events call the Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or visit:
Sat. 17th
www.barbmuse.org.bb
Boat Yard J24 Regatta Sat. 10th
Barbados May Regatta Thu. 22nd to Sun. 25th at Carlisle Bay, St. Michael. For further details contact sailbarbados@gmail.com or visit the Barbados Sailing Association website at:
www.sailbarbados.com
Cultural Festivals Celtic Festival Barbados Sat. 24th to Sun. 25th For further information visit:
www.celticbarbados.com
54 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ICOM International Museums Day Tour Thu. 15th at 9:30am. This tour will focus on the theme for 2014 “Museum Collections make Connections”, and will include visits to museums or places of interest which speak to this theme. For further details call the Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or email:
icombarbados@gmail.com
www.barbadosgospelfest.com
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Gun Hill by Moonlight Fri. 16th at the Signal Station, Gun Hill, St. George. Gates open at 5:30pm. Lowering of the flag ceremony at sunset. Complimentary refreshments included.
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
JUNE
JUNE
PARTICIPATE
Public Holidays Whit Monday: 9th
Full Moon Friday 13th Full event details at: mydestination.com/barbados
‘Blue Bay’ by Jean Blades Acrylic, 24”hx24”w
About the Artist: Jean is a Canadian trained Barbadian artist who works exclusively with palette knife and varied mediums such as acrylic, oil and watercolor. “Rather than rely on sketches or photographs, I call on a lifetime of stored visual, emotional, and aesthetic memory. I distill all these forms, colors, and patterns, into visual expressions which are in sync with the aliveness and moods of the Caribbean”. Her work is available at On the Wall Gallery at Champers Restaurant in Christ Church and Earthworks Complex in St. Thomas. Telephone (246) 426-3380 Champers; (246) 438-9246 Earthworks.
Cultural Festivals
Football
Horse Racing
Crop Over Festival: An annual festival celebrating the end of the sugar cane harvest, the origins of which date back to the 1780s. The BNB Crop Over Opening Gala and Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes
Wanderers International Masters Football
The Barbados Fillies Guineas
Fri. 6th to Mon. 9th at Wanderers Football Club, Dayrells Road, St. Michael.
For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
United Insurance Barbados Open
Fundraiser
At Queens Park, Bridgetown. For further information call The National Cultural Foundation at 424-0909 or visit:
Date to be decided. At Royal Westmoreland Golf Club, St. James. For further details visit:
Chefette Restaurants Fun Run
www.barbadoscropoverfestival.com
Sailing
Golf
www.barbadosgolfassociation.com
Museum Events Nature Photo Walk
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Sun. 8th at 4pm. Starting at Chefette, Rockley and continuing to Chefette, Fontabelle. In support of Auntie Olga’s Needy Children’s Fund. Buy your t-shirt and support this worthy cause. For more information call: 429-9123.
J24 Invitational
Sat. 7th.
Sat. 7th to Sun. 8th
Ole Time Excursion Bus Tour
Waterpolo
Lucky Horseshoe J24 Regatta
Sat. 21st.
Sat. 21st
Garrison Walk & Turtle Walk
Lucky Horseshoe J24 & Offshore Regatta
Sat. 28th.
Sun. 22nd For further details contact
Learn to Paint
Darren Eastmond Memorial Invitational Water Polo Tournament Thu. 5th to Mon. 9th at the Aquatic Centre, Wildey, St. Michael. For further details call 423-3881/230-3441 or email:
sailbarbados@gmail.com or visit the Barbados Sailing Association website at:
www.sailbarbados.com
Fundraiser
Sat. 7th, Sat. 14th, Sat. 21st & Sat. 28th. For further details on all events call the Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or visit:
www.barbmuse.org.bb
The Variety Club of Barbados Annual Row For Charity
Trade Show
Sun. 22nd at Carlisle Bay, St. Michael. For further details call Variety, The Children’s Charity at 428-9258 or visit:
Fri. 6th to Mon. 9th at The Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael. For further details visit:
www.varietybarbados.org
www.bmex.bb
56 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
BMEX
cherylwforde@gmail.com
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
Elegance is an attitude Kate Winslet
#32 Broad Street, Bridgetown. Tel. (246) 429-7072 www.theroyalshop-barbados.com
Longines DolceVita
JULY
JULY
PARTICIPATE
Full Moon Saturday 12th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/ barbados
‘Day at the Beach’ by John Stuart
About the Artist: John Stuart was born in London in 1932, however it was here in Barbados, in his mid-sixties that he started to paint seriously. Through his exposure to such Barbadian artists as Fielding Babb and Wayne Branch, whose work he greatly admired, John developed a style uniquely his own. His work is available in many galleries on the island. Telephone Manty Cooper at (246) 823-0065.
Cultural Festivals
Sailing
Museum Events
Crop Over Festival: Pan Pun De Sand
Harris Paints J24 Regatta
Learn to Paint
Sat. 5th
Sat. 5th, Sat. 12th & Sat. 26th.
Brandons Beach, St. Michael at 3pm.
Harris Paints J24 and Offshore Regatta
Crop Over Exhibit
Pic-o-de-Crop Semi-Finals
Sun. 6th
Sat. 19th.
Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, Wildey, St. Michael at 7pm.
Barbados Cruising Club Regatta
Ole Time Excursion Bus Tour
Sun. 13th For further details contact
Sat. 19th.
Junior Kadooment National Stadium, St. Michael at 9am.
sailbarbados@gmail.com or visit the
Turtle Walk Sat. 26th. For further details on all events call the Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or visit:
Sweet Soca & Soca Royale
Barbados Sailing Association website at:
Bushy Park, St. Philip at 11am. For further details call The National Cultural Foundation at 424-0909 or visit:
www.sailbarbados.com
Cricket
www.barbmuse.org.bb
www.barbadoscropoverfestival.com
Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools Cricket Tournament
Hike Barbados
Horse Racing Midsummer Creole Classic (2nd Jewel in the Triple Crown) At the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
Fri. 4th to Fri. 25th. For further details visit:
www.visitbarbados.org/sport
Chess
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Sagicor Barbados Open Junior Championships
Motor Sport
Tue. 8th to Fri. 11th. For further details visit:
Barbados Historic Rally Carnival
www.barbados.org/chess
For further details visit:
www.barbadosrallycarnival.com
58 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
AUGUST
PARTICIPATE
AUGUST
Public Holidays
‘Island Life’ by Jill Walker, Gouache, 28x20
Emancipation Day: Friday 1st Kadooment Day: Monday 4th
About the Artist:
Full Moon Sunday 10th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados
Settling in Barbados in the 1950s, Jill fell in love with the people and the culture, painting her surroundings and unconsciously recording the lifestyle that is now slowly disappearing. Now, over 50 years later, Barbados is synonymous with Jill Walker and no visit to the island is complete without a visit to her family’s Best of Barbados Gift Shops to see Jill’s new works. www.best-of-barbados.com
Cultural Festivals
Museum Events
Horse Racing
Crop Over Festival continues... Pic-o-de-Crop Finals
Hike/Walk
United Insurance Barbados Derby (3rd Jewel in the Triple Crown)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown at 7pm.
Panama Exhibit Launch & Lecture
Foreday Morning
Thu. 7th.
Fri. 1st at midnight.
Turtle Walk
Bridgetown Market
Sat. 30th. For further details on all events call the Barbados Museum at 427-0201 or visit:
www.barbadosturfclub.org
www.barbmuse.org.bb
Hike Barbados
Sat. 2nd and Sun. 3rd at Spring Garden Highway, St. Michael at 9am.
Cohobblopot
Sat. 2nd.
Sun. 3rd at Kensington Oval at 7pm.
Hockey
Grand Kadooment
Banks Hockey Festival
From Warrens to Spring Garden Highway via The National Stadium on Mon. 4th at 9am. For further information call The National Cultural Foundation at 424-0909 or visit:
Sun. 24th to Sat. 30th at various venues including the hockey astro-turf at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, St. Michael. For further details visit:
www.barbadoscropoverfestival.com
www.barbadoshockey.org
60 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
At the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
SEPTEMBER
PARTICIPATE
SEPTEMBER
Full Moon Tuesday 9th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/ barbados
‘Bathsheba Series’ by Winston Kellman
About the Artist: Barbadian born, British trained artist Winston Kellman has been painting the landscape since his return from Europe in 1992. Winston has now turned his gaze towards the Atlantic Ocean Bathsheba in particular. This series of expressive drawings, watercolours and oil paintings explores this iconic image of Barbados, capturing the fascinating and timeless beauty of this location with his trademark intensity and involvement. Telephone (246) 433-2101.
Surfing
Sailing
Health & Fitness
Nationals
National Dinghy Championships (1)
Soup Bowl, Bathsheba. For further details visit:
Sun. 7th
Mr. Caribbean Barbados Fitness Competition
www.barbadossurfingassociation.org
Sun. 21st For further details contact
Horse Racing
sailbarbados@gmail.com or visit the
Saturdays at the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
www.sailbarbados.com
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Museum Events
Golf Barbados Golf Club Anniversary Week of Activities For further details call the BGC at 428-8463 or visit: www.barbadosgolfclub.com
National Dinghy Championships (2)
Barbados Sailing Association website at:
Nature Outdoor Exhibit Fri. 18th April to Sun. 21st September.
Ole Time Excursion Bus Tour Sat. 20th. For further details on all events call The Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or visit:
www.barbmuse.org.bb
62 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Sat. 20th at the Boatyard Complex, Bay Street, St. Michael. For further details visit:
www.mrcaribbeanbarbados.com
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
OPTIMIZE YOUR FREEDOM. When it comes to vacation travel, Courtyard by Marriott offers a refreshing way to unwind. And with freedom to unchain from the daily routine, you’ll be able to enjoy your time on your terms. Courtyard by Marriott® Bridgetown Barbados The Garrison Historic Area Hastings, Christ Church, Barbados BB15156 T 1-246-625-0000 F 1-246-625-0100 reservations.barbados@courtyard.com courtyardbarbados.com Rates are per room, per night, based on availability, not available for groups of 10 or more rooms. To receive a special discount offer on a sleeping room rate mention Ins & Outs of Barbados to the local Reservation Agent and request the rate code CARU or CARZ when booking.
Trusted Care Providers Inc. iss the leading nannny and domestic ca are agency in Barbados w with a primary focus onn hom me care. We p provide quality ccare for your lovved ones - both peop ple annd pets. Ouur stafff is highly traineed to ccater to your unique and sp pecific needs. Services and Specialists
• Neewborn care • Multip ple care • Special neeeds nannies • Live-in or livee-out nannies • Live-in or live-ouut careegivers • Elderrly care • Hom me help • Ho ousekeeping • Housee sitting • Pet sitting • Pet gro ooming
1246-424-8509 | 1246-244-0031 Trusted Care Providers Inc
@TrustedCareInc
OCTOBER
OCTOBER
PARTICIPATE
Full Moon Wednesday 8th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados
‘Alone in the Maldives’ by Brian Talma
About the Artist: Brian ‘deAction Man’ Talma is a well known Barbadian who graduated in 1988 from college with a BA in Business Administration. He then returned home to open his deAction Surf Shop in Silver Sands, Christ Church, and in 2007 redeveloped it to include accommodations and a restaurant. Since 1989, he has enjoyed a very successful windsurfing career travelling the world as well as represented Barbados at two Olympic Games in South Korea and Barcelona, Spain. Today, he continues to travel and promote windsurfing, kiteboarding, stand up paddling, surfing and related sports and culture in Barbados. He also paints his ‘Beach Culture Art’, painting and writing his poetry onto his shop, canvases and wooden signs scattered across the island. “My father and mother gave me the canvas to paint carefree, and to dream my dreams free”. He has also incorporated his art into the design of his deAction brand of beach wear including board shorts, bags and t-shirts. Tel: (246) 428-2027/826-7087.
www.briantalma.pro
Dog Show
Museum Events & Tour
Paddle Boarding
The Barbados Kennel Club’s All Breed Championship Dog Show
Hike/Walk
"deAction Last Waterman Standing", SUP Around Barbados Invitational
Sun. 5th at Waterford Plantation, St. Michael (Judge: Tom Mather, UK). For further details call 417-0607, email: bkc@caribsurf.com or visit: www.barbadoskennelclub.org
Drum Workshop
Sat. 4th. Sat. 4th, Sat. 11th, Sat. 18th & Sat. 25th.
Ole Time Excursion Bus Tour Sat. 25th.
Art Exhibition Launch
Sailing Sun. 5th
Thu. 30th. For further details on all events call The Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or visit:
National Dinghy Championships (4)
www.barbmuse.org.bb
Sun. 19th For further details contact
ICOM Heritage Tour
National Dinghy Championships (3)
sailbarbados@gmail.com or visit the Barbados Sailing Association website at:
www.sailbarbados.com
Triathlon National Triathlon Championships Sun. 5th at Spring Garden Highway. For further details visit: www.triathlonbarbados.com
64 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Thu. 30th at 9:30am. This is a preindependence tour which will focus on the heritage of Barbados. For further details call the Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or email:
icombarbados@gmail.com
Mon. 6th to Mon. 13th. One of the most gruelling stand up paddle races in the world, with elite international and local competitors paddling over 70 miles around Barbados in one day. Starting at deAction Beach Shop, Silver Sands, Christ Church. For further details call 428-2027 or email:
irieman@sunbeach.net
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
Watersports Instructor Rodney Howell Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association ‘Caribbean Hotel Employee of the Year’
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER
PARTICIPATE
Public Holidays Independence Day: Sunday 30th Independence Day Observed: Monday 1st December
Full Moon Thursday 6th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados
‘Flying Fish’ by Holly Trew Oil, 20x16
About the Artist: Following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Jill Walker and her mother Sue Trew, Holly is excited to see her art for sale in her family’s Best of Barbados Shops. Growing up in Barbados, Holly developed a great passion for the sea which is reflected in her art.
www.best-of-barbados.com
Independence Celebrations
Horse Racing
Museum Events
Independence Lighting Ceremony & Bajan Folk Brew
Saturdays at the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
Drum Workshop
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Tue. 11th.
Sun. 1st at Heroes Square, B’town. Lighting ceremony at 5:30pm and Bajan Folk Brew at 7pm.
National Festival National Independence Festival for Creative Arts (NIFCA) For further details call The National Cultural Foundation at 424-0909 or visit:
www.ncf.bb
Dog Show The Barbados Kennel Club’s All Breed Championship Dog Show Sun. 16th at Waterford Plantation, St. Michael (Judge: Geoff Corish, UK). For further details call 417-0607, email: bkc@caribsurf.com or visit: www.barbadoskennelclub.org
Surfing
Water Festival Barbados Open Water Festival Sun. 16th in Carlisle Bay. Includes a 1.5km and 5km ‘Swim the Bay’ at 9am; ‘SUP Relay in the Bay’ at 11am; ‘Kayak Relay in the Bay’ at 1pm and ‘Waterpolo in the Bay’ at 2:30pm. For further details visit:
www.swimbarbadosvacations.com
Volleyball Annual Sizzlin’ Sand Beach Volleyball Barbados Sunsplash Sat. 1st to Sun. 2nd at Brandons Beach, Spring Garden, St. Michael. For further details email: paul@volleybarbados.com
Culinary Festival Food and Wine & Rum Festival
Independence Pro/Junior Pro
For further details call The Barbados Tourism Authority at 467-3600 or visit:
Fri. 28th to Sun. 30th at Soup Bowl, Bathsheba. For further details visit:
www.visitbarbados.org
www.barbadossurfingassociation.org
Health & Fitness Nation Fun Walk For further details call The Nation Publishing Co. Ltd. at 430-5400.
66 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
WWI Launch & Lecture Ole Time Excursion Bus Tour
Spirit of the Nation Show Sat. 22nd at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium at 6pm.
Sat. 1st and Sat. 8th.
Sat. 15th. For further details on all events call The Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or visit:
www.barbmuse.org.bb
Sailing National Dinghy Championships (5) Sun. 2nd
J24 Barbados Match Racing Championships Sat. 15th & Sun. 16th. For further details contact sailbarbados@gmail.com or visit the Barbados Sailing Association website at:
www.sailbarbados.com
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.og
DECEMBER
DECEMBER
PARTICIPATE
Public Holidays Christmas Day: Thursday 25th Boxing Day: Friday 26th
Full Moon Saturday 6th Full event details at:
mydestination.com/barbados
‘Revival #8’ by Terrence Rupert Piggott Acrylic on canvas, 16”x20", 2013
About the Artist: Born in Barbados, Terrence Rupert Piggott received his formal education at the Barbados Community College and earned an Associate degree in Graphic/Advertising Art. In 2007, he was accepted to the Instituto Superior de Arte in Cuba. “Creativity is essential to my experience and I must continually evolve if I am to find harmony with myself and my creator... vivo d’ arte... vivo d’ amore...” Terrence lives and works in Barbados. His work is part of numerous private and public collections around the world and is available in Barbados at Gallery NuEdge at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre. Telephone (246) 621-0067.
Distance Running
Polo
Museum Events
Run Barbados International Marathon & 10k Series
The Polo Season runs from December to May. For further details visit:
Hike/Walk
Fri. 5th to Sun. 7th. For further details call The Barbados Tourism Authority at 467-3600 or visit:
www.barbadospoloclub.com
www.runbarbados.org
Boxing Day at the Races! Championship Race in the 13th Annual Diamonds International Challenge Series for 2-year-olds and the Victor Chandler Stakes and Trophy
Police Band Concert The Royal Barbados Police Force Band Christmas Concert A traditional Christmas event where locals turn out in their numbers to see and be seen in their Christmas finery. Thu. 25th at Queen’s Park, St. Michael at 7am.
68 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Horse Racing
Fri. 26th at the historic Garrison Savannah. For further details call the Barbados Turf Club at 426-3980 or visit:
www.barbadosturfclub.org
Sat. 13th. For further details on all events call The Barbados Museum & Historical Society at 427-0201 or visit:
www.barbmuse.org.bb
Hike Barbados Presented by the Barbados National Trust every Sunday at 6am & 3:30pm. Moonlight hikes are at 5:30pm. For full hike details call 426-2421 or visit:
http://www.barbadosnationaltrust.org
©T&CO. 2013
ATLAS ™ BARBADOS COLONNADE MALL BROAD STREET BRIDGETOWN 246 431 0031
LESSONS & CLASSES
Learning to fly in Barbados with the Barbados Light Airplane Club is very reasonably priced Photo: Sally Miller
Carsten from Patisserie Flindt offers cooking lessons Photo courtesy Patisserie Flindt
LESSONS & CLASSES
PARTICIPATE
here are several types of lessons and classes available on the island. Maybe while you are here on holiday or returning for an extended stay, you might like to try one or two. Keep reading to see if anything catches your interest...
Flying Want to learn how to fly? Call The Barbados Light Aeroplane Club at (246) 420-4359. You can also call Ronald Wilkinson at 231-2912 or Derek Gardier at 254-4487. Also, for the first time in Barbados you can take a Microlight trial flight from the facility at the Barbados Light Aeroplane Club. Call Paul Nugent (246) 261-1676.
Batik Learn the art of Batik making at The Batik Studio with Henderson Reece. Tel: (246) 424-0391 or 240-4861. For more information, see overleaf.
Art Art Splash teaches art classes for children and adults at their facility in Hastings, opposite the Hastings Rocks and the Richard Haynes Boardwalk. Tel: (246) 228-0776. Indrani Whittingham teaches art from her home at 27 South Ridge, Christ Church. The 2 hour classes are for adults only and limited to 15 persons. Each session runs for 8 weeks with 3 terms per year. Every skill level in every medium. Call her at (246) 437-1812 and take your supplies. Learn to draw and paint with Mark Maynard (Master Artist) Saturdays and evening art classes. Call him at (246) 271-2985 or 828-7869 for further information.
Photography Award winning Barbadian photographer, Ronnie Carrington offers Photo Adventure Tours of the island as well as photography workshops at his studio in Pine Gardens. Call him at 230-9170 or email ronniebarbados@me.com Joel Brooks offers photography classes usually on Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 11:30am, however days and times are flexible. Tel: (246) 438-6816 or email joelbrooksedu@gmail.com
Cooking Interactive cooking classes with Carsten Flindt. These classes are small (maximum of 7 persons). They also arrange special team building classes/"cook off’s” and group bookings and are happy to conduct classes at private homes or villas. Call Zoe Flindt at (246) 266-9091 (cell) or email at flindt@flindtbarbados.com
Ballroom Dancing
Polo School is open from mid December until the end of May at Apes Hill Polo Club, St. James - see page 73
70 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Viktory Dance Studio offers line and ballroom dancing classes at Bagatelle Great House, St. Thomas on Wednesday evenings. Advanced classes are held on Fridays at 5pm and there are Saturday classes for both beginners and advanced. Both are held at the Black Rock Cultural Centre in St. Michael. Call (246) 428-9422 or 232-5413 (cell) or email kenrickgreaves@caribsurf.com or viktorydancestudio@gmail.com
Batik classes at The Batik Studio, Earthworks Complex, St. Thomas
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
WAYNE “POONKA” WILLOCK 100 PERCENT
By Sarah Venable
Above: Playing the conga drums Right: Poonka (left) playing in a Tuk Band
et this man a cultural superhero cape! Acting principal of the Princess Margaret School by day, Wayne “Poonka” Willock is a musician and M.C. by night—one who has successfully set out to raise the standards of music in Barbados. This carrier of cultural continuity has not only rescued tuk music from obscurity, but also introduced junior calypso tents to Cropover. Meanwhile, his company, Ruk-A-Tuk Entertainment, provides folkloric shows to the hotel circuit. It’s hard to believe he can sound so casual about it: “My entertainment and music is a relief from school.” Poonka is known to be “all over the place,” but he is very focused. Time management is key: “It’s focus, planning, punctuality, and commitment. I don’t take on more than I can handle.” Somehow he also handles car racing, teaching drumming as well as being an active member of the Barbados Rifle and Pistol Federation and an avid biker who can translate your documents from Spanish or French into English in his spare time. His name is synonymous with tuk. For the Ministry of Education, he has supervised training in tuk band music, Landship dancing, and stiltwalking at all the schools in Barbados, all of which link together and are important parts of our cultural identity. He brought tuk rhythm into calypso, produced two albums of tuk band music, and has
72 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
represented Barbadian heritage in Europe, Cuba, the UK and the US, as well as here on the island. Indigenous to Barbados, tuk combines British marching band music with African rhythm patterns. Consisting of a pennywhistle, bass drum, snare drum and sometimes a triangle, the tuk band is often accompanied by costumed figures of African origin, such as shaggy bear, stiltman and Mother Sally. As a singer/songwriter, Poonka reached the finals or semi-finals of the national calypso competitions 9 times between 1983 and 1995, and has a slew of awards to his credit. He also plays most percussion instruments, keyboard and pennywhistle. He is proficient in several genres of music—folk, tuk, calypso and jazz. It comes from his childhood. He attended Harrison College and was exposed to formal music notation as a trumpeter in the Barbados Symphonia and as head boy of the St. Ambrose Choir. “I was able to visit Westminster Abbey in that capacity. Growing up I also played recorder. There was a tuk band in my village, Seaman’s, on Brittons Hill. I loved it, so I taught myself to play all the instruments. Then I got fully involved.” What else would he like to say? “I’m a family man. I don’t get involved in anything that I can’t give 100%.” Check him out at www.rukatukinc.net
LESSONS & CLASSES Guitar Learn to play the guitar with David Collins of Gate 6 Guitar Studio. He offers a Children's after school programme for 7 yrs. and up. Beginners (Group of 3) 10 lessons at BB$380; Intermediate (Group of 2) 10 lessons at BB$450. Individual - 10 lessons at BB$600 or BB$60 per lesson. Adult lessons are also available in electric, steel-string acoustic or classical nylon. Call David at (246) 234-2836 or email gate6guitarstudio@gmail.com
Swimming Learn to swim classes for children and adults are available at the Aquatic Centre in Wildey, St. Michael. For experienced swimmers, you can also join the many teams who train at the Centre. Call (246) 429-7946 or email basa@caribsurf.com. Also visit their website at www.swimbarbados.com
Golf Coaching Andrew Linch and Michael Marshall offer 9-hole playing lessons at the Barbados Golf Club in Durants, Christ Church 6 days a week - Monday to Saturday from 7am to 5pm. Juniors BB$45 for 3/4 hour and Adults BB$100 for one hour. All equipment is supplied. They also offer lessons to companies. Call Andrew at (246) 233-3707 or email him at info@andrewlinchgolf.com. Call Michael at (246) 828-2488. Golf lessons are also offered at Royal Westmoreland in St. James to adults and juniors. These are Monday to Saturday from 7am to 5pm and are half an hour duration. Adults BB$140 /Juniors BB$100. Tel: (246) 422-4653 for bookings.
PARTICIPATE
Surfing, Windsurfing, SUPing & Kiteboarding Lessons & rentals available at deAction Beach Shop - see page 269.
Resort Courses in Diving Learn to dive with Barbados Blue, see page 221.
Horse Riding Ride Barbados, located at Cleland Plantation, St. Andrew does English riding only. Hard hats are supplied by the Centre. Riding lessons are available or just go on a trail riding tour through the country and on the beach. Hours for rides are 8am to 4pm every day. Call (246) 422-7433 or visit www.ridebarbados.com Beau Geste Stables in The Hope, St. George caters to beginner riders. Call Alison Cox at Tel: (246) 429-0139. Morning lessons are available Mon., Wed., and Fri., 9am to 11am. Afternoon lessons Tue. through Fri. from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.
Polo Polo School is open from mid December until the end of May at Apes Hill Polo Club in St. James. Mornings and afternoons most days, weather permitting. Lessons, chukka rentals, tournament polo for beginners to advanced players. Group discounts offered. No prior experience necessary. All equipment and drinks provided. Prices on request. Contact Jamie Dickson (246) 262-3282 or Pablo Crespin at (246) 262-3286 or email school@apeshillpolobarbados.com. Visit their website at www.apeshillclub.com
Squash Squash lessons are available 7 days a week at the Barbados Squash Club. Tel: (246) 427-7913 for bookings.
Tennis Ocean View Tennis Club at The Barbados Hilton offers several levels of tennis coaching for children and adults. Head Pro Sydney Lopez is assisted by Christopher King and the courts are open from 7.30am to 9pm. Court rental is also available as well as group clinics for adults and private lessons. Tel: (246) 228-4863 or email barbadostennis@yahoo.com FTI Tennis Academy with Lou Fuentes at Club Rockley in Christ Church. This is a complete full service tennis operation encompassing all aspects of the game. They operate Monday to Friday with beginner, intermediate and advanced classes available from 3pm. Private instruction is also available by appointment. Call Lou at (246) 232-9189 or email him at fuentes@caribsurf.com
Sailing LRN 2 Sail Barbados Inc. offers quality sail training and sail boat rentals for people of all ages and abilities. They run an after school programme for children from Monday to Saturday as well as private lessons and sailboat rentals for kids and adults. Race training for novice and advanced sailors is also offered. Open from 8am to 5pm. For more info call Marianne or Isaac Brown at (246) 243-6618 or email them at lrn2sail@gmail.com. Also visit their website at www.lrn2sailbarbados.com.
THE BATIK STUDIO So many people asked Henderson Reece about the possibility of learning to make batik that in 2012 he began offering courses at his Batik Studio at Earthworks Pottery in St. Thomas. The one day course costs BB$400 (US$200) and includes all materials and lunch. At the end you leave with your own batik. All the information is on his website: www.batikartbarbados.com
Tel (246) 424 0391 or (246) 240 4861 Web www.batikartbarbados.com Facebook BarbadosBatik Email henderson@batikbarbados.com Address Earthworks Pottery Complex, St. Thomas
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
73
SPORTS
SPORTS
PARTICIPATE
Anderson Trotman piloting Aristodemus to victory in the 2013 Sandy Lane Gold Cup Photo: Barbara Secher Greenidge
ports teams usually enjoy the Barbados vacation experience just as much as they enjoy the actual competition. Consequently, over the decades, Barbados has earned a good name for itself as a destination where sports enthusiasts from all around the globe can converge to enjoy the best the island has to offer and return home laden with happy lifetime memories. In more recent times, Barbados has successfully hosted a wide range of world championships. When combined with the warm hospitality, the successful hosting of these world championships has further cemented Barbados’ excellent reputation in the international market as a leading sports destination. To encourage you to consider bringing your sports team to Barbados, to participate yourself as an individual or to simply come along as a spectator, the following pages present a selection of some of the possibly more appealing events taking place in Barbados. To help you find more information, we have provided a list of some of the Barbados Sports Associations on page 83.
Horse Racing The highlight event of Barbados’ racing season is the annual Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, which takes place on the first Saturday in March. Beamed to a live television audience of more than 300 million in the United States and England, the event entails a full card of races plus a spectacular opening parade prior to the main feature. http://www.barbadosturfclub.org
Triathlon The National Triathlon Association of Barbados hosts several kids triathlons during the year as well as the National Triathlon Championships, which will take place in October, 2014. They will also be hosting the ITU Pan Am Cup in April, 2014. For further details visit: www.triathlonbarbados.com Barbados’ National Triathlon Women’s 2013 Champion, Chanda Gooding Photo: André Williams
Cricket Cricket is still a huge sport in Barbados with a great number of participants and a big spectator following. A trip to Kensington Oval to watch the West Indies play is much more than a cricket game, it is also a social event and a real Barbados experience. The International Home Series Twenty20, England vs. West Indies, will be played at Kensington Oval on Sunday 9th, Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th March, 2014. Fans of the game will also enjoy a visit to the Legends of Barbados Cricket Museum located next to Kensington Oval. The Sir Garfield Sobers Cricket Festival attracts school cricket teams to the island every July.
Game Fishing
Darren Sammy & Chris Gayle celebrate Photo: Nick Reid
74 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Being held in April 2014 and based at Port St. Charles, the Barbados International Fishing Tournament attracts anglers from the UK, USA, Europe and the Caribbean. The tournament is certified as a qualifying event for the annual International Game Fishing Association Offshore World Championships. www.barbadosgamefishing.com
PARTICIPATE
SPORTS Motor Sports Held at the end of May/early June, 2014, Sol Rally Barbados is a two-day tarmac rally with 24 special stages run on the island’s intricate network of public roads, temporarily closed with permission from the Government. Sol Rally Barbados is the Caribbean’s biggest motor sport international event, attracting up to 100 crews. http://www.rallybarbados.bb
Bridge Sunday is the only day that bridge is not played at the Barbados Bridge League on Pine Road in Belleville, St. Michael. Monday to Saturday they welcome all visitors, partnering if necessary. For more information on the times of games - visit their site www.barbadosbridge.org or call and leave a voice mail on (246) 427-4839 and they will get back in touch with you. Their popular annual Sun, Sea and Slams Tournament is from 11th to 15th February, 2014. Large numbers of Barbadians enjoy motor sports Photo courtesy Barbados Rally Club
Hockey The Banks Barbados International Hockey Festival is divided into men, women, veterans and mixed-team divisions. Usually held in August, this fun-filled festival attracts teams from all across the globe. www.barbadoshockey.org
Masters Football The Wanderers International Masters Football Tournament is one of the Caribbean's premier football events for players over the age of 40. The event is staged every Whitsuntide weekend and played in a 6 group / 24 team format, attracting teams from Argentina, USA, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. Email: paulwright426@gmail.com
Sailing The Wanderers International Masters Football tournament Photo courtesy Hilltop Publications
Barbados is blessed with some of the finest sailing conditions in the world, owing to the relatively constant prevailing northeast tradewinds and the pristine blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Competitive sailing in Barbados has been growing at an unprecedented rate over the past few years, with the island playing host to such international events as the Fireball World Championships in 2010 and the 505 World Championships in 2013. For more information on sailing visit the Barbados Sailing Association website at www.sailbarbados.com
Waterman Sports In 2014, the Waterman Festival will be held from 7th to 9th March at Silver Sands in Christ Church. This Festival is the brainchild of Barbadian Brian Talma, a former professional windsurfer. The Waterman Festival includes an exciting series of competitive events including surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddling and swimming. www.briantalma.com
Rugby Windsurfing off the beautiful south coast of Barbados Photo compliments Brian Talma/de Action Beach Shop
76 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Visitors are welcome at the Barbados Rugby Club at the Garrison in St. Michael. Bring your boots and stay for the socializing. www.rugbybarbados.com
SPORTS
PARTICIPATE
Golf Barbados is truly blessed with an incredible richness of golf courses; especially on the west coast, where the quality of the courses and their very close proximity to each other represent a veritable ‘Golfer’s Paradise’. Apes Hill Club is a stunning golf course situated on an elevated ridge 1,000 feet above sea-level, with superb signature holes. Access to the course is restricted to Apes Hill Club owners and their guests and golf membership is offered exclusively to Apes Hill Club Property Owners. See overleaf. Royal Westmoreland is a beautiful and impressive Robert Trent-Jones Jr., designed par-72, 7,045 yards course that demands use of every club in the bag. The elegant clubhouse has a superb setting overlooking the 9th hole. Sandy Lane has two magnificent Tom Fazio designed, 18-hole championship courses, The Green Monkey and the Country Club, as well as an attractive 9-hole resort course. On the south coast, the Barbados Golf Club is a well-maintained 18-hole course where visitors are made very welcome. This links-style 6,705 yd., par-72 course features excellent greens, wide open fairways, gentle hills and a large central lake which adds intrigue to three holes. This is an ideal outing for golfers of all abilities. Group outings are welcome and golf events can be tailor-made on request. Amenities include a pro-shop, a bar and restaurant, as well as practice putting and chipping greens and warm-up nets. See advertisement below.
Sandy Lane Golf Club
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
77
PARTICIPATE
SPORTS
The 12th hole at Apes Hill Club
APES HILL CLUB One of the newest championship golf courses in the Caribbean, Apes Hill Club, opened in late 2009 and enjoys a prime location at almost 1,000 feet above sea level in the centre of Barbados. With lush grassland, coral stone quarries, wooded ravines and sparkling lakes, the course is as much in accord with its natural surroundings as it is an exciting challenge for golfers. Multiple tees, elevated to showcase the breathtaking west and east coast views, allow players of all capabilities equal opportunity for a satisfying game. The top quality layout of the 7,150 yards, par-72 course has been implemented with tremendous regard to the full range of strategies that players need to adopt when facing each hole. As would be expected at a venue of such high aspirations, the course is maintained in immaculate condition. To quote the renowned publication Golf World: "Holes 11 to 14 provide an Amen Corner every bit as dramatic and invigorating as the one we all know in Georgia. These holes tiptoe over the brow of the island, disappear amongst jungle and rough coral outcrops, to provide the most sensational string of holes that can be found anywhere. It's that good!" With its superior service, Apes Hill Club is establishing a new standard for excellence in the Caribbean. The developers, with a shared passion for creating communities designed to preserve and enhance their natural environment, have risen admirably to the challenge. The golf course was recently rated one of the best in the world and has gained international recognition as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for its environmental and wildlife preservation
78 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Golf Villa at Apes Hill
efforts, thus becoming one of only 2% of all golf courses in the world to earn such certification. Although golf membership is reserved only for property owners at Apes Hill Club, there are a limited amount of guest fees available for others to enjoy the course. There are excellent practice facilities, where high-quality practice balls stacked in pyramids, await your arrival on freshly cut lush paspalum grass. If you are travelling light, premium hire clubs and shoes are available upon request. Please call the Professional Shop at (246) 432-4500 for further information.
PARTICIPATE
SPORTS Polo
Polo at Apes Hill Club
Polo was originally introduced to Barbados in the 19th century by British cavalry officers who were stationed at the Garrison. The first Barbados Polo Club was started at that location in 1884, before relocating to its present premises at Holders in St. James in 1965. Since then polo has flourished tremendously in Barbados, so much so that today the island is home to five international standard polo fields: Holders, Apes Hill Club, Clifton, Lion Castle and Buttals. The polo scene in Barbados tends to be very convivial and, like most sports on the island, it can be just as much a social occasion as a sporting event. Apart from the fact that this enjoyable ambiance has resulted in large crowds of spectators being attracted to the matches, it has also made it a lot easier to encourage international teams to come to the island to play in tournaments. And once they have been here and sampled the local polo and hospitality, they keep coming back for more! Added to this, the ensuing improvement in the standards of local players and facilities, the greater availability of thoroughbred and Argentinean polo ponies, plus increased corporate sponsorship, all combined to entice some of the world’s top professional players to come to Barbados to play in local high-handicap tournaments. The widespread international media coverage that goes with such high profile events, helped to propel Barbados even more onto the world polo stage.
2014 Season
A section of the crowd at Apes Hill Club
All Photos: André Williams
80 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
The 2014 Polo Season promises to be just as exciting as ever with a full, action-packed schedule of matches starting with the Roger Gooding Memorial from 16th to 26th January. A number of perennial and popular visiting teams will be returning this season, notably The Villages from the USA, playing from 11th to 16th February, and the Cheshire Club from England will repeat their annual visit with matches played between 2nd and 9th March. The Ladies Tour, perhaps better known by its popular title ‘The Battle of The Sexes’, will take place between 18th and 23rd February and The Barbados Open 8 Goal will take place between 13th and 23rd March. If you have never been to a polo match, then Barbados is a wonderful place to start. You will be made very welcome and these occasions usually provide a full afternoon of entertainment in addition to the polo, ranging from sedate afternoon tea to amiable social imbibing. There is plenty of merriment on match final evenings, often rocking on well into the evening with a full bar, a delicious BBQ dinner and lively dance music to cap off a complete day of fun. As well as the high profile tournaments, the Barbados Polo Club also has several club tournaments which are more low key but where members enjoy playing some excellent polo. For a full schedule of the matches you can refer to the Calendar of Events at the front of this publication or go online to www.barbadospoloclub.com.
Photo: AndrĂŠ Williams
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
MAC FINGALL
By Keith Miller
HE MARCHES TO THE BEAT OF HIS OWN DRUM Left: Dancing on stage with HRH Prince Harry at the fundraiser for the Sentebale Trust at Apes Hill Polo Club Above: “On parade” at Kensington Oval
hook up with Mac Fingall at his favourite spot, a tranquil bench overlooking his beloved Skeete’s Bay in St. Philip. Within minutes I know that I’d need a whole book to do Mac’s story any justice. He is one of the most multi-talented, multi-tasking, multi-dimensional people I have ever met. And if there were such a word as multi-successful I’d add that too! Sportsman, teacher, entertainer, calypso singer, tent manager, MC, comedian, actor, TV host, model for advertising campaigns, cricket icon, newspaper columnist, motivational speaker, cricket club president, national awards judge and community activist … Mac has been them all. And he has been good at them all! “As a boy I was a loner and that made me independent. I didn’t like being put in any kind of a box, so I’d resist if people tried to shape me. I still enjoy finding ways to do things differently. I’m not a rebel, but I am definitely willing to challenge the status quo when necessary.” Making the most of his many abilities and capacity to think outside the box, Mac Fingall became a teaching legend when he inspired the students of his alma mater Lodge School to ‘fight back’ and rescue their own school from the slippery downward spiral of deteriorating standards. Along the way, Mac introduced numerous kids to the world of performing arts, one of his own great passions. Mac himself became a successful entertainer. Never happy to conform, he did things
82 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
his own way and the crowds loved him for it. Before long Mac Fingall was a household brand and advertisers and event sponsors have queued up to use his services ever since. Mac is perhaps best known for his iconic role as a crowd entertainer at Kensington Oval, the Mecca of West Indies cricket. Frequently beamed around the world on live TV, Mac is famous for announcing his arrival with a trademark blast of his trumpet, parading in full regalia, leading his band, instigating Mexican waves, making thousands laugh and rallying support for the home team. On occasions he has influenced play out on the field, often simply by calling for an up-tempo beat of the drums to fire up the West Indian bowlers. Etched forever into cricket folklore is the true story (I was there) of how he once arrived when the West Indies were in trouble, desperately trying to break a long English partnership. With his usual flair for quirky genius, Mac marched solemnly to the edge of the pitch and ceremoniously sprinkled imaginary ‘duppy dust’ onto the field to curse the form of the England players. “Jack Russell was batting. The moment he looked up and watched me I knew I had him. He got out a few balls later!” That is Mac Fingall … a free spirit who enjoys finding ways to do things differently, but always for the common good and with a smile on his face.
SPORTS
PARTICIPATE
INS & OUTS QUICK REFERENCE SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS DIRECTORY Athletic Association of Barbados
Barbados Equestrian Association
Barbados Rugby Football Union
President: Catherine Jordan Tel: (246) 427-4684/231-1071
President: Di Clarke Tel: (246) 267-3870/231-2546/429-1998
President: George Nicholson Tel: (246) 233-1945/429-1998
glydor23@yahoo.com
equestrian@olympic.org.bb
gnicholson@adebbarbados.com
Barbados Amateur Basketball Association
Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes
Barbados Sailing Association
President: Derrick Garrett Tel: (246) 243-1517
President: Peter Gibbs Tel: (246) 417-4374/256-2133
President: Peter Thompson Tel: (246) 234-5229/429-1998
barbadosbasketball@olympic.org.bb
peter.gibbs@cavehill.uwi.edu
peter_thompson@tmrservice.com
Barbados Amateur Gymnastics Association
Barbados Football Association
Barbados Squash Association
For further details contact the Barbados Olympic Association at 429-1998 or visit: www.olympic.org.bb
President: Randy Harris Tel: (246) 228-1707/256-1404
President: Craig Archer Tel: (246) 231-6332
randyharris@barbadosfa.com
squashbarbados@olympic.org.bb
Barbados Amateur Swimming Association
Barbados Game Fishing Association
Barbados Surfing Association
President: Andrew Kirby Tel: (246) 429-7946
President: Craig Batstone Tel: (246) 421-6875
President: Christopher Clarke Tel: (246) 266-0842/429-1998
basa@caribsurf.com
info@barbadosgamefishing.com
para_digm@hotmail.com
Bdos Amateur Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation
Barbados Golf Association
Barbados Table Tennis Association
President: Hadley Byer Tel: (246) 262-4653/826-3626
President: Lt.Col. Trevor Browne Tel: (246) 233-8113/429-1998
bgagolf@hotmail.com
trevor.browne@blpc.com.bb
Barbados Hockey Federation
Barbados Tennis Association
President: David Rouse Tel: (246) 233-7259/228-5042
President: Dr. Raymond Forde Tel: (246) 433-3889/429-1998
hockey@olympic.org.bb
raydoc@caribsurf.com
Barbados Judo Association
Barbados Turf Club
President: Hoskins Caddle Tel: (246) 436-2608
President: Sir David Seale Tel: (246) 426-3980
president@barjudo.com
rpierce@barbadosturfclub.org
Barbados Karate Association
Barbados Volleyball Association
President: Paul Bernstein Tel: (246) 435-6734/228-1785
President: John Griffith Tel: (246) 231-1848/429-1998
info@shotokanbarbados.com
jfgriffith@olympic.org.bb
Barbados Netball Association
Barbados Water Polo Club
President: Nisha Cummings Tel: (246) 231-4344/429-1998
President: Cheryl Forde Tel: (246) 423-3881
netball@caribsurf.com
cherylwforde@gmail.com
Barbados Olympic Association
Barbados Windsurfing Association
President: Steve Stoute Tel: (246) 429-1998
President: Roger Millar Tel: (246) 262-7086
info@olympic.org.bb
rogerlmill@hotmail.com
Barbados Polo Club
Synchro Barbados
President: Keith Melville Tel: (246) 432-1802
President: Morgan Brown Tel: (246) 243-5222
clubmanager@barbadospoloclub.com
synchrobarbados@gmail.com
President: Andrew LeR. Forde Tel: (246) 427-5863
skindeep@caribsurf.com Barbados Archery Association President: John Annel Tel: (246) 253-6240/429-1998
johnannel@gmail.com Barbados Badminton Association President: Kevin Wood Tel: (246) 231-7390/429-1998
kevinl78@hotmail.com Barbados Bridge League President: Roglyn Hinds Tel: (246) 427-4839/434-2905/231-0149
roglyn@caribsurf.com Barbados Chess Federation President: Rohan Waithe Tel: (246) 269-3607/429-1998
rohanwaithe@hotmail.com Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association President: Bruce Skeete Tel: (246) 231-1619/429-1998
president@bctsa.com Barbados Cricket Association President: Joel Garner Tel: (246) 274-1325
theoffice@bca.org.bb Barbados Rally Club Barbados Cycling Union President: Keith Yearwood Tel: (246) 228-1699/429-1998
Chairman: Mark Hamilton Tel: (246) 836-0957
mhaminc@gmail.com
kyearwood@hotmail.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
83
PARTICIPATE
SERVICE CLUBS AND CHARITIES
Rotary is a worldwide organisation of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in our communities and around the world. Their differing occupations, cultures, and countries give them a unique perspective. Their shared passion for service helps them accomplish the remarkable. Please contact them at:
Optimist International is a volunteer service organization dedicated to "Bringing Out the Best in Kids”. Worldwide they conduct 65,000 service projects reaching 6 million children yearly. To volunteer please contact them at:
Rotary Club of Barbados
optimistcentral@gmail.com
Optimist Club of Barbados North
Kiwanis Club of Barbados Central
President: Ronald Davis rotaryclubofbarbados@gmail.com
dsarge@hotmail.com
Rotary Club West
Optimist Club of Barbados South
Kiwanis Club of Barbados North
President: Joseph Steinbok joseph.steinbok@rotherley.com
optimistsouth@yahoo.com
Rotary Club South
board@prideoptimist.org
Progressive Optimist Club
info@kiwanispride.org
President: Peter Thompson rotarybarbadossouth@gmail.com www.rotaryclubofbarbadossouth.org
UNITED CARIBBEAN TRUST
BECAUSE OF JENNA TRUST VARIETY CLUB OF BARBADOS
United Caribbean Trust, a registered Barbados Charity #842, has provided aid relief to several Caribbean Islands following devastation from hurricanes as well as to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. UCT has also established child sponsorship programmes in Haiti and Suriname, set up women’s empowerment programmes in Haiti and Africa and children’s feeding programmes in various parts of Africa. In January 2012 UCT started The WISH Centre (Women & Infants Special Help) which will assist Barbadian children in crisis through the PEARL Programme (Project to Enrich and Restore Young Lives) as well as the Life Centre programme which will assist babies and pregnant women. For more information: Telephone:(246) 423-4703/www.unitedcaribbean.com Telephone: (246) 423 7554/www.thewishcentre.org
The Because of Jenna Trust was created by Anna Clarke in memory of her daughter, Jenna Leigh, who was born severely brain-injured and died at the age of 11 1/2 years old. A registered charity since January 2004, the Trust is dedicated to easing the suffering of severely brain-injured children in Barbados and improving their quality of life. The Trust raises funds through charitable events and personal and corporate donations and uses these funds to help pay for the special treatments, equipment and supplies needed by severely brain-injured children. The Trust also works to create public awareness of the plight of these children and their families. To find out more about this trust please visit:
Kiwanis is a volunteer organization dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. Kiwanians in more than 96 countries and 8,400 clubs are making their mark by responding to the needs of their communities. In Barbados they will celebrate 40 years of service in 2014. Please contact them at:
Kiwanis Club of Bridgetown roseanne.maxwell@gmail.com
emmerson.beckles@fao.org
Kiwanis Club of Barbados South kiwanisclubbdossouth@gmail.com
Kiwanis Club Pride of Barbados
84 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Optimist Club Barbados-Bridgetown oibridgetown@yahoo.com
Optimist Club of Barbados Central info@optimistnorth.org
Pride of Barbados Optimist Club info@progressiveoptimist.org
Sunshine Optimist Club of Barbados secretary@sunshineoptimist.org
www.becauseofjenna.org
Variety the Children’s Charity, Tent #73 is one of more than 50 ‘tents’ throughout the world including Australia, France, Israel, USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand and South Africa. The Charity is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2014 and its goal is to raise funds for children in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean who are sick, disadvantaged or mentally or physically challenged. Their annual Gold Heart Campaign as well as the annual Row For Charity helps to raise funds to assist the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Special Needs Units in primary schools and other private organisations and charities assisting children. Telephone: (246) 428-9258/266-9258 www.varietybarbados.org
MEET A BAJAN
KEMAR SAFFREY CHANGING MINDSETS By Sarah Venable Top: Kemar meeting HRH Queen Elizabeth II Middle: Kemar and his brother serving food. Middle right: Speaking at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. Bottom: People in need
FEATURE
t the fresh age of 25, Kemar Saffrey is a serial entrepreneur and award-winning head of a charitable organisation, the Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society. With a spotless office on Tudor Street in the heart of Bridgetown, he’s the only CEO we know who keeps a six-pack of deodorant on his desk, ready to give to clients. With a keen nose for niche needs, he started his first business at the age of 17, K&K Specialty Kitchen Cleaning Services and went on to a car valet company, an entertainment company, and now used furnishings and appliances. But Kemar grew concerned about the street people he kept encountering. They had needs too, which weren’t being met. He started a feeding programme in the city but soon felt that it only created dependency. It’s hard to believe, but this soft-spoken young man might well have wound up among the population he serves. “I was a bad boy, always fighting,” he said. “It got so bad that I was assigned my own security guard at school, and was later banned from every nightclub in Barbados.” Still, he stayed involved with the church, and fell in love with a good woman there. “I realised I had a choice—bring her into my world, which wasn’t so good, or go over into hers, which was better.” Soon he responded to an altar call, where he gave himself to Christ, and all that energy found a new focus—changing mindsets. Saffrey’s programme is set up in logical stages. At feedings, they invite potential clients to the office where clients get a case manager who helps meet their needs, from toothbrushes to showers to skills training. “We got the Vocational Training Board to change their upper age limit from 35 to 60,” said Kemar. “If they have a drug issue, the BVHS helps get them into rehab. The final step is re-entry into society through a group home, where education, financial management, therapy, and more are offered. When they finish, we set them up with a house, a job, a bank account and a mentor. We have successfully helped over 50 people get back on their feet. One of the guys is actually running the home programme now.” A great staff and selective outsourcing help make all of this possible. With all this natural savvy, it’s not too surprising that Saffrey now sits on boards and helps write policy. Along with making an impact, he has also made an impression. On the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, if you please, when he was awarded the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development in 2013. The judges came from all over the world to see his programme in action. Now he says, the Prince Charles Charity is exploring ways to work with him. For the future, Saffrey wants to franchise his programme to governments throughout the Commonwealth. Maybe then he can get back to business.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
85
The Colonnade on Broad Street in Bridgetown is where you will find Tiffany’s and Little Switzerland Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Natasha Boyce, Store Manager at Colombian Emeralds, 24 Broad Street Photo: Gina Francesca Photography
Twilight at Limegrove Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
86 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
HOP 88 BRIDGETOWN 108 SHOPPING CENTRES 112 LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE 140 ISLAND STYLE 150 INTERIORS 160 FOOD SHOPPING 166 ART AND CRAFT Swimwear by Maryan Mehlhorn available at Gaye Boutique, Holetown, St. James
BRIDGETOWN
The inner basin of the Careenage All Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
The BarVen Market in Cheapside is held every Satruday
St. Mary’s cemetery has many very interesting graves
88 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
BRIDGETOWN
SHOP
long with Boston and London, Bridgetown was a linchpin of 17th century Atlantic trade, but don’t expect it to look like a carefully planned capital, or to follow a coherent colonial theme. Instead, it’s laid out like a medieval English market town, riddled with narrow alleys. Our capital city contains an amiable hodgepodge of historic and modern buildings that grew like barnacles on a hull. Centering around the Careenage bridges, the low-density urban sprawl of the greater Bridgetown area is home to some 80,000 people and covers much of the parish of St. Michael. Except in the city centre, which is entirely commercial and shuts down at night, Bridgetown is a series of diverse little neighbourhoods where homes, shops, and government buildings cluster in close proximity. Despite its mixture of styles and eras, enough history has been preserved to have won inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site for Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison. A leisurely walk will reveal numerous places of interest, whether places of worship, old merchant houses in the narrow back streets, or colonial masterpieces on main thoroughfares. Take a guided tour with the Jolly Roger Tavern or just read on and go for a stroll; that’s the best way to appreciate Bridgetown.
Areas Just northwest of the centre, Fontabelle is home to the recently rebuilt Kensington Oval, site of the 2007 Cricket World Cup; the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum; Mount Gay Rum Tour and Visitors Centre, home of the world’s oldest rum, and the turreted Jumma mosque. In the same sector, and within easy walking distance from the Deep Water Harbour where cruise ships dock, is the Harbour Industrial Park. There’s one good reason to visit here: the Agapey Chocolate Factory. Both its products and its tours are very highly rated. On Princess Alice Highway, you encounter Pelican Craft Centre, a colourful complex where high-quality local crafts and condiments abound. Farther down on the other side of the road, the Bridgetown fish market is alive with scaling and slicing, and a good place to examine local fish that appear on our menus. When flying fish is in season (November to June) watch the ladies bone them; it’s an amazing skill. Farther still, where the name changes to Hincks Street, is a row of colonial warehouses, painted in pretty pastels. One of them houses the Cloister Bookstore, where you can find West Indian literature—well worth discovering. Parallel to this stretch, fruit and vegetable markets occupy a stretch of Cheapside near the central post office. Both the outdoor stalls and the covered market provide good buys and vendors who are happy to explain their interesting tropical produce. A little farther down by Jubilee Gardens (once the Butchers’ Market), Old Town Hall has had a facelift, and St. Mary’s Church (1827) opens her graceful arms to visitors. Step in, if only to see its painted, barrel-vaulted ceiling. Then you’ve got a choice: veer back over towards the sea and stroll into city on the breezy boardwalk beside the careenage, or head to Broad Street which starts at the elegant 19th century Mutual Building with its shiny domes. Or you can
Bridgetown Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN venture into Suttle Street for a glimpse of old merchant houses. Other areas of interest include Lucas Street, James Street and Swan Street but for more on that see Shopping overleaf. While meandering down Broad Street, keep an eye out for The Colonnade, a pink, 19th century building with an ornate balcony. Further along Prince William Henry St. stands a 17th century structure with curved gables—a reminder that the Dutch used to trade with us before the Navigation Act forbade it.
National Pride
This seamstress operates from small rented premises in Suttle Street
Established in 1639, our Parliament is the third oldest in the Commonwealth, but the neo-Gothic Parliament buildings opposite National Heroes Square weren’t erected until 1870-74. The west wing houses a fine little museum, which highlights the fascinating transition from plantation slavery to a modern (and model) democratic society. Across the water from these august edifices, Independence Square offers waterside lounging. Points of interest in National Heroes Square include Nelson’s statue, erected well before the famous one in London; the fountain that commemorates the 1861 arrival of piped water in town; and the nearby cannonball tree whose thorny stems bear fabulous pink flowers which grow into exploding, hard round fruits.
More squares and green spaces Behind the parliament buildings you’ll find Palmetto Square with its strange combo of gambling arcades and vegetable vendors. The maze of alleys running off it can lead to surprises. Look for decrepid old merchant houses, with little balconies overlooking the street. Farther along in this direction takes you to another plaza, that of the Central Bank. This shady spot is good for stopping with a snack and observing passersby. To one side there’s the restored Harrison College building where the school opened in 1733 and to the other, Frank Collymore Hall, a premier venue for the arts. Venture farther and you’ll find Queens Park. The fat baobab tree there is a mystery: this native of Africa seems older than the island’s settlement. So how did it get here? Nelson’s statue, erected well before the famous one in London
The Nidhe Israel Synagogue also has a stunning museum All Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
90 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Places of Worship The Cathedral of St. Michael and All Angels on St. Michael’s Row has a stately interior featuring a ceiling in the shape of an upturned boat, sculptures, and fine stained glass windows. It is currently undergoing restoration. The James Street Methodist Church reminds us of the important role this denomination played in Christianising enslaved Africans. The first church here was destroyed by a mob. This 1848 Georgian replacement has Palladian elements and a lovely rose window. Sephardic Jews contributed enormously to Barbados ascendance in the 17th century. Picturesque Synagogue Lane leads to an urban sanctuary that contains the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere, a fascinating graveyard, a jewel of a museum, and an archaeologically important spring fed Mikvah—a ritual bath. Catholics too were a minority. Nevertheless, they built St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on Bay Street, the seaside road that leads to the Garrison. Rebuilt in 1899 in English Gothic revival style, it boasts quatrefoil clerestory windows, carved stone detail, and a collection of heraldic plaques honouring the West India Regiment.
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN Shopping
Harrisons on Broad Street
For shopping, the City has the widest variety in a fairly concentrated space. Nowhere else, for example, will you find a toy and craft supply store (Laurie Dash, Bay Street near Independence Square) within short walking distance of a bookshop, a picture framer, cigar seller, and clothing boutiques. Although Broad and Swan, the two main streets for shopping, have totally different characters, the hodgepodge effect still applies to Broad Street. Here you’ll find the Royal Shop selling Rolex and other finery directly across a narrow lane from the discount wares of Too Good to be 2! Broad Street is chock-a-block with duty free shopping on luxuries at places like Little Switzerland, Milano, Tiffany, and Colombian Emeralds. Some shops offer custom setting of the jewels, and at Diamonds International you can enjoy their chic private shopping lounge. Cave Shepherd, the 100-year-old department store, gathers a range of merchandise from perfume to liquor, clothing, and souvenirs all under one roof. The Harley Davidson shop located near to the Careenage offers the brand’s official gear. By contrast, Swan Street, Lucas Street, High Street and James Street throb with Barbadian shoppers seeking bargains on everything from fabrics to housewares to shoes and clothes. The street vendors just add to the texture of the whole experience. Just around the corner is one of the world’s few surviving Woolworths. Pop in for a trip down memory lane.
Eating
Diamonds International Watch & Design store on Broad Street
Lobster Alive serves fresh lobsters on the beach in Bridgetown
92 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
A trip to town is also a good opportuntiy to enjoy a nice lunch. For good, authentic, local comfort food with no pretensions, try Mustor’s on McGregor Street or the rustic Hunter’s Bar on Tudor Street. Bridgetown’s department store, Cave Shepherd has three restaurants: the Ideal Restaurant on the top floor serving a hearty Bajan food buffet; The Balcony Restaurant serving light and healthy fare; and The Coffee Bean serving food on the go and speciality hot and cold drinks. The Careenage with its bobbing boats is a lovely place to have lunch, and the Waterfront Cafe there allures locals and visitors alike. By the western end of the boardwalk, the Jolly Roger Tavern is great for casual dining with an atmosphere of fun. Farther south on Carlisle Bay, Lobster Alive offers delicious lobster and fresh fish, sometimes with live jazz, in a barefoot ambience on a stunning expanse of sand. Also on the bay is Fusion, offering Asian delights (and more) for lunch Monday to Friday - dine ‘al fresco’ or in cool airconditioned comfort overlooking Carlisle Bay. While in these settings, try picturing the bay full of sailing vessels coming to trade. That’s how it used to be, in the romantic days of sail when the oceans were the world’s super highways and Bridgetown was a powerful shipping hub. Closer to the Garrison, in Aquatic Gap, Brown Sugar’s gingerbread trim suggests traditional creole dishes and authentic Bajan specialities, which it serves in a tantalizing buffet at a great price in lovely cool surroundings. A little ways down the same gap, Cuzz’s cheap and cheerful snackette serves renowned fish cutters. When you’ve finished shopping and lunching, have a speed boat collect you from Carlisle Bay or the Careenage and take you back to your west coast hotel or villa - its quick and its fun.
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
93
BRIDGETOWN
Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
SHOP
The collection point for the Bridgetown Express is on the southern end of the Chamberlain Bridge by the Independence Arch
The Bridgetown Express Great Prizes to be won
Participating Stores
No visit to Barbados would be complete without a jaunt to Bridgetown. Not only is it the shopping haven for duty free savings, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, steeped in character and interest. The Bridgetown Express makes it so simple for you to get there. Just ask your concierge, activities desk or reception to book your seat for US$6 Round trip on the Bridgetown Express! They will drop you off at the lower end of Broad Street and it is very easy to take in all the duty free shops since they are situated conveniently close together. You can wander along the Bridgetown Boardwalk and across the beautiful old Chamberlain Bridge to relax by the water and enjoy an ice cold drink and delicious local food at the Waterfront Café (the collection point). They are also offering to make your day very rewarding. Get a stamp on the back of your complimentary map of Bridgetown from each of the ten beautiful duty free shops and enter the draw to win a fabulous prize on the return trip to your hotel!
The ten leading retailers in Bridgetown are offering daily prizes to passengers on the Bridgetown Express Service. Enjoy the largest assortment of perfume and cosmetics, liquor and cigars, as well as t-shirts and souvenirs all available at the largest Caribbean department store, Cave Shepherd. Colombian Emeralds International, the most respected Caribbean jeweller, offers instant credit and up to 40% off US retail prices! Their service, selection and brands are exquisite quality and exceptional value. Diamonds International is a world of beauty, elegance and sophistication where dazzling collections of diamonds, fine jewellery & time pieces await you Diamond Centre on Lower Broad St. or Watch & Design on Upper Broad St. Harley-Davidson of the West Indies offers custom men's, women's and children's shirts and collectibles that are available ONLY in Barbados. Harrisons offers selections in leather
94 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
goods, fragrances, jewellery, crystal and more. The store’s branded corners make it easy to shop the wide assortment of international brands. Find amazing savings on fine jewellery at JW, the island’s value leader! Save 50% off jewellery storewide on diamonds, gemstones, pearls and trendy stainless steel. At Little Switzerland, the Caribbean’s most trusted retailer, let our expert staff help select the perfect elegant watch, jewellery or giftware for you and your loved ones. At Milano Diamond Gallery we cut our own diamonds and manufacture our diamond jewellery, bringing savings direct to our customers. The best quality, service and price in the Caribbean! The Colonnade Mall, an 1898 heritage building of unique historic interest, is home to 40+ shops, offering cool comfort in the heart of The City. The Royal Shop welcomes you to everything you desire, in their exquisite elegance. Luxury jewellery and fine timepieces.
BRIDGETOWN
SHOP
10 Attractions in Bridgetown 1. Museum of Parliament 2. Nidhe Israel Jewish Synagogue 3. Careenage & The Bridgetown Boardwalk 4. Swan Street 5. St. Mary’s Church and Cemetery 6. Cheapside Market & The Fish Market (especially good on Fridays and Saturdays) 7. Mount Gay Rum Tour and Visitors Centre 8. Coin display at the Central Bank of
‘Bridgetown Alive’ is held every Thursday night
Barbados 9. St. Michael & All Angels Cathedral and Cemetery 10. Independence Square
10 Things to do in Bridgetown 1. Try our national dish - cou cou & flying fish - at either the Waterfront Café or Mustors. 2. Buy a souvenir - local art, T-shirts and crafts. 3. Get some local confections - tamarind balls, sugar cakes, nut cakes and guava cheese.
The view from Independence Square Photo : Andrew Hulsmeier
4. Take a photo with Lord Nelson. 5. Try local fruit from the vendors in Swan Street - chilli plums, hog plums, dunks, sea grapes or fat porks! 6. Indulge yourself in luxury at duty free prices at the wonderful shops along Broad Street. 7. Buy some pepper sauce, local rum or rum cakes. 8. Attend ‘Bridgetown Alive’ on Thursday nights with stalls and performances. 9. Buy a snow cone or drink a fresh coconut. 10. Explore one of the historic cemeteries. Coconut Vendor Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
95
$
Drop Off
$
Harley Davidson of the W.I.
Par ry S t.
$ Broa d
Victoria St.
na
ge Waterfront Café Pick Up
ree
$
e Statu n o s l Ne Sq. Heroes
f um o Muse ent & m Parlia l Heroes a n o Nati allery G ment Parlia ings Build
Independ ence Square
Chamb erlain B ridge
BRIDGETOWN STREET MAP
Ca
Colombian Emeralds Int’l
Cava ns La ne
k
wal
t $
Stre e
Colombian Emeralds Int’l Cave Shepherd
rd Boa n w geto Brid
ad rf Ro a h W The
Main Shopping Street ........... Secondary Roads ................. Other Roads ........................ Pedestrians Only .................. Boardwalk ........................... Drop off and Pick up .............
REFERENCE
Diamonds International
Broad Street
Swan Street
St.
Places of Interest ...................... Pharmacies.............................. Restaurants.............................. WiFi hot-spots........................... Duty-free shops................... Store Name Banks....................................... $
St. G eorg e St reet
Lower
Colo nna d e Mal L l i t t l e Swi t z e r land Wil
Princ e
gogue & Muse Nidhe Israel Syna
D
Phi rriso ry lad e ns l p hia Lan e Live rp o o l La ne
$
McGregor St.
Drom e d ary L Jew ane el e r ’ sW J W M are a honhouse Alle y
et y Stre liam H enr
Th e R oya M l i l S a no D hop i a m ond Ha Galle
Lane
ia B Ma In monds olton n c h esterternation Lane al
Chapel Street
reet Nile St
t Stree High
Lancaster La ne
Middle
Shephe rd St.
t. etto S Palm
BRIDGETOWN
SHOP
Million Dollar Suite Get the Million Dollar look without spending it.
MILLION DOLLAR STATEMENT The statement ring A 14k white gold 2.5 carat diamond featuring a lovely built in enhancer that can be removed on those days a girl wants to be just a little modest.
The Million Dollar Suite is available at the stores of Colombian Emeralds.
Bridgetown - 24 Broad Street | Cave Shepherd, Broad Street Nicholas House, Broad Street | Cruise Terminal
West Coast - Limegrove Lifestyle Centre | Cave Shepherd, Sunset Mall South Coast - Hilton Barbados | Vista Complex | Couples Resort South-East Coast - Grantley Adams International Airport | Crane Resort & Residence Tel (246) 227-2121 | colombianemeralds.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
97
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN
CONTEMPORARY GEOMETRY David Yurman, Michele and Robert Coin jewellery is available in Barbados at Little Switzerland.
Colonnade Mall, Broad Street, Bridgetown Tel (246) 431-0031 | LittleSwitzerland.com
David Yurman Willow collection 5 Row Willow Bypass Bracelet in sterling silver and pavé diamonds
Michele Serein 16 Serein 16 Diamond on 7-Link Bracelet
Roberto Coin Pois Moi collection 4 Row Cuff in 18K rose gold 4 Row Diamond Cuff in 18K rose and white gold Double Row Square Ring in 18K rose gold Double Row Square Diamond Ring in 18K rose and white gold
98 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
BRIDGETOWN
SHOP
Tiffany Atlas® collection Bangle and necklace in sterling silver Bangle in 18 karat rose gold Photo Credit: © Tiffany & Co.
HARMONY OF FORMS The Atlas® collection captures the essence of enduring Tiffany chic. Bold, clean designs distinguish the collection, which incorporates sleek, elongated Roman numerals into each graphic piece for jewellery that is at once modern and timeless. The Atlas® and other iconic collections are available in Barbados at Tiffany & Co.
Colonnade Mall, Broad Street, Bridgetown | Tel (246) 431-0031 | tiffany.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
99
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN
8TENTION TO DETAIL Chopard jewellery displayed below is available at The Royal Shop.
32 Broad Street, Bridgetown | Tel (246) 429-7072 Cruise Terminal, Bridgetown | Tel (246) 431-0296 theroyalshop-barbados.com
Chopard Ring, earrings and pendant from the “Happy 8” collection in 18ct rose gold set with diamonds and with 4 mobile diamonds.
Ring: Ref. 829210-5039 Earrings: Ref. 839210-5001 Pendant: Ref. 799211-5005
Chopard’s Happy 8 - An infinity of happiness The ideal curves, richness and power of the figure 8 have inspired Chopard to create a collection where the infinite purity of the lines echoes that of the materials in a subtle association between diamonds and gold. In these watches, pendants, rings and earrings, the spirit of Happy Diamonds is ever present through the free-spirited play of the precious gems, while the curves of the 8 find a stylistic echo in the interlacing circles.
100 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
BRIDGETOWN
SHOP
ROLEX PRESTIGE Horologist Ricardo Colucci has been with The Royal Shop since 1994 and has been their Rolex repair specialist for almost a decade. Rolex timepieces displayed below are available at The Royal Shop, a certified Rolex repair centre.
Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II A marriage of state-of-the-art technology and time-honoured tradition, the new YACHT-MASTER II is a pure example of Rolex expertise in terms of precision, functions and reliability. This revolutionary high-performance instrument, designed not just for professional skippers but yachting enthusiasts, features a countdown which can be programmed from 1 to 10 minutes and incorporates a mechanical memory. It is available for the first time since its 2007 launch in 904L steel, fitted with a cerachrom bezel insert in blue ceramic.
Oyster Perpetual Day-Date “Sertie” Rolex honours the art of dial making and traditional gem setting with a selection of seven Oyster Perpetual DAY-DATE models, in gold, with diamonds, mother-of-pearl and fine coloured gemstones. The "Sertie” models are equipped with calibre 3155, a self-winding mechanical movement with a day and date display entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. The 36 mm Oyster case of the Day-Date "Sertie", guaranteed waterproof to 330 feet (100 m) is a paragon of robustness, proportion and elegance.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
101
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN
Rado HyperChrome Diamonds Glamour, sophistication and a flash of brilliance.
All in the Family It was the late 40’s when Radhakishin Thani left Hedrabad in Mumbai, India, to settle in Barbados. Following in the patriarch’s footsteps, his five children each established a business in Bridgetown, The Royal Shop being one of them, started by Hiranand Thani in 1976. Today The Royal Shop is the exclusive Rolex dealership in Barbados, and in fine tradition, Hiranand and Nisha’s son Giresh, who has a BSc in Mathematics is also employed in the family business. Their daughter, Laveena Thani-Ramchandani, is married with two chidren and a dental practice of her own. The Thani’s purchase their jewellery directly from goldsmiths, and besides fine watches have a lovely selection of gold earrings and fine diamond jewellery.
Hiranand and Nisha Thani, owners of The Royal Shop for almost 40 years.
Movado’s iconic single-dot watch dial was created by Nathan George Horwitt, the first artist to explore the concept of time as design.
Movado Men’s Museum Classic
TIME TO SHINE Timepieces displayed on this page are available at The Royal Shop.
32 Broad Street, Bridgetown | Tel (246) 429-7072 Cruise Terminal, Bridgetown | Tel (246) 431-0296 theroyalshop-barbados.com
102 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Longines Conquest Classic A timeless collection for the world of horse-racing.
BRIDGETOWN
SHOP
ROYAL COLOURS Marco Bicego and Belle Étoile jewellery displayed is available at The Royal Shop.
32 Broad Street, Bridgetown | Tel (246) 429-7072 Cruise Terminal, Bridgetown | Tel (246) 431-0296 theroyalshop-barbados.com
Marco Bicego
Butterfly Kisses and Galapagos Hand-painted black/ivory and multi-colored Italian enamels with stones set into rhodium-plated, nickel allergy-free, 925 sterling silver.
Jaipur Color Collection 18k hand engraved yellow gold bangle and earrings with semi-precious gemstones
Above > Butterfly Kisses pendant in ivory with white stones Below > Galapagos ring in black with white, black and orange stones.
Belle Étoile
Butterfly Kisses Bangle and earrings in black, with white stones
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
103
BRIDGETOWN
Oral Brathwaite (far right) with his team at Diamonds International, Lower Broad Street. Inset: Crown of Light Daimond Gallery, exclusively available at DI stores.
A Girl’s New Best Friend Crown of Light Gaze deeply into the fiery light of this magnificent jewel and the face of your special loved one looks back at you with the most amazing brilliance and clarity not possible with any other diamond. This is the Crown of Light, a spectacular diamond, one like no other, and the only way to say “I love you” in any language. In a market overflowing with glamorous luxury goods, what must shoppers look for to locate an exceptional loose diamond and diamond jewellery? The Crown of Light is a marvel of the twenty first century. It is a marriage of genius in the cutting room and of technological advancement in diamond manufacturing. The Crown of Light diamond is an extraordinary premium round diamond created especially for the connoisseur. Cut with 90 expertly placed facets nearly twice as many as the traditional round diamond, this patented diamond, by Diamonds International soars above the rest. The precision faceting along with the angles of each facet all work to yield a stone of such brilliance, such dispersion that its clarity and quality appears even higher than its grade. Compared with other same quality round diamonds, the Crown of Light out shines them all. The Crown of Light is a diamond of unrivalled beauty and the only one to give to say “I love you”. Whether you are celebrating
104 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
a personal milestone or you simply wish to express your love, select the Crown of Light when only the best can express what words cannot say. To make the moment more unique choose your loose Crown of Light from their diamond gallery; have it set in one of their many designer settings (Vene D’Amore) and in a matter of hours their master jewellers will create your very own master piece. Your diamonds represent an important financial and sentimental purchase. So it is prudent to shop with a reputable retailer and Diamonds International is the most recommended luxury retailer in the Caribbean. When you want to take home dazzling jewels to remember your Barbados holiday, a trip to Diamonds International should be your first and only stop.
Photos: Caroline Reid; Loose diamond photo: Courtesy Diamonds International
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN
SHOP
Heads of the team at Diamonds International Watch & Design Vinod Divakaran (left) and Ronald Ishmael invite you to enjoy a glass of champagne at their VIP Lounge, 8 Broad Street, as they present an extensive range of extraordinary timepieces.
Bvlgari Serpenti
EXCLUSIVE FUNCTION Watches displayed on this page are exclusively available at Diamonds International. Other timepieces available are IWC, Chopard, Piaget, Dior, Longines, Montblanc and pens by Faber Castell, Montblanc, Delta and Pelikan.
Bridgetown - Lower Broad Street | 8 Broad Street | Cruise Terminal West Coast - Limegrove Lifestyle Centre | West Coast Mall | Fairmont Royal Pavilion Sandy Lane Hotel | Royal Westmoreland Golf & Country Club | Tamarind Hotel
South Coast - Turtle Beach Resort | Grantley Adams International Airport Tel (246) 430-2400 | diamondsinternational.com
Hublot Classic Fusion Aero Chronograph Titanium
Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days Oro Rosso
Jaeger-LeCoultre The Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Duoface
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
105
SHOP
BRIDGETOWN Sunglasses & Accessories < Left Fossil Aviators Right > Fossil Tote bag and travel pouch
Below > Ladies Moccasins by Aerosoles
Ladies and Gents Fashions Designer Fragrances
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Cave Shepherd, the island's lone department store, is situated on Broad Street in the heart of Bridgetown, as well as at a number of other convenient locations islandwide. For over 100 years this store has been determined to keep its offering fresh and trendy with all the latest international brands all available at great duty free prices with savings of up to 44% on US retail prices. They are also a part of The Bridgetown Shuttle Express which offers transportation to Bridgetown from most hotels for US$6.
Bridgetown - Upper Broad Street | Cruise Terminal West Coast - Sunset Mall | West Coast Mall South Coast - Vista Worthing Complex | Grantley Adams Airport | The Crane Resort Tel (246) 227-2121 | Shuttle Bookings (246) 227-2201 | mycaveshepherd.com
106 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
From left > Versace Eros Calvin Klein Down Town Givenchy Gentlemen Only Carolina Herrera Eau De Parfum Sublime
SHOPPING CENTRES
Indigo Courtyard in Holetown Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
The Chattel Village Photo: Mike Toy
The shops in the departure Lounge at Grantley Adams International Airport are very useful
108 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SHOPPING CENTRES
SHOP
ocated near the South Coast just a few minutes from St. Lawrence Gap, and just off the ABC Highway, Sheraton Mall is Barbados’ largest shopping destination including over 120 stores and services in one convenient location. They feature duty free shopping, a multiplex and VIP cinema, pharmaceutical services, spa and salon services, banking services, doctor and homeopathic services, taxi services, and so much more! The newly renovated Coca Cola Food Court has the largest multi-cultural selection of restaurants on the island, all conveniently housed under one roof. Delightful dishes include West Indian, Middle Eastern, Oriental, North American, Italian, and of course your favourite Barbadian delicacies. They are open for longer hours than most shopping centres in Barbados, Mon-Sat 9am until 9pm. On the south coast road there are some excellent shops at Quayside Centre and the new Lanterns Mall. The overall quality of shopping in Barbados continues to improve - Holetown has always had good shopping malls, such as the West Coast Mall and Sunset Mall, so with the exciting addition of the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre the overall area has now become a major shopping destination in Barbados. The charming Chattel Village is a colourful cluster of interesting chattel house shops in Sunset Crest, Holetown. Nestled in this attractive shopping village is a Best of Barbados Shop, Sarah Hamilton’s Gourmet Shop, Lola Beach Swimwear and Accessories and the recently opened The Studio who produce a lovely selection of products from Mike Toys photography as well as stunning soft furnishings. Nearby is Jenny Blanc’s chic new store selling tastefully selected high quality items for the home. The Sunset Mall houses a department of Colombian Emeralds International and Cave Shepherd’s main west coast store. They stock an impressive range of duty free merchandise including designer clothing and swimwear, perfumes, bags, cosmetics and a full range of quality souvenirs. In the heart of Holetown, the Indigo Courtyard with its buttercup yellow buildings, is where you'll find Gaye Boutique and Leonard Menswear with their fine array of renowned designer clothing and footwear from around the world and Heather Harrington Jones with her incredible selection of one of a kind designer jewellery and watches. The modern West Coast Mall has an excellent range of tax free stores, including a Diamonds International, Diamonds International Outlet store, Little Switzerland boutique store, Pages Bookstore, Cave Shepherd, Bean ’n’ Bagel Internet Café and of course the Super Centre Supermarket. The departure lounge of the Grantley Adams International Airport has a number of well laid out tax free shops. Diamonds International, Colombian Emeralds, Best of Barbados and Cave Shepherd all have very good branches there that carry an extensive selection of beautiful things. Shopping there is a great way to cheer yourself up when you are leaving the sunny Caribbean!
SHOPPING CENTRES
SHOP
A NEW LOOK. A NEW LOCATION ‘The Studio ’ is the collaboration between renowned Caribbean photographer Mike Toy and British designer Kathryn Horsfall. This exclusive and contemporary boutique offers a range of bespoke products from wall art to textiles that is unavailable anywhere else on the island.
They offer custom prints and photo gifts such as beach bags, jigsaw puzzles, acrylic blocks and playing cards, while their range of home interiors is handcrafted in India using traditional block printing and includes products such as cushions and bed linens, placemats, napkins and bathrobes.
# 3 C h a t t e l V i l l a g e , H o l e t o w n , S t . J a m e s , B a r b a d o s . Te l : ( 2 4 6 ) 4 3 2 - 6 7 6 5
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
109
SHOP
SHOPPING CENTRES
GREAT GIFTS Over the course of more than 25 years, Miller Publishing Company has established a solid reputation for the consistently high standards and world-class quality of its publications; including a broad range of beautifully designed and produced photo-based coffee table books covering many aspects of Barbados. These books are available at leading bookstores on the island or at the Miller Publishing Company office.
#2 Williams Industrial Park, Edgehill, St. Thomas Tel (246) 421-6700 | miller@caribsurf.com | barbadosbooks.com
Cookbooks Two excellent Caribbean cookbooks with tried and tested recipes of all the favourites.
Gifts for a Cause Children’s Books Pip ‘n’ Nip, on a shell hunt in Barbados, written and illustrated by artist Heather-Dawn Scott, is about two soldier crabs on a hunt to find a new shell for Pip whose shell is too tight.
Historic Books Our newest publications take the reader on a historic photo tour of tourism in Barbados, and delves into the 50 years that have shaped the history of the Barbados National Trust.
Learn to Give, A Child’s Life in Barbados was written to help children who cannot walk, see or hear. All profits from sales in Barbados will be donated to the ‘Because of Jenna’ Trust. (see page 84).
Project Hope is a humanitarian music project manged by a registered Barbadian charity United Caribbean Trust that features a cross section of some of Barbados’ popular music artists. Proceeds from the sale of Project Hope DVD's and CD's benefit children in crisis at The WISH Centre, Barbados and street children, orphans and child soldiers in Uganda & DR Congo. Project Hope - The Orphans Cry DVD is available for purchase at all Cave Shepherd stores.
Tel 246 423 4703 Web www.projecthopeuct.com Email projecthopeuct@gmail.com
110 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SHOPPING CENTRES
SHOP
TURTLE CRAZY Barbadian artist Sue Trew enjoys promoting the beauty of the turtles around Barbados through her many turtle paintings and wide range of turtle giftware designs. She and her husband, Chris, run their successful family business, Best of Barbados Gift Shops, selling art and gifts made or designed in Barbados. They’ve spent many happy hours, accompanied by their two daughters, swimming with turtles and observing their nesting and hatching habits. If you also love turtles . . . this is the place to shop!
best-of-barbados.com
Turtle Tracks Family Collect Tilli the hawksbill turtle and her six adorable baby turtlets and enjoy their story in Turtle Tracks.
Hatchling Knick-knacks Part of an extensive range for the young and young at heart, these hatchling turtles are a very cute collection.
Art that Tells a Story The tale of Tilli the female hawksbill turtle who returns to the beach where she was born to lay her eggs. Find out how she digs a safe nest, how many eggs she lays and what happens when the baby turtles hatch.
Kitchenware Enjoy spending time in your kitchen with beautifully designed kitchen co-ordinates, locally screen printed on high quality 100% cotton and displayed here with a fun turtle chopping board.
Dining Bring Bajan sunshine to every meal with these colourful turtle placemats and coasters – part of a fabulous range of merchandise to brighten up your home. Best of Barbados Gift Shops makes a donation to the Barbados Sea Turtle Project from the sale of their turtle designs.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
111
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
Home to some of the world’s most recognised luxury brands Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Limegrove west entrance Photo: Gina Francesca Photography
Rooftop launch party at Limegrove Photo courtesy Altman Real Estate
112 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SHOP
odern Barbados has evolved into the vacation destination of choice for some of the world’s most affluent individuals, including high profile names that would ordinarily be more associated with the annual ‘Rich Lists’ of the London Times or Forbes Magazine. Along with these celebrity guests, Barbados generally attracts significant numbers of sophisticated and discerning visitors - people who are accustomed to enjoying the very best that the world has to offer, wherever they may be residing at the time. It is against this increasingly demanding and progressive background that the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre is providing the most unique and exciting ‘living’ experience ever witnessed in Barbados. Limegrove has been conceptualized to provide major improvements in the upper echelons of life in Barbados such as: the opportunity to purchase the world’s leading brands, luxury goods; a superior level of general shopping; a place to meet friends and enjoy good food; more sophisticated leisure and entertainment options; and the injection of greater vitality and variation into the island’s calendar of social events. The unparalleled Limegrove Lifestyle Centre has been planned and created with a tremendous depth of detail, specifically to provide a diversity of sumptuous offerings at a level of quality never before experienced in Barbados. After the much anticipated, gradual unfurling of the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, initiated during the Christmas Season 2010, visitors and locals alike can luxuriate in a remarkable 85,000 sq. ft. retail shopping environment that accommodates many of the world’s leading retail brands, ultra chic boutiques, a carefully selected variety of successful Barbadian brands, as well as top quality specialty stores and gourmet food outlets. This extensive and varied mix of retailers has been carefully compiled to provide something for everyone. The outstanding Limegrove leisure and entertainment facilities include restaurants, delis, cafés, bars, a roof deck, a VIP High Definition cinema, an art gallery, a spa, and several other spaces for special events. In a nutshell, 'everything one could desire'. Limegrove has been cleverly schemed around three distinct and very attractive courtyards, the Water Courtyard, the Palm Courtyard, and the Caribbean Courtyard, all of which are conveniently interconnected while still retaining their own individual ambiance. While walking around this magnificent complex, one of the striking characteristics of Limegrove is that there always seems to be something different and exciting going on around every corner - and there are lots of corners! To make life at Limegrove even more interesting and appealing, a regular events programme will ensure that there is always something new happening; ranging from art shows to culinary events to live entertainment to cultural displays indeed anything that the public will find engaging. Limegrove Lifestyle Centre - the most stylish place to shop, dine, lime and live in the Caribbean.
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SHOP
BREITLING MOVEMENT Breitling timepieces displayed below are available at the Breitling Boutique Barbados and Diamonds International.
Avenger ii GMT
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James, Barbados Tel (246) 271-8237 | breitling.com
Navitimer Cosmonaute The Legend Continues To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historical feat, the brand is launching into orbit a new Navitimer Cosmonaute equipped with a high performance Manufacture Breitling movement, entirely developed and produced in the company workshops. This 1,962-piece limited edition is distinguished by its 24-hour display, its manual winding mode – two nods to the original 1962 chronograph – as well as the Aurora 7 mission insignia engraved on the caseback.
Avenger ii GMT Ramping up the Power As authentic instruments for professionals, the models in the Avenger line have been redesigned in a style that is even more technical, functional and sophisticated. An exceptional look for these trustworthy companions on the most extreme missions.
Navitimer Cosmonaute
Bentley B05 Unitime British chic, Swiss excellence The Breitling for Bentley collection has asserted a new art of living. It now welcomes three exceptional mechanisms equipped with Manufacture Breitling movements entirely developed and produced inhouse. The Bentley B05 Unitime model will appeal to world travellers and citizens thanks to ultra-practical dual timezone and worldtime mechanisms.
Head of the Breitling Team Roger Holder (left) holding the solid gold version of the Bentley BO5 alongside Sales Associate Mark Bentham. Bentley B05 Unitime
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
113
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
CARTIER CHIC Cartier jewellery, timepieces and accessories featured below are available at the Cartier Boutique.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James, Barbados Tel (246) 271-8234
Left > Cartier Juste en Clou bracelet in white gold with diamond-paved head.
Right > The timeless Cartier Trinity ring, bracelet and pendant.
Below from left > The Marcello de Cartier bag in Toffee, Marcello de Cartier bowling bag in Red, stunning Ballon Bleu de Cartier, and Cartier’s iconic Love Bracelet in pink gold, fully diamond paved with solid gold screws.
The faces of Cartier Limegrove From left > Kathy Ann Alleyne, Brett Linton, Claudia St. John, Angela DeJean, Andy Hynds and Kevin Sealy.
114 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Below > Cartier eyewear featuring at the temples the three iconic interlinking Cartier bands in pink, white, and yellow gold.
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
INTERNATIONALLY INSPIRED Bvlgari and John Hardy jewellery displayed below are available at Diamonds International.
Bridgetown - Lower Broad Street | 8 Broad Street | Cruise Terminal West Coast - Limegrove Lifestyle Centre | West Coast Mall
Bvlgari
Fairmont Royal Pavilion | Sandy Lane Hotel Royal Westmoreland Golf & Country Club | Tamarind Hotel South Coast - Turtle Beach Resort | Grantley Adams Airport
Tel (246) 430-2400 | diamondsinternational.com
Bvlgari BZERO1 ring, earrings, and pendant with chain in pink gold with pavé diamonds.
Above, from the John Hardy Classic Chain Collection > Cushion Ring with Diamond Pave (1.54ct). All in Sterling Silver. Medium Braided Ring with London Blue Topaz. All in Sterling Silver.
John Hardy
Left, from the John Hardy Classic Chain Collection > Ladies Small Braided Bracelet with Black Sapphire. All in Sterling Silver. Gents Pink Bronze Station Bracelet on Braided Brown. Leather Cord 17mm with Brown Diamond Pave (0.87ct). All in Sterling Silver & Bronze.
116 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
E XCLUSIVELY AT A T DIAMONDS DI A MON D S INTERNATIONAL I NTERN A TION A L AVAILABLE AV A IL AB LE EXCLUSIVELY 7(/ Â&#x2021; -(:(/ 7(/ Â&#x2021; -(:(/
T H E C E N T E R O F M Y U N I V E R S E TM F R O M F O R E V E R M A R K Less than one percent of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diamonds can carry the Forevermark inscription. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a promise that each is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced.
Š 2013 Forevermark Limited. Forevermark TM,
TM
, CENTER OF MY UNIVERSE TM, and THE DIAMOND. THE PROMISE. TM are Trade Marks used under license from the De Beers group of companies.
Forevermark.com/DiamondsInternational
THE DIAMOND. THE PROMISE. Forevermark is part of the De Beers group of companies.
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
IN THEORY Ins & Outs of Barbados sits down for a chat with famed jewellery designer Theo Fennell, to discuss his popularity, plans and ongoing love affair with Barbados. I&O > How long has Theo Fennell been in operation and to what extent has the company grown during that period? TF > We have been going for over 30 years and have grown a lot in that time. We had a little corner shop in the Fulham Road and now we are pretty much all over the world. It still amazes me to see our pieces in Dubai or Moscow. I&O > Why did you choose to establish a shop here at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre? TF > I have been coming to Barbados for years and love the place. We started working with Colombian Emeralds International many years ago and were thrilled when they opened us in Limegrove. I saw the project being built from the first and think it is a great development. I think it will become the best place to shop on the island. I&O > As a regular visitor to Barbados, how have you found the experience and what are your impressions of our island? TF > I first came to Barbados in the early '70's so I have seen incredible changes in the island. I loved it then and I love it now; I come over at least once a year. I have had more laughs in Barbados than anywhere else in the world. I&O > What lies in the future for Theo Fennell? TF > To keep making original and beautifully crafted pieces that appeal to people who know their own mind and want something different all over the world.
Pendants displayed on this page are available at Theo Fennell Limegrove, as well as CEI shops at Sandy Lane Resort and The Crane Resort & Residences. Earrings available online at theofennell.com.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James, Barbados W.I. Tel (246) 419-3106 | theofennell.com
118 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SHOP
PIONEERING SWISS PRECISION Inspired by the Past, Engineered for the Future The TAG Heuer Carrera was born in 1962 in the pits and paddocks of the Twelve Hours of Sebring, where Jack Heuer, official timekeeper of the event, first heard the tale of motor-racing’s most gruelling endurance competition, the “Carrera Panamericana Mexico Road Race”. It also pays homage to TAG Heuer’s unique timekeeping contributions to the racing world with radical innovations like the Time of Trip (1911). The Carrera is one of TAG Heuer’s most iconic creations. It has been worn by hundreds of TAG Heuer driving greats, including Juan Manuel Fangio, Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button.
The Calibre 1887 Movement The Calibre 1887 is an integrated column-wheel watch movement that vibrates 28,800 times per hour and has a 50-hour power reserve. Among it’s 320 components, is an audaciously re-engineered version of its inspiration, the brand’s 1887-patented oscillating pinion, along with a matching blue column wheel. The oscillating pinion, patented in 1887 by Edouard Heuer, works in tandem with the column wheel, in much the same way as an automobile transmission. The column wheel, which coordinates the start, stop and return-to-zero functions of the chronograph hand, functions like a gearbox, the oscillating pinionworks like a clutch.
Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph with ceramic bezel – 43mm
A Contemporary Classic Based on the bestselling Calibre 16 design but outfitted with the the superlative Calibre 1887 movement and a host of other new technical elements - ceramic bezel with tachymetre scale, fine brushed and polished steel case and innovative H-shaped steel bracelet. The Arabic numerals - inspired by vintage counters - and the date window are hand applied. The viewing case back is in clear, unscratchable sapphire.
The Carrera Man The men who wear the Carrera Calibre 1887, like Leonardo DiCaprio, have no reason to show off. They know who they are and what they want. They epitomize class and elegance, which comes naturally. Effortlessly. Masters of the fastest pace, they never rush. They take their time. They control every moment.
TAG Heuer watches are available in Barbados at TAG Heuer Limegrove and at all Colombian Emeralds International stores.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James Tel (246) 419-3106 | tagheuer.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
119
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
THE LEGENDARY MONOGRAM The innovative design House of Louis Vuitton has captured exotic elegance in practical bags, trunks and accessories. With over a century of creating exceptional timeless pieces touching on perfection, Vuitton’s Monogram canvas represents the historic luxury of men & women’s merchandise. Rare, desirable and durable, the Label’s craftsmen are trained with meticulous precision to master a single dream. The famous Monogram motif, “LV”, set on trunks, cases, bags and all manner of portable containers have been the loyal companions of Royals, Stars, Artists, Divas and dedicated travelers the world over.
The Zephyr
120 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SHOP
SIGNATURE LOUIS VUITTON The House’s penchant for savoir-faire began with the Monogram and has stylishly morphed from the traditional canvas to subtly embossed leathers, metallics, furs and suede textures. Monogram pieces, like treasured memories, have the endurance of a lifetime and have been passed from hand to hand as each shred of canvas bears its own story of tradition and grace.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James, Barbados W.I. | Tel (246) 622-1000 | louisvuitton.com
The W Bag
The Noé
The Speedy
The Alma
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
121
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
MICHAEL KORS “To make a significant impact, you need a great product as well as a great cause,” says designer Michael Kors. “When you wear a 100 Series watch, you become an ambassador for the cause.”
Above: Designer Michael Kors models the navy in the MK “100 Series” > Silver-tone stainless steel case and bracelet with a navy blue dial - featured above left and right.
122 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SHOP
Left: Designer Michael Kors teams up with Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry to raise awareness as well as funds for the United Nations World Food Programme through the Watch Hunger Stop campaign. Centre: MK “100 Series” > Gold-tone stainless steel case and bracelet with a turquoise dial Right: On model’s tee, the Watch Hunger Stop logomark
Michael Kors recently announced a long-term partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) dedicated to raising millions of dollars to help end world hunger. The main thrust is the recently launched Watch Hunger Stop campaign where two specially designed styles of MK’s best-selling Runway watch are being sold exclusively at MK stores and at michaelkors.com. For each watch sold, 100 children in a hunger-stricken area will receive a nutritious meal. The timepieces both feature a detailed map of the world etched on the navy or turquoise dial, along with the words “100 Series.” Michael Kors’ signature is engraved on the back, as is the campaign name and the message “1 WATCH = 100 MEALS.” The unisex watches, available in mid-size and oversized styles, will be sold in specially designed packaging that highlights the aim to Watch Hunger Stop.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James Tel (246) 621-0470 | michaelkors.com | watchhungerstop.com | #watchhungerstop
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
123
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
IN OUR BOUTIQUES... WE ARE
INSPIRED
WE EXPRESS
OURSELVES
SLEEVES WE ARE SENSITIVE WE ROLL UP OUR
WE CREATE
WE IMPROVISE
WE DRESS TO KILL FASHION ADDICTS WE ARE COLOURFUL WE ARE
WE SEARCH FOR THE BEST FROM THE CLASSIC TO THE ECLECTIC FROM THE ICONS OF YESTERDAY TO THE INNOVATORS OF TODAY
US
WE ARE 124 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
.
Ready to Wear Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, St. James +1246 271 8205 ISABEL MARANT, VANESSA BRUNO, FORTE_FORTE, IRO, FALIERO SARTI, BA&SH, K.JACQUES, REPETTO
Concept Store & Café Chic Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, St. James +1246 271 8205 SANTA MARIA NOVELLA MARIAGE FRÈRES
à la Plage Casual Beachwear Chattel House opp. The Sandpiper, St. James +1246 432 8756 AMERICAN VINTAGE, INDIES, WAITING FOR THE SUN, CARIOCA COLLECTION, CÔTÉ BASTIDE, CAMPOMAGGI
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
THE ENGLISH ROSE The Burberry Spring Summer 2014 Womenswear runway collection features muted powder tones with shots of radiant brights. Vibrant pastels are expressed on raw silk and lace, while summer hues of mint, lilac and rose are softened on sheer jersey, suede and brushed cashmere. Accessories from this collection are available at Burberry Limegrove.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James Tel (246) 622-0150 | burberry.com
Above > The Burberry Spring Summer 2014 Womenswear runway show and VIP front row.
Footwear Rubber strap sandals shown above in vibrant pink. Also available (from left) in vibrant green, pale lilac, apple green, white and light turquoise. Not shown: pale cameo pink and lime green.
Digital Cases iPhone 5S cases in: Bright lemon rubber ruffles White and light mint embossed check dégradé leather Black linen canvas with white leather dots Pale grape deerskin with flowers
Belts
Translucent rubber belt with gems in light turquoise and bright ginger
Eyewear White matte acetate sunglasses
126 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Pale cameo pink translucent rubber belt with flowers
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SHOP
PETAL LINED RUNWAY Introducing The Petal by Burberry, the new runway bag. Soft and foldable, the effortless clutch presents bold pastels and powdery hues enhanced with flowers, dots and stripes. Explore the collection in super-soft deerskin, tactile alligator and translucent rubber. The Petal is available at Burberry Limegrove.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James Tel (246) 622-0150 | burberry.com
In pale grape deerskin with perspex flowers
In light mint deerskin with flowers
In vibrant pink translucent rubber with flowers
In sage green alligator and rubber
In pale rose deerskin and House check with rubber overlay
In black linen canvas with white leather stripes
In pale trench canvas with cadmium red leather stripes
In black linen canvas with white leather dots
In white rubber ruffles
In pale rose deerskin and pale heather curly shearling
In light mint deerskin with vinyl flowers
In white and pale grape embossed check dégradé leather
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
127
L I M EG ROV E L I F E S T Y L E C E N T E R | G RO U N D L E V E L # A 1 0 6 | 2 4 6 . 6 2 4 . 2 2 2 2
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
Left > General Manager Daniel Evelyn (left) and Supervisor Marlon Brewster, sharp dressers themselves, welcome you to the exclusive HUGO BOSS Limegrove.
Premium, modern and sophisticated - the HUGO BOSS hallmark.
THE NEW BLACK BOSS Black is the HUGO BOSS core brand and stands for contemporary elegance. The Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fall 2013 collection offers business apparel, sportswear and glamorous styles for special events.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James | Tel (246) 622-3333 | hugoboss.com
Their premium assortment is supplemented with shoes, bags and other accessories including eyewear, fragrances and watches.
130 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre HUGO BOSS AG Phone +1 246 622 3333 www.hugoboss.com
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SAINT TROPEZ MEET SAINT JAMES Drawing inspiration from the painters on the Saint Tropez quayside, the strolling vacationers and the buzz around Brigitte Bardot, motor-racing fan Fred Prysquel sketched out a design for swim shorts on a corner of his tablecloth. Combining the inspiration of the legendary Saint Tropez lifestyle with his talent, Vilebrequin swim shorts came to life . . . and now they’ve come to Barbados.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James | Tel (246) 624-2222 | vilebrequin.com
132 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE 246 624 2222 WWW.VILEBREQUIN.COM
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
KEEP YOUR SHORTS ON In 1958, in San Francisco Sun-Dek of California, a swimsuit brand from the early 40's, decided to increase its collection by introducing a small line of nylon or cotton-nylon shorts especially designed for surfing, thus creating Sundek, one of the first brands dedicated to this sport. Their innovative solutions like using velcro instead of zippers, and colorful tropical prints on cotton, soon made popular demand increase. 1972 marks the beginning of the era of the rainbow boardshorts. Thanks to their technical qualities and original easy to recognize design, they soon became an icon for surfers, of which there is a growing population in Barbados. Of course, you don’t have to be a surfer to rock a great pair of shorts; that’s why Sundek’s new store at Limegrove is a fitting addition to the island’s beachwear offerings.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James | Tel (246) 622-1111 | shopsundek.com
Left > Vanessa Hope, Assistant Manager at Sundek Limegrove, showing off a pair of men’s boardshorts.
On model > Micro Vichy printed swim shorts with elastic waist and button in green.
On the Sundek clothesline > Iconic Sundek styles and new prints for men, women and children, each with the signature rainbow bands.
134 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SHOP
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
CROCODILE PAIRS Hunt no more! A rainbow palette of Crocs footwear is now available in Barbados in cool new men’s, women’s and children’s styles, at Crocs Limegrove.
Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James Tel (246) 622-7777 | crocs.com
Right > Creative Crocs Planes™ Clog Dusty™ and Teenage Mutant Nija Turtles™ Light and comfortable, kids love the one-of-a-kind feeling and parents love how easy they are.
Kiddie Crocs
Above, foreground > Duet Sport Clog Kids Equal parts comfort and durability. Dual-density technology layers our signature soft footbed with a tough outer shell for all-day comfort that lasts.
Classic Crocs Above > Crocs™ Classic Slip into your favorite clog and enjoy a custom fit, water-friendly design and ventilated forefoot for breathability.
Right > Women’s Beach Line Boat Shoe These amazingly lightweight boat shoes are so light, they float! Vibrant colors and unique styling make a major splash wherever you sail. Strategically placed siped rubber pods on the outsole for improved grip.
136 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Cruising Crocs Above > Men’s Walu Canvas Deck Shoe Part boat shoe, part loafer, all comfortable. This nautical-inspired style is especially smart at the casual office or when traveling.
At Monkey Puzzle we adore children, and are dedicated to helping them become the best and most of themselves they can be. Children are born with natural curiosity and vivid imagination. We see our role as helping keep this alive. Our store, products and activities are designed to engage them, encourage their creativity and to give their imagination free reign. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created an amazing, inspiring space for children and their adults to enjoy and explore. COME LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
w w w . m o n k e yp u z z le k id s . c o m @ Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown
LIMEGROVE LIFESTYLE CENTRE
SHOP
ADeN + ANAIs ADrIANo GolDscHMIeD BAolGI BlAck uP cAro DesIGNs coMPAGNIe De ProVeNce curreNt ellIott cutler & Gross DANDY stAr eAu D’ItAlIe erBAVIVA esMIe esteBAN eQuIPMeNt GeNeVIeVÈ lÉVY ÉDItIoN GINGerlIlY GreeN PeoPle HolIstIc sIlk IloVeMYMuFF IlIA INeke IrIs HANtVerk IosIs JAo JAMes JeANs J BrAND kAI kJAer WeIs tHe koNJAc sPoNGe co less Is More lsA MoroccAN NAturAls NeoM orGANIcs NIPPAZ WItH AttItuDe PrttY PeAusHuN rAHuA reN rGB rMs roDIN sukI tADÉ PAYs Du leVANt tAtcHA tHIs Works tWeeZerMAN ukA uNe NuIt A BAlI
is
CONCEPT
cutler & Gross sunglass Frame - 1111 crystallised Violet
skINcAre HAIrcAre BAtH & BoDY cosMetIcs FrAGrANces MeN BABY & cHIlDreN lIVING clotHING
We source the world
kAI Natural Wax candle
curreNt ellIott the Boyfriend short
rGB 5 Free Formula – too red
For the best the world has to offer
reN Moroccan rose otto Firming crème
eAu D’ItAlIe Acqua Decima eau de toilette
eQuIPMeNt slim signature silk shirt - Nude
A: 1st Floor, lIMeGroVe lIFestYle ceNtre, HoletoWN, st JAMes, BArBADos t: 246 271 8211 e: INFo@PuresourceBArBADos.coM FAceBook: PuresourceBArBADos WWW.PuresourceBArBADos.coM
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
139
ISLAND STYLE
Vilebrequin swimming shorts have become the must-have item for the beach and the inevitable signifier of the man on holiday Available from the Vilebrequin shop in Limegrove Lifestyle Centre
Dingolay is known for their classic Caribbean-chic attire and an ever-changing range of fashionable apparel
West Indian Sea Island Cotton is produced in Barbados by Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean at its ginnery in the countryside
140 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ISLAND STYLE
SHOP
arbados has become increasingly renowned as the preferred vacation destination for many of the biggest names in the celebrity world. With all of this exposure to ‘glitz and glamour’, the island has developed a unique sense of style, a harmonious and tantalising blend of fashionable international elegance. This means that a trip to Barbados can offer visitors a chance to buy some very special clothing and accessories. As may be expected in one of the world’s leading and most fashionable leisure destinations, the focus of many of the island’s boutiques is on elegant, high quality resort wear that will add sophistication and elegance to any wardrobe. So if you are looking for that perfect piece of clothing that’s just right for hot summer days, offers you comfort and can be worn on most occasions, you are in the right place, especially since many of the items can be purchased tax free. Indeed, when taking into consideration the excellent value for money on the tax-free prices, it can be argued that the boutiques in Barbados provide an even more attractive opportunity for the purchase of high quality apparel and accessories.
Noteworthy Shopping Addresses On the west coast, Limegrove Lifestyle Centre in Holetown is a shopper’s delight, housing a collection of fabulous, world renowned designer shops, luxury jewellery stores, an art gallery, specialty food shops and a cluster of casual restaurants. Amongst the multitude of shops you’ll find Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Armani X, Vilbrequin, Michael Korrs, Hugo Boss, Longchamp, Un Dimanche à Paris, Gatsby, Crocs and Sundek. Just across the street from Limegrove is the charming Indigo Courtyard, home to the lovely Gaye Boutique, Leonard Menswear and the sophisticated Heather Harrington Jones Fine Jewellery Boutique. Also in Holetown, you’ll find Beth & Tracie on 2nd Street, an effortlessly sophisticated yet relaxed boutique, where you’ll discover an array of breezy tropical clothing, beach wear and accessories for women and girls. Full of old world charm, Speightstown is a little further north, a bit less developed and enjoys a slower pace. Here you’ll find exquisite, and totally out-of-the-ordinary, hand crafted art jewellery by Barbadian metalsmith/jeweller Ichia Tiyi in her little art jewellery studio - Tiyi By Design - tucked away upstairs the Town Square Mall. While in the north of the island pay a visit to Whispers on The Riviera, the boutique at the exclusive Port St. Charles Marina where you’ll find luxurious resortwear hand-picked from around the globe for its discerning clientele. Elegant, chic and stylish, Dingolay is the place to visit for a classic shopping experience. A favourite destination, not only for the fashion conscious women of Barbados, but also for many returning visitors who, once they’ve discovered Dingolay, keep coming back year after year. Located on the south coast, in Sheraton Mall, Dingolay is a fashion attraction not to missed!
Gaye Boutique is especially known for their fabulous lines of imported designer beachwear Swimwear by Maryan Mehlhorn
SHOP
ISLAND STYLE
TIMELESS ELEGANCE & STYLE The chic and elegant Gaye Boutique in Holetown is especially known for their fabulous lines of imported designer beachwear by Maryan Mehlhorn, Gottex, Ralph Lauren and Lidea, all of which are available duty free to visitors.
Flowing sundresses, breezy tops and strappy sandals for island fun in the sun...
For the Gentlemen Adjoining the Gaye boutique is Leonard Menswear, catering to the well-dressed man, with a wide-ranging selection of casual menswear, beachwear and footwear. Gentlemen especially love the Tori Richard line of shirts which they say is “like no other garment”...each exclusive new edition is designed to be a delight to the eye, a pleasure to the skin and a joy to the spirit.
Indigo Courtyard, Holetown, St. James | Tel: (246) 432-1396
142 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Leonard
MENSWEAR
gaye
boutique
Indigo Courtyard, Holetown, St . James | Tel: (246) 432-1396
SHOP
ISLAND STYLE
STYLE FOR LIFE A specialty boutique as unique as its name, Dingolay is a favourite shopping destination featuring fun and elegant fashion for the young and the young at heart. Since 1992 this locally owned boutique has clothed generations of Barbadian women, and countless Caribbean and international visitors who, having discovered this classy boutique, return time and time again. Known for their classic, Caribbean-chic attire and ever-changing range of stock, the shop is always brimming with an amazing array of the latest styles and some of the hottest resort collections in the world of fashion.
Photos: Jaryd Niles-Morris
Dingolay, Sheraton Mall, Christ Church Tel: (246) 435-6482 | sheraton@dingolay.net | facebook.com/dingolaybarbados
WELL KEPT SECRET Whispers on The Riviera, the boutique at the exclusive Port St. Charles Marina provides luxurious resortwear hand-picked around the globe for its discerning clientele. Exotic fashions by the likes of Analili, Isle, and Mystique, and designer bikinis by Tara Grinna, beach hats, kaftans and a beautiful selection of cocktail dresses ideal for a breezy day in paradise are available, alongside evening bags, sunglasses, wine totes and an exquisite selection of Swarovski jewellery and accoutrements.
Port St. Charles, St. Peter | Tel: (246) 439-2573 whispersontheriviera@gmail.com | portstcharles.com/whispers-on-the-riviera 144 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ISLAND STYLE
SHOP
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
145
ISLAND STYLE
EXQUISITE WORKS OF ART
Ichia Tiyi, 1st prize winner of the Design Caribbean Award 2011
Tiyi By Design is an award-winning line of exquisite, hand-crafted art jewellery. Each piece individually designed and crafted by professional Barbadian metalsmith/jeweller, Ichia Tiyi. The intention is to show the jeweller’s art in true perspective where design and craftsmanship are valued above material worth of the metal. Each piece is unique – a true collector’s item and an exceptional work of art!
Tiyi
SHOP
by design
Ar t Jewellery Studio
Dress by SHAKAD Designer Wear
Superb Design & Craftsmanship Ichia’s designs portray an exceptionally unique imagination and a truly sophisticated primal energy, uncommon to the transient trends of popular, everyday jewellery. Visit her at her delightful art jewellery studio in Speightstown.
Open Tues - Fri 10am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 2pm Store #12, Town Square Mall, Speightstown, St. Peter Tel: (246) 422-6816 or 252 0184 queen7metal@gmail.com | tiyibydesign.com
One of a Kind Store #12, Town Square Mall, Speightstown, St. Peter Phone (246) 422-6816 or 252 0184 queen7metal@gmail.com | tiyibydesign.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
147
SHOP
ISLAND STYLE
FROM FIELD TO FUNCTION West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) boasts a rich heritage, distinguished reputation, and endless possibilities. Likened to silk and cashmere, this internationally certified fibre is considered to be among the strongest, and is the source of the most brilliant of cotton fine fabrics. In Barbados, West Indian Sea Island Cotton is produced by Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean Inc. at its ginnery in the countryside. Take in a “Cotton Experience” tour - an inclusive look at the industry from field to fabric, resulting in 100% WISIC finished goods and textiles. Friendly and knowledgeable guides welcome you and look forward to sharing more with you about Barbados’ remarkable and regal cotton! Visit Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean’s Ginnery and Visitor Centre to purchase their products or have them custom made. Open 10am to 2pm, Mon to Fri. Call for directions.
Groves, St. George | Tel: (246) 433-3108 | eccicotton.bb
B A
C
A Sneak Peek at The Process A. Typical sea-island cotton field B. Mature cotton boll C. Locals and visitors enjoy Exclusive Cottons ginnery tour CEO of Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean Inc. Adlai Stevenson (left) and Ginnery Manager, Gerard King, show off some of their luxurious new fabric for the season: blue shadow stripe and voile.
148 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
INTERIORS
Whether it’s your primary residence or a seasonal retreat, the team at Designers’ Choice creates rooms of memorable distinction
The Jenny Blanc Design team creates interiors that exude comfort & style
Natz’ Home Furnishings offers an elegant range of furnishings and accessories at their showroom in Warrens
150 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
INTERIORS
SHOP
or centuries Barbados has maintained a wonderful tradition of stylish homes, from stately plantation great houses to ornate chattel houses. Though obviously reflecting quite different economic realities, both types of dwellings evolved in response to the climate. It’s not just the buildings that reflect an appreciation of beauty; the interiors do too. Whether home is humble or haute, our most prized possessions include mahogany furniture—products of a long tradition of fine Barbadian craftsmanship in this amazing wood. Our historical ties with the UK have made Barbados an obvious choice as a second home destination for many British families of means and taste. This has resulted in an increased demand for the services of those who know how to make their tropical residences comfortable, and look fantastic too. Though still obscure in the 1960s, Barbados had begun attracting an aristocratic coterie of holiday home owners. It was among them that celebrated set and costume designer Oliver Messel reinvented himself as an architect and interior designer. Intending to retire here, he bought an ordinary bay house and transformed it with his theatrical panache. When friends asked him to perform similar wonders, his new career was born. So was his trademark style, which involved arches, columns, lattice work, French doors with fanciful fan-lights, and cement floors that actually looked elegant. He also revived wrought iron for furnishings and accessories, and introduced white-on-white interiors. Maddox, Leamington House and Pavilion, and Fustic House are among his local legacies. Building on these beginnings, contemporary local architects, contractors, artisans and designers, interior decorators and landscapers have all played a role in creating some of the most desirable residences to be found anywhere in the world. Not only do they know how to translate the owners’ personalities into an ambience, they also know the territory. For landscapers, that’s quite a literal statement: they know what will grow best where. The ins and outs of our tropical location are familiar to the others too. Our architects, designers and decorators are well versed in reliable sources of material, labour, custom joinery and soft furnishings. In addition to knowing what looks good, they are aware of which materials best resist insects and harsh weather, how to make the most of the views and cooling breezes, and even how to design-out dampness in the humid months. Astute homeowners might ask if the sun would fade the fabrics, but it probably wouldn’t occur to them to build-in storage for verandah cushions so that intruding monkeys don’t cavort on them when nobody’s home! To fill homeowners’ needs, the island now has a range of shops supplying everything from tiles to fine fittings and the final flair of home accessories. Even the green-oriented will find items to suit: solar water heaters, water-saving options, and heat-deflecting glass are readily available. Combine all these with expert project supervision, and clients can move into their new homes knowing that every requirement has been attended to.
For projects small or large, from initial planning to the final installation, bespoke design is key for the Stephanie Barnes Interior Design Studio
SHOP
INTERIORS
CREATING ROOMS OF MEMORABLE DISTINCTION Designers’ Choice is one of the Caribbean’s leading full-service interior design companies with associate offices in Toronto and London. Heading up the exceptional interior design team are co-founders, Aubrey Carew and Charlie Brooks, who started the company eighteen years ago. Over the years the Designers’ Choice team has worked on many prestigious projects on the ‘Platinum Coast’ areas of St. James and St. Peter, at resorts such as Royal Westmoreland, Sandy Lane, Sugar Hill and Port St. Charles and also throughout the Caribbean and Central America. They work in close alliance with Barbados’ top architects and builders and maintain close links with a network of carefully selected artisans who supply custom-designed furnishings and unique creative support. Co-founders, Aubrey Carew and Charlie Brooks
Exquisitely Detailed Interiors Designers’ Choice mission – to provide exquisitely detailed interiors for your home – is certainly evident in the work they have produced for their growing list of clients. After all this time, they still find themselves ‘on call’ with most of these projects, as clients constantly upgrade their homes. It’s not surprising that their work has graced the covers of high profile trade publications such as Architectural Digest!
#8 Frangipani Row, Sunset Crest, Holetown, St. James | Tel (246) 432-2093 designerschoice@caribsurf.com | www.dcdesignerschoice.com
152 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
design for living
DESIGNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE I N T E R I O R D E S I G N C O N S U L T A N T S #8 Frangipani Row, Sunset Crest, Holetown, St. James | Tel: (246) 432-2093 | Fax: (246) 432-0402 designerschoice@caribsurf.com | www.dcdesignerschoice.com
INTERIORS
INTERIORS
THE DREAM TEAM It takes vision, creativity and an exceptional team of people to establish a successful, award winning interior design business such as Jenny Blanc Interiors. Two years after its launch, the Barbadian showroom is a magnet for visitors looking for original, beautiful items for their homes. As well as the full interior design service, the company also offers a Room-by-Room option and a fitting-out service for clients wishing to accessorize their homes. Well known for her exceptional business acumen and after a highly successful career in hotel/catering where she developed her passion for design, 17 years ago Jenny Blanc launched her interiors company and opened her first lifestyle showroom in London. The interior design service, of which Caribbean projects form a core part, offers exclusive, bespoke design and project management to both private and commercial clients worldwide. In December 2012 the company was awarded International Winner – Best Interior Design Private Residence by the International Property Awards. Jenny divides her time between London and Barbados and is personally involved in every project and in the selection of the exceptional range of products available in both showrooms.
Sue Thomas-Richardson, Jenny Blanc and Emma Blanc
Sue Thomas-Richardson, Design Director, is a native Barbadian. Early in her career she worked for the late Heather Aguilar-Swan, a notable designer on the island, where she honed her design skills. 27 years ago she left Barbados to work in the UK as a freelance designer and worked for the Holbein Collection for 4 years. When she and Jenny met, an exceptional design partnership was created with Sue focussing on the architectural, space planning and overall design concept and using her local knowledge of Barbados to design exceptional homes and bespoke products suitable for tropical climates.
The Barbados showroom is run by Emma Blanc, Jenny’s daughter. Having worked with Jenny on her early business ventures, Emma then worked in the entertainment business as a director for At Home, an event catering business. In 2008 Emma joined Jenny Blanc Interiors to focus on business development and in 2011 moved to Barbados to manage the business here. She recently married local Barbadian landscape architect, Russell Corrie, and enjoys the outdoor life afforded by Barbados. Emma is ably supported in her role as Caribbean Director by Yolanda Haynes, her PA and administrative assistant. Long term member of the Barbados team is Showroom/Design Manager, Desiree Yhap. Customers appreciate her expert interiors advice, extensive product knowledge and her friendly, personal approach to helping them select the perfect item for their home.
Desiree Yhap and Yolanda Haynes
Open Mon – Sat: 9am to 6pm Caribbean Showroom: Sunset Crest, Holetown, St. James | Tel (246) 432-0989 | barbados@jennyblanc.com | www.jennyblanc.com
154 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SHOP
INTERIORS
BESPOKE DESIGN SERVICES Stephanie Barnes Interior Design Studio is a full-service interior design firm specializing in private residences, restaurants and hotels. Born and raised in Vancouver Canada, with family heritage in Barbados, Stephanie received her degree in Interior Design from the Art Institute of Vancouver. Her training at the Institute was just the start of a life-long passion and appreciation for design, the environment and architectural preservation that has led to a vibrant array of projects both in Barbados and Canada. Stephanie’s designs and ideas have received both local and international recognition, including winning the 2013-2014 International Property Awards in the Leisure Interior Category.
Residential and Commercial Interior Design Well known for her eclectic designs and intricate attention to detail, Stephanie’s work is often admired in a number of Barbadian establishments such as Cin Cin By the Sea, The Mews Restaurant & Lounge and Sheraton Mall Food Court, among others and with a look forward to her latest project at Pisces Restaurant in St. Lawrence Gap. For projects small or large, from initial planning to the final installation, bespoke design is key; for Stephanie, 'design' is not just an aesthetic, but a lifestyle that encompasses everything the studio believes in.
The Bungalow, Small Ridge, Christ Church | Tel (246) 271-0447 or (246) 826-1749 studio@stephaniebarnesdesign.com | www.stephaniebarnesdesign.com
156 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
RAWLE FRANCIS ON A RUSH BASIS
By Sarah Venable
Rawle Francis in his St. Michael workshop where he makes his classic, wooden rush-bottom chairs, as his wife produces the long coils of rush. Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
ne of the casualties of progress in Barbados is the near-demise of the classic, rush-bottom chair. You find them for sale only outside the Worthing Post Office or First Caribbean Bank in Sunset Crest, a day or two a week, tended by Rawle Francis, our local Lone Ranger of rushes. “I used to sell my chairs at Cave Shepherd, Da Costa Mannings and Courts,” he said, “but now the old people who ran them retired and the younger ones want mahogany. Nobody’s making these chairs in Barbados anymore, except me.” It’s a craft he learned as a country boy at his father’s knee and took up again on returning to the island after 20 years in Canada. A short, alert man with hands like small tortoises and forearms like Popeye’s, he does everything from scratch — gathers the bullrushes from the waterways of the island’s Scotland District; quails (dries) them at his house; wraps them into long coils; measures, planes, and sands his wood. He builds the pine chair frame without a single nail. Then, bracing the chair with his bare feet, working with a hand that’s sure and swift, he stretches the coiled rushes between the framing pieces. Over, under and around he pulls it, until finally the chair’s complete. And perfect. He works from his little wooden house in the Villa Road, St. Michael, area. In an airy shed built onto it, his finished work stands ready to deliver: classic side chairs, stools in different heights, and tiny children’s chairs as well, including adorable little rockers—the sort of thing you’d keep in the family for
158 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
generations. It being rainy season, heaps of rushes lie in the shed to dry. An old cupboard of tools, a work table, a pile of junk (no doubt useful), some wood, and a table saw complete the picture. A mango tree’s dark bulk casts shade onto the house, and sounds of poultry filter in from the paling where he raises a few chickens and ducks. “Chairs have supported me. They got me land and house,” he says. He’d love to have an apprentice, but “This work takes time. These fellers here don’t want to learn. They want fast money. So when I done, this trade would dead.” On the other side of the house, he’s added a shop. Except for crates of empty bottles and rush-seat stools, this social/ commercial space is bare now. Mr. Francis looks forward to filling the neighbourhood need for a little place to get some soap powder and biscuits—the usual things. Right now, people come for drinks on a Friday night, but that’s it until he can get someone to run the place properly. His wife used to do more but she suffered a stroke six years ago. When he’s not making chairs, Mr. Francis looks after her. “I cook, wash, do everything for her. She recently started back twisting the rushes which is good therapy. I won’t stop making chairs. Never, never, never. How I could do all this? It ain’t me, it’s God.” Mr. Francis would love to make chairs for you. To contact him, phone (246) 244-7310 or (246) 437-3685.
FOOD SHOPPING
The Berinda Cox Fish Market in Oistins
Holder’s Organic Farmers Market takes place every Sunday on the grounds of Holders House in St. James
The Gourmet Shop in Holetown is a specialty store offering a wide array of fine food and wine All photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
160 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
FOOD SHOPPING
SHOP
ere are some useful tips when shopping for food in Barbados. High quality produce is grown right here on the island. Most of the pork and chicken is produced locally and it has great flavour. Of course, the local fish is first class: red snapper, tuna, flying fish and dolphin (not the porpoise variety as some people wrongly assume, but a scaly palegic fish also known as mahi mahi or dorado) are favourites. Buy them fresh from the fish market, marinate in a brine with some lime juice, rinse, pat dry, season lightly with bottled Bajan seasoning, dip in egg followed by soft local breadcrumbs and pan fry in shallow oil, add a fresh salad and you’ve got a quick holiday meal. Bajan seasoning and fine local breadcrumbs are sold in all supermarkets. With tuna, omit the egg and breadcrumbs and instead marinate in olive oil and Bajan seasoning and sear in a very hot pan for just a minute or two on each side so that the centre is still bright pink. Fresh local beef and black belly lamb are also produced and sold fresh in the Cheapside butcher’s market and the supermarkets. Black belly lamb is a very lean and healthy meat but it usually needs to be simmered for a long time to become tender. Locally grown vegetables include: lettuce, tomato, carrot, cucumber, avocado, cabbage, green beans, aubergine, cauliflower, pigeon peas, okra, christophene, pumpkin, butternut squash, beet, sweet pepper, courgette, and a superb selection of herbs. More unfamiliar are the locally grown root crops: sweet potatoes, cassava, eddoe and yam. They can be cooked similarily to an English potato. If they break apart, you can always mash them with some butter. Oil your hands or wear gloves to peel yam as it can cause itching. Breadfruit is another starch that is easy to cook. Peeled, sliced, cored and boiled like a potato - it is lovely served with a Bajan butter sauce. Sauté onions and tomatoes in butter, add a little garlic, lime juice and water, simmer for a while, season to taste, then pour over the cooked breadfruit garnishing with plenty of parsley. The locally grown citrus is excellent: orange, tangerine, grapefruit, shaddock and of course, lime. Citrus comes into season around October until April or May. Other local fruit include mango, paw paw, banana, melon, golden apple, guava, sugar apple, soursop, ackee, dunk and Barbados cherry. Delicious pineapples are imported from Guyana and Trinidad. The imported temperate fruit is widely available, but is expensive and can be disappointing. Super Centre work closely with the Barbadian farming community and have a good selection of locally grown produce. The competition between the hucksters in the public markets ensure that their quality is very high. The local farmers markets at Brighton, Hastings and Holders also offer top quality local produce. If you do crave your gourmet delights from home you can usually find whatever you need from the Gourmet Shop in the Chattel Village in Holetown on the west coast and Relish Epicurea in the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre. Super Centre also have a large selection of imported products including Britain’s famous Waitrose line. See pages 164-165.
FOOD SHOPPING ocated in the north of the island at the Farm Plantation is Nature’s Produce, a local grower of a variety of organic fruit and vegetables, free-range eggs, tilapia and crayfish. The six-acre farm has been in production since 1995 and is well known for its commitment to sustainable agricultural practices. Tim Walsh, the company’s Australian-born Managing Director, spent many years developing the prime conditions for his range of products. To ensure sustainability, Tim developed a highly efficient integrated system that only uses environmentally friendly and on-farm resources for the farm’s plant and animal production. A remarkable feature at the farm is the drip system that is fed from water catchment areas around the property and used to water the crops as needed. The free-range chickens on the farm consume the surplus vegetables providing them with a fresh, natural and nutritious diet that increases the overall health of the chicken and egg production. In addition, the free-range chickens are rotated between two one-acre orchards consisting of lemongrass, neem, avocado and mango trees. The manure left by the chickens acts as a fertilizer as it nourishes the soil in the orchard. Nature’s Produce became the first company in the region to achieve EUREPGAP Certification in February 2007 – an internationally recognized standard for safe and sustainable farm production. EUREPGAP was renamed GLOBALG.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practice) in September 2007.
FEATURE
While you’re in Barbados, be sure to give Nature’s Produce a call at (246) 419-0520. They will deliver relatively large orders of freshly handpicked produce right to your door! For smaller requirements their lettuce, herbs and cherry tomatoes are sold in supermarkets, the Gourmet Shop, Relish and Brighton Farmers Market while their free range eggs, broccoli and several other products are sold at Holders and Hastings farmers markets.
TIM WALSH FARMING FOR THE FUTURE
By Nia Vlahakis
Above: The free range chickens fertilize the trees in the orchard and thankfully lay their eggs in convenient locations for collection. Below: Tim Walsh in the organic lettuce section of his farm. Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
161
SHOP
FOOD SHOPPING
Fresh Produce Markets Cheapside Market Cheapside Market, located in Bridgetown–a UNESCO World Heritage Site–is a charming, traditional city market offering the best quality and selection of fresh local fruit, pulses, vegetables, freshly ground spices, bread, salted cod and meat, as well as herb and vegetable seedlings, condiments, coconut water and much more. The air-conditioned butcher’s section with over 20 stalls, sells fresh, local, government inspected and stamped pork, beef, black belly lamb and chicken at reasonable prices. Open Monday to Saturday 6am-6pm. The best time to go is on a Saturday morning.
Fish Markets Cheapside Market is close to the famous Kensington Oval. It is comprised of three areas like this one, with many more vendors on the outside. Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Bridgetown and Oistins (on the South Coast) have the largest fish markets. On the west coast, smaller markets can be found in Speightstown, Six Mens Bay, Half Moon Fort, Weston and Paynes Bay, and on the east coast at Tent Bay, Consett Bay and Skeete’s Bay. Flying fish are expertly boned and sold in packages of ten. Larger fish is sold by the pound and you can pay a small fee to have it cleaned and filleted. Oistins and Half Moon Fort are famous for their fish frys - a misnomer, as most of the fish is grilled!
Brighton Farmers Market Relaxing, socializing and shopping at this pretty St. George valley plantation is a Saturday morning ritual for many. Freshly brewed coffee, baked bread, eggs, fruit and vegetables, local juices, homemade goodies and hot food that sells at a fast pace. There’s also art, crafts and plants on sale. Take the road east at the Harris Paints (Hothersal) Roundabout on the ABC Highway and follow the signs. There’s only one right turn and you arrive in less than ten minutes. Saturdays 6-10am. Brighton Farmers Market , located in the St. George countryside, is a popular destination early on Saturday mornings Photo: Sue Holder
Holders Organic Farmers Market Famous for the Holders Opera Season and polo, Jack Kidd is now making the grounds of Holders House available to stall holders selling a variety of fresh local produce with a strong focus on organic. Fresh local fruit, vegetables and herbs, take away food, plants, cut flowers, fresh cows milk, cheeses, sausages, fresh local fish, as well as stalls selling Barbadian arts, crafts, preserves and confections. There is also a holistic healing centre, juice bar, smoothie bar, coffee and a health bar. Sundays 9am-Noon. www.holdersfarmersmarket.com
Hastings Farmers Market
Hastings Farmers Market offers a wide variety of fresh local produce, baked goods and preserves alongside Barbadian art and craft
162 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Every Saturday morning all year round, 9am to 1pm. Centrally located on the south coast road, just opposite the Hastings Band stand. Everything at this market is made, baked or grown in Barbados. Whether it’s fruit and vegetables, cakes and coffee, paintings and pottery, music and books, milk and eggs or pizzas and pastries, there is something for everyone. Hastings Farmers Market welcomes you! For more information email: hastingsmarket@gmail.com
MEET A BAJAN
nly in Barbados will you find an annual competition that seeks to find and praise the best boner of flying fish. By best, we don’t just mean fastest. The small and delicate fish must be gutted and scaled, head and fins clipped off, and the intricate bones removed. Through all of this, the small and delicate fish must remain intact. Jackie Norgrove was the winner in 2012 and 2013, beautifully boning twelve fish in a mere seven minutes. Competition is stiff. It took her eleven years of handling approximately 600 fish a day to become our champion. Fish run in her family. Her father and brother are both fishermen, her 20-year-old son goes fishing during time off from studying masonry at the Polytechnic, and her mother used to clean fish on her off days. The mother of two boys started boning fish 24 years ago for Shamrock Supermarket, then went to work for Mark Stoute’s fish business, and is now self-employed at the Oistins fish market. What she likes best about her work is the banter. She is one of about two dozen boners in the market, and between them, she reckons, they go through about 10,000 a day, all of which are locally consumed.
FEATURE
Flying fish season extends from November to July, with frozen stocks supplying our needs in other months. During the off-season, Jackie makes coconut, peanut and soursop punches, and sells them from her house. Frozen in plastic bags, they go by the traditional Bajan name of “suck-a-bubbies”. Flying fish are caught in nets. If you’re out in a boat, you can sometimes see them leaping from the water and whirring their long pectoral fins to fly amazing distances. On our menus, you’ll find them either breaded and fried or else in the form of our national dish: “steamed” in creole sauce atop a blob of cou-cou, which is a cornmeal and okra dish resembling polenta. On certain beaches, you might spot a wood fire, surrounded by lounging men. They like their flying fish roasted whole, as does Jackie, unless she’s frying them “buckle”, with the tail tucked into the head cavity. A sociable person who also does some catering, Jackie also organises the annual Scarborough Christmas lime where she lives in Oistins. Ladies cook the food, the fellows provide the drinks and the whole street becomes a party.
JACKIE NORGROVE CHAMPION FISHBONER Left: Flying Fish Mosaic by Melanie Blomgren
By Sarah Venable Below: Jackie in the fish cleaning facility at Oistins
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
163
SHOP
FOOD SHOPPING
THE GOURMET SHOP
SUPER CENTRE SUPERMARKETS
Established in 1991, The Gourmet Shop is a multiple award winning, specialty store providing good food, good wine and good, friendly service to discerning customers wanting top quality, branded products and serious foodaholics seeking those hard to find items. On offer are the best meats, seafood, paté, cheese, deli meats and produce available anywhere in Barbados. Shelves are stocked with a staggering array of oils, vinegars, sushi ingredients, jams, honey, fine chocolates, olives, truffles, even edible gold and homemade Bajan treats. There is an impressive selection of reasonably priced champagnes, wines, liquors & beers. Gift baskets made to order. Special orders .. just ask!
The Super Centre grocery chain has 5 excellent supermarkets conveniently located on the South and West coasts of the island. Renowned for their vast selection of both local and international brands, Super Centre also offers a variety of shopping services to make life that much easier. E-mail, fax, or call in your orders and enjoy a free delivery service for orders over $100; pick up your groceries from your nearest Super Centre location and allow their reliable Super Centre Shuttle Service to take you and all of your purchases back home, or shop online at www.supercentre.com and order your goods to be delivered or collected.
Tel (246) 432-7711 Open: Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm Web www.thegourmetshopbarbados.com Email thegourmetshop@caribsurf.com Address #5 Chattel Village, Sunset Crest, Holetown, St. James
Web www.supercentre.com Address JB’s - Sargeant’s Village • Big B - Worthing • Super Centre Oistins • Super Centre Sunset Crest • Super Centre Warrens
RELISH EPICUREA
PATISSERIE & BISTRO FLINDT
A gourmet grocery providing fresh and imported produce of the best quality. They will stock your villa with all the delicious treats that make your holiday so enjoyable – from fresh fruit and seafood to fine wines and cheeses. The on-site bakery makes delicious baguettes, hobs and pastries and the deli offers cold cuts, patés, ready-to-go meals and take away picnics. Don’t miss their fresh market days on Fridays and Saturdays featuring fresh meats from local butchers and seafood fresh from the sea! Relish’s courtyard dining area is a wonderfully sociable spot to drop in for a fresh bite or a glass of wine from their state-of-the-art wine dispensing machine. Open Mon - Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 9am-5pm.
Mention the name Flindt and the first thought that comes to most people’s minds is that of the most delicious, decadent chocolate creations, or an equally sinful strawberry cheesecake. But ‘sweet things’ are not all that Flindt is about. An impressive variety of savoury and sweet items are available to order, making home and corporate entertaining a breeze! Ask about their ‘Ready-to-Serve’ platters, picnic boxes and ‘Flindt at Home’ range. They also offer Interactive cooking classes with Carsten Flindt. And if you happen to be leaving Barbados by Private Jet, ‘Flindt Catered’ is a comprehensive and exciting line specially designed for high flyers!!
Tel (246) 621-0077 Facebook www.facebook.com/relishepicurea Address Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James
Tel (246) 432-2626 | 432-7884 | 266-9091 Web www.flindtbarbados.com Email flindt@flindtbarbados.com Address 1st Street, Holetown, St. James
164 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
FOOD SHOPPING
SHOP
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
165
ART & CRAFT
Batik by Henderson Reece at The Batik Studio Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
ART & CRAFT
SHOP
he island’s ‘artsy side’ provides a cultural haven among the action-packed activities on offer, so be sure to take some time to explore and meet our art and craft producers to enjoy not only their work, but also their stories which paint vivid pictures of Barbadian life.
Art Galleries & Studios Barbados Arts Council Pelican Craft Centre, Bridgetown - Tel: (246) 426-4385 Established in 1957, the Barbados Arts Council is home to several of the island’s most accomplished artists. Located in Pelican Craft Centre, the Gallery features original paintings in a variety of media and also offers for sale a wide range of prints. The gallery opens Monday to Friday from 9:30am until 5pm and on Saturdays from 9:30am until 1:30pm.
A Gallery The Garrison Historic Area, St. Michael Tel: (246) 262-6241 or (246) 262-6238 Artist Catherine Forter-Chee-a-Tow welcomes art lovers to her authentic, cosy studio, nestled in the historic Garrison area which is now a World Heritage Site. Visitors will enjoy the vibrancy of tropical living through the palette of renowned Caribbean artists. Viewing by appointment.
Brocklands Gallery
Artist: Glenroy Jordan Courtesy Gallery of Caribbean Art
Halcyon Heights, St. James Tel: (246) 432-6061 or (246) 237-7670 The studio gallery of acclaimed artist Janice Sylvia Brock. Much of her recent work is on display, as well as prints of selected paintings, in over 500 square feet of exhibition space overlooking the ocean in St. James. You can also see works in progress and chat with Janice about her art. Viewing is by appointment only.
#17 Art Gallery Tel: (246) 424-3695 www.corriescott.net Corrie Scott’s studio/gallery. Original fine art and photography, limited edition lithographs, prints and cards. Corrie’s website is a fountain of information about art happenings in Barbados.
Gang of 4 Art Studio
Artist: Terrence Rupert Piggott Courtesy Gallery NuEdge
166 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
The Hope Sanctuary Tel: (246) 271-6270 or 822-3462 Contemporary Caribbean art and sculpture on display in the home studio of artist Gordon Webster. In addition to Gordon’s pieces, this informal studio also features the work of Lillian Sten, Aziza and Ras Bongo Congo.
Artist: Vanita Commissiong Courtesy On the Wall Gallery
SHOP
ART & CRAFT
GALLERY NUEDGE Gallery NuEdge Fine Arts Ltd., located within the beautiful Limegrove Lifestyle Centre in Holetown, St. James exhibits art in the form of multi-media, sculpture, photography, painting and installation. This eclectic and dynamic contemporary art gallery features the most sought out contemporary artists from the local and international markets. Currently on display are works by local artists, Terrence Rupert Piggott and Alison Chapman-Andrews, Cuban artists, Kadir López Nieves and Alexander Poll Doval and international artists, Amel Chamandy, Dennis de Caires, Charles Richard, Corno, Hannah Alpha and Danielle Barbeau to name a few. For a complete list of featured artists please visit the website at www.galerienuedge.com. An exciting calendar of exhibitions is planned for 2014 that will include the most recent digital photographic works by Canadian artist Amel Chamandy, abstract paintings by Terrence Rupert Piggott, mixed media works by Cuban artist, Kadir López Nieves and paintings by acclaimed wildlife and portrait artist, Michael Jackson. Gallery NuEdge is affiliated with Galerie NuEdge Fine Arts International L.P. S.E.C., established in Montreal’s prestigious Quartier du Musée, located at 1480 Sherbrooke Street West. If you would like more information on our upcoming exhibitions or wish to join our mailing list please contact us.
Tel (246) 621-0067 Email gallerynuedge@galerienuedge.com
168 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SHOP
ART & CRAFT
Patterns by Vanita Comissiong
ON THE WALL GALLERY On The Wall Gallery’s well known location at Earthworks Pottery in the breezy hills of St. Thomas, features the work of many of the island’s best known painters and offers a wonderful selection of fine craft from talented Caribbean craftspeople. Owner and curator Vanita Comissiong, a well known artist herself, also runs the gallery at the superb Champers Restaurant on the south coast. The Very Vanita line features her artwork on home accents and accessories, such as cushion covers, throws and handbags. The adjoining café at On the Wall Gallery at Earthworks, is a lovely spot to sit for a chat and enjoy their delicious range of sandwiches, paninis, wraps and garden fresh salads, all served on the al fresco gallery with panoramic views across the island.
Tel Champers (246) 426-3380 Tel Earthworks (246) 438-9246 or (246) 234-9145 Web www.onthewallartgallery.com | veryvanita.com Email veryvanitabarbados@gmail.com Addresses Champers Restaurant, Worthing, Christ Church Earthworks Pottery, Edgehill Heights, St. Thomas
170 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Red Lady by Boscoe Holder
SHOP
ART & CRAFT Gallery of Caribbean Art Northern Business Centre, Speightstown, St. Peter Tel: (246) 419-0858 Email: artgallerycaribbean@caribsurf.com Web: www.artgallerycaribbean.com The Gallery of Caribbean Art is the largest and best appointed fine art gallery in the Caribbean. It is located in the scenic northern town of Speightstown and encompasses a large selection of Barbadian and Caribbean art with impressive exhibition space and continuously changing art pieces. The Gallery hosts monthly exhibitions by individuals or groups of artists. These shows attract visitors from every section of the local community as well as providing a haven for collectors and art enthusiasts from beyond our shores. A wide selection of media, from metal, clay and wooden sculptures to batiks and silk painting, make the gallery a must see for all art lovers. The Gallery is open weekdays from 9:30am – 4:30pm and Saturdays from 9:30am – 2:00pm. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and make a visit to the Gallery a memorable experience. Shipping to anywhere in the world is easily arranged and all major credit cards are accepted. You may also visit the Gallery’s website to get a preview of all that is available.
Manipura Courtesy Gallery of Caribbean Art
The Milking Parlour, Walkers Dairy, St. George Tel: (246) 435-1952 or (246) 230-8897 Run by Barbadian artist Annalee Davis, the Manipura studio is located under a grove of mahogany trees on a dairy farm in the St. George countryside.
The Bridgetown Gallery “Speightstown” by Yasmin Vizcarrondo (Acrylic 16” x 12”)
Frangipani Art Gallery Sugar Cane Club Hotel & Spa, Maynards, St. Peter Tel: (246) 422-5026 Savannah Hotel, Hastings, The Garrison, Ch. Ch. Tel: (246) 228-3800 At these two wonderful galleries visitors will find an outstanding selection of artworks by owner/curator, Marilda Weatherhead, as well as other artists from Barbados, the Caribbean, and as far afield as Peru, Bali and Vietnam. A selection of prints and greeting cards are also available as well as ready-made frames to go with your artwork. Shipping can also be arranged.
The Tides Art Gallery The Tides Restaurant, Holetown, St. James Tel: (246) 432-8356 This gallery offers strong Caribbean flavours with a lush display of Caribbean talent! Located within The Tides Restaurant, open 12-3pm Monday to Friday, and 7-11pm daily, and by appointment.
172 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
2nd Floor, Sheraton Centre, Christ Church Tel: (246) 230-1750 Email: thebridgetowngallery@gmail.com This welcoming art gallery is centrally located in the Sheraton Mall. Every 30 days a different curator presents a new show here. Owner, Martha Berry carries a wonderful selection of constantly changing work by both established and emerging resident artists. Open Mon. to Sat. 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm.
The Batik Studio Earthworks Pottery, Edgehill, St. Thomas Tel: (246) 424-0391 Email: henderson@batikbarbados.com Web: www.batikartbarbados.com Henderson Reece creates stunning batiks that you can both wear and hang on your walls, depicting the Caribbean in vibrant tropical colours. He also offers classes (see pages 70, 71 & 73).
Tel: (246) 419 0858
ARTIST & GROUP SHOWCASES 2014 Catherine Forter-Chee-A-Tow
Susan & Asher Mains
Asher Mains
Catherine Forter-Chee-A-Tow
Vincent Castellanet
New Comers Art Group
Gallery of Caribbean Art Northern Business Centre, Speightstown, St. Peter artgallerycaribbean@caribsurf.com • www.artgallerycaribbean.com Open: Monday - Friday 9.30am – 4.30pm, Saturday 9.30am – 2.00pm
SHOP
ART & CRAFT
EARTH & FIRE At Earth & Fire you can be assured of the highest quality in design and construction. Their products are individually hand-crafted with an emphasis on detail and authenticity. The entire range of Earth & Fire products is inspired by everyday life in Barbados, and features many aspects of the island’s beautiful people, architecture and fauna. Visit their workshop to see the artisans at work and be sure to look out for the lovely La Cuevita Souvenir Shop when visiting the Animal Flower Cave. All major credit cards accepted.
Tel (246) 439-9318 Web earthandfire-workshop.com Email earthandfireworkshop@yahoo.com Addresses La Cuevita Souvenir Shop at the Animal Flower Cave, St. Lucy Workshop at Connell Town, St. Lucy
174 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ALPHEUS BLAKE Alpheus Blake is an exceptionally skilled coral stone craftsman offering customized, hand-made coral stone works of art. Whether working with a client designing a custom piece for a specific space, or fabricating a one-of-a-kind, solid coral stone dining table, the utmost care and craftsmanship is given to each and every piece – guaranteed to get a “wow” reaction every time! Each piece is made to order and he has worked on projects ranging from high end residential, to commercial applications, including a variety of designs such as wall sconces, façades, over-sized plant pots and dining tables.
Tel (246) 267-2196 or (246) 437-5779 Email blakecoralstonedesigns@ymail.com Address Browne’s Gap, Sargeants Village, Christ Church
SHOP
ART & CRAFT
The
Shell Gallery sea shells of all shapes and sizes chests adorned with shells exquisite china and ceramics shell frames jewellery and accoutrements
THE SHELL GALLERY
Tel (246) 422-2593 or (246) 422-0943 Email contentment@caribsurf.com Address “Contentment”, Gibbes, St. Peter Open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm / Saturdays 9am–2pm.
“Contentment”, Gibbes, St. Peter T 246 422 2593 T/F 246 422 0943 f contentment@caribsurf.com
SEA Gibbes
Mullins Beach Bar
Highway 1
N The Shell Gallery
x
Rock Dundo
The Shell Gallery is truly an exceptional place to visit, with its fascinating display of sea shells from all over the world. It is arguably the largest sea shell shop in the Caribbean and in her tireless search to obtain shells that are unique, owner Anne Smith offers some of the world’s most rare and exotic sea shells. The Gallery also carries a selection of ceramics, picture frames, jewellery, elegantly crafted shell boxes and other unique gifts all with a sea shell theme. Since its inception, this delightful gallery continues to captivate the avid shell enthusiast and all who visit. Anne and her charming staff are very knowledgeable and helpful - it’s no wonder so many visitors return year after year. To get there, take Highway 1 north to Gibbes in St. Peter, turn right at the sign post which reads, “Highway 2A, Gibbes Glade, Rock Dundo” - it’s the 3rd property on the right. Or, travel north on Highway 2A/ABC Highway, turn left at Rock Dundo, Gibbes Glade, Highway 1, follow the winding road towards the coast until you see the Shell Gallery sign on your left.
ABC Highway
M to F 9am - 5pm | Sat 9am - 2pm Closed public holidays
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
175
SHOP
ART & CRAFT
THE CARRINGTON COLLECTION
LINDA ROACH
A fascinating collection of images of our cultural heritage by Barbadian photographer, Ronnie Carrington. An avid observer of human endeavour, Ronnie created these photographs over a ten year period, traversing hill, gully and village, to find Barbadians as they pursued activities in their daily lives: at work, at play, at rest. Be sure to pick up a copy of Ronnie’s new coffee table book, "Pathways... Thoughts on the Journey" – images of our natural environment – truly a lovely souvenir of Barbados. Private PhotoAdventure Tours of the island, with or without photographic instruction, are also offered.
• Murals • Restoring Finishes • Paintings & Prints • Faux Finishes on Walls, Furniture & Home Accessories Linda Roach has been doing decorative painting since 1994, offering services in Mural Painting, Faux Finishes on walls, furniture and accessories such as lamp bases, lamp shades, mirror frames, pots, ceiling fans, iron and wooden railings, etc. She also paints on fabric and canvas. Linda is always ready to take on new challenges and is open to different ideas and styles.
Tel (246) 230-9170 Web www.ronniecarrington.com Email info@ronniecarrington.com Address 20 Margaret Terrace, Pine Gardens, St. Michael
Tel (246) 432-1862 or 232-9381 Web www.lindaroachart.com Email lmr_56@hotmail.com Address Villa 209, Sunset Crest, St. James, Barbados
GINA FOSTER
JOHN STUART 1932 - 2011
Barbadian artist, Gina Foster, studied in England where she completed her Degree in Graphic Design at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design. She uses vivid colour, bold strokes and texture to depict movement and mood. She paints in acrylics capturing the vitality of life on the island. Gina’s book, “Sweet Bajan Days” is a wonderful depiction of the true essence of life on our island – an absolute must for all lovers of Barbados. A variety of Gina’s art can be found at gift shops throughout the island. For original work please visit our local galleries or contact Gina personally.
John was born in London, however it was here in Barbados, in his mid-fifties, that he started to paint seriously and with great passion. Using a palette knife and oils he recreated the bright and cheerful rural scenes of his beloved Barbadian countryside. As John wished, his family continue his legacy on canvas and archival paper. Please visit
Tel (246) 430-0338 or (246) 233-0999 Email gina@caribsurf.com
176 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
www.johnstuartart.com to view many of his paintings. For family favourites and pricing kindly contact John’s daughter, Manty Cooper. Alternatively, John's art can be found in many galleries throughout the island.
Tel Manty (246) 823-0065 Web www.johnstuartart.com Email manty@johnstuartart.com
ART & CRAFT
CATHERINE FORTER CHEE-A-TOW The art of Catherine Forter-Chee-a-Tow is very decorative, Caribbean in its essence, the celebration of a certain tropical art de vivre. Generous, vibrant in its colours and movement. A synthesis of the foliage, the flowers and fruits, the highlights of a cheekbone, the rim of a straw hat, a ribbon or simply the rays of the sun. Characters depicted are bubbly, rich in Caribbean antics and apparels. Keenly sought after, Catherine’s art may be seen by appointment in her Garrison Historic District Studio, at Tapas Restaurant, or in several galleries islandwide.
Tel (246) 262-6238 or 427-7859 Web www.caribbean-art-barbados-catherine-forter-chee-a-tow.com Email c.forter.cheeatow@gmail.com
SHOP
JANICE SYLVIA BROCK The vibrant hues, the sense of movement, the free style and the sometimes offbeat treatment of subjects, imbue Janice Sylvia Brock’s paintings with joie de vivre. Brock’s vibrant paintings are keenly sought after by discerning collectors worldwide. Many of her paintings, recently completed or still in progress, are displayed in her St. James studio, with over 500 square feet of exhibition space overlooking the ocean. Janice’s autobiography, My Life on Canvas, can be ordered directly from the artist by email (or in the UK call 01625585744 or 07940744684).
Viewing by appointment. Tel (246) 432-6061 or 237-7670 Web www.brock-gallery.com Email janice@brock-gallery.com Address Brocklands Gallery, Halcyon Heights, St. James
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
177
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
ROSLYN WATSON UNESCO AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
By Sarah Venable
Photo: Russell Watson
ith its family photos on the piano and polished antiques, Roslyn Watson’s solid, traditional house in Maxwell gives the impression of a family whose stability runs back generations. This is true, but to visit the expanded garage is to depart from convention. A starburst of stems, pods and cotton flowers catches the eye, which then wanders to a loom, and on to half-finished wall hangings, piles of yarn, jars of seeds, bundles of cut-to-measure coconut rods, skeins of dyed raffia, and floor-to-ceiling shelves of figurines in various states of completion. It is largely for the output of this studio that Roslyn Watson was recently honoured by UNESCO with an Award of Excellence for Handicraft. We already knew she was exceptional. Designer, artist, and businesswoman, she is one of the island’s most successful creatives. Mrs. Watson designs or makes three tiers of products—unique pieces, limited edition hangings (woven tiers and starbursts,) and handmade items produced in mass, such as figurines, placemats, and bags. She has been at it since she returned from art school in Scotland close to fifty years ago. There, she majored in jewellery design and fabrication, with a minor in weaving. Life had other plans for her. “I thought I was coming back to work in jewellery, but as soon as I got back and found out the Barbados Development Board was doing a training project, I got into weaving. I set up the programme for them, brought in looms and started to teach people. I went down through the islands with CTAP (Canada Training Awards Project) and they sent people up here to learn. “My weaving training was mainly in wool. When I came back from Scotland, I saw these brooms made of coconut rods, and started working with them. They worked so well that I started looking for other natural fibres to use.”
178 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Soon afterwards the young Roslyn Dottin married John Watson. Now a senator, he first began marketing Roslyn’s work. Mr. Watson met a banker who believed in the products, and through that contact got a business loan. Roslyn laughs: “I was just a young girl who wanted to do art and I had a plan that when I came back I would start a business.” Together they founded Roslyn of Barbados, now located in Pelican Craft Centre. Ironically, it wasn’t until she came back from Scotland that Roslyn began noticing the materials that abound on this island. She is now quoted in the National Art Gallery database: “I want the smallest child or the untrained eye to reach an awareness of the beauty around them and to come to the realisation of the miracle of nature in a simple rock, branch, pod, or leaf.” Two boys were soon born, and once they were old enough, the whole family would go sourcing materials in the country, coming back with a carload of ball thistles, cotton flowers, wild hops, and river tamarind pods. Her son Russell remembers those excursions well. “It defined my approach to life: pick up anything interesting,” he said. “Those were good times. They were a very young couple at an early stage in their life, and we were discovering alongside them.” The Watsons’ work provides employment to a number of people, some of whom are otherwise unskilled in modern tasks. In their heyday, (the 1980s, when they were exporting,) they had so many women collecting and stripping coconut fronds that when they’d go to collect from them, “they surrounded the car; you couldn’t even see it.” Though they’ve scaled back, they still provide these cottage industry opportunities. In addition, six people work for them in their small factory at Pelican, which primarily produces Roslyn’s “Exstrawdinary” line of woven bags and cases. Add an assistant or two, and it’s significant enough to disprove those who say that craft isn’t a viable business. Evidently, UNESCO agrees.
ART & CRAFT
SHOP
Matriarch, Jill Walker
Jill’s daughter, Sue Trew
Sue’s daughter, Holly
ARTSPLASH! BARBADOS
THREE GENERATIONS OF ART
The ArtSplash! Centre is a vibrant, creative hub for all the family. With over six years experience in teaching art to children and young adults, the ArtSplash! team offer private art lessons for all ages, creative birthday parties, after-school classes and their own exclusive art camps. They are also a hive of creative activity in the community - a place to come and relax and meet up with friends. Stop by for one of their freshly made smoothies and natural juices or have a bite to eat in the restaurant, while you watch the children having a great time in the state of the art playground with zip lines and climbing frames. They also provide studio and exhibition space for local artists. They will find a medium that’s best for you and help you to explore your own creative path. Their Organic Farmers and Craft Market is every Saturday from 9am-1pm.
The family run Best of Barbados Gift Shops - established in 1975 and now with five locations island wide - is proud to feature the art and giftware designs of their company-founder, artist Jill Walker, those of her daughter Sue Trew and Sue’s daughter Holly. This talented family with their exciting variety of art and designs makes Best of Barbados a delight for visitors to the island and for Bajans eager to buy locally made and designed giftware. Customers visiting their screen printing studio are often amazed to see what’s involved in printing their high quality range of 100% cotton giftware with each stage created by hand from the original painting to the final printing. Contact them to arrange a tour!
Tel (246) 228-0776 Web www.artsplashbarbados.com Email artsplashbarbados@gmail.com Address Hastings Main Road, Christ Church
Tel (246) 421-6900 Web www.best-of-barbados.com Email shop@best-of-barbados.com
For originals by all 3 artists, kindly contact Sue Trew.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
179
SHOP
ART & CRAFT
BEST OF THE BEST Established in 1975, Best of Barbados Gift Shops is a unique family firm that prides itself in providing their customers with distinctive merchandise that is made or designed in Barbados – and a happy shopping environment with a warm, friendly Bajan smile. Each shop is filled with the art and giftware designs of company-founder, artist Jill Walker, her daughter Sue Trew and Sue’s daughter Holly, plus a wide choice of imaginative work of numerous talented Barbadians. It’s the perfect place to buy gifts or souvenirs of your visit.
best-of-barbados.com
Be Our Guest Designed by Jill Walker and Sue Trew and hand screen printed in Barbados, these guest towels are a new and attractive line.
Caribbean Christmas Three generations of Christmas cards with matching decorations are a unique and fun idea!
Cooking with Jill Keep those Caribbean dishes cooking with Jill Walker’s popular ‘Cooking in Barbados’ accompanied by her beautifully packaged Barbados cane sugar, spices and homeware accessories.
Lovely Larimar Carry the colours of the Caribbean with you when you wear larimar, an ocean blue semi-precious stone.
180 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SHOP
ART & CRAFT
DOWN TO EARTH Earthworks is no ordinary pottery! Founded by Goldie Spieler as a project designed to revive the tradition of pottery-making in Barbados, evolving into a co-operative during the 80s when several independent potters shared costs in the small studio, then growing into its present form. Today, David Spieler and his staff passionately continue to create functional works of art that will be the perfect compliment to your home’s decor! Earthworks produces an amazing line of dinnerware and serving pieces in over a hundred and fifty shapes and sizes, and forty eye-catching patterns, not counting the specialty designs produced daily at the pottery.
Kaye Hinkson
Earthworks Complex, Edgehill, St. Thomas | Tel (246) 425-0223 eworks@caribsurf.com | earthworks-pottery.com
Personality Earthworks’ creations have oodles of personality! Collect, mix and match and dress up your table with gorgeous earthenware, running the full gamut from dinner plates to sushi plates, soup bowls to serving bowls, platters, pots, mugs, and other novelties. There’s literally something for everyone!
Personalisation
By special order Earthworks can help you add personal touches to your purchase that will make them uniquely yours, whether it’s a bespoke pattern, the addition of a loved one’s name or a special message, or an uncustomary arrangement of dishes.
Personal Attention
Donna Gibbs
Expect friendly Bajan hospitality when you visit Earthworks Pottery. The Earthworks ‘crew’ is knowledgeable and willing to help you find just what you’re looking for, or answer any questions about their craft. At Earthworks custom orders are welcome, and can be shipped to any destination.
Think back to that unforgettable moment. Photo courtesy Magical Moments Photography by Steve Cumberbatch
Indoor or outdoor, a professional massage is the perfect way to unwind. Photo courtesy Reflections Day Spa
Retreat to the cool tranquility of a local day spa. Photo courtesy Coral Reef Spa
184 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SCAPE 186 WEDDINGS 196 HEALTH & BEAUTY Steal away to paradise for the wedding and honeymoon of your dreams. Photo courtesy Gina Francesca Photography
WEDDINGS
Photo courtesy Magical Moments Photography by Steve Cumberbatch
Photo courtesy Jon Farmer Photography
Photo courtesy Gina Francesca Photography
186 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
WEDDINGS
ESCAPE
arbados is a little gem in the Caribbean that is rich in colour and variety. Famous for its sandy beaches, tropical gardens, historic sites and romantic sunsets, it is the perfect place to have your wedding. Our professionals here on the island can create the most luxurious or bespoke wedding you have ever dreamed of. Barbados has everything from florists and amazing tropical flowers, to photographers, decorators, cake-makers, and of course that perfect location. Well known for its sun, sand and sea, no one coming to our island will be disappointed with their beauty and bright white sands. The landscape of our beaches varies from coast to coast. Most famous on our south east coast is the Crane Beach, with its magnificent cliffs and fine hotel above. Farther along, Foul Bay, Bottom Bay and Harrysmith are beautifully romantic, isolated beaches with tall palm trees and cliff side views. They are very private and have relatively easy access for you and your guests. Along our west coast, hotels, villas and sea-bathers take advantage of the gently sloping beaches and the typically tranquil sea. The glistening waters reflect the colours of the sunset beautifully, creating the perfect backdrop for you to say your vows as evening approaches. The east coast, with its dramatic scenery, is home to the rustic seaside village known as Bathsheba and the famous “Soup Bowl’’, a favourite surf spot with surfers from all over the world. It is dotted with massive boulders of mysterious origin and the Atlantic breeze is invigorating. The magnificence of this stretch of coastline is a huge contributing factor of that perfect tropical wedding. If you wish to have a traditional church wedding, here you’ll find some of the most beautiful, historic churches in the entire Caribbean. Barbados is predominately Anglican, but also has a number of Roman Catholic Churches, seven mosques, two Jewish Synagogues and many other places of worship. Two of the most popular Anglican churches for weddings are St. James Parish Church and St. John Parish Church. St. James Parish Church is situated on the west coast and is a popular choice because of its historic importance and its beautiful architecture. Convenience is a factor too; it is near to all of the fine restaurants, hotels and villas along the west coast, making it easier to transport guests to and from the ceremony and reception venues. St. John Parish Church is situated in the cool heights overlooking the eastern side of the island with stunning views of the coastline. The most popular Catholic Churches for wedding ceremonies are St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on the outskirts of Bridgetown and St. Francis of Asissi in St. James, with stunning views of the Caribbean Sea through the large open windows behind the altar. Interestingly, the Jewish Synagogue in Bridgetown is the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere and also has a beautiful museum attached which is great for your wedding guests to view during a pre-ceremonial drink or cocktail hour. It should be noted that there is no Cantor or Rabbi present so one will have to come in from overseas and be approved by the Ministry of Home affairs to ensure the marriage is legal.
The Cliff with flowers by Christina Foster of Simply Flowers Photo courtesy Magical Moment Photography by Steve Cumberbatchs
ESCAPE
WEDDINGS
CHANDELIER WEDDINGS John and Rain Chandler are the ideal team to work with you to make your dream day perfect. Their plantation home, Fisher Pond Great House, is a magical venue. Over 350 years old it has been lovingly restored to enhance its old world charm and romance with beautiful gardens settings exquisite for any occasion. Wedding luncheons and dinners can be enjoyed in the antique setting of their home or in the splendour of their tropical ‘Secret Garden’. While the premiere location for weddings is Fisher Pond Great House, John and Rain are happy to work with you to find the location of your dreams. In fact, they can coordinate it all… from exotic florals and sensational table settings, to exquisite gourmet cuisine delivered with style, panache and meticulous planning.
Tel (246) 433 1754 Web www.barbadosbrides.org Email rainchandler@hotmail.com Address Fisher Pond Great House, St. Thomas
188 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Barbados is famous for the exquisite private villas along our luxurious west coast, providing a stylish backdrop for your sunset wedding. To use one of these villas you will be required to rent it for the minimum amount of nights, usually five to seven. They can work hand in hand to provide accommodation for the bridal party, family and friends. Many of them are four to seven-bedroom houses, fully equipped and staffed and naturally, very private. You can locate your perfect location in the villa accommodation listings at BrideLife.com or by contacting one of the villa management companies featured in our property section starting on page 195. Your wedding planner can also assist you. Among the villas that can provide some of the most picturesque gardens and sea views are: Mullins Mill, Stanford House, Fustic House, Aliseo House and Shangri-La, but there are many more to choose from. Plantation houses are also an option for an ideal wedding venue. Some of them were built shortly after the first British settlers arrived in 1627 and to this day are still inhabited or converted into museums, such as Sunbury Plantation House and St. Nicholas Abbey. Both of these venues are open for tours and lunches and have beautifully manicured grounds and gardens. Although not beachfront properties, their historical ambience and rural locations create a colonial, countryside setting for weddings. St. Nicholas Abbey is also known for its special blend of rum, beautifully presented in their signature bottles which can be individually engraved to make wonderful gifts for your guests and/or the wedding party. The Abbey’s owners also offer premium Barbados sugar, jellies, jams, spices and pepper sauces, all elegantly packaged for gift giving. One of the most magical plantation houses for hosting weddings is John and Rain Chandler’s Fisher Pond Great House. The husband and wife team transforms this romantic home into the most stunning of wedding venues, using vibrant tropical colours, very clever designs and a veritable sea of flowers. Among the other historical landmarks suitable for weddings are the Barbados Museum and George Washington House. Both are located in the historic Garrison area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hotels offer another great alternative for your wedding, providing accommodation and your honeymoon location at the same time. The prestigious Sandy Lane Hotel on the west coast has amazing rooms situated along their stunning bay. The beach is one of the most beautiful along the platinum coast and ideal for a catamaran lunch stop. Sandy Lane is also known for hosting luxurious weddings at their Country Club overlooking the golf course, the spa, or in the gardens. The Crane, located on the southeast coast, is a resort like no other. Its magnificent cliff top location and spacious grounds make it simply perfect for weddings, accommodation and your honeymoon. Two other lovely options are the sister hotels, Coral Reef Club and The Sandpiper on the west coast, while on the south coast, there is Sapphire Beach and Southern Palms in the famous St. Lawrence Gap and Dover area. If you want to experience the condo lifestyle, Port St. Charles Marina is an excellent choice for a wedding, providing luxury accommodation for you and your guests, with the marina as a backdrop. What makes Port St. Charles so different from the typical wedding venue is the stylish yacht club located out on a little island, surrounded by the calm, azure waters of the west coast. Barbados is renowned as a fine dining destination and the restaurants are mostly waterfront properties providing great settings for weddings, wedding rehearsals or private functions.
WEDDINGS The Cliff Restaurant has a little secluded beach below, where you can say your vows, then enjoy cocktails at sunset in their lounge overlooking the ocean, with sweeping views of the coastline. Flaming torches set along the cliff top and candle light flickering all around, makes it one of the most romantic and memorable settings as you dine under the stars. Cin Cin by the Sea, with its contemporary design and soft colour palettes, is a perfect candidate for a wedding of any size, with a choice of sitting along the water’s edge, or in their air-conditioned dining room. Lone Star restaurant is another lovely option. Completely renovated in the summer of 2013, they have maintained the unique essence of the place. You can step right onto one the most beautiful beaches on the west coast and honeymoon in its own boutique hotel or adjacent villa. On the south coast, Chiryl Newman’s wonderful Champers Restaurant, Café Luna at Little Arches Hotel and Apsara Sumadra are all romantic spots with amazing views over the sea. Barbados has a limitless variety of locations for that perfect wedding and can cater to any bride’s request. Our glorious tropical gardens with their lush foliage, provide spectacular settings – consider Hunte’s Gardens or the Flower Forest, which has a small gazebo where you can say your vows and be surrounded by the verdant landscapes of St. Joseph. For the more eccentric, there is the sea-carved Animal Flower Cave in St. Lucy, or the eerie underground splendour of Harrison’s Cave in St. Thomas. All lend amazing photo opportunities for weddings. Dare to be different! Why not consider a luxury catamaran? These stable craft are perfect for a sunset sail whilst you get married onboard with champagne and a sumptuous dinner prepared for you and your guests. Cool Runnings and El Tigre have larger, fully crewed catamarans, while Silver Moon and Seaduced catamarans are smaller, luxury sailing cruises, perfect for private charters of up to 25 guests and offering specialty catering and very attentive crews. These boats are a great option, not only for a wedding, but also for a lovely excursion with your guests to swim with the turtles or snorkel over the shipwrecks. Even with the most incredible venue, in order to have the wedding of your dreams it is essential that you have the right team with professional team players. We have a number of talented photographers who can capture every exceptional moment of your special day. Steve Cumberbatch of Magical Moments has been in the wedding business for many years and is one of the island’s most sought after photographers, well known for storytelling through his pictures. Jon Farmer is another wonderful photographer who has a very friendly approach to his clients and his work. Gina Francesca has a great eye and artistic approach to her photography, she has developed a well-earned reputation for her keen attention to detail. Gina also offers post-wedding “trash the dress” sessions which are loads of fun. Flowers are another aspect to consider and Christina Foster of Simply Flowers creates exquisite arrangements and bouquets. She has the ability to incorporate both local tropical flowers and imported blooms for small intimate weddings or large, lavish affairs. Christina has been chosen as the florist for many celebrity weddings, the most recent was the marriage of fashion designer Erin Fetherston to Gabe Saporta, featured in Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine. Her work has also been featured in countless weddings in Hello Magazine. Every bride has to look amazing for her wedding day and the salon services offered by Hair by Donna can make all the difference. Donna Smith delivers personal attention to each client
ESCAPE
Champers Restaurant is an exquisite venue for weddings, with sweeping views of the coastline from its clifftop location
A “Trash the Dress” photo session after the wedding is loads of fun Photo courtesy Gina Francesca Photography
Christina Foster of Simply Flowers creates magnificent arrangements and bouquets using both local and imported blooms
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
189
ESCAPE
WEDDINGS
WEDDINGS BY MALISSA Weddings By Malissa was opened in 2005 by professional wedding consultant Malissa Blackman. She envisioned a luxury wedding firm that can help both the destination bride and the local bride to create the most beautiful wedding in a stress free environment. Malissa’s personalised service and attention to detail, along with her knowledge and understanding of the island, ensures that your dreams are turned into wedding day reality! Malissa and her team are responsible for your legal documentation, full wedding design of flowers and décor for your ceremony and reception, full wedding co-ordination, full wedding planning and production of the wedding on your special day. It does not matter if your wedding is a small private elopement, a grand affair or even a vow renewal ceremony, Malissa and her team can make your dreams come true. Malissa was certified in May, 2012 by the Canadian Wedding Professional Institute, and is also the proud owner of BrideLIFE Magazine which focuses on Barbados’s finest wedding professionals. Malissa is also the known and preferred wedding planner for The Cliff Restaurant since 2005 and continues to build her portfolio, with the addition of becoming the preferred wedding planner for the new and improved Lone Star Restaurant from November 2013. There is nothing too big or to small that Malissa and her team at Weddings By Malissa cannot do for your special day.
Tel (246) 262-1450 Web www.barbadosweddings.net Email malissa@barbadosweddings.net Address A90 Graeme Hall Park, Christ Church
190 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
and will come to your accommodation to get you and your bridal party ready. For full spa services in the privacy of your hotel room or villa, Kennifer Marius, a former Miss Barbados World, will come to you, or you can visit her spa at the Barbados Golf Club. For a perfect girls’ day with you and your bridesmaids, go to one of the spas at Coral Reef, Chakra or Sandy Lane and indulge in their wonderful massages, manicures, pedicures and facial treatments, then end it off with a lovely champagne lunch by the pool. What a perfect way to celebrate! Even a day at the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre is a great way for you to spoil yourself at any one of the luxury stores located there. Visit Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Armani/AX, Un Dimanche á Paris and Burberry to get that special something. Hugo Boss can provide all the elegant attire for the groom and his wedding party. Spoil yourself and your groom with the perfect gift from Cartier, or buy your wedding bands from the specialists at Diamonds International or Colombian Emeralds. Get “something blue” from Tiffany & Co, where you’ll also find precious tokens for your bridesmaids, or visit Little Switzerland or the Royal Shop on Broad Street in Bridgetown. Cave Shepherd also has lots of lovely gifts for the happy couple as well as fragrances and cosmetics such as MAC for the bride to look her best on the day. No wedding is complete without the proper entertainment and DJ Dusty is well known for his vibrant parties – he can cover any genre of music you request and will have your guests on the dance floor all night long. David Collins can provide beautiful classical guitar music, at the reception or the ceremony. A lovely detail that you can add for your wedding guests, and perhaps even as a surprise, is introducing them to our Bajan culture by way of a tuk band, stilt men, limbo dancers, a steel band and even the girating “Mother Sally”. Not only is Barbados great for a wedding, anniversary, or renewing your vows, we also have so many activities across the island for you and your guests to enjoy. At the top of the list is the catamaran sailing cruises where you can swim with the turtles and snorkel over shipwrecks. Or what about going on an Island Safari 4x4 jeep tour and see the island in a fun way whilst learning some history of our heritage and ending it with a proper “Bajan” buffet lunch? There’s surfing and stand-up paddle boarding lessons on offer—great fun with a group. If you are an avid golfer, you have world class courses to choose from: Apes Hill Golf Club has a beautifully designed course with amazing views of the west and east coasts, or the world renowned golf courses at Sandy Lane and Royal Westmoreland. On the south coast there is a lovely course at the Barbados Golf Club. If you’re looking for some lively nightlife, there are many hot spots where you can put on your dancing shoes, like McBride’s and Harbour Lights on the south coast and PRIVA in Holetown. There are numerous bars and rum shops around the island where you can have a casual drink and a bite to eat, but the most popular ones for a relaxed evening out, or even part of your wedding weekend, are: Tiki Hut, Lime Bar at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Café Sol, famous for their Margaritas, MOJO and Tapas. Everyone should experience the local flavour of the Oistins and Moon Town Fish Frys on Friday nights, where you can listen to local music and mingle with the locals whilst enticing your taste buds with the freshest catches of the day from our local fishermen. All in all Barbados is such a perfect wedding destination. Everything you need to create the wedding of your dreams and a fun vacation for you and your guests at the same time, is right here under the Bajan sun. Contact one of the professional wedding planners featured on these pages and start planning the wedding of your dreams! Written by: Malissa Blackman, Managing Director of BrideLifeMagazine.com and Weddings By Malissa
Rememberâ&#x20AC;Ś That Moment!
photography by
STEVE CUMBERBATCH
magicalphotos.net
(246) 230-3732
stevec@caribsurf.com
ESCAPE
WEDDINGS
Preferred DJ of
SIMPLY FLOWERS
DJ DUSTY- MUSIC FOR THE SOUL
Simply Flowers can take care of all the floral requirements for your wedding or any special occasion from simply elegant to lavishly extravagant; from bridal bouquets and head pieces to floral arrangements and fresh flower decorations for the wedding cake. They provide an early delivery service to help remove some of the anxiety from your special day. Christina Foster of Simply Flowers trained at Constance Spry and has deservedly earned an excellent reputation for the consistent high quality of her beautiful floral work. Christina makes full use of her creative ability with local and imported fresh flowers. Her work has been featured in several weddings covered by Hello magazine. Delivery charge.
DJ Dusty Payne is renowned throughout the Barbados wedding and party scene for his efficiency and reliable professionalism, his good humour and easy-going manner, and his special ability to get people onto the dance floor. DJ Dusty also offers Disco Lighting effects and PA System rental. From the best of the Golden Oldies to all of the latest hits, Adrian “Dusty” Payne knows how to spin the right tunes, at the right time, to get any crowd into a happy party mood. DJ Dusty... In the Mix! Preferred DJ of The Cliff.
Tel (246) 437-6597 Email cmfoster@sunbeach.net Address Rockley New Road, Christ Church
Tel (246) 239-2972 Web www.mydestination.com/barbados/weddings/134576/dj-dusty Email djdustyitm@gmail.com Facebook facebook.com/Adrian.Payne.355
JON FARMER
LIV’S PARTY BOX
Have your portrait or wedding photographs taken professionally by Jon Farmer who has been actively involved in the production of fine images for the past forty-five years. During this time he has earned a wealth of experience in not only the composing of images, but also has mastered the art of processing and rendering fine prints in both colour and black and white. Check out some of his work on his website where his photographs speak for themselves.
Whether you are considering a magical fairy party, having a princess for tea, or a super sweet 16... let Liv's Party Box create that extra special event with memories to last a lifetime! Themed Birthday Parties, Art & Craft Play Dates, Kids Entertainment and all kinds of fun activities for youngsters - from birthday cakes, loot bags, food and drinks, to face painting, art & craft, jumping tents, magicians, real life characters, games, pony rides, photography and much more. For weddings and special adult occasions, Liv’s Party Box can come in and entertain the kids so they too can have fun while the adults are partying!
Tel (246) 418-9792 or (246) 231-5008 Web www.jonfarmerphotography.com Email islandphotos@gmail.com
192 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Children’s Event Planning & Entertainment Tel (246) 232-9249 Facebook facebook.com/LivsPartyBox Email liv@livspartybox.com
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
DUDLEY ‘SAMMY’ KING FLORAL ARRANGER AT THE CRANE Sammy began his career at the once prestigious Sam Lords Castle, where he started doing floral arrangements, but he honed his skills at The Crane. Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
194 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
here are not many resorts in the world that can boast of having a resident Floral Arranger, who is also a self acknowledged Marriage Counsellor. And with that little known secret, we introduce Dudley ‘Sammy’ King who is without a doubt one of the friendliest, most charismatic people you will ever meet. When asked to describe his duties Sammy states with a slight grin, “I am a floral arranger, I mend marriages and so forth.” He goes on to describe the joy he receives from making those special arrangements that help to pacify the most difficult of situations. Sammy relates one of them: “There was a gentleman who didn’t know how to make his wife happy, I told him I could make things work out for him. I made a big flower arrangement and he asked me to take it to the room. I said, “no, I brought this for you to take to your wife. If you want your marriage mended take this to her.” He recalls his initial interactions with owner, Paul Doyle, who encouraged him to start making floral arrangements at the resort even though there was already a resident florist. “He liked my arrangements so much that I knocked out the competition.” Sammy and Paul also share the same birthday, a coincidence which has deepened the mutual bonds of loyalty. Having spent a decade at The Crane, Sammy has many fond memories and recalls when he first came to the resort. At that time there was only The Historic Hotel, Building 2 was under construction, there were no cascading pools, no tennis courts and certainly no Crane Village. Sammy is also known for his diligence. Upon arrival at work, he first checks to make sure that all the hanging and potted plants are adequately trimmed and watered. Then he visits Guest Services to collect orders for special projects, such as wedding arches, bridal bouquets and tabletop arrangements. In his spare time Sammy enjoys travelling, especially the occasional trip to St. Vincent & The Grenadines, where, in his early 20s, he met his first girlfriend. He also thoroughly enjoys going on picnics at his favourite spot in Farley Hill, on the East Coast. In Sammy’s mind, everyone should come to The Crane since it is “the best place to relax and enjoy the sea breeze away from the hustle and bustle.” He is so happy in his position and proud of his job that he is not looking forward to retirement; he particularly enjoys the camaraderie with his immediate boss, Landscaping Manager, Edwin Franklyn. His wish? To continue to work as long as he is physically able.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
The Spa at Coral Reef Club
Enjoy a bright and energizing holiday with Pam Harris of Sunshine Kula Yoga
HEALTH & BEAUTY
ESCAPE
arbados, with its year round sunshine and sea breezes, is by its very nature a spa and this has been held in esteem for centuries with people coming here to ‘take the airs and waters’. This is the ideal place to rejuvinate yourself with some luxurious pampering to greatest effect. We have selected some of the island’s best spas and therapists in this section. So go for it. Take care of yourself by either visiting a spa or using a mobile spa service.
The Spa at Coral Reef Club The Spa at Coral Reef Club is housed within a beautiful colonial inspired building with clean, modern lines, set within a tropical garden paradise. Exotic vegetation and waterfalls weave throughout the spa, from the four treatment rooms to the outdoor Couples Pavilion. The facilities include a luxurious Relaxation Room overlooking the outdoor Hydro-pool with shaded cabanas for post treatment leisure, a Thermal Suite with a serene Crystal Steam Room and Experience Shower and a Spa Lounge offering secluded relaxation. Finally, a chic Manicure, Pedicure Room commands striking views over the treetops of the property. For the ultimate indulgence opt for a Spa Day, selecting from an impressive array of exclusive Spa Collections. In between treatments enjoy a light lunch and luxuriate in simply captivating surroundings. Guests at sister hotel, The Sandpiper, are provided with complimentary luxury transfers for the two minute drive to The Spa, ensuring that they arrive relaxed and return revitalized from their treatment. This exquisite Destination Spa captures perfectly the beauty and charm of its Caribbean surroundings and is the ultimate complement to such a unique family treasure as the Coral Reef Club.
Tel (246) 419-4121 Web www.coralreefbarbados.com Email thespa@coralreefbarbados.com Address Coral Reef Club, St. James
The Spa at Sandy Lane The Spa at Sandy Lane offers a stunning range of features designed for your relaxation and rejuvenation. Facilities within the 47,000 square-foot Romanesque-style surroundings include 14 personalized treatment suites with bamboo floors and mood-enhancing lights, Rhassoul, hydrotherapy pool, relaxation room, experience showers, panoramic sauna and an invigorating crystal cold room. Each suite offers either private landscaped garden or hydrotherapy pool where you can relax and escape. With a delightful array of treatments from Aromatherapy Associates and Sundri, performed by highly trained therapists committed to providing personalized care, The Spa at Sandy Lane is designed to treat your body to exceptional pampering. Open to both resident and non-resident guests. The treatment room at the Spa at Sandy Lane
196 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
To make a reservation, please call (246) 444-2100 or Email spareception@sandylane.com
ESCAPE
HEALTH & BEAUTY
CHAKRA SPA Immerse yourself into the Chakra Spa lifestyle where every service, product, amenity and even your personal Spa Ambassador is there to cater to you. The spa offers six treatment rooms, including a coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room with a private Jacuzzi; pedi-thrones; a steam room and sauna, all of which enhance the experience created for you at the Chakra Spa. Their therapists are internationally trained and experienced and use only the most effective and luxurious products during their therapeutic services, including Dermalogica, Sothys, O.P.I. and Jessica; which are also available for retail at the spa. Massage Journeys and the Chakra Ceremony utilize the signature Chakra Organix product line. Any service can be specifically customized to accommodate you, couples and groups. Their promise to you the valued and sacred guest, is to make your visit a most memorable and magnificent one, as you relax, rejuvenate and heal.
Tel (246) 435-8690 or (246) 435-8920 ext. 7901 Web www.accrabeachhotel.com 0r www.facebook.com/ChakraSpa Email chakraspa@accrabeachhotel.com Address Accra Beach Hotel, Rockley, Christ Church When Tuesdays-Saturdays: 9am-7pm, Sundays: 10am-6pm
198 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
HEALTH & BEAUTY
ESCAPE
SUNSHINE KULA YOGA Bright and Energising, Cooling and Calming... Experience the delight of Yoga in Barbados with Pamela Harris, a sought after Yoga teacher with over 13 years experience. Pamela offers Anusara Inspired Yoga® and Integrative Yoga Therapy classes, in the comfortable atmosphere of her spacious studio on the edge of Holetown. Fellow teachers bring more variety and styles. Classes cater to all levels, with dynamic sequencing and gentler flow, upholding that Yoga is for everyone. Through uplifting creative classes build strength, stamina and flexibility, aligning the body precisely and therapeutically to bring balance and vitality. Here you’ll find a joyful Yoga that encourages expression of the heart and looks for the good in all. Join us! Monday - Saturday, classes are held morning, noon and evening. Visit the website and Facebook for details.
Tel (246) 231-4468 or 432-8509 Web www.sunshinekula.com | Facebook /SunshineKulaYoga Email pamela@sunshinekula.com Address Highbury House, Sandy Lane, Holetown, St. James
REFLECTIONS MOBILE SPA Reflections Mobile Spa was founded in 2004 by Barbadian Kennifer Marius, an internationally certified Spa Therapist with over 10 years experience. Reflections Day Spa brings the indulgence and luxury of a day spa to the comfort and convenience of your home, private villa or office. They offer a wide range of treatments including: Body Massages - Swedish, Hot Stone, Sports, Thai and deep tissue; Facial Care - Deep Cleaning, Gents Facials, Micrdermabrasion, Chemical Peels, Vitamin C and Cell Repairing anti- aging treatments; Body Care - Body Scrubs and wraps; Nails - Manicures, pedicures; Waxing and Professional Make-up artistry. Reflections hosts Spa Parties for any occasion, including birthdays, corporate retreats and events, weddings, mums-to-be and golfers. The internationally trained spa professionals will transform your own space into a serene and relaxing oasis. Or, if you prefer, visit the Reflections Day Spa at the Barbados Golf Club in Durant’s, Christ Church.
To reserve your appointment please call the spa concierge (246) 839-5390 or (246) 247-0196 Email reflectionsspaconcierge@gmail.com
JOANNE MOBILE SPRAY TANNING A spray tan is the perfect way to finish your holiday, to look amazing for that special party, wedding, boat trip or simply a healthy way to maintain a year round tan without harmful exposure to the sun or artificial UV rays. Joanne trained at the Brazil Bronze Glow Bar in Soho, New York where they're known for their famous clientele and spray for the Oscars, Emmys and other award shows. The Brazil Bronze formulas she uses are unique to them and she will determine which formula will look and work best for your skin type. The active ingredient in the formula is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA is recommended on The Skin Cancer Foundation website www.skincancer.org, and works with the amino acids in the outer layer of skin producing an even, natural tan, fast! The best part is Joanne comes to you. She's experienced, professional and discreet. Call her to find out more and book an appointment.
Tel (246) 253 2175 Email spraytanningbarbados@gmail.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
199
ESCAPE
HEALTH & BEAUTY
BARBADOS FERTILITY CENTRE The Importance of a Healthy Mind & Body to Conceive “Just RELAX and it will happen… you are having SEX right?!” For many couples suffering with infertility these frustrating yet good intentional comments are like fuel to a fire of your stress levels when trying to get pregnant. Infertility is not in your mind, but a medically diagnosed disease of trying to achieve a pregnancy over the period of one year with no success. Over the years many studies have confirmed the negative impact stress has on couples who are suffering with infertility. These studies reveal the disheartening news that when stress levels go up, pregnancy rates go down! So the staggering question remains - how can couples who are trying to reduce stress increase their chances of a successful outcome? The wonderful news is there is a proven solution right here on our beautiful island - Barbados Fertility Centre. Barbados Fertility Centre (BFC) is the only Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited centre of excellence for IVF treatment in the Caribbean and purpose built over 11 years ago with the focus on complimenting holistic treatments with traditional IVF treatment to reduce stress and increase success. Couples travel from every corner of the globe to Barbados for fertility treatment, attracted by their high success rates and low treatment costs. Kelli Harrington from Washington, USA married her husband when she was 39 and decided to start a family straight away, but after six months of no success they decide to consult with a fertility specialist in the USA who presented the couple with a daunting schedule of fees. The price rose higher the greater the woman's age and Kelli estimated her bill would top US$40,000! The couple decided they needed to find another option and started investigating fertility treatment overseas. Once Kelli looked into the
200 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
cost of flights, accommodation, treatment and medication she was shocked to see the total bill was going to be a quarter of the cost of just treatment alone in the USA. Kelli said, “People don’t realise there are more affordable fertility treatment options outside of the USA. BFC being JCI accredited has the highest level of patient safety and combines holistic therapy with traditional treatment. I am convinced that complimenting acupuncture with my IVF treatment helped me to conceive. It really helped to balance my body.” Kelli is now enjoying motherhood and her beautiful son Jack just celebrated his first birthday. Opening his birthday presents Kelli said, “I look at him and I still can’t believe he is really here! Sometimes you have to look outside the box to get your true present!”
Tel (246) 435-7467 Web www.barbadosivf.com Email contact@barbadosivf.com Address Seaston House, Hastings, Christ Church
MEET A BAJAN
SHEILA HOPE-HAREWOOD By Sarah Venable Above: Sheila with her Liver Tonic at Saturday’s BarVen Market in Cheapside. Below: Selling her organic lettuce to U.S. Ambassador, Larry Palmer, at the Sunday morning Holders Organic Farmer’s Market Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
FEATURE
heila Hope-Harewood is a vendor in the outdoor BarVen vegetable market at Cheapside in Bridgetown. Like some others, her stall has herbs and fruits, but the stars of her show are condiments and potions. These include hot honey mustard dressing, searing corned pepper relish, pumpkin seed butter, garlic pickle and liver detox. She markets a few items, such as St. Lucian honey, for other people, but makes most of the bottled goods herself. Before that, she grows 90% of the ingredients. These go into making Shemar’s Organic Products, named for herself and her sister, Margaret, who helps. She makes about 34 products, of which 12 are really popular. “None of it has in preservatives or anything like that,” says Sheila. Her sweet, grainy pumpkin seed butter contains seeds, honey and olive oil, period. The liver tonic features turmeric, ginger, garlic and molasses. “It happened when someone had the flu, so I made this and it took off.” She also supplies salad mix to steady customers, who order it in advance. Otherwise, it would sell out before they got there. Then there are the seedlings—bay leaf and moringa trees. With its edible seeds and leaves rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, the latter is taking off here. Sheila says, “I grew up in St. Thomas. We were raised on the land. My father used to do a lot of planting. I had my own garden beds—thyme, marjoram, parsley and stuff like that. As a teenager I went to the Girls’ Industrial Union to keep myself out of mischief and to learn to do things. As a retired person I fell back on that, as something to keep me going.” A former nurse-turned-medical-transcriptionist in England with stints in Saudi Arabia, she returned to Barbados in 1997. She started gardening and concocting recipes, then shared them with friends, who proclaimed them marketable. So she consulted with the BIDC (Barbados Investment Development Corporation) and opened the business in 2007. “I guess it was my interest in health,” she says. “I stopped drinking milk and eating sugar at age 14. Up to now I still don’t really like cooked food. I like fresh vegetables and juices.” It shows in her glow. In addition to the BarVen market on Saturdays, Sheila can be found at Holders Farmers’ Market on Sundays. A great place for lunch, it’s highly sociable and full of organic produce, baked goods, fish and cheeses. Why not meet her there?
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
201
ESCAPE
USEFUL INFORMATION
EMERGENCY SERVICES EMERGENCY CLINICS
PRIVATE HOSPITALS
DENTISTS
Bayview Hospital St. Paul’s Avenue, Bayville, St. Michael Tel: (246) 436-5446 Web: www.bayviewhospital.com.bb
Decompression Chamber
The Sparman Clinic
Barbados Defence Force Medical Unit, St. Ann’s Fort, The Garrison, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 436-6185/6/7/8 ext. 2556
24-hr Emergency Service 4 - 6th Avenue, Belleville, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 624-3278
Barbados Dental Association Gertz Plaza, Upper Collymore Rock, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 228-6488 Email: bdosdentalassoc@caribsurf.com For your dental needs call the BDA for referral to a dentist in your area.
FMH Emergency Centre 3rd Ave., Belleville, St. Michael. Open 8am - midnight. Tel: (246) 228-6120
Sils Dialysis Corner 3rd Avenue & Pine Road, Belleville, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 228-5311 Email: info@silsdialysis.com www.silsdialysis.com
Sandy Crest Medical Centre Sunset Crest, St. James. Open 24 hours every day of the year. Tel: (246) 419-4911
Elcourt Clinic Maxwell, Christ Church. 7:30am to Midnight. Tel: (246) 428-9452
POLICE/FIRE Police (Emergency Only) - Tel: 211 Fire - Tel: 311
AMBULANCES Ambulance Service - QEH
SPECIALTY CARE Barbados Speech & Hearing Centre
Collins Limited
Mayfield Medical Services, 4th Avenue, Belleville, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 426-3093
Broad St., Bridgetown. Tel: (246) 426-4515 Warrens, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 425-4550 Email: colcar@caribsurf.com
Carib Rehab Ltd. Medical and Homecare Nursing Supplies and Equipment as well as rentals. Friendship Plantation, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 427-9687/429-8266 Email: info@caribrehab.com
OPTICIANS Anka Optical/Eye Care Specialists C.O.B. Business Centre, Bridgetown. Tel: (246) 426-5719 Belleville, St. Michael Tel: (246) 436-0101 Speightstown, St. Peter. Tel: (246) 422-1775
Express Optical Cave Shepherd, Bridgetown. Tel: (246) 227-2164 Sheraton Mall, Christ Church. Tel: (246) 437-0896
Tel: (246) 228-8633
PUBLIC HOSPITAL Queen Elizabeth Hospital Martindales Road, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 436-6450
202 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
C/o The Sparman Clinic, 4 - 6th Avenue, Belleville, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 624-3278 Maxwell, Christ Church.
Island Care Ambulance Medic Response Ambulance
Dasae Pharmacy
Elcourt Pharmacy
Tel: 511 Tel: (246) 435-9425
PHARMACIES
Tel: (246) 428-5323
Knights Pharmacies Six Roads, St. Philip. Tel: (246) 423-3700 Super Centre Big B, Worthing, Ch. Ch. Tel: (246) 435-0020 Super Centre JB’s, Christ Church. Tel: (246) 429-7107 Oistins, Christ Church. Tel: (246) 428-6057 Sunset Crest, St. James. Tel: (246) 432-1290 Warrens, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 417-5232
Lewis Drug Mart Rockley Main Rd., Christ Church. Tel: (246) 435-8090/92 After Hours: (Emergency) (246) 429-7288
Pearson’s Pharmacies Harcourt Carter Optical Belleville, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 417-5650/429-5565 Super Centre JB’s, Christ Church. Tel: (246) 417-5652 St. Michael’s Row, Bridgetown. Tel: (246) 417-5653
Collymore Rock, St. Michael. Tel: (246) 427-5521 Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James. Tel: (246) 432-0118 Sheraton Mall, Sargeant’s Vlge., Ch. Ch. Tel: (246) 436-3784
MEET A BAJAN
FEATURE
PROFESSOR ANSELM HENNIS, MB.BS, MSC., PH.D, FRCP, FACP. A DISTINGUISHED MEDICAL LUMINARY
ver the years, Barbados has produced a quantity of internationally preeminent doctors that is totally disproportionate to the physical stature of our tiny island. Professor Anselm Hennis is one of those highly distinguished medical luminaries. He is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados; Director of the Chronic Disease Research Centre, Tropical Medicine Research Institute; and a practising Clinician and Consultant Physician at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown. Having known he wanted to be a physician from as early as age 13, Anselm attended Harrison College, where he became Head Boy and won a Barbados Scholarship in 1982. He later graduated with a MB.BS (Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery) degree with honours from the University of the West Indies and completed his residency at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. In 1991 he was awarded a Clinical Epidemiology Training Fellowship by the Wellcome Trust, UK, and trained at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he gained his Master’s, 1992, and PhD, 1997, in Epidemiology. Dr. Hennis completed his training in Internal Medicine, becoming a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) in 1993. He also holds the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Fellowship of the American College of Physicians. The pivotal moment in Anselm’s extraordinarily successful career came at the very beginning, while he was still a student. Aged just 22, he chose to join his former classmate Christopher Hudson on an elective in Uganda, conducting
By Keith Miller
research to try to establish if HIV was a new disease in Africa or the rampant epidemic that the world’s press claimed it to be. ‘Apart from the ravaging effects of HIV, I also saw piles of bones in the killing fields outside Kampala where thousands had been massacred in tribal rivalry. It was gut wrenching. That trip made me look at life in a completely different way. I wanted to ask more questions. The whole experience made me aware of my potential to use research to make a difference on a global scale.’ Anselm Hennis led the local study centre of the Barbados Eye Studies, between 1996 and 2002, which highlighted the inordinately high burden and associated risk factors for glaucoma and cataract in African-origin populations and informed public health policy for eye care in African Americans. Dr. Hennis also led the Barbados arm of the global Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Study. This research will likely define the diagnosis of diabetes in pregnancy. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles on diabetes, eye disease, cardiovascular disease, SLE, and breast and prostate cancer. Professor Hennis has won several awards for his contribution to research including the Edward Kass Memorial prize, the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research and the 2013 Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Award for Excellence in Science and Technology ‘The support of many people has allowed me to pursue my dreams, especially my wife Heather and children, Edward and Arianne. I am grateful to my parents who nurtured the belief that all things are possible through God.’
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
203
A catamaran cruise is a classic way to enjoy a day out on the water in Barbados Photo courtesy Seaduced Catamaran Cruises
Take the plunge, learn to dive in Barbados! Photo: Andrew Western, from the book “Barbados A Coral Paradise”
Hop onboard the Atlantis Submarine for a night dive - the subs powerful spotlights reveal a whole different cast of underwater characters at night
204 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
XPERIENCE 206 SAILING 216 UNDERWATER LIFE 222 ISLAND HOPPING
Snorkeling amongst schools of tropical fish and swimming with the turtles are memorable highlights of a Barbados holiday Courtesy Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruises
SAILING
SAILING
EXPERIENCE
The crew of Cool Runnings are indeed among the “coolest” and friendliest guys on the water
Crew member on El Tigre catamaran blowing the conch shell to announce “lunch is served”
Luxury catamaran Seaduced also offers a special private dining experience, and a table right ‘on the sea’
206 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
arbados offers such a wide range of activities and there is always something to satisfy every whim and fancy. While the island is renowned for its laid back lifestyle, it can also provide ample opportunity for interesting trips, new experiences and exciting adventure; all guaranteed to provide photo albums full of wonderful memories. As with all islands, the sea influences many of our leisure activities. Going to the beach is a way of life for locals, especially on Sundays when, just like going to church, it’s something of a family ritual. We like to go for the day, with beach chairs, picnic food and a well-stocked cooler. Give it a try. Or just go beachcombing. There are lots of beaches for you to choose from, all different sizes and all with their own characteristics. Check out our Beaches section starting on page 264. If you are lucky enough to be on the island at the right time, you can go for a full-moon picnic. Since the west coast of Barbados sits serenely in the Caribbean Sea and the east coast faces the surge of the Atlantic Ocean, the island is blessed with a full range of sea conditions from flat calm to pounding surf. When combined with our crystal clear water, this means that we enjoy superb conditions for just about every water sport. Swimming, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing, snorkeling, diving, sports fishing - they are all practiced here and many companies offer services in these areas, including rental of equipment and giving lessons. Learning how to surf or dive can be a great souvenir to take home. If you want to experience the magical underwater world of Barbados without getting wet, you can go out on the Atlantis submarine, either by day or night. Sailing along the coast is a must-do experience, especially when it includes a chance to swim with turtles. Depending on your mood, this can be done peacefully with just the sounds of the waves and wind; with some cool drinks, a nice lunch and easy-listening music; or in full swing party mode. You can even go at night for a moonlight cruise. Back on dry land there is a whole world of activities to be enjoyed, starting with touring the island. Measuring just a compact 21 x 14 miles, Barbados is a neatly packaged bundle of variety with something different around every corner. Be sure to hire a car, go on a driven tour, or treat yourself to an exhilarating off-the-beaten-track 4 x 4 jeep safari. The different parts of Barbados are so diverse that it really is a shame not to explore the island. There is a treasure trove of attractions for you to visit, ranging from gardens to plantation houses to heritage sites to magnificent underground caverns. You can even go zip-lining through a tropical gully! For good ideas about where to go and what to see, please refer to our Adventure section which starts on page 228. While you are in Barbados, think about doing something that you’ve never done before. And that might just be something as simple as leaning back on a balmy night to marvel at the abundance of stars in the sky and think about how good life can be. We hope you will enjoy Barbados as much as we do!
The Silver Moon fleet of catamarans cater exclusively to small numbers, away from the crowds, with an attentive crew who ensure your glass is never empty! Photo courtesy Silver Moon Luxury Catamaran Cruises
EXPERIENCE
SAILING
SILVER MOON LUXURY CATAMARANS Silver Moon Catamarans are owned and operated by Captain Nick Parker, a hospitality pioneer that introduced his first catamaran to Barbados over 27 years ago. With the launch of the Silver Moon brand, Nick and his wife Nicky reinvented this now classic Barbadian experience by adding comfort and luxury to the beauty of our calm and inviting waters. Silver Moon III, the largest Catamaran on the island, offers regular cruises limited to just 24 passengers. You can also opt for the ultimate sailing experience on board Silver Moon II, and the new flagship Silver Moon, both carrying just 12 passengers each. On each vessel, Nick’s vision rings true – sometimes, less is more. From Presidents and Prime Ministers and Grammy award winners to regular travelers seeking a premium experience, those in-the-know choose Silver Moon. On Silver Moon your glass is never empty, a classic Bajan buffet lunch is served, and all snorkeling equipment and safety gear is provided. This experience has earned them a Trip-Advisor Certificate of Excellence each year since the award was introduced.
Silver Moon Private Charters The most discerning clients can book a Silver Moon vessel for private charter. On private charter the boat is yours alone. You choose the time to sail, day or night, the refreshments, and either the classic buffet menu, or a custom dining option from one of their partner Chefs. From weddings to birthdays, or evenings for two, there is no experience like Silver Moon.
Tel (246) 435-5285 Web www.silvermoonbarbados.com Email reservations@silvermoonbarbados.com Address Shallow Draught, Bridgetown
208 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Sometimes,
Less is More
LESS PEOPLE. LESS STRESS.
MORE TO ENJOY. www.silvermoonbarbados.com Tel: (246) 435-5285
EXPERIENCE
SAILING
COOL RUNNINGS Experience one of the most pleasurable days of your holiday! This unique charter company specialises in personalised cruises, ensuring the utmost in comfort, service and enjoyment. These elegant, custom-built catamarans sail with a limited number of passengers, to guarantee a superb day of sailing in an uncrowded atmosphere. Owners, Robert and Annika Povey, run a professional operation – this is apparent from the moment you step aboard – the captain and crew are a good humoured group of well-trained, experienced sailors who know how to look after and entertain their guests. The boats are immaculately maintained, spacious and comfortable, and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. • Lunch Cruise: A 5-hr. sailing cruise with three stops along the way ... swim in a secluded bay; snorkel with the sea turtles; explore a shallow shipwreck where you can feed schools of tropical fish. • Sunset Cruise: This 4-hr. cruise is a wonderful way to enjoy a dazzling tropical sunset. Includes stops for swimming, snorkeling with the turtles and an old shipwreck. • Private Cruises: These are ideally suited for weddings and corporate entertaining with many options available for specialized catering. • Lunch/Sunset Cruises: Delicious meals are served with wine, and there is an open bar. Transport included. Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruises was the proud recipient of 2011 & 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence! TripAdvisor awards this certificate to companies who consistently receive and maintain a high overall user rating and a high volume of recent and quality reviews.
For reservations contact your tour rep, hotel activities desk, or Tel (246) 436-0911 Web www.coolrunningsbarbados.com Email info@coolrunningsbarbados.com
210 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Captain Robert Povey and his wife Annika
a day on Cool Runnings...
t: (246) 436-0911 info@coolrunningsbarbados.com www.coolrunningsbarbados.com
EXPERIENCE
SAILING
SMALL CATS
EL TIGRE
Small Cats specializes in Private Charters for families and small groups of no more than 12 people. The emphasis is on intimate, personalised cruises with stops along the coast for swimming and snorkeling. Your friendly Captain provides a unique opportunity to swim with a family of sea turtles in a tranquil bay, much to the delight of all on board, especially the little ones! They offer a 3-hour Snorkeling Cruise and a longer 5-hour Lunch Cruise, both including stops for snorkeling on a magnificent coral reef along the west coast, where you can swim with thousands of colourful reef fish and see a shallow shipwreck. The second stop, in a tranquil bay, offers a unique opportunity to swim, play with and feed a family of green back turtles - a totally awesome experience! Drinks and snorkel gear are provided on all cruises along with a free transportation service to and from the dock.
This 60-ft. catamaran will excite the sailor with her exhilarating performance while soothing the timid with her stability and comfort. El Tigre was among the top scoring attractions in Zagat’s Best of Barbados Survey: “A very attentive, warm-hearted crew with a fabulously contagious Bajan spirit enhances the three and five-hour tours aboard this spacious catamaran…” Their 3-hour Snorkel Cruise is perfect for families with small children, the 5-hour Lunch Cruise is loads of fun for all ages, and the wonderfully laid back Cocktails & Canapés Sunset Cruise is the perfect way to spend an evening with friends. The Lunch and Snorkel Cruises operate daily, and the Sunset Cruise sails on Wednesdays. All cruises visit the island’s friendly sea turtles for a swim and snorkel. Drinks, snorkeling gear and transport are included. Be sure to ask about their Private Cruises.
Tel (246) 421-6419 or 231-7306 Web www.smallcatscruises.com Email info@smallcatscruises.com
Tel (246) 417-7245 or 231-1585 Web www.eltigrecruises.com Email info@eltigrecruises.com
212 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
BRIAN TALMA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
By Sarah Venable
Above: Brian’s signature smile and larger than life personality has endeared him to many, both at home and abroad. Below: The Talmas - Kevin, Norma holding baby Gail, Trevor and Brian
214 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
rian Talma has been marching to the beat of his own drum—or boarding to the call of his own conch shell—for the better part of his 50 or so years. As a child he struggled with dyslexia, but his parents blessed him with an outlook that was wider than any alphabet. His father, a dentist, loved the sea and his mother, an innovative artist, infused all three of their children with a positive energy. All are successful—Gail as the dynamic General Manager of the Colony Club Hotel, Kevin as a landscape architect, and Brian as...himself! By following his bliss he became a brand—deAction Man, the good-vibe face of Barbados. Through his Beach Culture World Tours, Brian awakens the world to a joyous lifestyle where everything revolves around the sea. Ever since he first rode into it on his father’s back, Brian Talma has loved the sea. He was surfing by the age of ten, by seventeen he had shifted his interest to windsurfing, which was then new to Barbados, and in his usual passionate fashion, took it to extremes. In 1988 he opened deAction Surf Shop in Silver Sands. The same year, he represented Barbados in windsurfing at the Olympics, an achievement he repeated in 1992. He went on to win the Barbados World Cup windsurfing events in the next two years, and in 1994 became the youngest recipient of the Barbados Service Star award, in recognition of developing the sport and promoting Barbados throughout the world. His deAction Barbados Waterman Festival lures water sports lovers of all sorts to Barbados. Surfers, windsurfers and kite-surfers join fishers, swimmers and stand-up paddlers for competitions, parties, conch shell blowing, music and beach art. “After travelling all over the world, I still think Barbados has one of the best all round sea conditions for water board sports,” he said. “You can learn at Freights, surf the Soup Bowl if you’re good, and paddle board from Carlisle Bay right up to Duppies.” In 2005, he introduced SUPing (stand-up paddle boarding) to Barbados. Now you see it all over. Every October Brian hosts a 60-mile, round-the-island race, another of deAction Man’s initiatives. In 2013, he completed the gruelling journey in 15 hours, 17 minutes, just over three hours ahead of the second place winner, his brother Kevin. He also introduced the sport to Europe...and took his conch shell to amaze them further. He laughs in amazement that at 50 he's still winning things, competing against 20 year olds who were training to extreme levels while he's busy sorting out and organizing his five children. Brian is one of the most exciting water sports personalities in the world. You can find him at deAction House in Silver Sands and also in our hearts. We are as proud of him as he is of Barbados.
MEET A BAJAN
FEATURE
Having travelled all over the world, Brian still thinks Barbados has some of the best all round sea conditions for water board sports
Brianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibrant art is on display at deAction Beach Shop A devoted father, Brian enjoys quality time with his five kids, usually at the beach or in the waves. Pictured here with four of his brood, Sunshine who is now 11, Starlite 9, Lion Reef 6 and Rainbow 4 (not pictured is Ocean, who is 2 years old).
Brian says windsurfing Jaws in Hawaii in 1997 was his most memorable surfing experience, his 2013 paddle around Barbados in the Last Waterman Standing event was a close second. He completed the gruelling journey in 15 hours, 17 minutes, just over three hours ahead of the second place winner, his brother Kevin.
Photo: Kenny Hewitt
Ins & Outs of Barbados â&#x20AC;˘
215
UNDERWATER LIFE
The West Indian sea star (Oreaster reticulatus) Photo: Darren Browne/From the book, Barbados: A Coral Paradise
Aerial view of the west coast showing some of the shallow fringing reefs along the shoreline Courtesy Island Villas
UNDERWATER LIFE
EXPERIENCE
nlike most of the other volcanic islands in the Caribbean archipelago, Barbados is truly a Coral Island and was built up over the last million years by new corals settling on relic coral reefs. This natural phenomenon gives us two unique advantages; first, the island is totally encircled by coral reefs, and secondly, our white carbonate substrate (as opposed to darker volcanic forms) gives us that uniquely blue and crystal clear water (50-80 foot visibility) most of the year. This explains why Barbados has over 40 dive sites and many more reefs yet to be dived. Our coral reefs can be placed in three categories: the shallow Fringing Reefs (which extend from the shore), Patch Reefs (isolated clusters in 20-40ft/6-12m) and the extensive Barrier Reefs (that run parallel to the shoreline 50-120 ft/15-36m) and they are now all protected by some of the more conservational laws in the region. With the help of this legislation and the support of the Barbados Dive Operators Association, as well as the University of the West Indies biologists, repeat guests should notice that we now have more dive sites, more fish and more turtles than just a few years ago. Additionally, another Marine Replenishment Area is being opened on the south coast, to stop overfishing and anchor damage. As was shown in the Folkestone and Carlisle Bay Marine Parks, once some areas are closed and fish are allowed to reproduce season after season there is often a “spill over” effect. This means recreational divers and snorkelers will continue to see more fish, while fishermen can also catch bigger fish that have hopefully already spawned hundreds of thousands of eggs. Bigger, and more, reef fish equates to better reefs, and better reefs often mean nicer beaches. As reef fish are constantly removing algae from the substrate that would otherwise smother reefs and healthy reefs stabilise and protect the shoreline. Recent research has also documented an offshore turtle “takeoff” zone along the south coast, which is basically a shallow sand patch where pregnant females stay for hours during the daylight hours and only leave the bottom to snatch a quick breath while waiting for sunset. Once darkness falls, these critically endangered marine reptiles, whose numbers appear to be slowly increasing, head for the same beach that they first crawled down after hatching some 30-70 years before. All turtle habitats are very sensitive and divers are urged to have only passive interactions with our turtles, and remember, please do not try to ride them!
Some of our Favourite Dive Sites
Carlisle Bay has 5 shallow shipwrecks that are covered in corals, sponges and thousands of fish Photo: Lucy Agace, from her book, Barbados Dive Guide
216 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Barbados has a very safe diving record. The Barbados Dive Operators Association comprises of 10 dive shops ranging from the smaller one-boat operations who focus on small groups, to larger teaching facilities with bigger boats and more instructors who teach several PADI courses and dives daily. All are professional, either locally owned or staffed and any one of them can take you to see the following dive sites. • Carlisle Bay Marine Park has five shallow wrecks, including WW1 and WW2 shipwrecks, that are now covered in corals, sponges and thousands of fish.
EXPERIENCE
UNDERWATER LIFE
Photo courtesy Barbados Blue Watersports
Two of these wrecks were actually sunk during acts of mutiny and war, but now peace reigns and you may see rare seahorses and frog fish. Though this is a primary training area, given the shallow depth and sandy bottom, the deeper wrecks remain a favourite with experienced divers. • The 365ft long SS Stavronikita, when sunk in 1978, she was the largest wreck in the Caribbean; lying upright, this mammoth wreck has deep areas, recommended for the more advanced diver (60-130ft/18-40m). • The Boot/Turtle Point can have up to 20 turtles, stingrays, mantas and spotted eagle rays on any one dive (40-80ft/ 12-25m). • Vauxhall Reef/Folkestone Marine Park has a very shallow wreck (25ft/8 m) and was the recipient site for hundreds of corals relocated from the harbour. Schooling chubs, turtles and beautiful coral formations abound. • Dottins/Atlantis Reef - generally nice, slow paced dives (60ft/18m), with reef fish and turtles. Try diving the Lord Willoughby shipwreck while your friends are in the Atlantis Submarine, great pictures! • The Cement Plant and the Fueling Jetty both provide unique pier-diving experiences; look for sea horses and tarpon (45 ft/15m). • Pieces of Eight is generally a drift dive and crosses some of the most diverse fringing and patch reefs on the south coast (30-60 ft/9-15m). • Asta Reef to Feris Craig - if done right this drift dive crosses from one reef, to the Reef Ball artificial reef site and ends on a ship wreck (50ft/15m).
Our New Fish Species
Photo courtesy Barbados Blue Watersports
The Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish has recently reached our shores and in the last year sightings went from monthly to daily. Though beautiful to behold; these fish have no natural predators in the region, eat their body weight in small fish every other day and reproduce by the thousands from a very small size. Without some control these exotic fish could significantly reduce abundance and diversity on our reefs. As such, you may see your dive guide with small slings/spears used to cull the lionfish. Please support the Saving Coral Reefs–Barbados initiative by purchasing a $10 souvenir wristband from your friendly dive shop and all the proceeds go towards importing the slings, spears, collection tubes and dive moorings. If you are lucky you may get to taste these delicious fish as the Coastal Zone Management Unit has started hosting lionfish cook outs to familiarize Bajans with this new delicacy.
Coming Up Soon Barbados is now actively seeking another massive wreck to compliment our dive industry. This wreck will probably be a military vessel, so stay tuned in to Barbados’ diving scene and come bubble with us while you are here.
The invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish is a voracious alien species posing a serious threat to our coral reefs
218 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Written by Andre Miller MSc Marine Biologist, Master Dive Instructor at Barbados Blue Watersports
MEET A BAJAN
FEATURE
ANGELIQUE BRATHWAITE LOVING A LIFE OF SCIENCE ngelique ‘Angie’ Brathwaite is beautiful, bright and bubbly. She is also a civil servant who looks like a model, a scientist who dances, an unpretentious Bajan girl who feels at ease making a presentation to the United Nations and … an international Crime Scene Investigator for corals! Angie is Head of Marine Research at the Coastal Zone Management Unit of the Ministry of Environment, where for the past decade she has relished the opportunity to combine her passions for diving, science and protecting the environment. “I love my job. We conduct research on our coral reefs, to better understand what we need to do to help them thrive. We also develop and implement policy and legislation to protect them, so it’s not just esoteric, we are applying science to make a real difference.” Angie’s early interest in science was inspired by her dad, himself a biologist, who used to take her to their local beach at Paynes Bay in St. James. By the time she was 18, Angie knew she wanted to be a marine biologist. “My mum offered me a trip to St.Lucia or a dive course for my birthday. It was a non-decision.” After completing her first degree at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus in Jamaica, which provided ‘a truly amazing experience in both the arts and science’, Angie returned to
By Keith Miller
Barbados to pursue a post-graduate degree and work as a co-pilot on the Atlantis Submarine. “That experience was good for me. I am still a tree-hugger but working in tourism helped me understand why we need some development. It just has to be sustainable.” A key aspect of Angie’s role at CZMU is public education and she has developed many programmes to help people understand why it is essential to protect the reefs. Angie tries to make it fun by using the arts to raise public awareness. She uses dance, drama and art to engage people and capture their interest. “I started dancing at 8, modern and jazz, but now I do West African. Dance helps keep me fit and my brain sharp. It is very spiritual too, a way of creating art with your body. I love dancing … but I’m a much better scientist and diver!” Angie has written a number of scientific papers and co-authored the book ‘Barbados: A Coral Paradise’, along with two other marine scientists: Ramon Roach and Hazel Oxenford. “I lucked out in life. My family is wonderful and I am surrounded by an eclectic group of creative people who are also good friends. I went to school at Harrison College and most of my classmates wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant; but I chose to be a marine biologist. I didn’t need to be rich: I just wanted to be happy. And I am!”
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
219
EXPERIENCE
220 •
UNDERWATER LIFE
Ins & Outs of Barbados
UNDERWATER LIFE
EXPERIENCE
ATLANTIS SUBMARINES Atlantis offers you the rare opportunity to enjoy two fascinating experiences at the same time. The ideal way to go for an exciting ride on a real submarine, while also exploring the fascinating underwater world, normally only accessible to scuba divers. The knowledgeable co-pilots take you safely down to a depth of 130 feet to reveal the magnificence of the ocean floor and all the wonderful creatures that live there, as well as an intriguing shipwreck. Atlantis offers day and night tours. Both unveil the splendour of the coral reefs, swaying sea fans and a rich abundance of fish. The night dives reveal a whole different cast of underwater characters, as the reef comes alive with rarely seen nocturnal predators.
Tel (246) 436 8929 or after hours 243 1069 Web www.barbados.atlantissubmarines.com Facebook www.facebook.com/AtlantisBarbados Email bdsres@atlantissubmarines.com Address Shallow Draught, Bridgetown
BARBADOS BLUE Barbados Blue, located on the beautiful grounds of the Hilton hotel on the Historic Needham’s Point peninsular and old British Fort, is right in the middle of 38 Dive Sites. Our base also puts us on the southern boundary of the Carlisle Bay Marine Replenishment Area, its FIVE shipwrecks and the Green Turtle snorkel safari site. We visit more sites than anyone else, but due to the popularity of Carlisle Bay we dive it daily for experienced wreck divers as our third dive of the day, and it’s also the best shallow-water training site for new divers who stay on the reef/sandy bottom and don’t penetrate the wrecks.
The Crew
A complete divers' supply centre catering to dive shops, as well as local and visiting divers and snorkelers. They are the authorised dealer on the island for Tusa, Mares, Sherwood and Dacor diving equipment and also supply snorkel gear and a range of diving accessories from Marine Sports, Dive Lights and U/W Cameras. They also carry the Dry Foto 100% Waterproof Case for Digital Cameras. Tax-free shopping is available to visitors (passport and airline ticket required). Centrally located on scenic Carlisle Bay, on Bay Street, with the Marine Park on their doorstep, this fantastic area for snorkeling and scuba diving is easily accessible from the shore.
Headed by PADI/NAUI Master Scuba Instructor and Marine Biologist, Andre’ Miller MSc. Andre conducts coral restoration works throughout the Caribbean and was part of the dive team that opened the Marine Park and sunk the Bajan Queen back in 2002. Since then, fish life on their “house reef” has tripled, and the wrecks are now covered in corals, sponges and tens of thousands of resident reef fish and invertebrates. Robert Bourne, PADI Scuba and Medic Instructor, and Roger White, free diving “champ”, Dive Master and boat captain probably know more about the south coast reefs than some fish. This dynamic duo now lead the way in Barbados’ Saving Coral Reefs lionfish culling efforts. Russell, has recently launched our UV Blue-light Night Dives, which has changed the way even the most experienced divers look at the reef. Amazing!!! Dominique (Brazilian Bajan) and Jessie Rapson (Fitness guru) are our UK trained PADI Instructors, adding a little Portuguese to the mix. Whether diving the deepest wrecks or surfing the biggest waves these two are always near the ocean. SLt. Rodney Wharton, a member of the elite Barbados Coast Guard and “Passay”, a fisherman, are both Rescue Divers. In their down time from Coast Guard ops or fishing they assist with Environmental projects and the volunteer based Water World outreach programs. David “Action” Layne, our waterfront-executive and boat captain from the east coast, organizes our 4-stroke Waverunner rides, snorkel trips and freely passes on his local knowledge on the best food, tours and parties. Office manager Oschell, who keeps it all together, always with a smile, has been working in the dive/snorkel industry for 18 years.
Tel (246) 426-4043 Web www.diversupplybarbados.com Email contact@hazellswaterworld.com Address Carlisle Bay, Bay Street, Bridgetown
Tel (246) 434 5764 Web www.divebarbadosblue.com Email barbadosblue@caribsurf.com Address Hilton Barbados, Carlisle Bay, St. Michael
HAZELL’S WATER WORLD
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
221
ISLAND HOPPING
Private jet transfers are available from Barbados to Canouan, in the heart of the Grenadines
Ginger Lily, located at Baie de Sucre on Bequia, is one of the many exquisite villas available for rent or purchase through Grenadine Escape
Bequia Beach Hotel Photo: Wilfred Dederer/Courtesy Bequia Beach Hotel
222 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ISLAND HOPPING
EXPERIENCE
ecause of Barbados’ position geographically and as an airline hub, this is the perfect jumping off point for little jaunts to neighboring islands. A flight of about 45 minutes can take you to places that prove how diverse the Caribbean experience can be. For lush volcanic mountains, try Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent or Dominica. For multi-cultural hubbub, visit Trinidad and Tobago. For a few days’ sailing from port to port, hop down to The Grenadines and charter a yacht through the little islands that time forgot. You can also sometimes go for the day – fly over in the morning, sail all day and come home feeling like you’ve been away for a week. If life is about making memories, this is one you won’t want to forget!
Escape to the Grenadines The multi-island country of St. Vincent & the Grenadines is a land of contrasts, blessed with verdant mountain landscapes, volcanic-rich soil with unspoiled backdrops of brilliant flora and alluring crystal clear waters which beckon sailors and diving enthusiasts from around the world. The 32 idyllic islands and deserted cays which make up the Grenadines extend 45 miles to the southwest of St. Vincent like a kite’s tail. These include Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent. Barbados is the gateway to these islands and there are a number of options available to get you there. These range from private jets and exclusive yacht charters, to all-inclusive, one-day, or one-week packages offered by tour companies like Chantours who have been creating memorable holiday experiences in the Grenadines and throughout the entire Caribbean for almost two decades. They specialize in island hopping adventures and exclusive yacht charters in the Grenadines and many of the other Caribbean islands, arranging anything from the exceptional and exclusive to the simple and sublime. They can custom-design packages for special events like corporate incentives, group excursions, weddings, or any special occasion for that matter, which can include private jet charters throughout the Caribbean, Europe or North America, luxury mega-yacht charters in the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands and French West Indies and personalized packages to exclusive resorts and villas throughout the entire Caribbean. Lying just nine miles to the south of St. Vincent, Bequia is the largest of the Grenadine islands – a compact seven square miles with about 5,000 warm and friendly inhabitants eager to welcome visitors. Bequia’s history has been deeply entwined with the sea for generations and the age-old traditions of boat building, fishing and whaling are still evident. Although visitor traffic has increased in recent years, the island remains relatively untouched. Here, change takes place at a snail's pace without altering the magic and charm which prevails on this dazzling, sun-drenched little isle. The Bequia Beach Hotel is a new 4-star resort on Friendship Bay beach, offering luxury beachfront suites, spacious ocean view suites, six private villas, a penthouse suite and classic rooms. It’s the perfect place to escape to for a few days, combining luxury, elegance and charm in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere.
ISLAND HOPPING
EXPERIENCE
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
223
ISLAND HOPPING
Dan Christaldi
EXPERIENCE
The Tobago Cays are a cluster of five tiny, uninhabited islands in the Southern Grenadines – Chantours offers day trips and overnight packages from Barbados to many of the neighbouring islands, including the Grenadines.
There remain few places on earth today that can match the unblemished natural beauty, easy accessibility and ‘feel good’ tranquility of the Tobago Cays. Located just a short boat ride from Union Island, the Tobago Cays are a cluster of five tiny, uninhabited islands, collectively sheltered from the open sea by the appropriately named Horseshoe Reef. The shallow water of the lagoon surrounding the Cays inspires an ever-changing kaleidoscope of blues, greens and seemingly limitless shades of aquamarine, creating a truly picture-perfect backdrop for the islands themselves – namely Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Barabel and Jamesby. With their powdery, white sand beaches, coconut palms, occasional
cactus, rocky outcrops and green-topped hills, the Tobago Cays are the epitome of the classic, deserted tropical island; an opinion clearly endorsed by Disney and the producers of the hit movie Pirates of the Caribbean when they chose to film here on Petit Tabac, an uninhabited island on the other side of the Horseshoe Reef. Until fairly recently, many of the Grenadine islands were accessible only by sea, by way of inter-island schooners and ferries. Now, with the addition of small airports on the islands of Mustique, Union Island, Bequia and Canouan, these enchanting hideaways are within quick and easy reach of Barbados. SVG Air, based in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has been taking many a satisfied customer from one Caribbean destination to another for over 20 years. They, along with the Grenadine Air Alliance, operate scheduled and charter flights to and from the Grenadines and a number of other Caribbean destinations. Specializing in private and shared charters SVG Air offers a personalized service second to none. Their private charters offer the convenience of no crowds, no queuing up and no waiting around airports and the short flight times enable you to make the most of your precious holiday days.
Photo: Billy Black
Islands à la Carte w ith Ch an to urs Ca r ibbean
Luxury Yachts
Eden Rock, St. Barths
The Grenadines
With over 20 years experience, we offer a variety of destinations with our unique touch that sets the tone to create rewarding and memorable experiences for our guests ... From exploring deserted islands on our renowned Grenadines Day Tour to discovering the dramatic landscapes of Dominica. We offer day-trips and overnight packages to the Southern Grenadines, Mustique, Bequia, Canouan, Petit St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica & St. Barths. Specializing in luxury and privacy, we can assist with private yacht charters in Barbados, the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands & French West Indies. We can also assist with Inter-island Flights & Private Jet Charters. Plaza 2, Sunset Crest, St. James, Barbados | (246) 432-5591 | reservations@chantours.com | www.chantours.com
224 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ISLAND HOPPING
EXPERIENCE
Grenadine Air Alliance • Trans Island Air • SVG Air • Mustique Airways
• Daily Shared Charter Services between Barbados and St. Vincent & the Grenadines • Daily Services within St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Barbados Tel: (246) 418-1654 | (246) 418-1655 St. Vincent Tel: (784) 458-4380 | (784) 457-5124 e-mail: info@svgair.com | info@mustique.com or info@tia2000.com Are you looking for a vacation with a difference, with a big emphasis on natural beauty, peace and quiet and rest and relaxation? If so, you need to know about one of the best-kept secrets in the Grenadines – the privately owned homes on Palm Island that are available for vacation rentals. These comfortable beach cottages, ranging from 2 to 5 bedrooms, are located right on the beach with spectacular views of the surrounding Grenadine islands. It is an ideal holiday for families, couples or anybody who just wants to get away from it all.
Palm Villa Palm Island, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Palm Island has five beautiful beaches, all offering excellent conditions for swimming, snorkeling and water-sports. There is also a walking trail for the more exercise-oriented visitors. Villa guests wishing to go on a sailing charter to Mayreau and the Tobago Cays can do so by booking directly. The boats are based in Union Island but they will collect guests at the Palm Island jetty. Villa guests are not generally at liberty to use the Palm Island Resort hotel facilities, though it is possible to dine at the resort’s Yacht Club Restaurant and make purchases at the small boutique.
For further information: Tel: (246) 262-5874 or (246) 262 5875 e-mail: keith@millerpublishing.net
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
225
A gem of a chattel house in St. Joseph Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Going, going and soon to be gone due to unstable ground beneath Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Kaye Hinkson, designer at Earthworks with founder Goldie Spieler looking on Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
226 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
XPLORE 228 ADVENTURE 231 CAR HIRE 240 GARDENS 244 HISTORIC BARBADOS 264 BEACHES
The Scotland District Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
ADVENTURE
To take a microlight flight with Paul Nugent Tel: (246) 261-1676. Photo: Sally Miller
Segway Barbados offers an off-road experience taking a guided adventure ride along the scenic northern coastline
The rum tasting session at the Mount Gay Visitor’s Centre
228 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
ADVENTURE
EXPLORE
ooming along in a safari jeep through forest trails, ziplining over the tree tops of a gully, zipping across the seacliffs on a segway, flying over the island in a Microlight aircraft, walking with the monkeys, exploring sea caves that open out to the Atlantic ocean, roaming around working potteries, clambering along underground streams, driving through vast caves, sampling rum in a refinery or exploring the cockpit of a supersonic aircraft - sounds like fun? It’s all in this little island of Barbados! A new way to see Barbados is from above in a light airplane with Kimar Hall. Like so many pilots he can’t get enough of flying and between working as a pilot around the Caribbean he’s happy to rack up some more hours taking visitors for a jaunt across the island for the price of the gas. See page 37. Another way to see this scenery from above, is in a Microlight aircraft. Taking off from the Barbados Light Aeroplane Club, you can take a Microlight flight over the scenic east coast of Barbados all the way to North Point in an open cockpit which allows superb all-round views. How’s that for an exhilarating way to see the island! Call Paul Nugent at (246) 261-1676. The Concorde Experience, next to Grantley Adams International Airport, houses one of the world’s legendary supersonic aircraft with a state of the art multi-media exhibition that is enjoyed by visitors of all ages. Segway Barbados offers an off-road experience taking a guided adventure ride along the scenic northern coastline. Call (246) 253-6772 to book. The Barbados Wildlife Reserve is set amidst a lush Mahogany grove where you can mingle with free roaming Barbados Green monkeys, deer, agouti, mongoose and many other animals. There is also an iguana sanctuary. (See overleaf). Part of the same attraction is Grenade Hall Forest & Signal Station which houses many interesting artifacts, including pre-Colombian tools unearthed during its restoration. There are signs placed strategically throughout the forest giving interesting information about the trees. Sometimes there are larger troops of monkeys here than in the Wildlife Reserve! Farley Hill National Park - the ruins of an old palatial mansion, sweeping grounds with groves of many interesting species of trees and breathtaking views of the east coast make this an excellent spot to stop for a wander or a picnic. Chalky Mount is an ancient pottery village. There are a number of traditional potteries working with the district’s naturally occurring clay. They make traditional Barbadian designs; the monkey jug for holding water and keeping it cool, candle shades, the “conaree” pot, ideal for cooking and serving stews, mugs and plant pots. Of course the island’s most gorgeous pottery is at Earthworks in St. Thomas. See page 235. Aerial Trek is a thrilling zipline adventure over a series of eight platforms and the beautiful eco-system of Jack-in-the-Box gully in the parish of St. Thomas. Call (246) 438-8735 (TREK) or email info@aerialtrek.com to book. Mount Gay Rum is the world’s oldest rum, dating back to 1703. At their Spring Garden distillery friendly guides take you on a tour that fittingly culminates with a fun-filled, taste-testing session. See their ad on page 93.
Dare devil Bajans taking advantage of a calm day at the Animal Flower Cave to leap off the cliff and go snorkeling Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
EXPLORE
ADVENTURE
ANIMAL FLOWER CAVE The Animal Flower Cave is a large sea cave with several huge chambers filled with pools and beautiful windows to the wild Atlantic. Guides accompany visitors through the cave. Steps lead down into the
Tel (246) 439-8797 Open 9am-5pm daily Web www.animalflowercave.com Email animalflowercave@yahoo.com Address North Point, St. Lucy There is an admission fee to tour the cave
230 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
All Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
cave through an opening in the cliff. Weather permitting, you can have a delicious swim in the natural rock pool in the cave. The view from the naturally formed “windows” out to the sea and the pounding surf are simply awesome, so don’t forget your camera. The Pirates Tavern located on the cliff top, serves delicious, fresh Bajan salt bread cutters, wraps and cold drinks. The Animal Flower Cave, run by owners Mannie Ward and his wife Sue, is a perfect spot to stop and enjoy some refreshments.
Top: Enjoying a lovely swim in the cave; Bottom left: There are benches along the cliff where you can sit and enjoy this view; Bottom right: The Pirates Tavern has plenty of seating
CAR HIRE
Car Hire For a small island there is an intriguing number of places to visit and things to do. What may be equally appealing, however, is the fact that everything is less than half an hour’s drive away! Hiring a car is the best way to appreciate the beauty and character of Barbados. Bajans are friendly and always willing to point you in the right direction.
We’ve got the car for you! Explore, Indulge, Enjoy! M Mercedes ercedes A Avant vant G Garde arde
Driving in Barbados In Barbados we drive on the left. You will be required to produce your valid driver's licence as well as a Visitor’s Permit which can be issued by most car hire companies, or from the Oistins, Hastings or Holetown Police Stations. They are valid for six months from the date of issue. Seat belts are compulsory and drivers incur a hefty fine if caught with passengers not using seat belts. Visitors to the island are easily identifiable on the road by the ‘H’ number plate. Locals are usually accommodating of your confusion with directions, roundabouts, road signs, etc. and make allowances. However, since the ‘H’ does identify you as a visitor you can be targets for pickpockets and harassing vagrants. Authorized security personnel at all locations are usually in uniform, so do not pay anyone else who claims to be ‘security’ to guard your vehicle. Please be careful with your possessions and place them in the boot/trunk wherever possible and ensure that the vehicle is always locked when unattended.
Speed Limits In built-up areas or the city - 40 km/h Rural areas, outside the city - 60 km/h ABC Highway - 80 km/h
For those who require the best in a luxury sedan
P Premium remium SUV SUVs Vss A step above, for those who require a modern, luxury SUV experience
Luxury Vans L uxury V ans Luxury 8 seater van. Limo style seating available in some models
Ford F d EEco-Sport S t Just right for the tropics, these are automatic hard top SUVs
Sedans S edans Very spacious and comfortable, good for the family
Car Hire Information All of the rental companies featured here offer unlimited mileage, free delivery and pick-up at hotels, villas, airport and seaport, baby seats and free maps. All vehicles are covered by insurance including limited liability for passengers and third party personal injury coverage. The Collision Damage Waiver is also available. This gives you comprehensive insurance in the event of an accident. CDW does not usually cover damage to rims and tyres. Though credit card insurance covers you for most motor vehicles, check which vehicles are exempt. If you have an accident, you must leave your vehicle in its position and call your car hire company and the police immediately – do not admit liability or agree to costs or compensation. For Police dial 211 and ambulance 511.
EXPLORE
Small C Cars ars Compact and fun, these affordable little cars are a great way to explore
FFree ree deliv delivery ver erry tto o Hotels Hotels and Guest Houses TTel: el: (246) 434-8450 TToll oll FFree: ree: 1-800-581-8773 W Web: eb: w www.carhire.tv ww.carhire.tv Email: rreservationbgi@carhire.tv eservationbgi@carhire.tv
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
231
EXPLORE
ADVENTURE
BARBADOS WILDLIFE RESERVE
Some of the team members from the Barbados Wildlife Reserve - front row Cufbert Holder, Steve Mayers back Jessica Mason, Ron Bovelle and Sam
In this beautiful mahogany forest in St. Peter, a reserved habitat, you can observe a broad cross-section of wildlife (including a great number of Barbados Green Monkeys) at close quarters in their own environment. You will be greeted by Jessica, Betty or Steve who also run a small refreshment bar with cold drinks. There is also a small seating area that serves sandwiches. The animals, with the exception of the very large pythons, are not caged and go about their daily business as if they were completely in the wild. You can only be assured of seeing the monkeys at feeding time (2pm). But move quietly and expect to come across a bushy-tailed mongoose scampering across the path. Marvel at the glimpse of a brocket deer, shyly hiding in the undergrowth. Look and listen, there are lots more animals for you to discover:- cayman, maras, bunny rabbits, tortoises, scarlet ibis, love birds, peacocks and parrots and they could literally be anywhere. An endangered species of Cuban iguana can also be seen amongst the orchids in the Iguana Sanctuary.
GRENADE HALL FOREST & SIGNAL STATION
Scarlet Ibis
Peacock All Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
232 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Walking into the forest is like stepping from a sun-drenched street into a hushed cathedral and the tranquility is all encompassing. You will also see lots of Barbados Green Monkeys here, especially if there are some nuts and seeds being shared out by the receptionist, Cufbert. The nature trail consists of an easy-to-follow coral-stone educational pathway with sign boards asking, "Is this a rain forest?"; "Can nature tell you where to go?"; "Who says money cannot grow on trees?" The answers to each question can be discovered by simply lifting the sliding panel on the front of the sign. Some of the more fascinating information involves plants that were used by slaves as "cures", and how those same plants are now used in modern medicine. The Grenade Hall Forest represents a marvellous opportunity to enjoy, appreciate and learn about our natural environment. In the early 1800s six signal station towers were erected at strategic points around the island. By using flags or semaphores, the signal stations were able to relay intelligence information and other messages from Bridgetown to the north of the island in a matter of minutes. The Grenade Hall tower was restored as close to the original as possible. The interior of the tower has been transformed into a series of interesting exhibitions, with artifacts and audio tapes that explain the history of Grenade Hall and the signal system. The Barbados Wildlife Reserve and Grenade Hall Forest and Signal Station are open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Barbados Wildlife Reserve B Grenade Hall Forest & Signal Station
Opening Hours 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Daily Last admission at 4:00 p.m. Refreshments Bar is open daily & Snack Restaurant is open Monday to Friday. Farley Hill, St. Peter, Barbados, W.I. • Tel: (246) 422-8826 • E-mail: bprc-wr@caribsurf.com
EXPLORE
ADVENTURE
Above: David Spieler, far left, and the team at Earthworks Pottery Below: the founder, Goldie Spieler with her biography - “Becoming No Ordinary Pottery” Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
EARTHWORKS POTTERY Earthworks Pottery - one location, 3 quality Bajan studios. And a café. What more can you ask for? At The Pottery you will be treated to a spectacular working studio and some irresistible works of art. For many visitors Earthworks becomes one of the unique and wonderful memories of a Barbados holiday. Visit the studio (admission is free) to see 14 potters and painters creating functional and fun pieces of pottery in a variety of vibrant Caribbean colours. Everything is efficiently packed for travel or they arrange shipping at special rates. These high quality pottery wares are all dishwasher and microwave safe and oven proof. At Tulis Batik you can watch the master Batik maker creating beautiful garments and paintings or sign up for a one day batik course with Henderson Reece. His classes are ‘al fresco’ and he supplies all the materials. The On The Wall Gallery carries a wide assortment of work by talented Bajan artists and craftspersons, from jewellery, to wood-work to fine art paintings with work by Vanita Comissiong, Heather-Dawn Scott, Ann Dodson and many other leading artists. The Art House Café specializes in the tastiest gourmet sandwiches around as well as great salads and pastas, and cold tropical drinks.
Tel (246) 425-0223 Web www.earthworks-pottery.com Email eworks@caribsurf.com Address Edgehill Heights, St. Thomas
234 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
VANITA BRATHWAITE HER HEART IS AS BIG AS HER KITCHEN By Sarah Venable Above: Miss Brathwaite hard at work preparing lunch Below: Pudding & Souse Photo: Gina Francesca
236 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
n the narrow main road that snakes through an obscure country village in Workmans, St. George, Vanita Brathwaite occupies her late father’s home. It’s just like any other mid-century Barbadian house. The new-ish patio built off one corner is the only clue that this is a place to stop for lunch. You can take it away, eat outside, or sit in the house. The living/dining room is dominated by a long table, covered in a floral cloth. Freezers and a fridge hug the wall. Grab a drink and make yourselves at home! “I started this business because I love cooking,” she said with a smile. It fascinated her from early childhood, when she trailed her granny in the kitchen to learn how she did it. “She was afraid I would get burned and tried to run me. I did the same with my aunt and cousin.” Eventually, she got to try things herself. In the ‘70s, her family kept livestock. “When we’d kill a pig, I’d make pudding and souse and invite people over. They kept asking if I ever thought about selling it. So I decided to try it on a small scale on weekends.” At that point, Miss Brathwaite was working in a garment factory. “I used to cook food on mornings and carry and sell to girls at work. Then I started taking in pudding and souse on Fridays too. One day in 1980 I decided to give it a shot in full—win or lose. On my birthday I told the firm ‘I done with this here.’ I’ve been doing this since then. I have no regrets, none whatsoever.” She does lunches every day except Monday, with a different menu every day, except Friday and Saturday—her busiest days—which are both devoted to pudding and souse, baked or fried chicken, and baked or fried pork. It’s all hearty, and served with homemade pepper sauce. Her husband, who used to work at CBC as a rigger, is now retired and helps her out. Miss Brathwaite’s (yes, people call her Miss) main customers are CO Williams employees, policemen, magistrates, and some Closed Brethren who normally call for take away. They’re not all in the neighbourhood; many make a point of driving to her. How did they know of her? Word of mouth. On a shelf near her table is an award presented by the Barbados Labour Party for assisting people in her neighbourhood. “Nobody ever goes hungry around me,” she explained. “Anything that leave over, I parcel it out and give it away. Or people come around and I give it. At Christmas, for about 20 something years, I give out ten hampers to poor people and old people. Even if I get nothing to eat, I do that.” Most of it goes to people in other parts of the island, whom she learned of in the same way people learn of her—word of mouth.
ADVENTURE
EDU EDUCATIONAL DUCAT TION IO AL FUN
ECO ADVENTURE TOUR
TRA TRAM RAM TOUR TOURS URS
EXPLORE
NATURE URE TRAILS TR RAIL AILS
Tel: (24 Tel: (246) 246) 6) 4 417 417-3700 1 -3 370 700 0 | Fa Fax Fax: x: (24 (246) 246) 6) 4 417 417-3709 1 -3 370 709 9 | re reserv reservations@harrisonscave.com rva ations@h @harrisonsca i cave ve.c com | h har harrisonscave.com risonsca i cave ve.c com
HARRISON’S CAVE Harrison's Cave is an amazing underground cave stream system, with awesome caverns and crystallized formations. This phenomenal underground attraction is one of Barbados’ premier visitor attractions, truly a must see when on vacation! Located in the central uplands of Barbados, it is a magnificent attraction with unmatched beauty anywhere else in the Caribbean. This world-class attraction continues to grow with exciting tours including their Scenic Gully Tours, Walk-In Cave Tours, Eco Adventure Tours and amazing educational programmes like the Harrison’s Cave Bat Programme and Junior Explorers Tour. Harrison’s Cave offers visitors to Barbados an entire new world to discover in one attraction. Unearth the Adventure! Harrison’s Cave is also the ideal picturesque venue for wedding receptions, meetings and corporate retreats, Christmas parties as well as lunch and dinner functions. Open daily (except Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 1st Monday in August and Christmas Day) with tours from 8:45am to 3:45pm.
Tel (246) 417-3700 Web www.harrisonscave.com Twitter @harrisonscave Facebook HarrisonsCaveBarbados Email reservations@harrisonscave.com Address Welchman Hall, St. Thomas
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
237
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
RAMONA ROACH A BOSS AT BAKING
By Sarah Venable
Ramona with a small sampling of a day’s produce - salt breads, coconut turnovers, currant slices, jam puffs and her number one seller, meat rolls Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
hen she was at the University of the West Indies and Barbados Community College, Ramona Roach concentrated on biology, chemistry and geography. Owning a business wasn’t on her radar. From the age of 17, the young student worked at Golden Crust bakery in Speightstown on weekends. When she left UWI it became her full time job. Then, at age 27, she bought the business. Located almost opposite the Speightstown esplanade and just down from St. Peter’s parish church, her bakery is has been renamed PRC. It’s the initials of the three partners, Pierre-Louis, Roach, and Corbin, but when people ask what PRC stands for, Ramona answers with a smile, “Prices Real Cheap.” In 2003, Golden Crust’s owners decided to sell the bakery. Ramona’s job would be gone. What to do? “A customer suggested that I buy it and kept encouraging me to go for it,” said Ramona. Her father’s sister and her boyfriend always wanted to have their own business, so they understood. So did her father’s brother. He and the aunt said, “You’ve been working there for ten years. Buy it. We’ll invest.” And invest
238 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
they did, not only financially but by coming in to help. Ramona now employs four full time bread bakers and two pastry bakers, most of whom worked with her back in the Golden Crust days. They make traditional Bajan fare: currant slices, jam puffs, the famous salt bread (so named to distinguish it from sweet bread,) coconut turnovers made with local coconut, and meat rolls. A flaky pastry stuffed with a spicy mixture of minced beef, seasonings, and Scotch bonnet peppers, PRC’s meat rolls are their top sellers. They also make the old time specialties—rock cakes, lead pipes, and corn biscuits. She wants to develop healthy new products, and has been researching multigrain bread and sourdough, which is easier on the digestive system than normally-yeasted bread. If she’s stressed by her responsibilities, it doesn’t show in her face. Maybe that’s because it’s her employees who have to be there at 4:30 a.m. to bake. Ramona rolls in at 7, after a half hour drive from the New Orleans neighbourhood of Bridgetown, where she was raised. In the future, she’s hoping to purchase a property. With her track record, we bet it won’t be long.
ADVENTURE
EXPLORE
ADVENTURELAND 4 X 4 TOURS ISLAND SAFARI Explore the many unique attractions Barbados has to offer, as you tour the tropical terrain in the privacy of your rented, specially equipped and rigged 4x4! Strap up and enjoy, as their friendly tour-guide excites your imagination with tales rich in the history and culture of our little island paradise. They will take you to a beach on every coast that you desire. Bring your camera and grab the breathtaking beauty of Barbados. Go where you want and do what you want!
Tel (246) 434-8414 Web www.adventurelandbarbados.com Email info@adventurelandbarbados.com
Welcome to Island Safari, the pioneer in Jeep Safari 4 x 4 Island Tours in Barbados. Step into one of their comfortable safari rigged Land Rovers and prepare yourself for the Island Tour of your life! Island Safari shows you the island like no one else can! They promise to take you to some of the most beautiful places on the island, places inaccessible to others, but no problem to our 4x4 vehicles. Along the way, their professional guides will keep you entertained and informed as they share the island’s folklore, culture, history, and some of the many visual perspectives and astounding photo opportunities you will ever encounter! While on safari, you will experience many sights, both on and off the beaten track–gullies, coastal views and many hidden secrets which the first settlers would have encountered. Truly a day of adventure and exploration!
Tel (246) 434-8414 Web www.islandsafari.bb Email info@islandsafari.bb
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
239
GARDENS
Angela Hurdle serves delicious fish cakes at the Flower Forest
Head gardener at the Flower Forest, Denis Allman
Anthony Hunte of Hunte’s Gardens All Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
240 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
GARDENS
EXPLORE
ne of the aspects of the tropics that most amazes visitors is the flora - the incredible variety, the vivid colours and just how big the plants can grow. The five gardens that are open to the public year round are all quite different and for that reason each one is well worth a visit – all five of them will amaze you. Flower Forest, Welchman Hall Gully and Hunte’s Gardens are all within 10 minutes of each other and Orchid World is a few minutes away in the cool elevated areas of St. George. Andromeda Gardens is in the seaside district of Bathsheba. The Flower Forest, formerly Richmond Sugar Plantation, is situated in the verdant highlands of St. Joseph. The endeavour of turning it into a botanic garden was started by a group of passionate horticulturalists in the 1970’s. David Spieler, well known in his role at Earthworks Pottery, recently bought the property and has thrown himself into the never ending task of both preserving this national treasure and taking it to a new level with specialist tropical hybrid flowers. Exotic tropical blooms from the Flower Forest were exhibited in 2012 by Barbados at the Chelsea Flower Show in London and the judges singled them out for their special interest. Flower Forest offers a relatively easy wander through a haven of lush tropical flora with sweeping views of the Atlantic coastline. The tranquillity of the place is pervasive and the calming influence is nature’s gift to everyone. There is a spacious central facility serving light lunches including Angela’s delicious fish cakes, icecream and drinks and a garden gazebo that is suitable for weddings. Nearby, Anthony Hunte has lovingly created an extraordinarily beautiful garden in a natural amphitheatre. Like all truly devoted gardeners he and his assistant Vicki work unstintingly and can usually be found in the garden. This garden presents a riot of tropical colour for the eyes while the ears are treated to Hunte’s classical music. Jenny Blanc Designs are displaying their new outdoor furniture line, so visitors can choose their favourite view point to sit and relax. Rum punch or lemonade is served. Take a picnic! Orchid World has a fine collection of orchids. It is a wonderful place to photograph these extraodinary tropical blooms in colours that are quite rare in plant life. There are thousands of plants from all over the world on display in tastefully designed grounds. Historic Welchman Hall Gully was one of the Barbados National Trust’s first acquisitions after it was established in 1961. Today it is under the energetic stewardship of Deborah Branker who works tirelessly to keep the gully filled with an abundance of flourishing, exotic tropical plants and trees. A wild troop of Barbados Green Monkeys resides there. Andromeda Botanic Gardens is in the picturesque seaside village of Bathsheba on the east coast. It was founded over fifty years ago by world renowned horticulturalist Iris Bannochie. The lush gardens span 6½ acres and host a horticultural collection containing about 650 species from the Caribbean, Tropical Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and Pacific Islands. It is now owned by the Barbados National Trust under the stewardship of Vicky Goddard.
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
GREGORY POLLARD DIFFERENT ABILITY
By Sarah Venable
Above: Gregory standing by his alocias and red sorrel plant. Inset: Preparing beds for planting in his vegetable garden with his “work in progress” house behind. Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
very year, the Community Independence Celebrations includes a garden and community mini-park competition. Last year, Gregory Pollard won a special award for the little piece of land he tends near his unfinished house. With its beds of purple flowers, cluster roses, bright ixora, and shafts of red dracaena, his Welches, St. John garden is a bounteous beauty. For the competition he wrapped the trunks of his coconut palms in the national colours. Where flowers and colourful foliage aren’t planted, herbs and vegetables grow. What’s unusual is that Mr. Pollard has no arms. Correction: what’s unusual is that Mr. Pollard’s condition hasn’t prevented him from forking, pruning, watering and otherwise tending his little piece of land, and living on his own. The competition had no category for the differently abled, so Landscapes in Harmony and Field Insurance Brokers partnered with the judges and Community Independence Secretariat to create the Inspirational Award, consisting of a plaque and a cash prize.
242 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
To others with disabilities Mr. Pollard would say,“Never say ‘I cannot make it.’” Though he receives some government assistance, he also earns a livelihood by selling vegetables to people in his village and surrounding districts. He also keeps a splendid sow and raises piglets for sale. Personal independence is important to him. One of ten siblings, he was born with partial hands attached just below his shoulder joints. His parents were prepared to give him a life of dependency, but this didn’t make sense to young Gregory. What would happen when they died, or if his sisters got married and left? He learned to cook for himself and found something he could do to support himself. Now in his mid-50s, he spends most of his time in the garden. Bit by bit, he is building his own home of wood and concrete on the rocky slopes overlooking Bath. On Sundays you’ll find him at Mount Ebel Pentecostal Church, and you’ll usually see him smiling. There’s a Bible quote that helps sustain his spirits: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
GARDENS
EXPLORE
WELCHMAN HALL GULLY HUNTE’S GARDENS
FLOWER FOREST
Located in the heart of the island, only 2 minutes from Harrison’s Cave, Welchman Hall Gully is a Barbadian treasure. Take a stroll along the path through exotic tropical plants and trees. In the peaceful hush of the gully, visitors can often see troops of Green Monkeys frolicking in the trees – a good time to see them is between 10am and 1:30pm. Well worth a visit. Stunning views from the gazebo.
Located in the lush ‘Scotland District’, the Flower Forest Botanical Garden is a must visit for nature lovers of all ages! Take a peaceful stroll through a mature rainforest of majestic palms, colourful tropical blooms and more! This 53 acre nature reserve and garden offers spectacular views of the east coast - some of the best panoramic photo ops in Barbados. There is a small café.
Tel (246) 438-6671 Address Welchman Hall, St.Thomas Open Daily 9am - 4pm Adm Adults BB$24/Children BB$12.50
In the lush hills of St. Joseph, Anthony Hunte has lovingly landscaped an arena sized natural amphitheatre into what can only be described as a truly stunning tropical garden. It is literally breathtaking. There are small seating areas to relax and take it all in while listening to Anthony’s classical music which is broadcast garden wide. There is also a plant nursery with specialist tropical plants from all over the world. Lemonade and rum punch served.
Tel (246) 433-3333 Address Castle Grant, St. Joseph Open Daily 10am - 4pm | Adm BB$30
Tel (246) 433-8152 Address Richmond, St. Joseph Open Daily 8am - 4pm Adm Adults BB$25/Children 5-13 BB$12.50
BHS OPEN GARDENS
ORCHID WORLD
ANDROMEDA GARDENS
Apart from the Barbados Horticultural Society annual flower show, which is held at the Society’s headquarters at Balls on the last weekend of January, they also hold a series of open gardens on Sundays during January and February. These congenial occasions afford the general public a rare chance to see some of the island’s best private gardens. A delicious tea is served by the hard working members of the BHS. See calendar for details.
Orchid World is perched some 800 feet above sea level, overlooking the sugar cane fields of St. John and St. George. The orchids on display include imported varieties from Thailand, Singapore, Hawaii and the USA, as well as Barbadian specimens. There are both the terrestrial varieties and the epiphytes. Orchid World is also available as a venue for weddings and other events.
Nestled on a cliff overlooking the coast, Andromeda was originally developed in 1954 by the late horticulturalist, Iris Bannochie, with exotic plants and blooms from around the world creating one of the finest botanical gardens in the Caribbean. The property was left to the people of Barbados following her death in 1988 in the care of the Barbados National Trust. An interesting garden to visit.
Tel (246) 428-5889 Address Balls, Christ Church Email hortsociety@caribsurf.com
Tel (246) 433-0306 Address Groves, St. George Adm BB$20/Under 12 BB$10
Tel (246) 433-9384 Address Bathsheba, St. Joseph Open Daily 9am - 4:30pm Adm Adults BB$25/Children BB$12.50
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
243
HISTORIC TREASURES
Tomb of David Raphael de Mercado in the graveyard of Nidhe Israel Synagogue, Bridgetown Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
The HMS Beagle off Chile, very likely with Charles Darwin and Benjamin Bynoe on board
Lady Gilbert Carter designed Illaro Court, now the official residence of the Prime Minister
244 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
Vignettes of Eight Interesting Barbadians By Dr. Karl Watson President of the Barbados National Trust Following are a series of vignettes about the lives of 8 outstanding Barbadians, beginning with David Raphael de Mercado in the seventeenth century and finishing with Lady Gilbert Carter in the twentieth century. In reading these 8 stories, the reader will gain an appreciation for the rich history of this small but incredibly complex nation, Barbados.
David Raphael de Mercado David Raphael de Mercado lies buried in the graveyard of the Jewish synagogue in Bridgetown. He was a Sephardic Jew whose trajectory in life took him across the Atlantic from Amsterdam, where his family had taken up residence after the expulsion of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula in the late fifteenth century. When in 1630, Dutch troops captured Pernambuco, a section of North Eastern Brazil, known for its production of sugar, many Sephardic families left Amsterdam and set up residence in Recife, Pernambuco. The de Mercado family was one of these. The Sephardic Jews of Recife played an important role in the sugar industry there, both as planters and as exporters of sugar. They rapidly acquired a command of the technology of the day necessary for successful sugar production. In Recife, the de Mercado men were prominent in the affairs of the Zur Israel synagogue, exercising various positions on the Mahamad or governing body of the synagogue. With the Portuguese reconquest of Pernambuco in 1654, it was clear that the situation was untenable for Jews in a Roman Catholic country where the Inquistion brutally maintained religious orthodoxy. Essentially Jews had three choices, convert to Christianity, flee the country or stay and be burnt alive in an auto da fe. He and his father Dr. Abraham de Mercado wrote to Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector requesting permission to relocate to Barbados. Having received the requisite permission, the de Mercado’s as well as other Sephardic families came to Barbados in 1655 where they helped to establish the Nidhe Israel synagogue (the Dispersed of Israel). Many of the Sephardic families who brought with them a working knowledge of the sugar industry were instrumental in effecting technological transfers from Brazil to Barbados. The specialized type of mill or engenho used to grind the sugar cane was one such transfer. David Raphael de Mercado, “by his long residence in the West Indies with much study, charge and expense” invented a new type of crushing system for the mills being built in Barbados. A warrant was issued in 1663 for its use, “not only in Barbados but in all the Caribbean islands.” De Mercado was supported in this venture by the Governor of Barbados, Lord Willoughby and in London by Lawrence Hyde, Lord Rochester, a favourite of Charles II. In 1664 a patent was issued by the Crown which gave them “the sole making and framing of sugar mills after a new manner invented by David de Mercado who is desirous for the said grant to be made to them they giving him all due encouragement.”
Courtesy of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
Page from an anonymous 18th century journal giving an account of Joseph Rachell
Joseph Rachell Joseph Rachell was undoubtedly the earliest and wealthiest black businessman of Bridgetown. This was a remarkable achievement given the context of the times in which it was achieved. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the system of slavery was at its peak and non whites were at a considerable disadvantage in every way conceivable. Slaves were chattel or disposable property and free coloureds and blacks had very limited legal standing and in a court of law, could not bear witness against whites. The first mention of Joseph Rachell in the existing documents, records his baptism on 4th May, 1726 at St. Michael’s church in Bridgetown. He is described as “a free negro boy about ten years old.” He must have been of a short, slim, very boyish stature, as in reality, he was sixteen when baptized. The witnesses to his baptism were John Bellarmine, Charles Mingo and Sarah Peace. We know nothing about the latter two witnesses, but the first one, John Bellarmine was a free negro, born 1699, the son of Thomas and Rachael Bellarmine, also free negroes. It is highly likely that Charles Mingo and Sarah Peace were also free negroes. These details are important because
they speak to the very small free coloured and black community that existed on Barbados towards the end of the seventeenth century. This was such a small community that it is possible that all its members were known to each other. These connections may provide clues to Joseph Rachell’s parentage, since to date; no document has been located which confirms the date of his birth. However, recorded details from his tombstones show the year to be 1710. His parents were almost certainly William Rachel, described as “a negro of Col. Eginton” and Susannah Green, a free negro. These two individuals were baptized and married at St. James’ Church on the same day, 11th April, 1701. The surname Rachel is an unusual one and a search of the records shows that for the time period in question, William Rachel was the sole possessor of this name. There are no other individuals in existing documents who bear this name. Therefore, it is logical to assume that Joseph Rachell was the son of William and Susannah Rachel. This assertion is supported by the fact that on 23rd January, 1750, Joseph Rachell had his son baptized William Francis…one would assume in memory of his grandfather. Provided all the above is correct, then Joseph Rachell would have
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
245
EXPLORE
HISTORIC TREASURES
Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Joseph Rachell was buried in the Old Churchyard, now St. Mary’s Church, “His funeral was attended by thousands of whites (some of them very respectable people) and by a prodigious concourse of blacks.”
been free born, even though his father was a slave, as the status of slave was passed through the maternal line and Susannah was a free woman. We do not know what became of his parents. They simply disappear from the record. It is entirely possible that they died sometime after Joseph was born. Had they then been alive, they would certainly have been at his baptism in 1726. He married Elizabeth Cleaver on 11 April, 1741. Both were listed in the register as free negroes. Their union produced a number of children. According to contemporary opinion, Joseph Rachell “dealt chiefly in the retail way and was so fair and complaisant in business that in a town filled with little peddling shops, his doors were thronged with customers …. his character was so fair, his manners so generous that the best white people showed him a regard which they often deny men of their own colour.” His business interests extended beyond Barbados, as he had links with the Leeward Islands, Demerara and Essequibo (part of what is today Guyana). He also operated a fleet of fishing boats which were manned by his slaves, for Joseph Rachell like other free coloured and black individuals, owned slaves. He had the reputation of being “extremely kind to his negroes.” He also employed various white people in his business, identified as “his book keeper, his apprentices etc.” who “spoke of him in a respectful manner and particularly revered him for his humanity and tenderness.” Rachell was very aware of the large poor white population of Barbados. This was the largest component of the native white population, numbering over fifteen thousand individuals who could be found in the countryside and in Bridgetown. A contemporary observed, “I have heard poor white persons talk of J.R. to this effect. “Mr. Rachell was a blessed man, for no poor thing ever went hungry from his house, and some who had seen better days were shown into a back room and had victuals set before them.” The same writer also noted that Rachell “supported two or three old indigent whites and left them something at his death.” Even though he was the owner of the store, as a black man,
246 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
he operated at a distinct disadvantage and the unscrupulous were prepared to take advantage of his vulnerability, especially since in a court of law, he could not offer evidence against a white man. Fortunately for him, Rachell was well liked by the townspeople. However, there was a prominent white man who had a rather curmudgeonly reputation and was known for his habit of taking things without paying. For some time, he had been visiting Rachell’s store and requesting goodly quantities of cocoa which he termed samples. He would stuff these “samples” in the large pockets of his coat, enough to last him for a week at a time. This went on for some months but there was nothing Joseph Rachell could do about the situation until he came up with this stratagem. He told one of his white clerks that he and no one else should attend to the colonel’s needs. He was given a sack of cocoa and instructed that the colonel’s “samples” should be taken from this sack and no other. After some time, the sack was almost empty and Rachell prepared a bill which he told the clerk to pass on to the colonel. There was a great deal of hemming and hawing and initially, the colonel refused to pay up. But realizing that he would be taken to court and the white sales clerk would give evidence against him, he conceded that it was better to pay the bill. Despite the difficulties that Rachell faced in a slave society, he tried to be as helpful as possible to white families who were facing difficult economic times. He often bought properties that had been seized for debt and returned them to their original owners once the debt was cleared. His willingness to help others was legendary. “I have heard my father lament much that J.R.’s generosity was much imposed upon, both by whites and blacks.” When Joseph Rachell died on the 15th October, 1760 at the age of fifty, he was buried in the Old Churchyard, now St. Mary’s Church, where so many of the free coloured community of the time were buried. “His funeral was attended by thousands of whites (some of them very respectable people) and by a prodigious concourse of blacks.”
Images courtesy of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
Left: Contemporary newspaper report on the Somerset case focusing on John Alleyne’s arguments Right: John Alleyne was christened in St. Peter’s Parish Church
John Alleyne The Alleyne family has a long and illustrious history on Barbados. The eighteenth century Barbados Chronicle described the Alleynes as “one of the most ancient families in this island… of respectable descent.” In the limited context of our island, certainly the most prominent of the Alleynes was Sir John Gay Alleyne, after whom the present day Alleyne School is named. However in an international context, there were Alleynes or extended members of the Alleyne family who played important roles. One such was Alleyne Fitzherbert, Lord St. Helens, for whom the famous mountain in Washington, USA is named. Alleyne Fitzherbert, whose grandmother, Judith Alleyne was a Barbadian, played an important role at the diplomatic talks resulting in the signing of the Treaty of Paris which concluded the American Revolutionary War. John Alleyne was born 25th September 1748, the son of Thomas Alleyne and his wife Hannah née Downes. Thomas Alleyne owned Four Hills and the Rock Plantations. The Alleynes took their son to England in later years to be schooled at Eton. In England, the young Alleyne met his prominent relatives and was introduced to other influential people who formed part of his family’s circle. One such individual was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin knew John Alleyne well enough to give him a pet name... ‘Jack’. The Franklins and Alleynes became linked through marriage, as John’s aunt, Elizabeth Downes married William Franklin, the son of Benjamin. William Franklin was named the last Royal Governor of New Jersey and during the American revolution, this caused a rupture in family relations as William was deemed a traitor to the American cause. After leaving Eton, he was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1767 and called to the bar in 1772. Soon after, the young lawyer was called on by Granville Sharpe to join a team he was assembling to fight what would be the landmark case of the slave Somerset. Somerset was being forcibly shipped from England to the West Indies. Alleyne joined four eminent lawyers who all worked pro bono to prepare and plead the case before the Chief Justice, Lord Mansfield.
The signal honour of presenting the closing arguments went to Alleyne. Slavery was not natural he argued. There was no scriptural or theological justification for slavery, nor was there any legal basis for slavery as it was diametrically opposed to the idea of human rights. He stressed the “despicable condition in which Negroes have the misfortune to be considered.” And he talked about “the horrid cruelties scarce credible in recital perpetrated in America.” His concluding sentence was : “Nor can I believe, we shall suffer any individual living here to want that liberty, whose effects are glory and happiness to the public and every individual.” The newspaper accounts of the day speak to his eloquence and well constructed arguments. In fact in his summation, Mansfield singled out Alleyne and Hargreaves for praise, commenting on their “talents and great industry.” Somerset won his freedom and many historians have interpreted the Mansfield ruling as “being of crucial importance in the struggle against slavery.” Barbados’ agent in England at the time, Samuel Estwick, blasted the Mansfield decision and berated Alleyne for his “ill grounded and uncalled for approach” which he suggested was grounded in emotion or as he put it, “mere argumenta ad pasiones.” Nevertheless, Estwick could not help admiring his fellow Barbadian and declared “it was with infinite pleasure I perceived those rays of genius and abilities in him, which promise to shine forth so conspicuously, to the ornament of this country, and to the honour of Barbadoes, his native island in America.” The abolitionist William Dickson wrote, “I understood that a Mr. Alleyne (a name justly distinguished in Barbadoes for humanity and good sense) did himself and that his native island, much credit by exerting his eloquence and learning in behalf of the Negro Somerset.” Just as Alleyne’s star was in the ascendancy, for he became a published author and was elected to the very prestigious Royal Society, fate intervened. John Alleyne died young. He was twenty nine when he passed away at his father-in-law’s house in July, 1777.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
247
HISTORIC TREASURES
Photo: Mike Toy, courtesy Historic Houses of Barbados
EXPLORE
Byde Mill, residence of Joshua Steele
Joshua Steele Joshua Steele is a brilliant example of age setting no barriers. An Irishman, Steele had already created a reputation for himself in Europe as an intellectual. His book “An Essay towards establishing the Melody and Measure of Speech to be expressed and perpetuated by certain Symbols” (1775), aroused considerable interest. At the age of eighty he inherited plantations on Barbados, including Kendal, as a result of his earlier marriage to a Barbadian widow, Sarah Osborne. Steele went out to Barbados in 1780 and immediately set about introducing a series of innovations on his estates. He set up ‘A Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce of this Island’. This was modeled on the London Society of Arts. “In short, next to the Reformation of the Slave system, the employment of the destitute White Poor of that island, appears to have been his grand aim in founding the Barbadoes Society of Arts.” Steele was so concerned with the status and well being of the large poor white population of Barbados that he attempted to provide ways of earning income through the establishment of various types of cottage industries. He brought in silk worms and mulberry bushes in an effort to start a silk industry. Various local plants were tested to see whether they could provide the raw material for clothing. Among the plants tested were various types of “cotton, silk grass, cabbage tree leaves, plantain stalks etc.” In fact, Steele turned up at a function at Government House wearing a “handsome coat” made from the fibre of “Ipecacuanha or Indian root, a common weed on Barbados.” He was very concerned for the well being of the enslaved population and one of the first things he did on his estate was to
248 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
take away the whips from all of his overseers, who all promptly resigned. He forbade arbitrary corporal punishment and set up a court on his estate which was run by the slaves themselves. He established a copy hold system and offered wages to the slaves on his estates in exchange for their labour. Steele must be regarded as an early abolitionist whose distinction lies in the fact that he did not attempt to change things from the other side of the Atlantic, but rather, wrote, educated and agitated as a resident planter of Barbados. His views were far advanced in comparison to what was the norm for the time… in that respect, he was truly a man of the future living in late eighteenth century Barbados. He wrote copiously during the last sixteen years of his life which he spent on the island. Many of his letters were later collected and published by another abolitionist, William Dickson in the books: ‘Mitigation of Slavery and Letters on Slavery’. One area that constantly received Steele’s attention was the local laws governing the system of slavery. Steele insisted that there had to be “a total alteration of the local laws, agreeably to the dictates of humanity and piety, which must make the condition of the slaves more happy, and at the same time, encrease the fortunes and comforts of their masters, beside giving a commercial credit to the colonies, better than they have ever yet had, in this century.” Dickson, who met Steele socially when they both lived on Barbados, said of him that “his perseverance, affability and extensive information qualified him well for such undertakings.” He commented that “Mr. Steele’s conversation was highly entertaining and instructive” and “he could set the table in a roar with his playful stories and arch remarks.” However, on a small island steeped in traditional ways of doing things, “old Steele’s projects” did not always meet with approval. Moreover, his loyalty to the Crown came into question on occasion as it was rumoured that Steele “was more friendly to the American cause than became a good British subject.” Steele encountered first hand, local traditions which conflicted with his own economic interests. One such was the accepted arrangements on absentee estates managed by locals, which allowed them to keep their own animals. To illustrate the difficulties this practice engendered, Dickson tells this story about Steele: “On his first arrival, he dined much abroad, but having completed his domestic arrangements, he naturally wished to entertain his friends in his turn, and among other preparations he told his principal black servant to get a goat killed.... “Da Manager’s, Massa said the man.... Well take one of the fattest of the sheep.... Dem de Manager’s.... A pig... Da Manager’s all de same.... A turkey and some fowls.... Dem ebery one Manager’s good Massa.... Go call the Manager.... The Manager came.... I find, Sir, said Mr. Steele, that all the small stock, as well as a number of the Negroes and cattle are yours, so you had better get them all together, and take yourself and them away and then I shall know what I can call my own.” Dickson remarks that “probably the Manager little expected his aged employer to come over from England and call him to such an account.” Steele may have been aged but Barbados seems to have given him new vigour. He entered a relationship with a black slave Ann Statia, with whom he had two children. At his death in 1796, he bequeathed his estate “to my sister Mary Ann Steele and my slave children, Katherine and Edward Steele” and directed that they should be educated in England.
Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
Tombstone of Amaryllis Collymore, who is buried in the Old Church Yard, St. Mary’s Church, Bridgetown.
Amaryllis Collymore During the last fifty years of slavery, the free coloured and black community of Barbados grew in numbers and complexity. Many of the women of this group rose to some prominence because of their economic success. Through perseverance and skilful manoeuvering, they carved out niches for themselves. Probably the best known of this group is Rachel Pringle Polgreen whose life history as an abused slave, freed through a romantic liaison and who subsequently became a wealthy hotel owner, has been documented in Rowlandson’s famous cartoon. Amaryllis Collymore was a mulatto slave who caught the eye of a plantation owner, Robert Collymore. Born in 1745, she was the property of a free coloured hotelier, Rebecca Phillips. Amaryllis and Robert developed a longstanding relationship that produced five children. In 1780, Robert Collymore purchased the entire family from Rebecca Phillips and through the agency of a third party, effected the manumission of everyone by 1784. More children were to come of the union, eleven in all. To give Amaryllis financial security and independence, Robert acquired a small plantation of 42 acres, known as Lightfoots
with its sugar works and a labour complement of 44 slaves. Through a formal indenture, she and her ‘heirs and assigns’ were given full rights and ownership of the property. Today, Lightfoots has shrunk in size to seven acres and is now occupied by the Barbados Community College. The house occupied by Amaryllis and her family, now known as Morningside, has been greatly altered and houses the Arts Department. A consummate business woman, Amaryllis ran her plantation so successfully that she was able to expand her business interests into Bridgetown. She bought no less than seven properties in various parts of town which she rented as well as acquiring and operating a shop. This ex slave had done very well for herself, even though she encountered the dual difficulties of being a woman in a man’s world and a person of colour in a society in which whiteness conferred privilege and the non whites faced constant legal and social discrimination. Her descendants also did very well for themselves and that grand old man of Barbadian letters, Frank Collymore, now deceased, was a direct descendant of Amaryllis Collymore.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
249
EXPLORE
HISTORIC TREASURES
Gouldian Finch first described to Western scientists by Benjamin Bynoe
Benjamin Bynoe Benjamin Bynoe was born in Christ Church Parish, Barbados in 1803. He came from a long established Barbadian family. Like so many Barbadians before and since, he sought fame and fortune off the island. In Bynoe’s case, he studied medicine and subsequently joined the Royal Navy. In October 1825, he was appointed Assistant Surgeon on board H.M.S. Beagle. Dr. Bynoe spent eighteen years of his life on board this vessel, taking part in extended voyages of exploration and collecting in South America and Australia. Bynoe’s first voyage took him to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego where the Beagle was engaged in surveying the coastline for cartographic purposes. Using the small sloop of the Beagle, Bynoe explored the many bays and islands in the area known as the Gulf of Sorrows. He had the distinction of having a cape and an island named after him, the first of many such honours. It was on the expedition that Bynoe confronted the first of many medical crises he faced in his career. The Beagle’s captain, Pringle Stokes, shot himself in the head during a severe depression. For twelve days, Bynoe attempted to save his captain’s life, but his injuries were too severe and he died. Bynoe and Charles Darwin met on the second voyage of the Beagle. Between 1831 to1836, the two were in close contact on what was a small ship manned by seventy six individuals. Janet Browne notes that “Bynoe became Darwin’s close friend on the second voyage.” Darwin certainly owed Bynoe a debt of gratitude, as on the voyage, he fell seriously ill when they were at Valparaiso,
250 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Chile and had to spend a month in bed, recuperating. As Darwin notes, “I must likewise take the opportunity of returning my sincere thanks to Mr. Bynoe for his very kind attention to me while I was ill at Valparaiso.” In October 1835, the Beagle cruised the Galapagos Islands where Darwin and Bynoe collected various specimens from the many islands that make up the Galapagos. Later in England, when Darwin was going through his notes in preparation for what became the seminal work, Origin of Species, he realized that his notes were insufficiently accurate, especially in so far as they did not correctly identify the various islands from which the specimens of finches were taken. The reader should remember that one area of difference or evolutionary change which attracted Darwin’s attention, was the differently shaped beaks of birds. Bynoe’s notes provided him with the answers he needed to concretize his hypothesis that species variation from island to island was as a result of natural selection which improved that species chances of survival. Thus was born the principle of evolution. As Charles Darwin himself noted, “the voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event of my life, and has determined my whole career.” Bynoe continued to serve on the Beagle. The third expedition lasted from 1837 to 1843 and focused on Australia. He continued to collect specimens for scientific examination and wrote a number of academic papers, including one on marsupial gestation and on geological formations in Queensland. He experienced adventure after adventure, encountering giant salt water crocodiles or facing parties of aborigines who were protecting their territory from these intruders. His captain J.L. Stokes was speared by an aborigine warrior and Dr. Bynoe had to utilize all his skills to save him. Bynoe’s work was used extensively by others but he never seemed to get the credit due to him. One of his biographers, Keevil notes, “Bynoe had already formed a considerable collection of specimens... birds and fish, coleopteran and Lepidoptera, a part of which collection found its way to the British museum. For this work, Bynoe has received little credit, only one species being later named after him; the limited application of this usual courtesy is strange.” Strange indeed… was Bynoe seen as a colonial... a man from Barbados with no real social ranking in the British scheme of things? The one species named after him was an acacia... Acacia bynoeana. One of the most popular caged birds today is the very colourful Gouldian finch. While on one of his expeditions in the Australian interior, Bynoe saw and collected a stunningly beautiful, multi coloured bird. The bird caught his attention because its “brilliant colours of verdigris green, lilac purple and bright yellow were admirably blended.” This he sent to the British ornithological expert John Gould who promptly named it Amadina gouldiae after himself. One would have thought that he would have given the scientific honours to Bynoe. “Darwin’s triumphs will cause the reader to think on this Barbadian man who braved towering icy seas in Antarctic waters, who set foot where no Westerner had gone before, who, during the crucial Beagle years was the constant and true companion of Charles Darwin, the man acclaimed as one of the greatest scientists of all time and author of what is arguably one of the most important texts of Western civilization. Seen in this context, Benjamin Bynoe is an immortal,” (Watson 2009).
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
Enmore House (William Carpenter) built by the author’s ancestor, Michael Cavan, scene of the execution of Washington Franklin
Joseph Pitt Washington Franklin The 1816 slave revolt in today’s Barbados is synonymous with the name of Bussa though other individuals also played major roles. One such was Joseph Pitt Washington Franklin. Both of these men played major roles in the sole slave revolt in Barbadian history to actually have pitched battles between opposing forces. Nor were they alone. Three free coloured men and a number of enslaved blacks also had leadership positions. Prior to 1816, there were planned revolts but they were betrayed from within. Sadly Bussa’s participation has been highlighted at the expense of Franklin. Franklin was the son of a white planter and a mulatto woman. His baptism is recorded in the St. Philip church register on 24th August, 1782 as follows: “son of Joseph Bailey Franklin and Leah mulatto slave of Mary Franklin.” Joseph Bailey Franklin was the owner of Franklyns (later renamed Vineyard) and Contented Retreat. Washington Franklin was brought up in his father’s household with his three half brothers and sister. This must have been very difficult for him as he would have been accepted to a point and then shunted one side on those occasions when his mixed race made him an embarrassment for his family, for even though he would have been a fair skinned child, the knowledge that his mother was a mulatto slave would have been common knowledge in the parish. What his relationship was with Dorothy Franklin (née Sheafe, daughter of John Sheafe, owner of
Oughterson Plantation) we do not know. Joseph and Dorothy Franklin were married two years after Washington was born. It is highly likely that she knew of the existence of her husband’s illegitimate son even before they were married. However, young Washington must have been a constant reminder of her husband’s relationship with Leah and she may have merely tolerated him or may have been unkind. We can only speculate, neither do we know what his half brothers and sister thought of him. His father though, acknowledged Washington as his son, had him formally baptized at which ceremony Joseph Franklin was officially recorded as the child’s father and gave him the name he himself bore… Joseph.. a name he later gave to another son. His father’s will of 1794, at which time, Washington Franklin was twelve years old, stipulated that “my mulatto boy named Joseph Pitt Washington Franklin be fed, educated in writing and arithmetic and then be put to an apprentice for five years to any trade or profession he may make choice of and be supplied in coarse clothes until his apprenticeship expires at which time he should be manumitted and set free out of my estate and have the sum of two hundred pounds unto him or his heirs.” Provision was made then for “his mother my mulatto woman named Leah to be given to him immediately.” However, “if he dies before he is manumitted, my said mulatto woman Leah be immediately manumitted and set free at the expense of my estate.” J.B. Franklin further stipulated that if any of his other three legitimate sons Thomas John, Joseph Bayley
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
251
EXPLORE
HISTORIC TREASURES
and William Jonathan should die before the age of 21, “an additional eight hundred pounds be given to my mulatto son Joseph Pitt Washington Franklin.” He recommended that “humanity and care be used to and taken of all my slaves, particularly Nelly and Grace, to whom I leave five pounds and desire them to stay with my children.” Following the death of his father, the provisions of the will seem to have been carried out. Washington was certainly manumitted and it is apparent that he did receive an education, leading the historian Robert Schomburgk to assert that he was “superior to those with whom he intimately associated.” Subsequently, two of his brothers, Joseph Bailey and Thomas Jonathan died. There seems to have been some dispute over the further provisions of his father’s will regarding the sum of eight hundred pounds to be given to Washington Franklin and he felt cheated by his half siblings. It is believed that this may have contributed to the radicalization of Franklin. There were probably other contributing factors. The situation of his mother must have caused him anguish. Certainly, even though he was relatively privileged when compared to the lot of the enslaved population around him, it is clear that Washington Franklin empathized with their status and resented the institution of slavery which he hoped to end on the island. Irrespective of his feelings however, he continued to live at Franklyns. From the evidence gathered by the committee to investigate the causes of the 1816 revolt, as well as other sources such as the journal kept in 1816 by Mr. Cave of Nicholas Abbey, one of the officers of the militia operating in St. Philip against the revolting slaves, it is clear that a number of individuals played important roles and that Bussa was not the exclusive leader of the slave revolt. Franklin played a principal role in sensitizing the enslaved population and in providing much of the intellectual impetus for the planning and execution of this revolt. For example, the confession of Robert, slave on Simmons Plantation states that “he heard Jackey say that Washington Francklin was to be Governor and to live at Pilgrim. Jackey used to go very often (sometimes at night) to see Washington Francklin: that he has heard Jackey tell Will
252 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Nightengale to go to Washington Francklin and he would tell him what was to be done.” Robert Schomburgk who arrived in Barbados some thirty years after the events of 1816, to conduct research for his massive History of Barbados, had this to say about Franklin: “superior to those with whom he intimately associated: to him was afterwards distinctly traced the practice of reading and discussing before the slave population those violent speeches which were at that period delivered against slavery in the mother country: nor is there any doubt that he conceived and planned the outbreak which spread such desolation over the island.” It is apparent that he made no effort to protect his family’s plantation. This sustained damage to the amount of three thousand pounds. His sister Elizabeth Franklin died in the same year of the revolt. She was just thirty; her half brother Washington was thirty four. In his Handbook of Barbados (1912) E.G. Sinckler states, “Joseph Pitt Washington Franklin, a free coloured man, conceived and planned the outbreak. He and others were hanged.” By the strangest of coincidences, family connections link the author to Franklin and to his place of execution. The author is related to the Franklin family and Enmore, where Washington Franklin was executed, later became the family home of his ancestors, the Cavan and McChlery families. The 1816 slave revolt was crushed by superior military power within three days. In assessing the role of the forgotten or ignored Washington Franklin, one must ask the question: would the 1816 slave revolt have taken place without the input and role of Franklin to inform and agitate and as the principal organizer? There is every likelihood that the events of 1816 would never have taken place without Franklin. Did Franklin, Bussa, Jackey and all those others who took part die in vain? The answer must be no. Modern historiography while not discounting the work of the abolitionists in Britain, ascribes great importance to the slave uprisings of 1816 in Barbados, 1823 in Demerara, Guiana and 1832 in Jamaica for their role in sensitizing the world to the injustices of slavery and of convincing the authorities who wielded power both in the metropolis and the colonies that change was inevitable.
Lady Gilbert Carter Gertrude Codman Parker was born in Boston, USA into an upper class family whose roots lay in the Mayflower. A child of privilege, she studied art at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. Her marriage in 1903 to Sir Thomas Gilbert Carter the British Governor of the Bahamas after a whirlwind courtship of a few weeks, would take her to Barbados where she also had ancestral roots, as do so many other prominent American families. Her Barbadian ancestor, Nathaniel Kingsland was a landowner in Christ Church and the family name still lives on in the district known as Kingsland. Sir Thomas was re-assigned to Barbados and the couple arrived in Bridgetown in 1904. Almost immediately, her skills were seen by the Barbadian public, when she submitted her designs in a competition to select a stamp issue commemorating the Trafalgar Centenary. Her design did not win, but the following year when another competition was held to design a
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
The 0pening of Queen’s Park in 1909 was presided over by Lady Gilbert Carter who designed and laid it out
stamp for the Tercentenary celebrations of the three hundredth anniversary of the English claim to Barbados, Lady Gilbert Carter submitted another design which won hands down. This was the famous Olive Blossom stamp which has been proclaimed by philatelists as the best designed Barbados stamp. She did not confine herself to graphic design but also wrote and illustrated her works. One such work was ‘A Tropical Alphabet’. She was concerned that children (in this case, she stipulated English children born in the West Indies) would know nothing of holly and heather, larks and mittens... as she pointed out in her preface “You can’t learn anything that way when you never see any of the things. So come with me and I will show you,” Her alphabet then incorporated everyday things that children of the tropics would be familiar with… for example… for ‘G’ she used a grapefruit. The two most enduring legacies of Lady Gilbert Carter to Barbados are Queen’s Park and Ilaro Court, now the official residence of the Prime Minister of Barbados. Bridgetown needed a public space and with the withdrawal of the British military from the island in 1906, the grounds of Queen’s House became available for such a space. Lady Gilbert Carter submitted her design for the gardens. This was bitterly contested by the Vestry. It was only the deciding vote of the Chairman which ensured that Lady Gilbert Carter’s design would be accepted.
Queen’s Park was formally opened to the public in 1909. In addition to the gardens which she laid out at the leper asylum... the Lazaretto, the house and the gardens of Ilaro Court were designed by Lady Gilbert Carter as their residence, since the couple had decided that their years of retirement would be spent in their beloved Barbados. Lady Gilbert Carter it would seem also had a hand in the design of the Empire Theatre. Another of her contributions to the improvement of the lives of mainly middle class women was the establishment of the Women’s Self Help Association. This followed a meeting held at Government House in March, 1907 when she proposed the creation of this association which would enable women to sell to tourists and visitors to Bridgetown, a variety of “needlework, lace, paintings and photographs, also jams, jellies, cakes and sweets... in short, anything made by the women of Barbados which is found to be saleable, well made and attractive.” For over a century, the Women’s Self Help was a feature of commerce in Bridgetown and provided an outlet for many Barbadian women to earn income on their own. Lady Gilbert Carter was Patroness of the Civic Circle for many years. This was an organization of elite Barbadian ladies whose overarching concern was to promote “deeper civic interest in the citizens of Barbados.” This would be accomplished through “improvements both useful and
ornamental” in Bridgetown and its suburbs. Almost all of the beautification of the public spaces of Bridgetown at the time was as a result of the work of the Civic Circle. There were also political overtones to the work of the Civic Circle. In preparation for a formal submission to the Barbadian government regarding extending the franchise to women, in 1926, they organised a special meeting in Queen’s Park, “as the time had come to make a move.” The meeting recorded its “approval of the enfranchisement of the women of Barbados who have certain incomes and are taxpayers.” In 1929 Lady Gilbert Carter and Mrs. Hutchinson were selected to represent Barbados at the National Council’s International Meeting of Women held in London. There they put forward Barbados’ position in respect of the proposed franchise. In this light, Lady Gilbert Carter can be regarded as an early feminist. It should be noted that Barbadian women were not given the vote until 1944. If you visit St. Michael’s Cathedral, you will see the grave where this couple, an Englishman and an American, lie side by side in the soil of the Barbados they loved so well. Author’s Note: Variations in the spelling of names is due to variations in historical documentation.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
253
EXPLORE
HISTORIC TREASURES
MALLALIEU MOTOR COLLECTION Bill Mallalieu could drive a motor car before he could reach the pedals. His love affair with motor vehicles started when he was a child in 1930s Barbados. His father was the rector in charge of St. Joseph’s Parish Church on the infamous Horse Hill, at a time when a horse could climb out of the rugged Scotland District faster than the Model A Ford that his father managed to acquire on his limited earnings from the Anglican Church. As a young man, Bill took up rallying with the Barbados Rally Club. He still holds the record for the fastest hill climb of Spa Hill and will always hold it because that road of car racing lore has since fallen victim to soil erosion. In later years he went on to become a consummate collector of interesting cars, attending the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham annually. He has taken some complete wrecks and, along with Errol Howell his fellow car enthusiast, has restored them meticulously. At 80 he continues to share his collection with visitors because he enjoys meeting interesting people. And how lucky they are to meet him! He is enthused about some new additions to his collection in 2014, but wasn’t able to specify at press time. If you like cars, drop by one morning while Bill Mallalieu is there. You won’t be disappointed.
256 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
SUNBURY HOUSE Set in the heart of the St. Philip countryside, Sunbury is a superb example of a Barbadian sugar estate great house. Built over 300 years ago, Sunbury has a rich history. Originally known as Chapmans, then Branckers, the house was renamed Sunbury some time around 1767 when the new owners named it after their family home in England. The historically listed building is magnificently furnished and it contains one of the country’s superior collections of antiques, china and silver, as well as a most interesting display of old prints. The cellars, originally used for storing root vegetables grown on the plantation, now house the Caribbean’s finest collection of antique carriages. In addition there is a fascinating assembly of household items that many years ago were part of everyday domestic life on a plantation. Sunbury is the only plantation house where every room is open to the public, and visitors are able to view everything from the cellars to the bedrooms. A leisurely stroll through Sunbury House in the company of an informative guide, will give you a very vivid impression of the gracious lifestyle of a by-gone Barbadian era. Throughout the grounds can be found more fine authentic examples of old carts, mule and oxen drawn equipment once used on the plantation. According to the time of day you visit you may wish to enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or a refreshing drink in the garden setting of the Courtyard Restaurant and Bar. For a special occasion you may have an elegant five course candlelight dinner in the very same dining room where the notorious Sam Lord used to come for dinner back in the 1830’s. Sunbury is also an ideal location for any size wedding.
The daily lunch buffet at Sunbury House is fantastic value and very tasty
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
257
EXPLORE
HISTORIC TREASURES
CODRINGTON COLLEGE
GUN HILL SIGNAL STATION
The buildings of Codrington College seem to have been lifted straight from an Oxford quadrangle yet blend perfectly with the surrounding hills and trees of St. John. Christopher Codrington, planter, scholar, soldier and philanthropist, died at Codrington in 1710 leaving his two estates in Barbados to an institution of higher education. The College is now affiliated with the University of the West Indies (UWI) and functions as the theological college of the Anglican church.
This signal station and its stone carved lion have been restored and landscaped by the Barbados National Trust. It now houses a collection of military memorabilia and affords captivating views of the entire island. January to May the Trust holds cocktail parties on Friday evenings nearest to the full moon, complete with sundown taps, from 5:30pm. Bds$40 for non-members, Bds$30 for members, including drinks and hors d’ouvres.
Sir Grantley Adams is a National Hero of Barbados, the first Premier of Barbados and only Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation. Tyrol Cot was his home with his wife Grace and birthplace of his son, Tom, the second Prime Minister of the independent Barbados. A Heritage Village located in the grounds includes a Chattel House village, slave hut and a blacksmith’s hut.
Open daily. No entrance fee.
Tel (246) 429-1358 Address Gun Hill, St. George Open Mon. - Sat. 9am - 5pm Adm BB$10
Tel (246) 424-2074 Address Codrington Hill, St. Michael Adm Adults BB$18, Under 12 BB$10
ST. JAMES PARISH CHURCH
MORGAN LEWIS WINDMILL
ST. JOHN PARISH CHURCH
St. James Parish Church stands on one of the oldest parcels of consecrated land on the island and is often referred to as “God’s acre”. Many of the original settlers and a number of prominent Barbadians were laid to rest in the church and adjoining graveyard. This beautiful old church with its gothic architecture is in mint condition largely due to an enthusiastic group of volunteers some of whom are on hand to conduct tours.
The Morgan Lewis Windmill is the only one of more than 500 sugar mills that existed in Barbados that still remains intact. It is listed on the 1996 World Monuments Fund. It is cranked into action a couple of times a year and the filled sails grind sugar cane producing fresh sugar cane juice for the patrons. The view of the Scotland District from the top of the windmill is magnificent.
St. John Parish Church was first built in 1645. It burnt and was rebuilt in 1676. Destroyed by the great hurricane of 1831, today’s interesting structure, commanding beautiful views of the eastern side of Barbados, was consecrated in 1836. It is considered to be the prototype of the restrained Barbadian version of the Gothic parish church. The interesting graves include that of Ferdinand Paleologus, descendant of the last Greek Emperor.
Address Society, St. John
Tel (246) 422-4117 Address St. James Open daily. No entrance fee.
258 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
For info contact: The Barbados National Trust Tel (246) 426-2421 Open Mon. - Fri. 9am - 4pm
TYROL COT HOUSE AND HERITAGE VILLAGE
Tel (246) 433-5599 Address St. John Open daily. No entrance fee.
MEET A BAJAN
FEATURE
IRENE HALL BOUNDLESS ENERGY
By Sarah Venable
At 88 Irene still lovingly cleans and cares for all the treasures in Wildey House, the headquarters of the Barbados National Trust. Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
rene Hall bustles around Wildey House, the Barbados National Trust’s headquarters, as if it were her own. And well she might; she has been there longer than she can remember, through the tenure of six Trust presidents. She not only tidies the place, she also provides fresh flowers from her garden and makes refreshments for meetings and events. For years she provided the Trust’s Open House Programme with juices from her own fruit trees. Cherry, soursop and tamarind are just a few, and for all of them she is fabled. “People want something local,” she insists. “And I mek it good.” At age 88, she’s had time for another career. She was part of the great immigration to Britain in the 1950s, where she became a geriatric nurse. It was a Cinderella-like escape from hardship. Her mother had married a man with children. As a stepfather, he made her stay out of school to cook and clean, beating her when he was dissatisfied. Young Irene ran away and found cleaning work with a Dr. Manning. The Englishwoman who worked with him learned that Irene had become interested in nursing, and arranged for her to pursue that in England. “I wasn’t here for Independence,” recalled Mrs. Hall. “I watched it on TV and cried.” During a visit home, she met a ship’s carpenter, who spent months at a time at sea. They married for life, and some decades later, she returned to Barbados.
She doesn’t have much other education, but “common sense is more important,” she said, tapping her head. It certainly served her well. When she learned that fellow Bajans abroad would send money home for land and get swindled, she took a realtor’s map back from a visit and sold plots in Ealing Park, gaining a free one for herself in the process. She also bought, held, and sold other land over the decades, including her family home in Bush Hall where she became a partner in a chicken hatchery. That’s over now, but she still keeps laying hens behind her house. Now a widow, she keeps a home full of souvenirs and furniture from England. Her collection of glassware is testament to sociable days as a young couple. Rendered childless by an ectopic pregnancy, Irene and her husband once hosted overseas boarders in two spare bedrooms. Her garden is a marvel. Out front there are flowers; in back there’s an orchard. Fed by fallen leaves and manure-sodden newspaper from her chickens, an incredible range of vegetables and herbs grow in borders, in pipes, in pots and in tyres. She even has pineapples! Not one square inch is bare. She wastes nothing: carrot tops and onion bottoms get planted for a second coming; before eating them, she removes seed from tomatoes and eggplants for planting. “I could juk a leaf in the ground and it would grow,” she said. Like her, they all flourish.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
259
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
TREVOR “TAFFEE” GRANT SHOPKEEPER
By Sarah Venable
Trevor is famous for his pork cutters which can be enjoyed while watching sports in the back room Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
here’s a blind corner at the tip of the Garrison Historic Area where Chelsea and Dalkeith roads meet in a hairpin bend. If you’re on foot, you’re in luck, because three steps up from the pavement leads you to the haven of Fredericka’s shop run by Trevor “Taffee” Grant. When Bajans say a shop, they usually mean a rum-shop. They are typically run by small entrepreneurs, and since slavery days, they have functioned not only as a place to “fire one” (drink a rum) but as a social crossroads and place to fill small household needs. A neighbourhood institution for at least 150 years, Fredericka’s is frequented by the horse racing fraternity from the track and stables one minute down the mahogany-shaded road. For others it’s a destination, thanks largely to its renowned pork and ham cutters. Taffee is a third generation shopkeeper. His mother, Fredericka, bought the ongoing business in 1974. His granny, Gwen Workman, was a shopkeeper in Nelson Street, and she too has a culinary claim to fame. She is credited with the invention of the “lead pipe,” an aptly named cylindrical cake full of grated coconut which is very hard to bite into. Taffee’s Monday through Saturday working hours could kill a horse. At six a.m. he lets in his sole employee, a lady who
260 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
roasts legs of pork and ham, prepares fish cakes and puts together pork patties. By 7, he’s open for business and stays so until 9 p.m. “If people call on a Sunday, I’ll dispatch them,” he adds, meaning that he’ll serve them then too. Most rum shops carry sundries, and Fredericka’s is no different. Besides serving drinks and home-made food, Taffee stocks castor oil, cough medicine, toilet cleaning brushes, disposable rain coats, tins of condensed milk, corned beef and other items. The shop consists of a bar in front and a comfortable room for eating in the back, where patrons can watch sports on TV. If Chelsea is playing, that gets priority ‘by order of management’. “I’m a Chelsea supporter,” explained Taffee. Photographs of his heroes look down from the wall—Nelson Mandela, Errol Barrow, Barack Obama and Michael Jackson. They are joined by his favourite Barbadian jockeys, Venice Richards and Jono Jones, who are legends at the Garrison Savannah racetrack, and Patrick Husbands, who has racked up over 2000 career victories at Woodbine, Canada. Reigning over it all is a cardboard cut-out of his mother, Fredericka. Taffee and his rum shop say a lot about our culture. If you’re exploring the Garrison area why not make a stop at his place and fire one with the locals?
Photo: Willie Alleyne / Courtesy George Washington House
HISTORIC TREASURES
EXPLORE
A unique and prestigious interactive dining and theatrical experience, at which the 1st US President, George Washington, relays his life’s story around the dinner table in this truly authentic 1751 setting. Enjoy a scrumptious 5 course 18th century dinner in the very dining room of the house that George Washington spent 6 weeks of his life, when just 19 years old. Call 228-5461 for reservations and further information.
BARBADOS GARRISON TOURS Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site A mile or so south of Bridgetown’s city centre, heading along Bay Street is the Garrison Historic Area, unique in the Caribbean for the preservation and integrity of its buildings and their surroundings. Barbados’ perfect strategic position made it the obvious defender of all regional economic and political interests. With the establishment of the Garrison in the 18th century, it became the most important British military base in the southern Caribbean up through the Napoleonic Wars, until the dawn of the 20th century. Now, a collection of solid and graceful Georgian structures encircle one of the oldest racetracks in the world and (in less concentration) stretch west to Charles Fort at Needham’s Point and south to Hastings. There is much to explore here, mostly right around the Savannah—and underneath too! An intriguing network of tunnels form part of the complex. Every week there is a Changing of the Sentry ceremony at the Main Guard, performed in the 1858 Zouave uniform chosen by Queen Victoria herself. Visitors enjoy attending this colourful event. George Washington House is where the young man stayed in 1751—a turning point in his life and eventually for history itself; becoming the first President of the United States. Visit and all will be revealed, quite movingly. The on-site Stables Café is also quite nice for lunch. Deep within the eerie bulwark of St. Ann’s Fort, the National Armoury Museum displays the world’s finest collection of 17th century English iron cannon. A tour shows other areas of the Fort, such as the Drill Hall at the front, which displays memorabilia of the fabled West India Regiment. Based in the beautiful old military prison, The Barbados Museum depicts the island’s colourful past, including its African heritage. Next to the Hilton Hotel and St. Ann’s Fort is the Military Cemetery, still used as the final resting place for service men and women. It is not only a place of tranquillity but also of painful history, as it is known that prisoners, condemned to death, were made to face the firing squad while standing in their own grave. The Garrison Savannah is an approx. 30 acre, almost flat, parade and recreational area. It is the place where cricket was first played in Barbados back in 1805, introduced by the British military personnel. However, it was horse racing that ultimately made its mark at the Savannah and this has not changed for more than 170 years. This splendid green open space has played host to basketball, polo, tennis, football, rugby, kite flying competitions, cycle races and the daily keep fit crowd enjoying the circuit.
There is a newly rediscovered network of beautifully constructed tunnels running beneath the Barbados Garrison
Soldiers of the West India Regiment dressed in the Zouave uniform during the Changing of the Sentry Ceremony held at the Main Guard every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until mid-April. From mid-April until October it takes place on Thursdays only.
The Garrison Day Tours take in George Washington House, Charles Fort, the Officers’ Mess and the National Armoury at St. Ann’s Fort, the Barbados Museum & Historical Society and the Changing of the Sentry Ceremony at the Main Guard. Tours are from 9:15am until 12:15pm. Night Tours are held every other Friday at 7pm – a very interesting evening.
Tel James Blades (246) 233-2601 or Peter Stevens (246) 233-1648 Web www.barbadosgarrison.org Email info@barbadosgarrison.org Address The Garrison, St. Michael
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
261
EXPLORE
HISTORIC TREASURES
In 2014 the Museum will celebrate the centennial of the opening of the Panama Canal with a series of exciting exhibitions and activities. This photo shows Barbadian labourers embarking for the Isthmus of Panama from the Careenage in Bridgetown.
BARBADOS MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY The best way to learn about the people of Barbados is through a visit to the Barbados Museum & Historical Society, located in the island’s UNESCO World Heritage property. Discover aspects of our rich history, from the earliest indigenous inhabitants (settling the island over 6,000 years ago) to the achievement of independence in 1966. There’s something for everyone – natural history, Barbadian social history, decorative arts, military history, African artefacts, and prints and paintings all within the Museum’s nineteenth century military complex. In 2014, the Barbados Museum & Historical Society celebrates the centennial of the opening of the Panama Canal with a series of exciting exhibitions and activities. Learn more by visiting their website, Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. While checking them out online, enjoy fascinating tidbits on the island's history.
Souvenirs & Special Events Reproductions from the Museum’s collection serve as mementos of your visit and can be purchased in the Gift Shop. The wide range of books on historical topics and merchandise reflecting the island’s heritage make great keepsakes and gifts.
Research Your Barbadian Connections Barbados’ history is interwoven in many ways with the histories of other countries. Discover these connections and much more in the Museum’s Shilstone Memorial Library. Need help with your family history research? Contact the Museum’s Librarian at library@barbmuse.org.bb. Delve into rare West Indian documentation, archival documents, genealogical records, photographs, maps and books. The Shilstone Memorial Library is open Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm. Educational programmes for schoolchildren and students are conducted regularly and a range of talks and other public programmes are also offered. In order to offer these programmes and educational activities, the Museum welcomes members and volunteers. Check their website for further information on current and upcoming programmes and opportunities to be involved.
262 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
The Museum’s lush gardens and cobblestone courtyard provide the perfect setting for weddings, receptions, special celebrations and photo shoots
Tel (246) 427-0201 | Fax (246) 429-5946 Web www.barbadosmuseum.org Email info@barbmuse.org.bb Facebook facebook.com/barbadosmuseum Twitter @barbadosmuseum Address St. Ann’s Garrison, St. Michael
HISTORIC TREASURES
MUSEUM OF PARLIAMENT & NIDHE ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE NATIONAL HEROES GALLERY AND MUSEUM The national Parliament of Barbados is the third oldest in the Commonwealth, having been established in Barbados in 1639. This exhibition tells the story of great achievements. The clever use of interactive audio and video, with the exceptionally high quality exhibits, housed in the spectacular 140 year old public buildings, make a visit to this small museum a real pleasure.
Tel (246) 310-5400 Address West Wing, Parliament Bldgs., B’town Open Closed Tue. & Sun. Adm BB$10
The Nidhe Israel (Scattered of Israel) Synagogue and Museum are situated a few minutes walk from Broad Street in Bridgetown. The synagogue was founded in 1654, making it the earliest constructed synagogue still in use in the Americas. In 2010, a mikvah, a ceremonial bath with a natural spring, was restored. The museum provides an enlightening and interesting experience.
EXPLORE
CRICKET LEGENDS OF BARBADOS MUSEUM Fans of the game will thoroughly enjoy the memorabilia and cleverly curated information about West Indies cricket over the past century in the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum, located across the road from the hallowed ground of West Indies cricket, the newly rebuilt Kensington Oval. There is also a small souvenir shop.
Tel (246) 436-6869 Address Synagogue Lane, Bridgetown. Open Mon. - Fri. 9am - 4pm. Adm BB$25
Tel (246) 227-2651 Address Herbert House, Fontabelle, St. Michael Open Daily 9am - 4pm Adm Adults BB$20/Children BB$10
ARLINGTON HOUSE INTERACTIVE MUSEUM
GEORGE WASHINGTON ATTRACTION
NATIONAL ARMOURY AND CANNON MUSEUM
Located in the heart of historic Speightstown in an 18th century building featuring three floors of exhibits, including interactive and audio visual visitor communications. The museum provides an abundance of interesting information, while entertaining and educating all ages about the Barbados sugar heritage and the prominence of Speightstown as an ocean trading ‘hub’ to the New World.
This valuable attraction is the only house outside of the USA where George Washington ever resided. It includes a small cinema showing a film about Washington’s time here, and a small but very interesting museum. The entire house is restored including a typical 18th century kitchen with all the gadgets of the day. Dinner With George is a wonderful way to experience the days of old.
Tel (246) 422-4064 Address Speightstown, St. Peter. Open Mon. - Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat. 10am-3pm. Email arlington@caribsurf.com
Tel (246) 228-5461 Address Historic Garrison. Adm BB$20 Open Mon. - Fri. 9am-4.30pm, Sat. 9am-1pm Web www.georgewashingtonbarbados.org
St. Ann’s Fort contains the finest collection of 17th Century English iron cannon known to exist in the world, including England. Paul Wilton offers personalized tours for 1 to 12 people of this splendid 17th century fort. Converted into an interesting museum housing some particularly fine examples of cannon including an Elizabethan gun of 1593, the only one known to exist in the world, and a cannon with Cromwell’s Republican Arms of 1652.
Tel (246) 829-1146 Adm BB$50 per group Address St. Ann’s Fort, Historic Garrison. Open by appt only Mon. - Fri. 10am - 12pm
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
263
BEACH LIFE
Bottom Bay is wonderful for a picnic Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Weston, St. James Photo: Gina Francesca Photography
Early morning swim at Accra Beach Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
264 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
BEACH LIFE
EXPLORE
each life in Barbados is an endless summer haze of crazy, lazy days, played out in so many ways. The island is blessed with a year-round climate that is close to perfection, over 70 miles of glorious white or pink sand, and a sea that always dazzles us with its transparency and many shades of blue. For a memorable treat, greet the dawn with a sunrise walk along any beach, or bring a picnic breakfast to the east coast and watch the sun come up over the sea. You might not be alone: Many Barbadians start their day at the beach, with a walk and/or a “sea bath.” Those who are retired may stay on a little later to swap stories and discuss the news. At Pebbles Beach, just south of Bridgetown, you might even see racehorses out for their morning swim! Each beach has a different character, from long expanses to cliff-clutched coves. Choose sun-baked sands or a spot with shade trees; active stretches with facilities on site, or unoccupied hideaways; surging surf or glassy tranquillity. As you’ll be spoilt for choices, we’ll give you a guide. With its moderate off shore breeze, the west coast is superb for sailing. The glassy water is also ideal for waterand jet-skiing and riding various contraptions that the speedboats pull, complete with thrills and spills. The series of gently arched bays have a coral reef at each headland. These are usually good for snorkeling. Be sure to wear a colourful float so that you are clearly visible to the speedboat and jet-ski operators. Although turtles frequent all the coasts of Barbados, the west coast is the popular area for swimming with them – specifically Paynes Bay and The Garden in St. James. The west coast is at its best in the morning before the afternoon sun streams in from the west. That’s a good time to retreat to the shade for lunch and a siesta, or take a drive to explore the island. The south-east and east coast beaches have plenty of welcome shade in the afternoons and a cool breeze that makes them very comfortable. The Atlantic rollers make these coasts good for surfing and boogie boarding fun! The calm sea at Bath is the exception, with plenty of shade and coastal walking trails. Weekdays they are calmest, people-wise. For a long walk on the wild side - but no swim because of currents - put on your hat, fill your water bottle, and trek the deserted stretch from Cattlewash to Morgan Lewis. The south coast beaches are pleasantly windblown all day. For that reason, the waterman sports of windsurfing and kitesurfing are popular here, especially in Silver Sands. You can also enjoy Hobie Cat sailing, stand-up paddle boarding and boogie boarding on this coast. Mile-long Carlisle Bay is the fitness capital of beach life in Barbados with people of all ages running, walking, doing full body workouts and playing paddle tennis - morning and evening. A Final Note: By law, all beaches are public up to the high water mark, so everyone is entitled to be there. Remember to take along your sunscreen, and don’t forget that topless sunbathing is a no-no. Avoid deserted beaches at night unless you’re in a group.
Carlisle Bay, with Bridgetown in the background. The Boatyard, Harbour Lights and Lobster Alive offer beach facilities and refreshments on this wonderful beach. Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
EXPLORE
BEACH LIFE
West Coast Six Mens Between Speightstown and Port St. Charles there are two beach access points. These are popular but fairly quiet beaches with no facilities.
Mullins, Gibbes & Reeds A magnificent stretch of beach in St. Peter with glassy, turquoise water, good snorkeling and a variety of watersports. Mullins Beach Bar offers service right to your beach chair with lots of toys in the sea for children to clamber on. Just a little further north there’s the new Bombas Beach Bar. Reeds Bay in Lower Carlton is a lovely, long, crescent shaped beach with easy access and great swimming but no facilities! Mullins Beach Bar on Mullins Beach in St. Peter
The Garden & Heron Bay Between Royal Pavilion Hotel and Carlton in St. Peter is a glorious stretch of beach with several little paths through which you can gain access. For a delicious lunch there is the exclusive Lone Star or for an economical light bite or just a few drinks on the beach, Juju’s and Ramshackle. Usually there are turtles in this bay so many of the catamarans come by.
Holetown Holetown has one main beach and a couple of smaller ones further south. Folkestone Marine Park and Museum, located just past Settlers’ Beach Hotel, has a snorkeling trail and a small museum about marine life in Barbados.
Paynes Bay and Sandy Lane
The Garden in St. James
Paynes Bay has a beautiful crescent shaped beach and the calm water is ideal for swimming and snorkeling with turtles. However, it can be crowded at times. There is a well maintained public access between One Sandy Lane and Sandy Lane Hotel with limited roadside parking. Chairs and refreshments are available at Coconuts in Paynes Bay which also provides access and parking across the road.
Batts Rock and Prospect Prospect has several public entrances to the beach. It is very picturesque with good snorkeling, however, there are no beach facilities. There is a rocky track down to Batts Rock which has public facilities and a playground, lovely swimming and plenty of parking and shade.
Brighton Beach
Batts Rock Beach All Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
266 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Just past the northern end of Spring Garden Highway, there is a public access to this superb beach with parking, shade and great swimming. Caution - the area known as the ‘hot pot’, where warm water from the rum distillery flows, sometimes has dangerous currents. Be sure to have a colourful marker whenever you snorkel to alert watercraft of your presence.
MEET A BAJAN
FEATURE
PATSY JORDAN A STALWART ON THE BEACH
By Sally Miller
Patsy with one of her cool, colourful gents shirts. Left: Patsy braiding a young lady’s hair Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
arbadians have been neatly braiding their hair in cornrows from time immemorial. But when Bo Derek appeared on the silver screen in the motion picture “Ten” in the 1970’s, the hairstyle immediately went viral, especially for young bikini clad ladies holidaying on tropical beaches. So one afternoon, on her day off from her job as a domestic helper, Patsy was plaiting a friend’s hair on the beach when a visitor asked her if she would mind doing hers too. Before she knew it Patsy had re-invented herself as a “beach vendor,” braiding visitors’ hair from early morning till night. “One day, my husband, who operated a glass bottom boat, brought home a wrap that a guest had left behind. I copied it and sold my first wrap the very next day at Coral Reef Club”. Soon Patsy was braiding hair and selling wraps on the beach by day and stitching by night. Business was booming and she
managed to build her first house when she was just 23. Today, beach vendors are not permitted to walk and sell in Barbados, but must conduct their business from a stall. Patsy was very fortunate to get a spot on the beach next to the Surfside Beach Bar and Restaurant behind the post office in Holetown. She called her enterprise “Patsy’s Treasures” and began to branch out. Patsy now also makes jewellery, crochets hats with beads, and designs and sews a wide selection of cool, colourful casual wear. Her son Ronald is her business partner, making jewellery and selling caps and T-shirts. She also sells other crafts such as hand painted bags and cloth dolls handmade by her friends. Bo Derek’s fashion trend still lives on 30 years later, as Patsy is still braiding the hair of lovely bikini clad ladies on their beach holiday in Barbados!
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
267
EXPLORE
BEACH LIFE
South Coast Carlisle Bay A spectacular crescent shaped bay extending from Bridgetown to the Hilton Hotel - over a mile - with a wide beach, calm water and good snorkeling. Hazell’s Waterworld, which is in the area, sells good quality snorkeling gear. This is an ideal bay for distance swimming. Pier to pier is approx 1.2 km. Chairs, parking and refreshments provided by Harbour Lights, The Boatyard and Lobster Alive.
Hastings With the new south coast boardwalk it is now possible to walk from Accra for a couple of miles to Hastings. This is a marvellous stretch for rock pooling at low tide. There are several small beaches along the way for swimming. Accra Beach
Accra Beach One of the most popular beaches on the island with parking, good swimming and trees for shade. It’s a great place for body surfing and body watching! Lifeguards are on duty. Beware of unexpected currents on the western end of the beach. Boogie boards, chairs and refreshments, showers, locally made jewellery and souvenirs are available.
Sandy Beach This is a lovely expanse of beach with good swimming conditions close to St. Lawrence Gap. It is ideal for families with young children because of the shallow, calm water and picturesque lagoon. Beach chairs, umbrellas, snorkeling gear and towels are available for rent from ‘Spock’, who hangs out in his office, better known as the ‘college of knowledge’ under the trees. The Carib Beach Bar is popular for their delicious fish burgers, calamari and of course, the lovely rum punch. Carib Beach has calm water, the Carib Beach Bar and ‘Spock’ who provides chairs, umbrellas, towels and snorkeling gear.
Miami Beach Many people’s favourite south coast beach. Very shallow and calm on one side, while on the other it is deeper with small waves. Plenty of shade. Picnic tables, parking, chairs & umbrellas, refreshments and showers are available.
Silver Sands This is a lovely white sand beach with excellent conditions for windsurfing, wave-riding and kitesurfing. Many international windsurfing events are held here due to the ideal wind and wave conditions. DeAction Beach Shop, run by world-ranked Barbadian windsurfer Brian Talma, can be found near Silver Rock beach. They offer lessons. Surf boards, windsurfing and kitesurfing equipment are also for sale or rental.
Surfer’s Point Miami Beach has shade, chairs and umbrellas for rent and Mr. Delicious that provides tasty local specialties and drinks. All photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
268 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
This protected bay in Inch Marlow near to the southern point of Barbados has an ideal consistent year round surf break for beginners - kids and longboarders. Families with small kids can swim and have fun in the small protected bay. Check out Zed’s Surf School there.
BEACH LIFE
DE
ACTION BEACH SHOP
Come experience Barbados Beach Culture with Brian “deAction Man” Talma and his professional crew at deAction Beach Shop. It’s located on the best beach in Barbados for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Surfing Lessons and Rentals: guaranteed within an hour you will be standing up!! Kitesurfing Lessons and Rentals: 6-hour packages divided into 2 to 3 sessions which will get you to the beginning stages of kitesurfing. Stand Up Paddling (SUPing): after a five minute introduction you will be into deAction!! Windsurfing: equipment rentals for people wishing to test their skills in waves and also professional beginners lessons. Food: after a session on the water, relax with a drink and some tasty grilled fish.
Phone (246) 428-2027 Web www.briantalma.com Email irieman@sunbeach.net Address Silver Sands, Christ Church
EXPLORE
THE BOATYARD The fun never stops at The Boatyard’s Adventure Beach! Located on magnificent Carlisle Bay, The Boatyard offers unbeatable beach facilities enhanced by the calm azure water and the expansive beach. Open daily, 365 days a year, their beach packages offer excellent value for money and ensure a day filled with fun and pleasure in paradise. Amenities include: Beach chair, shared umbrella (while stocks last), ocean trampoline, iceberg climb & slide, dive platform, rope swing (ask for scheduled times), fresh water showers, restrooms, pool table, WiFi, darts board, beachside restaurant, bar and lively music. Be sure to ask about the Turtle & Snorkel Tour on select days throughout the year. Relax in their beachside restaurant and savour the flavour of the Caribbean. Satisfy your hunger from their extensive menu of local and international dishes. Sharkey's Bar is always fully stocked and just the place to quench your thirst after soaking up the warm Caribbean rays. Sip on one of their many exotic cocktails while soaking up the lively atmosphere. Daily Happy Hours 11am-12noon, 2-3pm and 5-6pm.
Phone (246) 826-4448 Web www.theboatyard.com | Facebook /theboatyardbarbados Where Carlisle Bay, Bay Street, Bridgetown.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
269
EXPLORE
BEACH LIFE
South-East Coast Crane Beach A truly stunning beach with excellent body surfing conditions. There is a moderately challenging public access to the beach by the roundabout. You can pick up a picnic lunch nearby at Cutters of Barbados, a Bajan gourmet deli. Cold drinks are also sold on the beach. L’Azure Restaurant at The Crane Resort presents a spectacular view of the beach and serves food all day including a lovely afternoon tea. There is an elevator and steps down to the beach from the resort. Boogie boards, chairs and refreshments are available.
Bottom Bay & Harrismith Crane Beach is wonderful for boogie boarding or just catching the breeze and relaxing
Bottom Bay is everyone’s dream of the perfect tropical beach – cliffs, coconut palms, a cave, soft white sand, brisk breezes and aquamarine sea. A first class picnic venue. Chairs, fresh coconuts and drinks available. Harrismith has much less beach area but does have a shallow lagoon for a calm dip at low tide and is also very beautiful. Both beaches have formidable steps.
Foul Bay This is a long, wide, open expanse of beach on a ruggedly attractive stretch of relatively undeveloped coastline. Care should be taken when swimming here as the waves are big and they break onshore – the best swimming is at the eastern or left side of the beach. There are large shady areas suitable for picnics. No chair rentals or refreshments. Refreshments can be purchased at either Cutters of Barbados, a Bajan gourmet deli, The Palms Restaurant or the Esso Gas Station - all nearby.
Bath
Harrismith has unusual pools in which to relax
The sea here is very calm and is protected by a large reef. This is a popular picnic spot with Barbadians, especially on weekends and public holidays because there’s plenty of shade, a pleasant breeze, a small playground, a car park and good public facilities. There is a picturesque coastal footpath that runs from Bath to Martin’s Bay. It takes approx. an hour and a half to walk there and back. No chairs or refreshments at Martin’s Bay.
Bathsheba and Cattlewash Although these two bays on the east coast are stunningly beautiful and the sea appears to be quite inviting, swimming here is very dangerous with strong and unpredictable undercurrents and there are no lifeguards on duty. It is best just to take a dip at low tide in the rock pools. The Atlantis Hotel in Bathsheba, recently re-opened, serves tasty lunches and punches! There is a picnic spot with tables in Bathsheba with public facilities.
Little Bay Bathsheba, a popular surf spot All photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
270 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
While this is more of a sightseeing stop with no shade and no facilities of any kind, it is fun, especially at low tide when the sea is calm. You can clamber through the hole in the rock, although this can be difficult, and have a warm soak in the large pool behind. Beware of dangerous currents at high tide.
MEET A BAJAN
FEATURE
MICHAEL YOUNG NOT JUST HERE FOR HIMSELF
By Sarah Venable
Michael with the Saturday morning lesson Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
earing his swim trunks inside out, a teenager with Down’s syndrome watches impassively from the stern, as toddlers jump one by one from a dive boat anchored at the shoreline in Carlisle Bay. Scared or not, all take the plunge. As they bob to the surface, Michael Young lifts them to a colleague on the deck. For the children it’s a rite of passage. For Michael, it’s all in a day’s work. It keeps this 61-year-old fit, inside and out. Look closely and you’ll see scars. Thirty-four years ago, he almost died in this bay. He was snorkelling and free diving without a marker when a water skier collided with him. The impact opened a lung, cut his spleen out and lacerated his intestine. “The Lord helps those who help themselves, so I started swimming to shore,” he said. The rest is a bloody saga of losing consciousness, pessimistic paramedics, and a month in the hospital. His reaction? “I benefitted immensely from the experience in terms of challenging myself to carry on, to go and grow.” He decided to share his strength. He started with what he loves—the marine environment. “I started with teaching swimming, broadened it to other activities, and formulated a way for young people to participate in activities that would let them gain confidence, interact with the environment and then take responsibility for it.”
At Aquarius Water Sports, he teaches water awareness and swimming to adults and children as young as 18 months. “We also teach about corals and the reef, personal development, self-esteem, and first aid. We use kayaking to build your stamina —and to go to other areas in the ocean.” Michael includes youngsters with special needs, mostly from the Learning Centre. “The parents pay, or we play Father Christmas. The Canadian Women’s Club donates and we are very thankful to them. The kids have autism, they have Down’s syndrome, all kinds of things, but if you see them in the water! They can participate with their environment and with other quote-unquote normal human beings, and even contribute.” Past students like Joshua Clarke return to contribute. Now twenty-something, he first came to Camp Aquarius at thirteen and became a counsellor the following year. “When you deal with something that can turn wrong so fast like working with people in the ocean, your focus has to be on the job at hand 100%. That sort of focus, dedication and drive is what Michael has. It’s what he gave to me, and that’s what we try to instil in the children. By the end of the course we try to make sure that everyone has that same idea, that you’re not just here for yourself.” Contributions support children who cannot pay. Please call 426-0655 for information.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
271
Villas On The Beach Photo courtesy Alleyne Real Estate
Foster’s House Photo courtesy Realtors Real Estate Ltd
Villa St. Lucy Photo courtesy Bajan Services Ltd.
272 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
IVE 274 PROPERTY 274 BARBADOS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE - PERFECT 304 PURCHASE PROCESS 314 PROPERTIES FOR SALE Heron Bay Photo: Mike Toy Reproduced from Architecture & Design in Barbados
PROPERTY
Reproduced from ‘Island in the Sun - A Story of Tourism in Barbados’
LIVE
A remarkable photo showing left to right Harry Niblock, Paul Foster, Michael Martinez and Peter Morgan
Barbados - Past, Present and Future - Perfect! Magnet for the rich and famous in search of Paradise By Henry S. Fraser Senator and Professor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies We like to say that the first famous visitor to Barbados – really famous – was George Washington, America’s first president and first Superhero. He really was a Superhero, revered almost as passionately as God by the end of his life and later. But his official biographer, historian Jack Warner, says that his visit to Barbados at the age of 19 MADE George Washington. He brought his half-brother Lawrence, who was suffering from tuberculosis, hoping for a cure in the “healthy climate” of Barbados, and they spent seven weeks here, at the house on the Garrison now known as George Washington House – a splendidly restored house museum. Exposure to Barbadian high society and the fascination of our fortifications against the French inspired him to go back to Virginia and join the local militia. He was appointed one of the four district adjutants in 1753, aged 21, with the rank of major, and the rest is history! Our reputation as a sanatorium or health spa simply grew, and by the era of the Victorian steamships, the wealthy were coming in droves to enjoy the salubrious “trade winds” of this tropical Paradise. Sir Robert Schomburgk’s famous History of Barbados in 1848 proclaimed the wonderful climate and comforts of Barbados above all other holiday destinations, and by the 1880s we had a
274 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
splendid array of hotels exploiting our fabulous sea bathing. The grand dame of Victorian Hotels, the famous Marine Hotel at Hastings, attracted the rich and famous, as did the Crane Hotel on the cliffs above the dramatic Crane Beach – frequently rated one of the ten finest beaches in the world. And among those famous visitors a century ago were President Theodore Roosevelt of the USA, and the wealthy Vanderbilts, Rothschilds and Rockefellers. Like British Royalty, American Presidents have continued to come – Ronald Reagan and President Clinton, and hopefully Barack Obama in the not too distant future! But it was really the British who made Barbados one of the world’s famous playgrounds for the rich. They colonised the islands in the seventeenth century and as their taste for sugar became an addiction, developed them into its main source of sugar and wealth. The Caribbean became the cradle of the British slave trade, ferociously defended against all-comers. And Barbados stood out front “like a doorman” to their island treasures. But the sugar trade declined and the British lost interest. The famous novelist Anthony Trollope, who visited in 1858, wrote that it would be better if Britain could forget about them altogether! And then the British fell in love all over again. Not with sugar this time, but with the beauty and the sun of Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica especially. Barbados has indeed been a magnet for
LIVE
PROPERTY
Ronald Tree welcomes Sir Winston Churchill to Heron Bay
Heron Bay by Henry Fraser Reproduced from ‘Historic Houses’
Ronald Tree and Adlai Stevenson
276 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
the rich and famous in search of Paradise, both from Britain and North America. But the real catalyst for the explosion of our West Coast (or Platinum Coast) as the resort of high society and the well-heeled was the arrival of Sir Edward Cunard, shipping magnate, who fell in love with Barbados and built one of the earliest villas in St. James – his fine Italianate mansion, Glitter Bay – later the site of Glitter Bay Hotel, but sadly demolished last year. He invited his friends, Sir Winston Churchill, Parliamentarian Ronald Tree, Oliver Messel, the famous English theatre designer, and many others. Ronald Tree and Oliver Messel, who was also a friend of our most famous local hotelier Victor Marson of the Ocean View Hotel, Sam Lord’s Castle and Miramar (now Royal Pavilion), were to make Barbados their home, and in doing so make Barbados a haven of the rich and famous. Ronald Tree was the son of wealthy American parents, an RAF pilot in the First World War, a Tory MP (1933 – 1945) and Adviser on American Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to successive Ministers of Information. His home, Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire, provided a safe weekend retreat for Sir Winston Churchill during the war. It was in 1946 that he rented Sir Edward Cunard’s Glitter Bay, fell in love with “Little England” and literally, “the rest is history”! He built his mansion Heron Bay close to the Sandy Lane beach - and it was said that his guest list looked like Burke’s Peerage. His many famous (and rich) friends included the Astors (William Waldorf "Bill" Astor II, 3rd Viscount Astor was an English businessman, Conservative Party politician, and a member of the prominent Astor family); Lord Kindersley, Horace Noble who built Moonfleet, Investment banker Henry Breck, Lord Rothschild, Lord Bernstein, who built Leigh House and Sir Roderick and Lady Brinkman who built St. Helena, all in Sandy Lane. It seems he simply told all of his wealthy friends “Come and build a villa in Paradise, and live the good life”! Heron Bay itself is a masterpiece, designed by the famous English architect Sir Geffrey Jellicoe, who had designed Ronald Tree’s gardens at Ditchley Park. It is said to be modelled on Palladio’s Villa Barbaroso or Villa di Maser in the Veneto, Italy, and is built of coral stone blocks, imported woods and marble. The beach front boasts magnificent columns and a double staircase leading to the drawing room, a huge double cube. This central block is flanked by dependencies which curve towards the sea. Some 20 acres of beautiful gardens contain both formal plantings and exotic tropical trees. The house is now owned by Sir Anthony and Lady Bamford. Eventually he’s said to have despaired at a house always full of visitors, put together a group of like minds and bought the entire Sandy Lane plantation, built the Sandy Lane Hotel and encouraged his many wealthy friends to come, buy and build their own villas. He was able to acquire the services of Robertson “Happy” Ward, who designed the hotel and many of the villas, and so the exponential growth of this exotic paradise of luxury villas and luxury hotels developed. The Sandy Lane Resort, of course, has become internationally famous, one of the acknowledged very top resorts in the world, and playground of “everyone who’s anyone”, from Royalty to Pavarotti, Michael Winner to Tiger Woods.
LIVE
PROPERTY
HRH Princess Margaret at Sandy Lane with JMGM “Tom” Adams, Prime Minister (left) and Sir Deighton Ward, Governor General (right)
Oliver Messel embellished his home Maddox in grand theatrical style Photo: Mike Toy - reproduced from Architecture & Design in Barbados
Leamington with Oliver Messel’s trademark colour ‘Messel green’ Photo: Mike Toy - reproduced from Architecture & Design in Barbados
278 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Ronald Tree was a true friend of Barbados – a Bajan by adoption and one of our greatest if not THE greatest philanthropist – donating land, helping many in need and founding the Barbados National Trust as first President, leaving a legacy in the Trust for preservation of our heritage. His personal assistant Frank de Buono made his own contribution to Barbados, opening the famous Breadfruit Tree restaurant in Hastings, next to the Ocean View Hotel. Nick Parravicino tells the story that after a delightful dinner at the Breadfruit Tree, the legendary actress Claudette Colbert was taken to see Bellerive, formerly Marine Villa, fell in love and bought it instantly. And that’s where President Ronald Reagan and many other film stars and American celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Claudette’s close friend Verna Hull, a wealthy but modest, warm and wonderful Sears Roebuck widow, have stayed over the years. Oliver Messel’s name resonates perhaps even more, because of his contribution to our architectural heritage. He was the uncle of Anthony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon, husband of Princess Margaret) and having begun as a high society portrait painter became a legendary theatre designer in London in the 40s and 50s. In 1959 he too fell in love with Barbados, and “retired” here, with his dashing companion Vagn Riis Hansen. He bought Maddox, a run-down house by the sea in St. James, from a Mr. Clarke, a rum blender, and embellished it in grand theatrical style, with Greek columns, balconies, Regency arches and what was to become his famous trademark colour, ‘Messel green’. This led to an avalanche of commissions to redesign older houses for socialite friends. (He died at Maddox in 1978.) These architectural triumphs included Cockade House, commissioned by Derek Grewcock for his partner Polly Haywood; Leamington House and Pavilion for Jack Heinz of the famous Heinz family; Crystal Springs for Jock Cottrell, an inventor; Fustic House for Charmaine Fane, who later sold it to Charles Greaves, brother of the poet Robert Greaves; Queen’s Fort for Bill and Pat Packard, of the legendary Packard Market in Hackensack, New Jersey (Pat’s daughter was the actress Lee Remick); Alan Bay for Alan Godsal, creator of Cobblers Cove Hotel with his partners Tony Pile, Lyall Sealy and Laurie John Sealy, and father of Hugh Godsal, the current owner. (The Godsals are direct descendants of Sir John Colleton, baronet, the visionary Royalist who came to Barbados in 1649 and conceived the plan to settle the Carolinas – which became “the colony of a colony”.) Cockade House has frequently been described as “the prettiest house in Barbados”, incorporating the best Palladian and theatre design features of Messel style. Alan Bay, next to Sandy Lane hotel, was subsequently owned by Sir Peter Moores, who also owned Springhead Plantation, where he lived most of the time for many years. He followed Ronald Tree as a generous benefactor for Barbados. His contributions to the arts and to Barbados in many ways, including the on-going Peter Moores Trust, were recognised by the University of the West Indies with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters.
LIVE
PROPERTY
Oliver Messel built Mango Bay from scratch for the Mellon heiress Sally Aall Photo: Mike Toy - reproduced from Architecture & Design in Barbados
Villa Nova drawing by Henry Fraser
At Fustic House Oliver Messel blasted a swimming pool out of the coral cliffside Photo: Mike Toy - reproduced from Architecture & Design in Barbados
282 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Oliver Messel built Mango Bay from scratch for the Mellon heiress, the elegant and generous benefactor Sally Aall, who refurbished the Aall Gallery at the Barbados Museum, and donated a valuable collection of antique maps. Oliver Messel was described by everyone as “one of the nicest people ever”, “brilliant”, “always in demand”, “wouldn’t kill an ant”. But he often changed his mind in mid-construction, and according to Nick Parravicino, quoted in Island in the Sun – the Story of Tourism in Barbados, would say “That’s wonderful darling, but I think we are going to have to pull it all down and start over again!” Mango Bay was a victim of his frequent absent mindedness, because when it was completed, the splendid upstairs master bedroom suite was discovered to have no staircase to reach it … so external stairs were added, so that the contours of the house wouldn’t be spoilt! The house was later owned by American congressman Averil Harriman and his wife Pamela, later US Ambassador. Messel also designed a charming pavilion at Government House and redesigned the interior of Queen’s Park House, residence of the British General in residence since 1782, creating the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre and an art gallery. The house is sadly in disrepair and in need of a champion! It is perhaps the only Messel Masterpiece not in good shape! But his favourite work was Fustic House, which he enlarged from a modest old plantation house to a fairy tale Palladian villa, with a beautiful Messel wing in his classic style. He blasted a swimming pool out of the coral cliffside, and with charming theatre-style double entrances to the house from a courtyard, an elegant Plantation annexe and 12 acres of exotic tropical guardians, the house is justifiably famous in the global villa rental market. Bring your guests and come for a unique party in Paradise! Two other important British political figures were attracted to Barbados, through Ronald Tree. The first was Lord Beaverbrook, who bought a sea side plot of land at Paynes Bay for his daughter, the Honourable Janet Kidd. She bought Holders Plantation, expanded the old plantation house as her residence, promoted Barbados, established a dairy farm, created the polo field, and like Ronald Tree found that her house simply couldn’t accommodate her guests! And so Tamarind Cove Hotel was born, on the site her father had bought her. Holders has given birth to the famous Holders Season (theatre, opera and music) every March, organised by Wendy Kidd and her son polo trainer Jack Kidd, and is host to a Farmer’s Market on Sundays. And so Holder’s – a legendary Barbadian name – plays a wonderful role in both Bajan culture and Bajan tourism. The other famous political figure was Sir Anthony Eden. To get away from politics as much as possible, he bought Villa Nova in 1965 – after his retirement – and spent his winters here. He hugely enjoyed the 14 acres of forest and gardens and described it, of course, as his Garden of Eden, and hosted HRH Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh and lots of English celebrities. He sold it in 1971 to a Barbadian couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hunte, who opened it to the public with their lovely connection of antiques. It was bought and developed as a luxury historic inn by Lynne Pemberton, but sadly it closed, was bought by the now bankrupt Caribbean Life Insurance Company (CLICO) and it stands forlorn in the Garden of Eden – a glorious queen awaiting a valiant knight in shining armour to save it, redecorate it, and reopen this heavenly palace in Paradise for guests once again.
MEET A BAJAN
MARCIA WALKES LOVES EVERYTHING ABOUT HER JOB By Sarah Venable Above: Marci at the entrance to Crystal Springs Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
FEATURE
t age 67 Marcia Walkes could retire, but she loves her work too much, even when it means making people cry. For the past fourteen years, she has worked as a housekeeper at the fabulous west coast villa, Crystal Springs. She has served many famous people such as Michael Caine, carpet manufacturer Cyril Lord, and former hotelier Leona Helmsley. But it is the new owners, who have visited Barbados for years and just bought the property, who are her favourites. She is also very fond of the past owner, who she says was very good to her. She’s been very good to her employers and guests too, in a most unusual way. Every Christmas she rounds up the staff to put on a variety show for the guests. She sings; the butler, Lemuel, plays accordion; and everyone dresses up in old clothes and hats to perform the skits she writes for the occasion. As if that weren’t enough, they also hire a tuk band, complete with a shaggy bear and Mother Sally. When the spirit moves her, she’ll also write a poem for the guests. The villa has a staff of seven. Ms. Walkes does a bit of everything, butlering, cooking, and cleaning as needed. She loves to cook for guests. Her specialities include ceviche, blackened fish, and breadfruit coucou served with salt fish in gravy. She started down this road by attending the Gordon Rawlins School in Speightstown, which focused on cooking and butlering. As a young woman, she also got a Grade One in home economics at the Housecraft Centre in Mile and a Quarter, St. Peter. Her first job was at the American naval base in St. Lucy, where she worked until it closed in 1979. She worked another set of many years at Half Moon in Sandy Lane. She is the mother of five. Her daughter has followed in her footsteps, providing fine service at the beautiful Fustic House. Of her four sons, one works for Jada Construction and the other at the cement plant. She is connected to the land. Her mother rented a piece of cane ground from Alleynedale Plantation. As children, Marcia and her siblings helped her reap it and clear the cane trash. Today Marcia would like to garden, but the monkeys around her house raid everything she plants. She owns her own home in Six Mens, St. Peter and attends the Pentecostal Church there. As part of her ministry, she visits old people in the community and plaits their hair. Crystal Springs’ security guard, Charles Scantlebury, has known her since their first job together, some 40 years ago. “She’s a fantastic lady,” he says. “And those skits aren’t just for Christmas. When guests leave, she gets the entire staff out to sing Beautiful Barbados to them.” Other sources tell us that it often brings them to tears. And probably back to Barbados as well.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
283
LIVE
PROPERTY
Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Villa Nova after it was opened as a luxury historic inn
Colourful characters of those early post war days included the Ranee of Sarawak, Lady Sylvia Brooke. The daughter of Viscount Esher, born in 1885, she married His Highness Rajah Vyner Brooke, the last of the white Rajahs of Sarawak, in 1911. The Rajah abdicated and ceded Sarawak to the British Government as a Crown Colony after the war in July 1946. The Ranee was the author of 11 books including two autobiographies. After the death of her husband in 1963 she lived permanently in Barbados, where her second daughter Elizabeth also lived with her second husband Colonel Dick Vidmer, and grand-children David Roy and Roberta, now Lady Simpson, author of Nana's Bible Stories and wife of Barbadian business mogul, Sir Kyffin Simpson, of Simpson Motors and SOL etcetera. (The colonel was a bomber pilot in the Second World War, belonged to the US Air Force and flew quite a number of missions. They chose Barbados because he loved golf and the schools had a great reputation David went to Lodge and Roberta to St. Winifred’s.) The Ranee’s adventurous life is covered in many articles on the web, and her last autobiography was colourfully titled Queen of the Head-Hunters! Another extremely colourful “leading lady” was Anne Embericos, the American multi-millionairess wife of a Greek shipping magnate, who was killed in a plane crash. She fell in love both with Barbados and with popular local turfite J.R.Bunny Edwards, who owned a villa north of Holetown called The Clouds. They converted it into an informal club and named it Colony, after her favourite New York restaurant. She later acquired
284 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Canefield House and ran it as a historic inn. It was eloquently featured in Traveller’s Tree, by the late, great English travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor, was later rented by the Governor General of Canada, the Honourable Vincent Massey, and later by Charles Edward Merrill, founder of the Merrill-Lynch empire. (The poet James Merrill, his son, wrote a novel, The Seraglio, based on his father’s romantic life and personality.) Mrs. Embericos gave Canefield to the Jesuits, who passed it to the Carmelite Sisters, and thence to the Challenor School, now the Challenor Creative Arts and Training Centre – another fine example of the philanthropy of adopted Bajans who love us generously! Meanwhile, Colony was purchased by an American Jock Mitchell, who opened it formally as the Colony Club, and it’s now the signature hotel of the Elegant Hotels group. Another American who was a wonderful friend of Barbados and a generous financial supporter of the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill is Richard Brown, Philadelphia lawyer, who owned High Trees at Gibbes. His generosity to the Chronic Disease Research Centre is recognised in the naming of the Richard Brown conference room at the Centre. More recent converts to our “singular island” include Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Sir Cliff Richard, Michael Flatley, British tennis champions David Lloyd and Virginia Wade, Oprah Winfrey and Cilla Black; Sir Martin Arbib, who bought a second home to operate as a splendid art gallery for many years, Lancaster Great House, and who also initiated the Barbados Community Trust; and the Sandy Lane owners – Dermot Desmond, John Magnia,
LIVE
PROPERTY
Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Lancaster Plantation
J.P.McMannus, Derek Smith and Michael Tabor; Eddie Healey, who bought and embellished the fabulous Bachelor Hall, built by Edward Cunard’s original neighbour John House, sold to Bill and Betsy Coyne of the Dupont family (sight unseen), who sold it to Michael Pemberton, who sold it to Eddie Healey! And then there are hard working professionals and artists such as Jean Baulu, from Montreal, who developed the fascinating Barbados Wildlife Reserve; and artist and ceramicist Goldie Spieler, creating a fabulous ceramics industry; and son David Spieler, who took over the fabulous Flower Forest, created at Richmond Plantation by another Briton-turned-Bajan, Don Hill. Colleton House in St. Peter was bought some 20 plus years ago by Frank Rickwood, a successful Australian geologist and BP director, and filled with his eclectic collection of fabulous European, Asian and Papua-New Guinea art and artefacts. Halton Great House in St. Philip was bought by Tony Milsom, once the business partner of Lord Linley, son of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon and great nephew of Oliver Messel. Tony had the wisdom to marry a Bajan (Carol) and has followed in the footsteps of Oliver Messel, designing villas in Mustique. And finally, Massimo Franchi, a Glaswegian attorney, and his wife Karen, fell in love with Barbados and with Clifton Hall Great House in St. John – a splendid old house of the plantocratic Royalist family of Haynes, who came to Barbados after the Civil
286 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
War 350 years ago! It had been the home of another transplanted Brit, Peter Morgan, friend of Errol Barrow and Minister of Tourism. Massimo and Karen have done the most amazing restoration job. Clifton Hall Great House, Halton Great House and Colleton House are part of the National Trust Open House programme in the “winter season”, January through March. The common thread that runs through all of these stories of wonderful people seeking Paradise in Barbados is their love for the place, the friendships they make, their contribution to our culture and their generosity to Barbados. Ronald Tree, Sir Peter Moores, Janet Kidd, Richard Brown and so many of those still living and coming here have been true and loyal friends. And that’s the secret – friends keep inviting other friends, who come, buy and help to build a better Barbados and make it a more prosperous place. Author’s note: There have been many sources for these stories, but I particularly thank the Father, Godfather and Grandfather of Real Estate – the legendary Nick Parravicino, for sharing his inexhaustible fountain of knowledge with me. Any errors, and there may be many, are entirely due to my illegible scribbles and not to his flawless memory, which we all hope will soon produce a wonderful book of rich (and humorous) memoirs.
FASCINATING READS
BY
PROFESSOR HENRY FRASER
Historic Houses *3rd edition. Updated, expanded and now in full colour, this beautifully produced book offers an intriguing account of the history and architecture of Barbados’ most interesting houses with text by Henry Fraser & Ronnie Hughes, excellent detailed illustrations by Henry Fraser and superb photography by Mike Toy. Island in the Sun - The Story of Tourism in Barbados This lavish publication is a festival of fascinating facts, captivating tales, legendary characters, vibrant colours and a vast array of spellbinding photographs. Covering the period from the earliest days of ‘Pioneers, Prostitutes and Steam Packets’, through to today, and even a peep into ‘The Future’, this stunning, beautifully designed book is truly y unique q and has tremendous appeal pp for Barbadians and visitors alike.
LIVE
PROPERTY
A master bedroom at Saint Peter’s Bay
SAINT PETER’S BAY LUXURY RESORT & RESIDENCES Saint Peter’s Bay Luxury Resort & Residences, the epitome of idyllic Caribbean scenery and lifestyle, is the first, fully completed resort operating under the 5-star luxury UNNA brand. Ideally located on a particularly beautiful stretch of the northern west coast, Saint Peter’s Bay comprises fifty-seven desirable homes: including six spectacular penthouse suites and three deluxe penthouse suites. Each of these homes enjoy glorious ‘picture postcard’ views of majestic coconut trees, the beach and out over the crystal clear ocean. These magnificent residences have been carefully designed, meticulously finished and stylishly appointed to provide a sophisticated level of elegant comfort. Saint Peter’s Bay owners appreciate that they have not merely purchased a prestigious west coast home; they have also invested in a luxurious but laid-back lifestyle and a golden opportunity to enjoy many memorable occasions for generations to come. Whether it is as simple as riding on the water-taxi or as enchanting as releasing baby turtles at sunset, Saint Peter’s Bay can inspire many lifetime memories. Residents enjoy a tangible sense of welcome and belonging, thanks to the members of staff who look after their guests with the kind of care and attention that makes them feel truly ‘at home’. It is these amiable Barbadians, from gardeners to managers, who really make the Saint Peter’s Bay experience so enjoyable. ‘Life is for living’ is a popular mantra at Saint Peter’s Bay Luxury Resort & Residences and every step is taken to ensure that residents can derive maximum enjoyment from each day they are here. The spacious 4-acre area of beachfront land
290 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
has been enhanced with colourful gardens, skilfully landscaped around a 160 feet freeform swimming pool. Adjacent to the pool is a cool and breezy gazebo bar that provides poolside and beach butler service. Sun loungers are placed on the beach upon request and there are a number of kayaks available for use. Other general facilities include a Beauty Salon, Fitness Centre, concierge services, on-site security, housekeeping and property management. Saint Peter’s Bay home owners can enjoy travelling between all three properties by water-taxi, as well as to Historic Speightstown or other places along the coast. Boating enthusiasts will be delighted to discover that a select number of berths at Port Ferdinand Marina & Luxury Residences are available for Saint Peter’s Bay owners, which allow for duty-free importation of a yacht. Golfers will be happy to know that UNNA enjoys preferred access to Apes Hill Club, Royal Westmoreland and Sandy Lane golf courses. Owners and guests who wish to play should contact Concierge. Life at Saint Peter’s Bay Luxury Resort & Residences is in full swing and prospective owners can get a genuine hands-on feel for the resort’s quality by spending some time actually relaxing in the apartments themselves, soaking up the peaceful ambiance. By providing top quality and value in home ownership, offering similar privacy and security as a private club but with the service and amenities of a 5-star hotel, while focusing on individual wellbeing, UNNA is successfully delivering its brand promise of ‘Luxury with Soul’.
LIVE
PROPERTY
Luxurious outdoor living at Port Ferdinand
PORT FERDINAND MARINA & LUXURY RESIDENCES Port Ferdinand Marina & Luxury Residences is an exclusive, luxury marina resort that occupies a dramatic, 16-acre, inland waterway site on the charming and picturesque St. Peter coastline, close to historic Speightstown. As the first defined UNNA development, which has been specifically planned and built to reflect all of the group’s ethos and values, Port Ferdinand encapsulates the spirit of ‘Luxury with Soul’. A number of the principal investors behind the UNNA group are the same Barbadian visionaries who conceptualized and created the island’s first luxury marina, the highly successful Port St. Charles, almost 20 years ago. By drawing upon their vast experience and extensive knowledge, particularly by applying the many lessons they learned through the construction and operation of their first marina, the team has now delivered the absolute ‘best of the best’ with Port Ferdinand. Featuring 83 homes and 120 yacht berths, Port Ferdinand is a wonderful, all-encompassing property that is rich in amenities. As such, the resort is laden with opportunities for multi-generational enjoyment of life and is absolutely ideal for families to holiday together. All of the residences are positioned above the dock, thereby benefiting from increased privacy, as well as an optimum view across the marina. The 32 homes constructed as Phase One include a selection of two and three-bedroom homes, as well as a magnificent four-bedroom penthouse home. All have been built and finished with the finest craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Owners can choose a traditional design, using beautiful marble stone floors and dark wood joinery; or a contemporary design featuring light oak joinery and limestone flooring. The show homes have been furnished by Archers Hall Design Centre and are open for viewing by appointment.
292 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Each residence has its own berth of a minimum 60 feet, plus a dedicated boat storage room as well as a utility storage room. The resort’s contingency planning includes standby power for all electrical requirements. In keeping with the state-of-the-art facilities, Port Ferdinand has installed high quality, broadband capacity that can provide fast and dependable Internet connectivity. Primed to deliver an enviable lifestyle experience, Port Ferdinand Marina & Luxury Residences offers a comprehensive range of services and activities. The resort’s fine dining restaurant overlooks the marina and provides ‘al fresco’ tables on the water’s edge or air-conditioned comfort indoors. For more casual fare, residents can choose between the pool-island bar or the dockside gourmet store. General amenities include: watersports centre offering motorized and non-motorized activities; gym with a great view across the marina and yachts; full service spa; indoor and outdoor kids clubs; adult games room with a golf simulator; beach facility; fishing and sailing trips; yacht maintenance; concierge service and a business centre. The purchase price of a home at Port Ferdinand includes an attractive suite of benefits, notably a Duty-Free Furniture Package and Duty-Free Importation of a Yacht. Residents at Port Ferdinand also enjoy shared amenities at Saint Peter’s Bay and the Port St. Charles Yacht Club, both of which are accessible via the UNNA water-taxi service. UNNA enjoys preferred access to the premier golf courses on the island including Apes Hill Club, Royal Westmoreland and Sandy Lane golf courses. Owners and guests who wish to play should contact the Concierge. With its rare capacity to provide sumptuous residences and a diversity of outstanding leisure facilities within this exclusive marina community, Port Ferdinand provides an ideal home base to enjoy the best that Barbados has to offer.
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
STEPHEN AUSTIN WHERE HE WANTS TO BE
By Sarah Venable
The Port St. Charles complex is a feat of engineering and design and the master vision of 3 Barbadian developers Bjorn Bjerkhamn, Bizzy Williams and Sir Charles Williams. There are 156 homes and nearly as many yachts.
tephen Austin, better known as Steve, has come a long way from his father’s restaurant in James Street, Bridgetown, where as a boy he did a bit of everything —wrapping rotis, making fish cutters, washing dishes, being cashier, and helping cater events. After a three year stint teaching English in the neighbouring French island of Martinique, he started in the hospitality industry as a receptionist with the Elegant Hotels Group in 1994. There he entered their two-year management programme, where he had the good fortune to be trained by the dynamic Sue Springer, now Executive VP of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association. “I gained my love of developing people from her,” he said. After one year he was appointed assistant Food & Beverage Manager at Turtle Beach. He recalls sticking a note on his bedside table to remind him of his ambition to become a general manager within two years. That didn’t happen; it rarely does. But even a four-year rise to that position is meteoric in this business, and where he landed was someplace that “feels like Nirvana.” As General Manager of Port St. Charles, Steve Austin is where he wants to be. “I am thankful to our chairman Bjorn Bjerkhamn for his guidance, support and the opportunity to manage such a beautiful development.” Largely because of his skill and infectious friendliness, it’s where others want to be as well. Teamwork, motivation, and attitude are what he looks for in hiring staff. If they are motivated and have a great attitude then they are trained to move up, just like he did. Nine of the managers there started as line employees, and are committed to excellence. Guests and residents rave about the results.
294 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
He’s happy too: “It has grown me, and my wife as well. We meet interesting, genuine and successful people and have learned so much. Working here has opened my eyes to life.” He has been there thirteen years now. The Port St. Charles complex is a feat of engineering and design and the master vision of 3 Barbadian developers Bjorn Bjerkhamn, Bizzy Williams and Sir Charles Williams, built around a man-made island and marina/lagoons. There are 156 homes and nearly as many yachts. There are also six berths for mega-yachts who come calling in the winter season, such as Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s 414-footer and a host of others. Port St. Charles manages to be both upscale and low-key, a residential community with resort services. It has villas, condominiums and apartments, a spa, hairdresser, boutique, restaurant and heliport, not to mention one of the best beaches on the island. “We cater to visitors needs but in a discreet and professional manner. Our team of staff has been at Port St. Charles for well over 10 years and this provides a stable environment and creates a family feel that owners and visitors look forward to returning to each year. Each year a few of our repeat guests make the decision to purchase a home and join our lifestyle which allows us to officially welcome them to our Port St. Charles family.” For relaxation, this self-described “people person” enjoys keeping active and embraces the outdoors. If he is not enjoying yoga or working out at the gym with his wife, Diliah, or swimming with his children, you’ll find him on the road cycling around St. Lucy nearly every weekend at sunrise. Steve Austin is proud of his journey and is enjoying his destination.
LIVE
PROPERTY
ROYAL WESTMORELAND When you acquire a property at Royal Westmoreland, you purchase far more than a luxuriously appointed home in a stunning setting; you buy into an effortlessly elegant lifestyle. Royal Westmoreland homeowners are part of an exclusive gated community. A community of privileged and discerning individuals accustomed to luxurious living, a high degree of privacy and exceptional service. The estate offers you a superb choice of luxurious Caribbean colonial style villas and apartments, leisurely spaced around the 750 acres of championship golf course and landscaped grounds. Light, spacious and supremely comfortable, they range in size from one bedroom homes to eight bedroom distinctive architect designed villas. All are beautifully created in a harmonious blend of old world grace and new world sophistication and come with the undisputed cachet of a Royal Westmoreland address. Our design and build team will work with you every step of the way to put your personal signature on your new home. The best sales people at Royal Westmoreland are the owners. We invited the owner of a lovely home here, Ian Armitage, to share his Royal Westmoreland experience with you.
296 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
An Owner’s Perspective Retired private equity professional Ian Armitage, age 57, from Kew in south west London bought a holiday home in Barbados in 2010 after holidaying there for the previous 10 years. Ian, his wife and children escaped from the British winter each year for a few weeks and liked the fact that Barbados was easy to get to and there were plenty of things to do. After searching for a property for about five years, they decided to buy a seven bedroom detached villa overlooking the 18th green on Royal Westmoreland. Ian says: “We bought at Royal Westmoreland because the villa and leisure facilities were already built and there was no question that it was going to be a building site for several years, unlike some other developments. It has good security; we can lock up and leave our home, and know that it will be well looked after in our absence. We spend only two months of the year there so that was an important aspect for us.” “I have played on many courses in the region and think the Royal Westmoreland course is the best in Barbados and the Caribbean. The thing we love the most though is the people; both the staff and other owners are fantastic. It’s a real club atmosphere and very friendly.”
B A R B A D O S
Own a piece of paradise
Award Winning Luxury Villas $1.2 to $5m (USD)
LIVE
PROPERTY
APES HILL CLUB Every member of the Apes Hill Club team is excited about the promising prospects on the horizon for the year 2014. Building upon some excellent progress made over the last twelve months, the Apes Hill Club community is now poised to burst into even greater activity. At the top of the ‘good news’ list has to be the fact that the construction of the new Clubhouse is now scheduled to get underway. Designed by renowned Barbadian architect Larry Warren, the new Clubhouse will occupy a prime position close to the resort’s main entrance and adjacent to the 9th and 18th greens. From this outstanding vantage point, as well as enjoying spectacular panoramic views of the west coast and the Caribbean Sea below, the Clubhouse will also provide an equally spectacular and expansive vista back up into the hills. Within the Clubhouse, in addition to well-appointed male and female locker rooms, homeowners and guests will be able to enjoy a bar and restaurant, a fully equipped gym and an elegant spa treatment room. To complete the impressive Clubhouse facilities outdoors, there will also be a large resort pool and two Astro Turf championship tennis courts, enhanced by grass bank bleachers on either side for better viewing. Construction work on the tennis courts is already well advanced. These new amenities will ideally complement the already well-established and quite magnificent Apes Hill Club Polo Centre, along with the world-class 18-hole Apes Hill Club golf course. The course has matured very nicely and provides fantastic playing conditions for a variety of regular
Sir Charles Williams “Welcome to Apes Hill, where I know you will find the ideal place to build your home. I look forward to sharing our exquisite development and this phenomenal lifestyle with you and your family.”
298 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
competitions, ranging from Monthly Medals to inter-club matches to the Barbados Open Championship. The golf course has earned rave reviews from players of all levels from all around the world. One of the only ‘complaints’ came from a man who said he couldn’t concentrate on his game because the scenery was so stunning! Given the fact that being surrounded by natural beauty is high on the list of the human happiness index, it is no surprise that residents at Apes Hill Club are absolutely thrilled with their healthy, outdoors lifestyle. Apes Hill Club comprises 470 acres of some of the most beautiful land in Barbados. And because it is situated on an elevated ridge some 1000 feet above sea-level, the area is blessed with pleasant breezes, ideal temperatures and unparalleled views of the island. It is an extraordinarily attractive environment by any standards. Several current owners made good use of the Apes Hill Club Rental Programme by bringing their family for a vacation as a trial run before purchasing. That plan could work very well in 2014, with Barbados hosting events like West Indies v England T20 Cricket in March and the Top Gear Festival in May. In addition to its inherent natural beauty and the world-class quality of its facilities, ownership of a home at Apes Hill Club has become increasingly attractive thanks to a new stress-free approach to property purchase and management. Acutely aware of the potential challenges that new owners might experience as a result of being thousands of miles away from the process, or being simply too busy to be constantly involved, Apes Hill Club has launched a new Project Management Service for its clients.
Linda Williams “Apes Hill has been our family home for over 30 years. There is a special magic that can only be found here at Apes Hill. Come and experience it for yourself. Let us share it with you.”
LIVE
PROPERTY
Building in Barbados Made Easy Under the astute leadership of Donovan Bagwell, the Apes Hill Club Development Manager, the innovative Project Management Service has been established to make life a lot easier for homeowners in every possible way. Investors can now purchase the house of their dreams, have it built to their own preferences and specifications, and benefit from having the whole process managed on their behalf, hassle-free, from design to completion. The Project Management Team, with its unrivalled experience of the design guidelines and the geology and environment of Apes Hill Club, can add real value to any property purchase. Furthermore, the team’s in-depth knowledge and understanding of the concessions that are available for imports and services can actually save as much as 25% of the total construction costs. With expert guidance delivered every step along the way, purchasers can firstly enjoy exploring the property to select the lot where they would like to build and then they are invited to review a wide range of pre-approved architect’s house plans. With fourteen attractive sets of drawings to choose from, ranging from two to five bedrooms, there is a house design to suit every taste. Having chosen their preferred plan, the new owners then have the opportunity to adapt the basic design to better suit their own personal requirements. This selection process makes planning and building a house so much easier, quicker and cost efficient. There is also the added major advantage of being able to actually view completed houses and have a first-hand chance to decide what you do and
Donovan Bagwell “I truly enjoy building beautiful homes for our owners. And I absolutely love it when I can tell them that their house is going to be finished on time and under budget!”
300 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
don’t like about the range of designs and finishes available for selection. Alternatively, for those clients who desire a more unique, bespoke villa, Donovan and his team can provide a design brief and assist with the selection of an appropriate architect, as well as an interior designer and a landscaper. In fact, the flexibility of this Project Management Service allows owners to be involved as much or as little as they choose. Some clients want to play a part in every step of the project and enjoy a hands-on approach; others are much happier to just leave it all to the experts and choose a turn key option; while the majority of purchasers prefer to just be given regular progress reports and only get directly involved themselves with the major decisions, such as the actual house plans and the choice of finishes and fittings for bathrooms and kitchens. Owners also have the freedom to opt for additional features such as a golf cart garage, storerooms, a gazebo and even a guest cottage. In all cases, the Management Team will generate a budget estimate to detail the projected costs, including land, construction, landscaping, furnishing and all consultant fees, thus enabling owners to have a clear picture of their total anticipated investment. Since the Project Management Service is geared towards offering a one-stop-shop for clients of Apes Hill Club, the team often ends up willingly providing services that might otherwise be considered outside their remit: such as recommending finance companies, sourcing furniture and appliances; even offering general relocation services. At the end of the day, the
Melissa Holland “I am the person who is usually on the other end of the line when you call. I am happy to try my best to assist you in every way possible. And if I can’t help, I will find the best person who can.”
PROPERTY ultimate goal is to assist all owners at Apes Hill Club. And this exemplary level of service does not stop once the house has been built. The Apes Hill Club Management Team offers a full villa management service that takes care of every detail: from housekeeping, to maintaining the pool and gardens, to providing a concierge service and operating a villa rental programme. This new Project Management Service has already proven to be very successful and popular. In fact several Apes Hill Club owners have enjoyed and appreciated the experience so much that they have already chosen to upgrade to a second, bigger and more elaborate house. In one case, the investor built the first house as a holiday home for his family. But, after he’d successfully completed the project and had the benefit of hindsight, he decided to sell that first house and buy a bigger piece of land to build a magnificent home to live in. A happy customer indeed!
A Home Surrounded by Nature Only 2% of all the golf courses in the entire world qualify as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary – and Apes Hill Club is very proud to be one of them. The Audubon Sanctuary Programme is a cooperative effort between the United States Golf Association and Audubon International, which promotes ecologically sound land management and the conservation of a country’s natural resources. To be awarded certification, golf courses must achieve recognition in six categories: Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management,
Camilla Williams “My role is to look after the villa rentals. If you visit Apes Hill Club, I will endeavour to make your holiday as perfect and as hassle free as possible. I will do the work, you can just relax.”
LIVE
Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation and Water Quality Management. From day one of its existence, Apes Hill Club has strived to protect the natural environment and to promote the ideal of living in a beautiful, green, open-space. That is why an early decision was made to develop only 35% of the 470 acres for real estate. Successful participation in the Audubon Sanctuary Programme represents a logical progression for Apes Hill Club, which has always been acutely aware of the great responsibility it must bear and respect as custodian of one of the most beautiful areas of land in Barbados. In addition to its incredible natural topography and plant diversity, Apes Hill Club provides an ideal habitat for a wide variety of the island's fauna. As part of the programme, Apes Hill Club maintains a wildlife inventory which has recorded around forty species of birds, six types of reptiles, five classes of mammals, two varieties of amphibians and a plant inventory of over one hundred species, most of which support the genetic integrity of our native vegetation. To support and enhance the natural environment, wildlife gardens have been created with flowering and specialist plants chosen to meet the needs of birds, honeybees and butterflies. In a similar vein, fruit trees such as banana and guava have been planted specifically for the dietary benefit of the resident troops of Barbados Green Monkey. The abundance of birdlife at Apes Hill Club is particularly encouraging. Thanks to the preservation of large tracts of native grassland, the delightful Grassland Yellow Finch can now be seen
Jackie Dottin “I take great pride in ensuring that your villa is kept in perfect condition, whether you own a home here or rent one of our villas. I am known for getting things done quickly and efficiently.”
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
301
LIVE
PROPERTY
in relatively large numbers. Feeders have been strategically located to provide regular sightings of two of our local species of colourful hummingbird: the Antillean Crested Hummingbird and the Green-throated Carib. Both species are currently nesting at Apes Hill Club. The many lakes and ponds dotted around the property, which are well stocked with Koi, Bass, Pacu and Tilapia, provide a welcome and easily accessible food source for numerous species of Heron. Perhaps the most exciting visitors of all to this Apes Hill Club bird haven are the magnificent Ospreys that spend the winter here. It is truly a spectacular sight to behold when these majestic birds soar high over the trees. The other very special guests are the Masked Ducks that now live and breed in one of the most carefully protected waterways. The Masked Duck is included on the red list of threatened species and it is undoubtedly one of the rarest birds on the island. Great care is also paid to the aquatic plants in these precious habitats, including the creation of ‘no spray zones’. The wetlands have been designed with plenty of shallow feeding trays to accommodate the many migrant shorebirds that visit our island annually. State of the art water management, best practice use of chemicals and ongoing staff training are the backbone of the programme, while extensive tests on the water quality are carried out several times a year. Apes Hill Club is committed to remaining a flagship sanctuary for Barbados' natural environment and wonderful wildlife.
Ottis Greaves “Apes Hill Club is a challenging golf course. But I can also tell you that it is located in the most beautiful part of Barbados and has some wondrous views. I am proud to invite you to come and visit us.”
302 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Denise Carter “I like to make sure that every person who plays golf at Apes Hill Club feels very welcome. I want you to enjoy our course and everything about this club, so that you have a happy experience here.”
LIVE
PROPERTY
Purchase Process There is no restriction on the purchase of property by persons who are not citizens or permanent residents, but non-residents must ensure that all funds for the purchase of real estate are available from external sources. These funds must be registered with the Central Bank of Barbados and the permission of the Exchange Control Authority must be obtained for the sale or purchase of property by a non-resident, whether such non-resident is a Barbadian citizen or not. In Barbados, property laws are quite clear. Property must pass conveyance of title, evidenced by the recording of the deeds and certified survey plans at the registry of title. A purchaser will require a registered Barbadian attorney to search the register and establish title to the property prior to the completion of sale. The parties sign a binding contract and the vendor’s attorney holds the deposit until completion, at which time the balance of the price is paid. Once an agreement has been made and a 10% deposit of the agreed price has been paid, then the deal must proceed or the deposit is forfeited. The title may be taken in a person’s name or through a corporate vehicle set up to own the property. It is possible for non-residents to purchase property through a company that may be incorporated outside Barbados but which must be registered in Barbados. The sale of property by all persons, including citizens or permanent residents, is subject to property transfer tax of 2.5%, plus approximately 1% stamp duty. However, the first $125,000 of the sale proceeds is exempt from property transfer tax provided that there is a building on the property. Attorney’s fees for both the seller and the purchaser are approximately 1.5% to 2% of the sale price. The real estate agent’s commission fees are normally 5% of the sale. Both fees are subject to 17.50% VAT.
Any owner of land in Barbados is required to pay an annual land tax at the following rates for residential properties: - First BDS$190,000 = 0% - Next BDS$310,000 = 0.10% - Next BDS$750,000 = 0.45% - Excess over BDS$1,250,000 = 0.75% On Vacant Land = 0.6% (regardless of if residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) On any other improved value other than residential = 0.50% There is a cap of BDS$60,000 on land tax rates, provided that the house is used exclusively as a residence by the person who owns the land upon which the house is erected. For up to date information and to learn about possible rebates and discounts for various situations, please refer to: http://www.landtax.gov.bb/Rates.html All money brought into Barbados should be registered at the Central Bank, which facilitates repatriation if the property is sold. The importance of this procedure makes it essential to conduct transactions through a reputable real estate agent and a local attorney-at-law.
Buying Property
Photo courtesy Altman Real Estate
The vendor pays a property transfer tax of 7.5% on the excess value over Bds$125,000 and each party bears their own legal fees, which usually average 1.5% to 2%. The only other cost for the vendor is a sales commission, usually 5%. From the purchaser’s perspective, transfer costs are usually 2% or less. Any owner of land in Barbados is required to pay an annual land tax at the following rates: * First Bds.$125,000 = 0% * Next Bds.$225,000 = 0.10% * Next Bds.$500,000 = 0.65% * Excess over Bds.$850,000 = 0.75% A number of well-established and very reliable real estate agents are listed in these pages. As well as providing information about properties and explaining purchase requirements, including the important issue of Town and Country Planning Approval, they can also offer guidance regarding your legal representation, immigration laws and settling-in procedures.
Solana
304 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
PROPERTY
LIVE
SHOREBIRD CONSERVATION TRUST
Photos: Richard Roach
Miller Publishing supports the Shorebird Conservation Trust (Registered Charity No. 965). The objectives of the trust are threefold. 1. Communication, cooperation and collaboration with interested parties to ensure that the annual local harvest of shorebirds is sustainable in the long term. 2. Maintaining habitat at Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR) and/or elsewhere to provide necessary refuge for migrating shorebirds and resident waterbirds. 3. Fostering and facilitating education and research aimed at avian conservation in general and shorebird conservation in particular. Shorebird Conservation Trust receives support from Birdlife International and Canadian Wildlife Service but needs the financial assistance of private donors. For information about their numerous activities or to make a donation in support of this worthy cause google Shorebird Conservation Trust or visit Wayne “doc” Burke at WSR featured in our 2013 edition. Snowy Egrets started to nest in Barbados in 1994 and are often at WSR
Lesser Yellowlegs fly through here from Canadian sub-Arctic southbound to South America from July through September
Phone (246) 420-3404 Address Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge
Arcadia
*
Your window to the sea! Beachfront Villa for Short Term Rentals Worthing, Christ Church, Barbados For rental information contact Anne Pilgrim +1 246 255 9530 * pilly@caribsurf.com
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
311
LIVE
PROPERTY
VUEMONT At a time when investors are looking more and more for financial security, it is encouraging to know that Vuemont is a Barbadian owned and managed, prime residential community; a product of two of Barbadosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; premier developers, Rotherley Construction Inc. and C.O. Williams Construction Ltd. Located in the beautiful surroundings of the elevated Mount Brevitor ridge in St. Peter, with landscaping to further enhance this already attractive natural environment, Vuemont is offering a range of elegantly planned, well-appointed, two and three-bedroom villas and two-bedroom apartments, which are all available freehold. The Vuemont apartments are spacious, 1,134 sq. ft., 2-bedroom/2-bathroom units, providing ample living space for individuals or families. Dedicated parking spaces are provided for each apartment. The luxury villas at Vuemont provide an excellent opportunity to enjoy contemporary Barbadian living in either the 3-bed/2-bath or 2-bed/2-bath styles, ranging in size from 1,218 to 1,560 sq. ft. Wooden decks and plunge pools are optional. All the units have spacious patios, are securely fitted with wooden shutters, finished with porcelain tiles and the Italian kitchens feature full appliance packages and granite or corian countertops. Attractive furniture packages are also available and all units are cable and Internet ready. All bedrooms are air-conditioned. Residents at Vuemont can make full use of a wide range of lifestyle facilities, including two community swimming pools, tennis courts and a central clubhouse for the exclusive use of owners, residents and their guests. Vuemont is open for viewing with only a few units remaining for sale. If you are interested in investing or have long dreamed of living in a beautiful home in Barbados, then give them a call and pay a visit.
312 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
PROPERTY
LIVE
OCEAN TWO Ocean Two continues to raise the bar in beachfront living in Barbados. The breathtaking view from the rooftop patio, plunge pool and bar at Ocean Two highlights just how spectacular this new condominium-hotel is for potential investors! The unique structure of Ocean Two allows owners to own beachfront property in Barbados without the logistical hurdles and hassles of overseas ownership by having an experienced team dedicated to the rental of their units through traditional real estate channels as well as international tour operators and online travel agents and booking engines. Ocean Two is a 4-star property located in Dover, Christ Church. The property boasts a wide range of amenities and facilities including a meeting and conference room, concierge lounge, fitness room, spa services, pool, swim-up pool bar, bar lounge, restaurant and a magnificent rooftop patio and plunge pool. It is the ideal location for weddings, events - corporate and personal or just a getaway! All residences at Ocean Two afford the owner panoramic views of the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea. The stunning, natural setting of Ocean Two is encompassed in the captivating architecture and interior design of the development which comprises of 70 residences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 50 one bedroom units and 20 two bedroom units.
Ins & Outs of Barbados â&#x20AC;˘
313
LIVE
PROPERTY FOR SALE JAMOON Sandy Lane, St. James • Elegantly furnished 7 bedroom, two-storey house set amongst beautifully landscaped tropical gardens. • Within walking distance of the beach, shops, bars and exclusive beachfront restaurants. • Secluded and tranquil setting with large swimming pool. • Open plan design with quality standard fixtures and fittings throughout. US$4,500,000
PETROS VILLA Atlantic Shores, Christ Church • Set on 17,000 square feet of prime waterfront land, Petros Villa is a 7 bedroom home. Located at the point where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, the property commands stunning views of the open ocean from almost every room. • There is a 2 bedroom self-contained luxury apartment which could be incorporated into the main house. • Large infinity pool and deck which is great for entertaining. US$3,500,000
TARA HOUSE Ashton Hall, St. Peter • Tara House is a stunning, one-of-a-kind 4 bedroom home located atop a ridge commanding panoramic views of the West Coast of Barbados. • There is a lovely self-contained 2-bedroom cottage on the premises that features a patio and its own private plunge pool. • The large pool is very inviting as the sun reflects off the water making little sparkles against the white wall that borders the ample deck area. USD$2,600,000
GRAND VIEW CLIFFS 61 The Mount, St. George • Beautiful, large 4 bedroom family home located within a highly desirable residential neighbourhood. • From the patio you have an amazing view of the countryside and out to the sea along the South Coast. • Down the external steps leading from the patio is a beautiful swimming pool, large deck, and Jacuzzi set within manicured gardens. • Self-contained 1 bedroom apartment ideal for visitors. US$2,100,000
Realtors Real Estate Limited
(246) 432-6930 | www.realtorsrealestatesales.com Holetown, St. James, Barbados BB24016 | E: info@realtorsrealestatesales.com | F: (246) 432-6919
314 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
PROPERTY FOR SALE
LIVE
SENDERLEA Derricks, St. James • Located on an amazing cliffside site on the West Coast • 3 bedrooms /2 bathrooms • Features traditional cottage-style architecture • Land area approximately 19,249 sq. ft. • Lush gardens with swimming pool & Jacuzzi • Dining gazebo ideal for evening cocktails US$7,500,000 - Furnished
BANANAQUIT Sugar Hill, St. James • Impressive 5-bedroom / 5-bathroom villa in a Resort Community • Spectacular West Coast views • Spacious terraces & living areas • Media and games room • Cottage – 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms • Located near Holetown & includes beach access US$4,950,000 - Furnished
MARTELLO HOUSE Lancaster Ridge, St. James • Designed to offer the ultimate in luxury living • Commands stunning panoramic views of the West Coast • 5 bedrooms / 5 bathrooms • Large infinity-edge swimming pool, sauna & heated Jacuzzi • High quality appliances, granite counter tops & Italian cabinetry • Boasts a fully-equipped English-style pub on property US$4,600,000 – Unfurnished
KER AVEL Polo Ridge, Holders, St. James • Lovely views of the West Coast & Caribbean Sea • Beautifully maintained tropical gardens • 4 bedrooms / 4 bathrooms • Cottage – 1 bedroom/1 bathroom • Located across from world-renowned Holders Polo Field • Land area is approximately 54,885 sq. ft. US$4,250,000 - Furnished
Bajan Services | Knight Frank
(246) 422-2618 | www.bajanservices.com Newton House, Battaleys, St. Peter, Barbados | E: sales@bajanservices.com | F: (246) 422-3506
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
315
LIVE
PROPERTY FOR SALE SUGAR WATER Apes Hill, St. James • Elegant 4-bedroom net-zero villa in prestigious polo and golf community • Stylishly functional design using sustainable materials • Energy-efficient LED lighting throughout • Wine cave and organic garden • Land area: 25,340 sq. ft.
Price: US$3,950,000
HALF CENTURY HOUSE Sugar Hill, St. James • 6 bedroom, 6.5 bathroom luxury villa with cottage in resort community • Fantastic Caribbean Sea views • Generous covered terrace and pool deck for outdoor living • Tennis, clubhouse, communal pool and fitness facility on-site • Land area: 32,121 sq. ft.
Price: US$4,250,000
EDEN Sugar Hill, St. James • 4-bedroom luxury villa set in luxuriant tropical gardens • Self-contained 1-bedroom cottage with kitchen and lounge • 1,200 sq. ft. covered upper terrace with sea view • On-site tennis, gym, clubhouse and 24-hr security • Land area: 1.15 acres
Price: US$5,000,000
SERENITY Sandy Lane, St. James • Remarkable 7-bedroom villa on just over an acre of manicured grounds • Spacious reception rooms and formal dining room • Home theatre and games room • Moments away from the beautiful Sandy Lane Beach • Floor area: 9,796 sq. ft.
Price: US$7,500,000
Altman Real Estate
(246) 432-0840 | www.altmanbarbados.com “Rosebank”, Derricks, St. James, Barbados | E: realestate@altmanbarbados.com | F: (246) 432-2147
316 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
PROPERTY FOR SALE
LIVE
CHERUB HOUSE Royal Westmoreland, St. James • Magnificent 6 bedroom, 6.5 bathroom luxury estate home and cottage in the prestigious Royal Westmoreland resort. • Stunning views over the championship golf course and out to the Caribbean sea. • Lush tropical gardens. Guests can enjoy privacy and seclusion with 5 star concierge, beach club, spa and tennis courts close at hand. Private, peaceful and simply beautiful. PRICE: US$3,950,000
PENTHOUSE 401 AT VILLAS ON THE BEACH Holetown, St. James • Stunning 4 bed, 4 bath beachfront apartment. • Newly upgraded and re-decorated with a 24 foot wide patio, marble tiled baths, soaring pickled pine ceilings and a fantastic Italian kitchen with granite work tops. • Sold fully furnished and completely outfitted, Penthouse 401 is a true gem in the heart of the West Coast. PRICE: US$2,750,000.
SUGARLANDS Sandy Lane Estate, St. James • Wonderfully classic property offering a luxurious, old world charm unique to the villas at Sandy Lane Estate. • This 4 bedroom villa with separate 2 bed cottage overlooks the 5th fairway of the “Old Nine” at Sandy Lane. • Lush tropical gardens make Sugarlands a private, tranquil oasis perfect for entertaining and truly enjoying Barbadian villa life. PRICE: US$2,975,000
FOOTPRINTS Alleynes Bay, St. James • Fabulous 5 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom avant-garde beachfront villa boasting a striking contemporary style that takes full advantage of a prime west coast location for the ultimate in Caribbean living. • Footprints boasts a spectacular master suite of over 1,200 square feet which features a wonderful private terrace and gorgeous views of the ocean. • Finished to the highest standard and offered fully furnished with interiors by KELLY HOPPEN. PRICE: US$12,000,000 Photo: Mike Toy
Alleyne Real Estate
(246) 432-1159 | www.jalbarbados.com Weston, St. James, Barbados | E: sales@jalbarbados.com | F: (246) 432-2733
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
317
Margaret Cox operates Margaret’s Fish Shack at the Oistins Fish Fry Photo: Andrew Hulsmeier
Head Chef at The Cliff, Paul Owens consistently creates an eclectic variety of exquisite dishes Photo: from The Cliff Cookbook with recipes by Chef Paul Owens
Harbour Lights’ superb beachfront location makes it the perfect spot for dancing on the beach, under the stars
318 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
NJOY 320 NIGHTLIFE 330 RESTAURANT GUIDE Barbados is known as the dining capital of the Caribbean, with dining options ranging from world class restaurants to local fish frys and roadside rum shops Photo courtesy CafĂŠ Luna
NIGHTLIFE
You’ll always find a happy crowd at MOJO
NIGHTLIFE
ENJOY
aking into account its small size, there are few places that can rival the scale and scope of after dark activities available in Barbados. The island is widely known for its outstanding restaurants and superb cuisine so it’s not surprising that most evenings usually start with a nice meal and some fine wine. Should you wish to continue your night out, we have attempted to highlight some after dark options to help you in your quest. The nightlife in Barbados is as rich and diverse as the island itself, offering choices for people of all ages. Whatever your own personal taste may be, there is something happening tonight that will tickle your fancy – from elegant and romantic, to wild and wassy! Whether it’s a visit to one of the local rum shops or the flamboyance of a spectacular dinner show, the night time entertainment of Barbados runs the full gamut of choice: beach-bars, pubs, wine bars, sports bars, jazz clubs, reggae clubs, floorshows, nightclubs, Latin parties, karaoke bars, live theatre and even a drive-in theatre. Interestingly, just 25 years after the settlement of Barbados in 1627, there were already over 100 drinking houses in Bridgetown alone. Today, there is a profusion of ‘watering holes’ to be found around the island, approximately 12 per square mile. Many of the bars feature daily Happy Hours, usually around sundown – a fine time to sip on a cocktail and await the ‘green flash’! The nightclub scene varies from one club to another and from one night to another. Live bands and DJs belt out the latest tunes until the wee hours, from calypso and reggae to R&B and contemporary. Most night clubs open their doors around 9:30pm, although they don’t actually start sizzling much before 11pm.
Friday Night Fish Frys The casual beachside setting at the Boatyard makes it a popular spot for dancing on the sand under the stars
On Friday and Saturday nights hundreds of Bajans and visitors flock to various venues around the island for the famous fish frys. These open-air events are centred around the fishing communities and provide a first class opportunity to soak up some real Bajan atmosphere, enjoy the local music and sample all types of fresh fish, deliciously seasoned the Bajan way, and eaten hot off the grill. These fish frys are held in just about every island parish on weekends, but the Oistins Fish Fry is perhaps the most renowned and has gained much recognition as a truly cultural event. There are numerous bars and food stalls offering all manner of rum based drinks and fresh-from-the-sea fish which can be eaten grilled or fried and accompanied by a variety of local side dishes like macaroni pie, sweet potato, breadfruit and salad.
Dinner Shows The Harbour Lights Beach Extravaganza features a thrilling cast of Caribbean characters
320 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Children and adults alike will love the Harbour Lights Beach Extravaganza - a lively dinner show on the beach, complete with roasted marshmallows and amazing performances by 15-ft. tall acrobatic stilt men, limbo dancing and fire eating, the break-dancing green monkey and a loose limbed shaggy bear!
An evening catamaran cruise is a romantic alternative to the usual daytime cruises, and a wonderful way to enjoy a dazzling tropical sunset out on the water with dinner and drinks served onboard. Courtesy Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruises
FEATURE
MEET A BAJAN
PEDRO ARTHUR TAKING IT HIGHER By Sarah Venable
322 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
arbados is known in the rest of the stilt-walking community around the world to have some of the BEST stilt-performers in the world. “We intend to keep it that way”, so says Pedro Arthur. He speaks from the height of his career—twelve feet, to be exact. He reaches this elevation regularly. You might have seen him at the twice-weekly Harbour Lights Beach Extravaganza. Yes, he’s that guy, the one whose dancing and cavorting on stilts make you gasp at his skill and daring. Still fit and limber, he strapped into his first real stilts 33 years ago. “I started by attending a ten-week workshop put on by the National Cultural Foundation in Queen's Park. Jeffrey 'Ife' Wilkinson trained me. I was very eager and excited to be formally trained. “Before that, it was just a hobby. Young boys in the neighbourhood would pass time by building makeshift stilts out of pieces of wood. So I did have a bit of experience, but that was a far cry from what I would need to know to excel in stilt-walking and become a pro. “From the first class it was evident that this was for me, and that I was a natural performer. After completing the course, I started performing with Ife at various shows around the island. My first performance was at age ten at the National Stadium. I was very nervous but once the music played and I got out on the track, all my nerves disappeared. I have never looked back.” He swiftly went into the hotel circuit. “I would go to school during the day, do my homework and then be off to perform.” Then came international appearances in the Caribbean, New York and L.A. Along the way he performed at virtually all the top music and performance spaces on the island. He was the youngest person to win the King of the Bands competition, portraying a futuristic robot on stilts. He won the Minister of Tourism Entertainer of the Year award on two occasions as part of the stilt group, Amuser. He trained formally at the Barbados Dance Theatre, performed with Dance Machine and has been a back-up dancer for many Party Monarchs during the annual Crop Over Festival. Among his many other skills are clowning, stage magic, juggling and fire eating. And wait, there’s more, he has also done green monkey and shaggy bear portrayals, along with other characters. He sings too. “I entered the Soca Arena in Barbados for the first time in 2013 and made it to the finals of the Party Monarch Competition under the stage name ‘Fuhnominon’.” In addition to performing, Pedro Arthur coordinates entertainment for events through his company, Imagine Bajan Entertainment. But performing is his heart. “I love seeing all the guests who leave with great memories. I plan on stilt-walking until I physically can't anymore. I would love to continue to teach this wonderful art form to our young citizens so they can keep it alive and allow it to evolve.” That’s the word from on high.
NIGHTLIFE
ENJOY
HARBOUR LIGHTS Harbour Lights offers some of Barbados’ best nightlife, as a matter of fact, they were recently awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013. The superb, open-air, beachfront location makes it the perfect spot for dancing on the beach, under the stars!
Mondays & Wednesdays Beach Extravaganza Dinner Show: This is the island's most complete dinner show, with a thrilling cast of Caribbean Characters who hypnotize the crowd with electrifying performances. Marvel at the fire eater, stiltmen and the limbo dancer and journey back in time with the tuk band accompanied by the very well endowed Mother Sally. Feel the vibes of a live band while dancing barefoot in the sand. The energetic presentation, from steel pan artiste, Zige and the beautiful Carnival dancers leaves everyone longing for more. Enjoy a tasty BBQ dinner and unlimited drinks until 2am. All ages welcomed 7pm – 10:30pm. Unrivalled entertainment and excellent value for money, not to be missed! Reservations required, call 436-7225. Club Nights - Wednesdays and Fridays: Whether you want to shake a leg to some of the best club music around, or just ‘lime’ by the bar on their ‘all you can drink’ nights – you are guaranteed a great time at Harbour Lights! Wednesdays - Best Wednesday Night ALWAYS: The weekend starts on Wednesdays at Harbour Lights! Popular with Bajans and visitors alike the entrance fee gets you into the club and all you can drink is FREE from 9:30 –2:00am. Guaranteed great time! Fridays - OH! WHAT A FRIDAY: Experience the best party on the island! Your rum, gin, vodka, beer, rum punch, soft drinks and juices are all included with your admission fee. The partying starts at 9:30pm and drinks are free until 3am. Taxis available all night. Enjoy the non-stop action at the hottest nightspot in town - it’s all happening at Harbour Lights! Dress code: Guys, no sleeveless shirts or hats.
Open 3 nights a week - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Tel (246) 436-7225 Web www.harbourlightsbarbados.com Facebook /harbourlightsbdos Address Marine Villa, Bay Street, St. Michael
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
323
ENJOY
NIGHTLIFE
Photo: Dan Christaldi
St. Lawrence Gap is lined with loads of bars and restaurants, pubs and clubs, hotels and condos, rum shops and karaoke bars – that’s why they say, “The Gap is where it’s at”!
The Gap
Sunset Cruises
Situated on the south coast, in the Worthing area, St. Lawrence Gap, or ‘The Gap’ as it has come to be known in recent years, is a brick-paved street about a mile or so long, illuminated by antique street lamps and lined with bars, rum shops, lounges, pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels – in other words, it’s a great place to “play and stay”! Ever since the early fifties St. Lawrence Gap has been renowned for its nightlife; today the island beat still permeates – and everyone dances to it – locals and visitors, the young and the old and everyone in between! The Gap pulsates to the various sounds of live, late night entertainment – from Reggae, Rock and R&B to Soca, Salsa and jazz, you may even come across a few local karaoke sessions which can be very entertaining. The diversity doesn’t stop with the music either, there’s a multi-national mix of restaurants as well, where you’ll find high end establishments rubbing shoulders with rum shops and roadside grills. A stroll through The Gap will reveal a potpourri of eateries serving up everything from exquisite seafood dishes to Mexican, Brazilian, Indian, Thai, Irish and Italian cuisines, to good old Bajan street food.
A romantic alternative to the usual daytime cruises, an evening cruise is a wonderful way to enjoy a dazzling tropical sunset on the water with dinner and drinks served onboard. Try to book your cruise around the full moon as this makes it doubly romantic! Silver Moon, Cool Runnings, El Tigre and Seaduced catamarans all offer first class sunset cruises in addition to their regular lunch cruises (see pages 206-215 for further details).
324 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Cinema al Fresco Drive-ins provide a romantic and nostalgic alternative under the stars, so why not take in a movie at the Globe Drive-In. Somewhat an institution in Barbados, the Drive-In has entertained countless courting couples, teenagers and families over the years. No movie would be complete without good food and popcorn, so there is a snackette on the premises serving tasty local fast food, from barbecued chicken and samosas, to hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn and pizza. For dessert there is a separate counter, serving chocolates, sweets and soft serve ice cream. Featured movies change every Wednesday and usually they run double features (two movies for the price of one), so check the local press for movie listings and times.
NIGHTLIFE
ENJOY
MOJO MOJO is one of the most established bars on the South Coast and is hugely popular amongst locals and visitors alike. Black and white portraits of famous musicians line the walls and Bob Marley has his own dedicated “Back Bar” room. The bar is intimate, lively and offers authentic cocktails and friendly service. Well known for their shots, “Blue Bubbie” being a popular choice, MOJO also serves food in their award winning "Chopping Board Kitchen" Restaurant and is open late. If you ask a local what MOJO is really about they will say the music, you are guaranteed to hear something you can sing along to, if not requests are welcomed. Check out their Facebook page for information on specials that run throughout the week. MOJO…Music for the People…Food for the Soul.
Tel (246) 435 9008 or 262 MOJO Facebook facebook.com/mojobarbados Email mojobarbados@gmail.com Address Worthing Main Road, Christ Church
MCBRIDE’S IRISH PUB • Great Grub • Irish Pub • Dance Club It’s back and it’s better than ever! An all NEW McBride’s returns with a modern refurbishment and great new entertainment line-up! The home of the LIVE music scene in Barbados brings you even more live bands and happening DJ nights with drinks specials and hotter than ever happy hours. Experience their new-look dining experience, suitable for the entire family. Papa McBride’s Pizza Kitchen is the newest casual eatery in town and focuses on fun, fresh food with a great DIY pizza menu, huge wings selection and a fresh salad and sandwich menu served late into the night.
Tel (246) 435-6352 Web mcbridesbarbados.com Email mcbridespub@hotmail.com Address St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church
CAFÉ SOL This vibrant Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar, located at the entrance to St. Lawrence Gap with an ocean view, is a favourite spot for locals and visitors alike. Open seven days a week, Café Sol is renowned for their famous 'Tex-Mex' dishes, massive margarita list, and the fun, cozy atmosphere. Café Sol was rated in the top 5 for "BEST NIGHTLIFE" and top 20 "MOST POPULAR" in Barbados in the recent Zagat Survey. Daily Happy Hours from 5-7pm and 10-12pm, and 2 for 1 drinks specials every night from 6 pm until close! After the Beach Sundays - A great day at the beach followed by a great spot to hangout. Enjoy live music and an extended happy hour from 4pm-7pm.
Tel (246) 420-7655 Web cafesolbarbados.com Email info@cafesolbarbados.com Address St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
325
ENJOY
NIGHTLIFE
BERT’S Eat, Drink & Chill at Bert’s – the House of the Daiquiri since 1976. At Bert’s, there’s something for everyone. Enjoy a great meal in the dining room, pull up a stool at the island bar to catch the game, or chill poolside with a daiquiri. Happy Hour-and-a-Half 4:30–6pm. Dig into a Bert’s authentic stone-fired pizza, experience traditional Bajan fare or enjoy one of Bert’s original favourites. With state-of-the-art international sports coverage and more than 24 flat screens inside & poolside, sports fans won’t miss any of the action! Come early to catch the pre-game excitement! Major credit cards accepted.
Tel (246) 435-7924 Pizza Takeout Hotline: (246) 431-1111 Web bertsbarbados.com Email info@bertsbarbados.com Address Rockley, Christ Church When Open from 11am daily.
THE BOATYARD BY NIGHT Stunning sunsets, lively music, tropical cocktails and friendly people... All the necessary ingredients for the perfect Caribbean vacation evening on the beach. The menu is extensive and covers a variety of local and international dishes to thrill every taste bud. Dinner is served on the beach and dancing is done on the sand, under the stars... simply delightful! Their Friday Fish Fry is a lively night out where you can experience the Boatyard’s own version of the famous Oistins Fish Fry, serving up an amazing array of local delights, in a lovely beachside setting, with live entertainment from 7pm – 10pm. Casual attire, barefoot elegance, bonfires, coconut trees and powdery white sand… Paradise found!! Reservations not required and there is no cover charge.
Tel (246) 826-4448 Web www.theboatyard.com Facebook www.facebook.com/theboatyardbarbados Address Bay Street, Bridgetown
CIN CIN Cin Cin, the west coast’s latest hot restaurant, is also really cool – in more ways than one. Not only have Larry Rogers and his wife Michelle launched a trendy restaurant with great food, they have also incorporated a very chic, air-conditioned Lounge & Bar, complete with stunning plate glass windows that stretch right across the room and overlook the sea. From the day it opened its doors, Cin Cin has proven to be popular with a really nice crowd of people, an eclectic mix of locals and visitors. It’s one of those places where you meet people you know or people you’d like to know. The atmosphere is great, the cocktail and wine lists will tantalize your taste buds and if you are peckish there is a very tempting Tapas and ‘light bites’ menu served right there in the lounge. Valet parking available.
Tel (246) 424-4557 Web cincinbarbados.com Email dine@cincinbarbados.com Address Prospect, St. James
326 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
MEET A BAJAN
hile bumping into a famous celebrity in the Green Monkey Bar at Sandy Lane Hotel might seem like an exciting prospect, the person you really need to come across is Jamaal Bowen. Jamaal is Sandy Lane’s Resident Mixologist who, apart from being great company and a charming host, is widely acknowledged as the most creative bartender in the Caribbean. In the space of just 11 years, Jamaal has risen rapidly through the ranks from assistant waiter to winner of the highly prestigious title of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s ‘Taste of the Caribbean’ Bartender of the Year in 2012. Along the way, Jamaal has won a host of accolades and mixology competitions including: Barbados Bartender of the Year in 2006; Barbados Angostura Mixmaster Champion for 3 consecutive years between 2009 – 2011; and Winner of the inaugural Angostura Regional Cocktail Challenge in 2011. It all started from humble beginnings. “I grew up in a small, tight-knit family. We weren’t well off but thankfully I was brought up to be courteous at all times. I can remember my dad making me say hello to any tourists we met on the beach. He helped me understand that these are the people that drive our economy, so we must make them feel welcome. By the time I left school I knew that I wanted to work in the hospitality industry, so I went to study at the Barbados Hospitality Institute.”
FEATURE
Jamaal set out to be a chef but that course was already full so he switched to Food and Beverage Operations, where he excelled in Bar Technology and soon discovered his special flair for mixing cocktails. Aged just 18, he entered three cocktails into the NIFCA competition and all three won medals – Bronze, Silver and Gold! After graduating from college Jamaal started work at Sandy Lane, where he has been ever since. He is the first barman at the resort to have a cocktail added to the bar list. “I created ‘Monkey in a Tree’ in 2006, to cater to our younger clientele who were looking for something different. It won that year’s Barbados Rum Cocktail of the Year and helped me win Bartender of the Year. Seven years later, that is still one of our top selling cocktails.” As a result of his outstanding record at Sandy Lane and his numerous competition successes, Jamaal was recently appointed as the Regional Ambassador for Angostura. This allows him to now do the three things he loves most: travel, teach and mix cocktails. “I am very happy to share my knowledge because I want to give more bartenders a chance to do what I have done. We should all encourage other people to pursue excellence and follow their dreams.” Jamaal Bowen is good at mixing drinks and mixing with people. Thank goodness he never got stuck in the kitchen!
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
327
ENJOY
NIGHTLIFE
Photo: Gina Francesca Photography
West Coast Hot Spots
John Moore’s Rum Shop in Weston St. James is a popular local hangout for Bajan residents and visitors from all walks of life. The delightful location far outweighs the “no frills” aspect of the place.
328 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Located in the heart of Holetown, First and Second Streets are a horseshoe shaped configuration of streets with a concentration of lively bars and nightclubs rubbing shoulders with each other. Particularly lively on Fridays and Saturdays when some of the establishments like PRIVA, Tiki Hut and The Mews feature popular DJs and live entertainment, with the partying continuing into the wee hours. Another worthy drinking spot is just across the street in the luxurious Limegrove complex. Lime Bar is popular for its cool and edgy approach to liming, dining and drinking out. They have great DJs catering to all ages and feature a very good line up of local musicians and entertainers who perform mainly on weekends. Several west coast restaurants now have trendy lounges and bars where you’ll find a nice mix of locals and visitors. Night owls can mingle and enjoy a wide selection of signature cocktails and a light bite at Cin Cin, Lone Star and Scarlet, and at The Cliff there is “loungey” music on weekends to accompany their designer cocktails. The west coast is also “the place” to catch some spectacular sunsets, and there’s no better way to watch the sun dip below the horizon than in one of the many casual beach bars dotted all along the coast, with a nice cocktail in hand. A few of our favourite beachside watering holes include Mullins Beach Bar, Bombas, Ju-Ju’s and Ramshackle Bar. You will also relish the friendly atmosphere and local flavour of our roadside rum shops – do stop in and enjoy a few drinks and laughs with the local lads.
NIGHTLIFE
ENJOY
PRIVA Step into PRIVA Barbados on 1st Street Holetown for complete escapism and transport yourself to paradise. PRIVA is an intimate lounge club that offers impeccable bottle service and some of the hottest DJs the world has to offer, hosting parties for the likes of Sean Paul, Gerard Butler and Rihanna! PRIVA is located in a very chic, traditionally styled building in Holetown, St. James, which embodies the old world charm of Barbados, a colonial townhouse with the privacy and refinement of a modern and cosmopolitan watering hole. Open for drinks and dancing til late, PRIVA is a late night party destination in Barbados for people of all ages. Regular opening hours: Thursday – Saturday 10pm-4am, Sunday 6pm-1am.
Tel (246) 836-2165 Web www.privabarbados.com Email info@privabarbados.com Address 1st Street, Holetown, St James
TIKI HUT There is never a boring night in Barbados' favourite Tiki land! With its tiki décor, delicious fresh fruit cocktails and tropical flowers adorning every Honey’s hair, a night out at Tiki is unique in every respect. looking for a taste of the tropics With no VIP rooms and an open and friendly door policy, Tiki remains a one of a kind venue for a night out in Holetown with a difference! The perfect place to lounge, have fun and socialise, from 8pm-late!
Tel (246) 836-2165 Web www.tikihutbarbados.com Email misstiki@tikihutbarbados.com Address 1st street, Holetown, St. James
LIME BAR & CAFÉ ZOOLA Located in the first courtyard of Limegrove's luxurious facility in Holetown, Lime Bar has quickly become the new buzzword on the west coast’s nightlife scene. A relaxing, stylish and modern blend of bar and restaurant in an al fresco courtyard setting, popular for its cool and edgy approach to liming, dining and drinking out. Every week they feature live entertainment catering to all generations, with a great selection of the island’s top musicians and entertainers. Lime Bar is the perfect location for mingling, having fun and meeting new friends. Join them on Facebook (/limegrovebar) or visit their website to see what’s on and receive special event invitations. Café Zoola offers Italian coffee, rated one of the finest roasts in the world. Their highly trained barristas deliver the perfect cup every time, accompanied by fresh, homemade pastry or cake. Open from 9am, you can order breakfast, a healthy snack from the bar, a meal for lunch or dinner time... and night time specials for the partygoers too!
Tel (246) 271-8261 Web limebarbarbados.com Email entertainment@limebarbarbados.com Address Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
329
RESTAURANTS
Bajan Blue at Sandy Lane
L’Azure Restaurant at The Crane Resort
Coral Reef Club
330 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
RESTAURANTS
ENJOY
ne of the greatest attractions of Barbados is that this island has so much wonderful variety to offer, all neatly packaged into a very compact and easily accessible space. This is perhaps never more evident than when considering the incredible range and diversity of restaurants and dining options currently available on the island. Anybody who appreciates good food will relish the dining experience in Barbados, a country that is widely acclaimed as the unofficial ‘Restaurant Capital of the Caribbean’. Barbados has been blessed with a rich culinary heritage that has been fashioned over the centuries by the different styles and influences of Amerindians, Africans, Europeans and Asians. This wonderfully diverse mix of multi-cultural cuisines has been further enhanced by the handing down of knowledge from generations of cooks, including the well-practiced and skilful use of a profusion of Caribbean herbs and spices. Bajans from all walks of life have always loved preparing and eating good food. In recent times, with the continued growth of tourism and international business as increasingly important pillars of the island’s economy, Barbadian chefs and restaurateurs, ably supported by the input of some excellent international chefs and advanced training overseas, have successfully raised the standards of our fine dining establishments to truly world-class levels. It is a huge endorsement of the high calibre of the top restaurants in Barbados that they have been able to satisfy the demanding dining requirements of a new wave of more sophisticated and discerning clients who are accustomed to eating in the top establishments in the major cities around the globe. Just as the skills and creativity of our chefs have improved so too has the quality of the ingredients at their disposal. Barbadian farmers today grow a more diverse range and better standard of salad products and vegetables; and there is also a better supply of high quality local meat and poultry. Wherever the fresh produce and meats cannot be supplied locally, the top restaurants ship in the very finest quality products available from the top suppliers around the world. One aspect of local foodstuffs in which Barbados really does excel is fresh fish. The ocean around us is free of pollution and the natural sea conditions are very conducive for the presence of a wide variety of fish, including bigger ocean going species and smaller reef fish. Barbadian fishermen are efficient at catching the fish and adept at treating their catch properly so that it reaches land in top condition; the fisherfolk at our fish markets are very skilled at deboning and filleting the fish; and Bajans have become experts at preparing and cooking fish. Wherever you go to eat in Barbados, from rum shop to gourmet establishment, you will always find delicious fish dishes on the menu. From al fresco terraces to air-conditioned rooms, from modest cafés to spectacular locations, from seaside to countryside, from casual to elegant, from quiet romance to lively entertainment, from quick snack to lavish buffet, from Bajan to Japanese, Barbados offers one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan dining experiences in the world. In order to help you enjoy the Barbados dining experience, the following Restaurant Guide has been designed to help you find the restaurants that might most appeal to you.
MEET THE BAJAN TEAM
FEATURE
THE AWARD WINNING BARBADOS CULINARY TEAM CARIBBEAN NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR 2013
By Sally Miller
From left: Chef André Nurse, Caribbean Chef of the Year, Chef Graham Licorish (Team Manager), Bartender Jamaal Bowen, Bar Training Manager, Chef Michael Harrison (Team Manager), Chef Javon Cummins, Gold Medal Junior Chef. Back: Chef Nathan Crichlow, Best Seafood Dish, Chef Kenneth Whittington, Bartender Rohan Hackshaw, Caribbean Bartender of the Year, Pastry Chef Julian Broome, Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year.
arbados has always had a reputation for culinary excellence but the island’s dynamic professionals today continue to take the standards to new heights. The winning Barbados Culinary Team exemplified this trend at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association 2013 Taste of the Caribbean competition in Miami, Florida. This hard working group of perfectionists, with their infectious fun loving Bajan spirit, was judged the Caribbean National Team of the Year. In addition to the overall prize winners of Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, silver and gold medals rained down on the individual team members in segments ranging from cheesecake to seafood. Their spirit of camaraderie was evident as the team worked together for months leading up to competition. Their dishes
were tested during a series of gourmet dinner and lunch events at the Sandy Lane Hotel and Hilton Barbados, attended by members of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association and the general public to both lend support and raise funds to finance the team’s participation. Points are awarded for the use of indigenous Caribbean products, originality, contribution to the body of knowledge of Caribbean cuisine, consistent quality, presentation, general efficiency and of course, taste! The chefs of Barbados came out tops over the other 12 Caribbean countries competing. The gourmet dinners for the 2014 competition begin in March and visitors are welcome to attend and support our team’s efforts this year. For times and dates check www.bhta.org or call the BHTA office (246) 426 5041.
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
331
ENJOY
RESTAURANTS
Eclectic Apsara Samudra Azul Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Café Luna Champers Cin Cin Cliff, The Coral Reef Club Daphne’s Fusion Garden Terrace (Southern Palms) L’Acajou (Sandy Lane Hotel) L'Azure (The Crane) Lone Star Pisces Sandy Lane Hotel Sandpiper, The Tapas Zen (The Crane)
Bistros Atlantis, The Bert’s Boatyard The, Restaurant & Bar Brown Sugar Café Luna Café Sol Carib Beach Bar Champers Chopping Board Kitchen D’Onofrio’s (The Crane) Juma’s Restaurant Lobster Alive & All That Jazz Mama Mia Italian Deli & Pizzeria Mamu’s Gazebo Mullins Beach Bar Papa McBride’s Pizza Kitchen Pisces Relish Epicurea Tapas
332 •
Special Sunday Lunch
Lounge/Bar 361 360 338 358 350, 351 349 342, 343 340, 341 344, 345 352 359 338 362 347 348 338-339 340, 341 356 362
364 336, 355 354 353 358 358 361 350, 351 357 363 346 354 355 365 346 361 348 347 356
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Azul Boatyard The, Restaurant & Bar Carib Beach Bar Cin Cin Chopping Board Kitchen Cliff, The Fusion Lone Star Mullins Beach Bar Tapas
360 354 361 349 357 342, 343 352 347 346 356
Open for Lunch Apsara Samudra 361 Atlantis, The 364 Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) 338 Bert’s 336, 355 Boatyard The, Restaurant & Bar 354 Brown Sugar 353 Café Luna 358 Carib Beach Bar 361 Carriage House (The Crane) 363 Cin Cin 349 Champers 350, 351 Chopping Board Kitchen 357 Coral Reef Club 340, 341 Daphne’s 344, 345 Fisher Pond Great House 365 (Thurs in season only & every Sunday) Fusion 352 Garden Terrace (Southern Palms) 359 Juma’s Restaurant 346 L'Azure (The Crane) 362 Lobster Alive & All That Jazz 354 Lone Star 347 Mama Mia Italian Deli & Pizzeria 355 Mamu’s Gazebo 365 Mullins Beach Bar 346 Relish Epicurea 347 Sandy Lane Country Club 339 Sandy Lane Spa Café 339 Sandpiper, The 340, 341 Sunbury House 364 Tapas 356
West Coast Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Cin Cin Coral Reef Club Lone Star Sandy Lane Hotel
338 349 340, 341 347 338-339
East Coast Atlantis, The L'Azure (The Crane)
364 362
Countryside Fisher Pond Great House Sunbury House
365 364
South Coast Brown Sugar Champers Garden Terrace (Southern Palms) Lobster Alive & All That Jazz
353 350, 351 359 354
Breakfast Atlantis, The Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Café Luna Coral Reef Club Garden Terrace (Southern Palms) L'Azure (The Crane) Lone Star (Winter months only) Mama Mia Italian Deli & Pizzeria Mamu’s Gazebo Relish Epicurea Sandy Lane Hotel Sandpiper, The Sunbury House
364 338 358 340, 341 359 362 347 355 365 347 338-339 340, 341 364
Afternoon Tea Atlantis, The Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Coral Reef Club L'Azure (The Crane) Sandpiper, The Sunbury House
364 338 340, 341 362 340, 341 364
MEET A BAJAN
FEATURE
RHONDA STRAKER NO STUMBLING BLOCKS he Barbados Childcare Board maintains nine children’s homes for children in need of care and protection. Sometimes they produce a success story. Rhonda Straker’s is one. She grew up poor, moving from house to house with her siblings and struggling mother. At the age of eight, she was placed in Sterling Children’s Home, and stayed there until she was eighteen. She wasn’t ashamed. “For some reason, I didn’t get teased at school like some of the others.” Maybe her natural dignity was already apparent. “I was happy there,” she said. “I learnt a lot. The Aunties saw leadership abilities in me and gave me responsibilities.” Sometimes she would be sent into town to buy underwear for the other girls, or act as chaperone when groups went out. She was Prefect in 4th form, and was tapped as Head Girl in the 5th, which she declined. At Barbados Community College’s Hospitality Institute, she earned an Associate’s Degree and particularly enjoyed learning German. “I love languages,” she said, and speaks a smattering of most western European tongues, plus Russian. While studying, she was drafted to waitress at an event at Ilaro Court, the Prime Minister’s official residence. She recalls it as a turning point: “I had two tables of ten. I was terrified. I didn’t know what I was doing.” She must have done well nevertheless; by the end of the evening, she had job offers.
By Sarah Venable
After stints at two fine dining restaurants, she moved over to Champers, where she has been for the past seven years. Now a poised 30-year-old, she works six days a week as their head-waitress, responsible for supervising set-up and service on the floor. Her challenges include making decisions when the owner is not present, and having to correct colleagues who are considerably older than herself. She handles both with aplomb. Just don’t ask her to deal with dogs. As a child, she and her brother were attacked by a pack of them that ran out from under a house. She retains a phobia, her only visible weakness. The good part of her job is meeting people from different countries. “I love to learn about their personalities and cultures, and always try to pick up new phrases in different languages.” Canadians are her favourites. “They’re so genuine.” The mother of a smart, eight year old girl, Rhonda has been a home-owner for two years. For relaxation, she enjoys going out to eat, listening to music, and occasional visits to a spa. In ten or fifteen years she would like to own or manage a restaurant. One caveat: “It would have to be vegetarian, because I am.” Rhonda loves life and tries “not to treat other people badly.” She believes that “how you grow up should never be a stumbling block. If you have goals and a strong mindset, you will succeed.”
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
333
ENJOY
RESTAURANTS
Bajan Atlantis, The Bert’s Boatyard The, Restaurant & Bar Brown Sugar (Daily Buffet) Carib Beach Bar Chopping Board Kitchen Coral Reef Club (Weekly Buffet) Fisher Pond Great House Sandpiper, The Sunbury House
Indian 364 336, 355 354 353 357 340, 341 362 340, 341 364
Caribbean Atlantis, The Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Boatyard The, Restaurant & Bar Brown Sugar Carib Beach Bar Champers Cin Cin Coral Reef Club Garden Terrace (Southern Palms) Juma’s Restaurant L'Azure (The Crane) Lobster Alive & All That Jazz Mullins Pisces Sandpiper, The
364 338 354 353 361 350, 351 349 340, 341 359 346 362 354 348 340, 341
Italian Daphne’s D’Onofrio’s (The Crane) Lone Star Mama Mia Italian Deli & Pizzeria Papa McBride’s Pizza Kitchen Tapas
344, 345 363 347 355 361 356
Mediterranean Chopping Board Kitchen Cin Cin Daphne’s D’Onofrio’s (The Crane) Relish Epicurea Tapas
334 •
Apsara Samudra Mamu’s Gazebo
Japanese Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Café Luna (Thurs. & Fri.) Fusion Zen (The Crane)
Ins & Outs of Barbados
338 358 352 362
Asian Apsara Samudra (Classic Thai) Cin Cin Fusion Relish Epicurea Zen (The Crane)
361 349 352 347 362
French Cliff, The Coral Reef Club Juma’s Restaurant L’Acajou (Sandy Lane Hotel) Sandy Lane Hotel
342, 343 340, 341 346 338 338-339
Sports Bars Bert’s Mullins Beach Bar
336, 355 346
Steak/Grill Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Carib Beach Bar Papa McBride’s Pizza Kitchen
338 361 361
Mexican Café Sol
358
Picnics To Go Relish Epicurea
357 349 344, 345 363 347 356
Jazz Bar 361 365
347
Beach Bars Boatyard The, Restaurant & Bar Carib Beach Bar Lobster Alive & All That Jazz Mullins Beach Bar
354 361 354 346
Lobster Alive & All That Jazz
354
Seafood Atlantis, The Azul Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane Hotel) Boatyard The, Restaurant & Bar Café Luna (Fri. - Lobster night) Carib Beach Bar Champers Chopping Board Kitchen Cin Cin Cliff, The Coral Reef Club Daphne’s Fusion Juma’s Restaurant L’Acajou (Sandy Lane Hotel) L'Azure (The Crane) Lobster Alive & All That Jazz Mamu’s Gazebo (esp Thurs & Sat) Mullins Beach Bar Lone Star Pisces Sandpiper, The Zen (The Crane)
364 338 354 358 361 350, 351 357 349 342, 343 340, 341 344, 345 352 346 329 338 354 365 346 347 348 340, 341 362
Private Functions Atlantis, The Azul Brown Sugar Champers Cin Cin Cliff, The Fisher Pond Great House Fusion L'Azure (The Crane) Sandy Lane Hotel Sunbury House Tapas Zen (The Crane)
364 353 350, 351 349 342, 343 362 352 362 338-339 364 356 362
MEET A BAJAN
loria Wilkie is on the cusp of 90 and very, very busy. What keeps her so? “Life!” she laughs. She has no false teeth, wears no glasses, still drives, works, makes sense, and stays cheerful. She attributes her longevity to working with flowers and plants. Her Sunset Crest home is surrounded by them. At this point, her gardening focuses on growing foliage for florists and nurturing her guava tree. (Goat manure is the secret.) It returns the favour by bearing enough for her to make gallons of guava stew for friends and associates. When she dies, she would love to be buried underneath it. She’s lucky to be alive at all. The Barbados typhoid epidemic of 1906-07 was over by the time she was four years old, but enough of it lingered in the island for her to catch it. She survived, but her sister didn’t. She is grateful for life and expounds a simple philosophy: “I believe in God and God believes in me.” Mrs. Wilkie comes from a humble background. Until she was 16, her family lived in the country without running water. They still managed to grow food. “When I was seven years old, I would get a hoe and go plant something,” she recalls. When
FEATURE
her father was a shopkeeper in Tudor Street, they lived in the city and resided upstairs. Despite their struggles, she never felt poor. Instead what she remembers is good times with good people: “I grew up with six energetic siblings in a house of music. We all played piano. My mother was very talented and could do anything. My father devoted his whole life to his family’s advancement.” Like her mother, Mrs. Wilkie is a creative all-rounder. “I am not just flowers. That’s my first calling, but I have done everything. Whatever I saw, I tried to make. My clothes, earrings, big hats—I have made everything. Except a baby.” At 25, she married a man who knew that she wouldn’t be able to bear children. They adopted a baby from Scotland. It was a much simpler procedure in those days. “A doctor I knew up in England and his wife were coming down to Trinidad, and I asked them to bring him to me and they did.” This child was called Randall, and his name became known in the hotel business. He is now General Manager of Sandy Lane. Mrs. Wilkie doesn’t see herself as special. “I live an ordinary life. I’m just a truthful person who works very hard. I’ve been lucky.” She wasn’t asked, “What’s love got to do with it?” We suspect it’s probably a lot.
GLORIA WILKIE - LIFE BEGINS AT 90
By Sarah Venable
Gloria picking guavas in her garden Photo: Jon Farmer
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
335
SOUTH COAST RESTAURANTS Pelican Village
s
Parliament Buildings
Fusion Restaurant & Lounge The Boatyard Lobster Alive
BRIDGETOWN Nautilus Apts.
Henry’s Lane
Island Inn
Barbados Museum Garrison Savannah Race Course
St. Annʼs Fort
Amaryllis Resort Coconut Court Hotel Pom Marine Regency Cove Hotel
Regency Park
Bartletts Sargeants
Vauxhall Kingsland
Champers Bert’s Blue Orchids Hotel Coral Mist Hotel
The Chopping Board Kitchen Mojo Sea Foam Haciendas Worthing Court Apts. Anthurium Suites Melrose Beach Apts. Palm Garden Hotel Coral Sands Beach Resort
& Rhythms
Worthing s Carib Beach Bar St. Lawrence Gap Café Sol Pisces Little Bay Hotel Yellow Bird Hotel
Apsara Samudra South Gap Ocean Hotel
Papa McBrides Pizza Kitchen Rostrevor Apts. Mistle Cove Divi Southwinds Resort
The Garden Terrace Southern Palms Hotel
Silver Hill
Maxwell Hill Top Rock
St. Lawrence Bajan Roots
Rockley
Wotton
Kendal Hill
Graeme Hall
Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary
Tapas
s
Blue Golf Course Waters
Hastings Pirates Inn Magic Isle Apts. Blue Horizon Hotel Southern Surf Apts.
H6
Globe
Sheraton Centre Drive-In & Food Court
Rockley
s
Bannatyne
Sheraton Park
Warners
Navy St. Mathias Gardens Needham’s Point Marine Savannah Hotel Gardens Mama Mia
Needhamʼs Point Lighthouse
Kent St. Davids
Clapham
Brittons Hill
George Washington House
Staple Grove
Aquatic Centre Elizabeth National Sports Centre Park
Highgate
St. Paulʼs Church BAYVIEW HOSPITAL
Hilton Barbados
Upton
Banks Breweries
Bayville
Brown Sugar
Wildey
Pinelands
St. Patrickʼs R.C. Cathedral
Harbour Lights Night Club
Carlisle Bay
St. Davidʼs Church
F M H EMERGENCY St. Michaelʼs MEDICAL CLINIC Cathedral QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL
Dover
Escape At the Gap Rio Guest House Carib Blue Apts. Time Out At the Gap Maresol Apts. Monteray Apts. Summerset Apts. Salt Ash Apts. Four Aces Apts. Melbourne Inn Meridian Inn Dover Beach Hotel Turtle Beach Resort Almond Casuarina Resort
Montrose
St. Dominicʼs R.C. Church
Maxwell
Welches
Maxwell Coast Rd.
Cane Hill
Gall Hill
H7
OISTINS
Azul Restaurant
Bougainvillea Beach Resort Café Barbados Beach Club Luna Sea Breeze Hotel Little Arches Hotel
Hall All Saints Church Maynards Benny Mile And A Quater Little Good Harbour Six Mens Hall Retreat Lakes Port Ferdinand French Village Mount Mount Port St. Charles Brevitor Brevitor Prospect Ashton Almond Beach Village Hall Rockless White Douglas Hall Orange The Whim Juma’s Hill The Rock Colleton
Ebworth Rose Hill
H1B
SPEIGHTSTOWN
Restaurant s Schooner Bay
Cobblers Cove Hotel Saint Peter’s Bay King’s Beach Village
ST. PETER Richmond Hill
Farm Warleigh Road Farm Hayman’s Battaleys Factory
Black Bess Bakers
H1B
Mullins Beach
Mangrove
H 2A
Mullins
Mullins Beach Restaurant
Rock Dundo
Gibbes
Springhead Taits
Sion Hill
Reeds House
Upper Carlton
Lower Carlton
ST. JAMES
Westmoreland
Lone Star Restaurant
Weston The Garden
The Fairmont Royal Pavilion
Sugar Hill Mount Standfast Emerald Palm
Royal Westmoreland Golf Course
Colony Club Hotel
Limegrove Lifestyle Seaview Centre Road
Relish Epicurea at Limegrove s
Molyneux
Sunset Crest
St. Thomas Parish Church Content
Sandy Lane Country Club Bennets
Sandy Lane Golf Course Golf Course Norwood Sandy Lane H1
The Club Barbados Resort & Spa Blue/The Spa Café Sandy Lane Hotel
Sir Frank Hutson Sugar Museum & Rock Hall Portvale Sugar Factory Ridgeway
A
St. James Parish Church Trents Discovery Bay Hotel
Sunswept Hotel Villas on the Beach
Endeavour
GreenWich
The Sandpiper
H2
Christie No. 1 Sandy Lane Bagatelle St. James Apt. Hotel Paynes Bay Terrace Holders Hill Treasure Beach Grand Hoytes Bagatelle Tamarind Hotel Daphne’s View The House St. Johnʼs the Baptist Baily Shop Hill Hill Church Durants Reeds Redmans Edge Hill Beach View Hotel Thorpes Hill Haynesville Arthurs Seat Appleby The Cliff Halls Welches Derricks Prior Oxnards Park Crystal Cove Resort Fitts West Terrace Husbands Clermont The Moorings Jackson Palm Shores WARRENS y a w s h Friendship Hig Cin Cin Prospect mmins Terrace Wanstead on Cu Eden Lodge Green Hill Lazaretto d Gor Lodge Hill A
H2
L’Acajou/Bajan
LancasterHope
Plumtree
Coral Reef Club
Mango Bay Hotel & Beach Club
Apes Hill Apes Hill
Deans Orange Hill
Porters
Folkstone Settlers Beach Villa Hotel
HOLETOWN
Water Hall St. Silas Chapel
H2
WEST COAST RESTAURANTS
Roebuck Sedge Pond
Fours Hill
BAJAN BLUE AT SANDY LANE
L’ACAJOU AT SANDY LANE
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Blue Fin Tuna Skewers Green apple, kaffir lime ponzu
Pan Seared Foie Gras 5-spice roasted apple, ginger bread, blackberries
Wok Fried Chili Prawns
Spring Pea Veloute Ibérico ham, shaved asparagus and mint oil
Fillet of Yellowtail Snapper Asparagus, confit red peppers, black olive purée and capers
With tamarind, black pepper, fried chili and garlic
Rack of Colorado Lamb
72hr Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine
Fennel, roasted aubergine, tomato jam and spring garlic
Smoked bacon, mushrooms and shallots
Breast of Maple Leaf Duck
Roasted Mahi, Warm Calamari Salad
Pressed duck and potato terrine, braised orange endive and kohlrabi purée
Marinated aubergine & tomato vinaigrette
Caramelized Meyer Lemon Tart Crème fraîche ice cream, blackberry jus
Oranges and Passion Fruit en Gelée Dark chocolate mousse
Located on the Lower Terrace, this informal restaurant offers all day dining and a mélange of European, Caribbean and Asian influenced cuisine. The elaborate Sunday Brunch is a must, as are the spectacular themed buffet evenings. Other features include the modern wine bar, sushi station and state-of-the-art grill. A stunning waterside setting to complement sumptuous all day dining. Menu items and prices subject to change.
Reservations (246) 444-2030 Web www.sandylane.com Email diningreservations@sandylane.com Where Sandy Lane Hotel, Sandy Lane, St. James When Breakfast • 7-10:30am | Lunch • 12:30-3pm | Dinner • 7-10pm Price BB$ Starters • 45-95 | Mains • 65-160 | Desserts • 40-65
338 •
Crab and Avocado “Cannelloni” Caviar crème fraîche, marinated fennel and grapefruit
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Dark Chocolate Soufflé Served with pistachio ice cream and crème anglaise
Soup of Red Berries with Fresh Mint, Sauternes & Red Wine Rum baba filled with vanilla crème mousseline
Overlooking the sparkling waters of the Caribbean Sea is L'Acajou, Sandy Lane's signature restaurant. The romantic L'Acajou specializes in light, gourmet cuisine paired with an impressive range of Old and New World wines. The stunning, open-air beachfront setting of this chic fine dining restaurant is magical. Dine under a canopy of mahogany trees with the gentle sounds of the ocean. Menu items and prices subject to change.
Reservations (246) 444-2030 Web www.sandylane.com Email diningreservations@sandylane.com Where Sandy Lane Hotel, Sandy Lane, St. James When Dinner • 6:30-9:30pm Price BB$ Starters • 38-95 | Mains • 90-225 | Desserts • 38-75
COUNTRY CLUB AT SANDY LANE
THE SPA CAFÉ AT SANDY LANE
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Wild Mushrooms and Sautéed Chicken Livers
Chilled Andalusian Gazpacho
With garlic and parsley on toasted brioche, poached hen’s egg
Fresh crab low fat crème fraîche and lime zest
Scottish Smoked Salmon
Green Papaya Salad
With soused red onions, horseradish cream, homemade rye bread
Dried shrimp, long beans, palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce
Herb Roasted Chicken Breast
Steak Frites
Buttered cabbage, mushroom and truffle risotto
Grilled angus skirt steak, Argentine chimichurri, french fries
Pan Seared Local Barracuda
Salad Niçoise
Braised fennel, tomato and orange marmalade
Asparagus, new potatoes, romaine hearts, herb oil vinaigrette
Confit Kurobuta Pork Belly
Freshly Caught Fish of the Day A La Plancha
With homemade kimchee and fried oysters
Warm heirloom tomato salad, basil and lemon oil
Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich
Coconut Sticky Rice
Chocolate shortbread cookies . Mint chocolate chip milk shake
Mango and lime, coconut sorbet
Valrhona Manjari Chocolate Brownie
Sliced Fruits of the Seasonal Berries
Peanut butter ice cream and peanut brittle
On ice with berry sorbet
High above the coastline with stunning views across the rolling fairways to the Caribbean Sea below, The Clubhouse Restaurant has magnificent vistas. Comfortable and relaxing furnishings are designed to capture the splendour of the setting. The Clubhouse Restaurant is the perfect place for light leisurely lunches, relaxed coffees or cocktails while watching the sun go down.
Adjacent to the magnificent swimming pool and cocooned by the cascading waterfall, The Spa Café offers a casual menu throughout the day, from soups and greens to sandwiches and light mains. The soothing atmosphere of the Café is a perfect complement to a day at The Spa or for simple relaxation.
Menu items and prices subject to change.
Reservations (246) 444-2030 Web www.sandylane.com Email diningreservations@sandylane.com Where Sandy Lane Hotel, Sandy Lane, St. James When Lunch • 11:30am-4:30pm Price BB$ Starters • 40-75 | Mains • 60-160 | Desserts • 35
Menu items and prices subject to change.
Reservations (246) 444-2030 Web www.sandylane.com Email diningreservations@sandylane.com Where Sandy Lane Hotel, Sandy Lane, St. James When Lunch • 12:30-3pm Price BB$ Starters • 41-87 | Mains • 77-87 | Desserts • 41-46
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
339
CORAL REEF CLUB
THE SANDPIPER
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Flying Fish & Crab Roll
Rare Roasted Beef Salad with Gorgonzola
On spicy creole lentils with avocado smoothie & beetroot essence
poached plums & asparagus with a roasted tomato aioli
Smoked Chicken Risotto
Seared Scallops with Caramelized Carrot Purée
With asparagus, chorizo sausage, sundried tomatoes & mozzarella cheese
Micro herbs, crisp pancetta & a balsamic reduction
Broiled Fillet of Barracuda
Presented with a warm butter bean, tomato & red onion salad
On herb and raisin cous cous with wilted greens, vegetable brochette and carrot coulis l
Tournedos of Beef
Seared Local King Fish with Squash Puree Grilled King Prawns with Crispy Fried Chorizo Steamed jasmine rice & roasted asparagus
Roasted Rack of Lamb with Chargrilled Vegetables
With garlic mashed potatoes, melted gorgonzola cheese, wild mushrooms, asparagus, pearl onions and sauvignon wine jus
Crusted with whole grain mustard & served with a rosemary jus
Deep Fried Filo Wrapped Banana Fritter
Coffee bean anglaise poppy seed tuille
With coconut ice cream, drizzled with golden syrup
Individual White Chocolate Truffle Cake With dark chocolate glaze and dark chocolate sorbet
Frozen Baileys Irish Cream Parfait Molten Dark Chocolate Tart Vanilla bean cream sauce with chocolate Malibu ice cream
Thanks to the devotion of its Barbadian owners, the O’Hara family, and their outstanding staff, Coral Reef is one of the most recommended hotels in Barbados and they have set high standards to ensure a reliably enjoyable dining experience. Under the leadership of Executive Chef Graham Licorish, a team of accomplished and experienced chefs creates a new a la carte menu each day, offering a variety of fresh seafood, prime meats and vegetarian dishes that combine classical cuisines with the exotic herbs and spices of the Caribbean. There is a Bajan Buffet on Mondays, while Thursdays are Barbeque Night with a Floorshow and Steelband.
The Sandpiper has long been regarded as one of the top restaurants in Barbados, highly rated for serving consistently excellent cuisine. Owner-managed with great attention to detail, this charming restaurant places great emphasis on delivering quality at every level – use of the finest fresh ingredients, meticulous preparation of the food, service that is both genial and efficient, enjoyable and comfortable surroundings. Chef Christophe Poupardin and his dedicated team take great pride in preparing a variety of popular dishes that cater to a broad range of tastes and appetites. There is a sumptuous buffet on Wednesdays while Sundays feature a barbecue with live steel pan music.
Reservations (246) 422-2372 Web www.coralreefbarbados.com Email reservations@coralreefbarbados.com Where St. James Beach, St. James When Bfast • 7:30-10:30am | Lunch • 1-3pm | Dinner • 7:30-9:30pm Price BB$ Starters • 30-45 | Mains • 80-95 | Desserts • 20-35
Reservations (246) 422-2251 Web www.sandpiperbarbados.com Email reception@sandpiperbarbados.com Where St. James Beach, St. James When Bfast • 7:30-10am | Lunch • 12-2:30pm | Dinner • 7-9:30pm Price BB$ Starters • 30-45 | Mains • 82-95 | Desserts • 28-35
340 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SAMPLE MENU
Tandoori Spiced Tuna (Cooked Rare) Pickled cucumber salad, Indian curry oil, mango salsa, coriander
Linguine Garlic chive sauce, lobster, rocket, chili flakes, aged parmesan
Chargrilled Baracuda Baked potato cake, horseradish, smoked salmon sauce wilted greens, fine beans, baby onions
Roast Gressingham Duck Breast Wild mushroom fumee, creamed savoy cabbage, morels creamed potatoes, baby onions
Lightly Breaded Red Snapper Salt cod mash, saffron, caper sauce chorizo sausage, tomato basil coulis
Melting Mercury White chocolate sphere, vanilla ice cream, raspberries, pistachio crunch, hot raspberry sauce
Lemon Tart Crispy diamond crust, french meringue, fresh strawberry sorbet
THE CLIFF Long established as one of the very top restaurants in the Caribbean, The Cliff is the first choice of many people for any special celebration. The stunning, oceanfront, cliff top setting and ambience are truly magical but it is the food itself which makes The Cliff so special. While Chef Paul Owens consistently gains accolades from top food writers, praising his creative talents, he and his team of 12 chefs remain committed to improving upon their performance and to using only the finest fresh ingredients and producing consistency of quality. Affable waiters and knowledgeable wine stewards strive to provide service of the highest standard. The restaurant was recently renovated, bringing many stylish refinements to the overall dining experience. Available for private functions.
Reservations are required (246) 432-1922 Web www.thecliffbarbados.com Email info@thecliffbarbados.com Where Derricks, St. James When Dinner Price BB$ Set price menu. Please call for current pricing
342 â&#x20AC;˘
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SAMPLE MENU
Fegato Grasso di Anatra con Mele Caramellate e Salsa al Vin Santo Pan-fried foie gras with caramelized apple and vin santo sauce
Agnolotti di Merluzzo Affumicato con Vongole al Pomodoro e Crema di Piselli Smoked haddock agnolotti with clams,tomato salsa and creamy green pea sauce
Spaghetti all’Aragosta Spaghetti with lobster
Costoletta di Vitello alla Milanese con Rucola e Parmigiano Breaded veal chop with rocket and parmesan
Tagliata di Tonno con Ceci Speziati e Verdure Arrostite Yellowfin tuna with spicy chickpeas and roasted vegetables
Gelato alla Patata Dolce e Vaniglia con Mango Caramellato Homemade sweet potato ice cream with caramelized mango
Crostatina Tiepida di Pera con Nutella e Crema al Cioccolato Warm pear croustade with nutella and dark chocolate cream
DAPHNE’S Daphne’s, one of the top restaurants in Barbados, reflects the style and grace of its sister establishment, the famous Daphne’s of London. Manager Marco Alleyne, is an excellent host and he will welcome you to this elegant beachside restaurant, which offers ‘al fresco’ and covered dining in a friendly atmosphere. Though the menu is based on classic Italian cuisine, Chef Marco Festini Cromer adds his modern style to better suit contemporary tastes. Extensive wine list - Italian, New World and Classical French Wines. The Cocktail Bar at Daphne’s offers half-price Cocktail Hours from 5-7pm and bar snacks are also available. Open daily.
Reservations (246) 432-2731 Web www.daphnesbarbados.com Email daphnes@eleganthotels.com Where Paynes Bay, St. James When Open for lunch, and dinner every night, Nov-April. Closed on Mondays: May-October.
Price BB$ Starters • 38-56 | Mains • 54-138 | Desserts • 28
344 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
MULLINS BEACH BAR
JUMA’S
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Most dishes available in starter and main course portions
Curried Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Coconut Soup With root ginger, garlic, corriander and cumin
Buljol with Bakes
Coquilles St. Jacques
Bajan favourite salt fish, lime, chopped tomatoes, herbs and spices
Scallops in a white wine, garlic & onion sauce topped with cheese
Shrimp Salad with Avocado fresh mango and citris dressing
Baked 16oz Lobster Tail
Grilled Chicken Breast
Marinated in teriyaki, ginger & garlic
With mixed quinoa and pineapple salsa
Piri Piri Shrimp Shredded vegetable salad with grilled shrimp
Fish, chicken or Beef Tacos With mixed bean salad and a spicy mayonnaise
Chocolate Fudge Brownie With vanilla icecream
Braised Oxtail in Red Wine Slow cooked in a fine merlot with sweet potatoes, carrots & christophene
Seafood Thermidor Scallops, marlin and shrimps in a classic thermidor sauce
Banana Four Ways Warmed banana cake, banana cheesecake, caramelised bananas and an alcoholic banana smoothie
Cheesecake
Gran’s Coconut Cake
with blueberry or strawberry topping
Jules' family recipe - simple but beautiful
Finally, Mullins is a beach bar again! Back to its roots, the painted monkeys have returned, a larger re-designed bar, new decor and bright & buzzy atmos. open to all. Re-opened by Rory & Jason (both ex Lone Star) 7 days a week with good local dishes; curry, roti, flying fish and some beach bar classics. Live music & DJ on certain days, great for sunset cocktails or watch sports on 2 60" flat-screens! Orange Crush cocktail is a must!
Since opening in December 2012 Juma's has become a firm favourite with visitors and locals alike, with many guests returning time and time again during each of their stays. It's location is stunning, overlooking the beautiful and unspoiled Speightstown beach, and the menu is highly eclectic featuring Thai, Classic French and Bajan dishes. Complimentary transport is provided for guests from anywhere on the west coast. Beautifully furnished with unique custom built mahogany tables and an astounding collection of African art, Juma's is an experience that you will never forget and will always want to repeat.
Telephone (246) 422 2044 Email harbingerltd@gmail.com Where Mullins Bay, St. Peter When Bar open daily 10am daily until ......
Reservations (246) 432-0232 or 234-7286 Web www.jumasrestaurant.com Email info@jumasrestaurant.com Where Speightstown, St. Peter When Lunch & Dinner everyday Price BB$ Starters • from 15 | Mains • from 40 | Desserts • from 20
All day manu available daily 11am to 7pm Price BB$ Starters • 15-20 | Mains • 30-80 | Desserts • 15-20
346 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Alison Kern, owner and creator of the Relish Philosophy
RELISH EPICUREA SAMPLE MENU
LONE STAR SAMPLE MENU
Café Brasserie Menu Breakfast
Yellowfin Tuna Tartare
Relish Raver: 2 eggs, bacon, beans & croissant Steak & Eggs with sautéed onions & mushrooms Bakers selection: freshly baked breads, muffins, croisants & danish Healthy Choice Platters & Gluten Free Solutions
Sesame, pickled ginger, wakame salad
Open Ravioli of Wild Mushroom & Butternut Squash Balsamic beurre noisette
World Flavour Salads
Boston Crab Crusted Mahi-Mahi
Provence Scallop with lemon zest & hazelnut butter Mediterranean Mixed Sausage with Penne, Tomato, Thyme & Lime Relish Lobster Tabouleh with lemon basil olive oil dressing
Roasted Rack & Braised Shoulder of Lamb
World Flavour Sandwiches
American Black Angus Beef Filet
Tandoor Salmon W/cherry tomatoes & Cucumber Salad Moroccan Lamb Skewers W/Harissa,Tomato, Goats Cheese & Carrot Salad
Fresh Mains & Slate Platters (all served with Deli Sides)
Watermelon, feta, tomato fondue French beans, boulangère potato Sweet potato mash, endive,spinach, port jus
Banana Doughnuts
Caribbean Snapper W/Creole Notes & Spanish Palate Mediterranean Grilled Rack of Lamb W/Cilantro Pesto & Rosemary Potatoes
Rum caramel, coconut, pistachio, chocolate ice cream
Small Slate Plate Tasters
Coffee ice cream
Boutique Cheeses, Deli Meats, Olives, Seafood, Dips & Crudite.
Chocolate Souffle
There is nothing ordinary about Relish. The food is exciting, the wine list is refreshingly varied and the staff are bright and bubbly. The menu is anchored on world flavours, with unique palates and authentic quality remaining the core principles, capturing the eclectic personality of owner, Alison Kern and her team. With lots of healthy options, the culinary emphasis is on cleverly created dishes and fantastic flavours. The kind of food that makes you say, “Wow, that was good!” The distinctive Relish philosophy is further strengthened by Paul Wedgwood, of Wedgwood The Restaurant, who has joind the team as associate culinary partner, following his dream of creating fresh, exciting, sensual food.
The renowned Lonestar restaurant and hotel, on the idyllic west coast with its celebrity clientele and buzzing, yet laid back, atmosphere has evolved into a “must go” destination. Originally a Texaco garage, the Lonestar is better than ever - magnificently refurbished under new English ownership. Their new menu is a fusion of Italian fare and their much loved Lonestar classics. The lunchtime menu includes pizzas from the woodstone oven, a favorite with younger customers and an array of mouthwatering salads. Their Sunday lunch is still a must … some things never change! Enjoy a rum sour at sunset or a post dinner glass of champagne at their new cocktail lounge.
Reservations (246) 621-0077 Web www.facebook.com/relishepicurea Email alison@relishepicurea.com Where Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, St. James When Monday-Saturday • 9am-7pm | Sunday • 9am-5pm Price BB$ Breakfast• 6-40 | Café Brasserie Menu • 18-60
Reservations (246) 419-0599 Web www.thelonestar.com Email lonestargarage@caribsurf.com Where Mt. Standfast, St. James When Open daily • Lunch 11.30 – 3.30pm • Dinner 6.30 – 10.30pm Price BB$ Starters • 25-65 | Mains • 65-120 | Desserts • 29
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
347
SAMPLE MENU
Spiced Crusted Calamari With a lime ginger dipping sauce
Coconut Jumbo Shrimp Served with two dipping sauces
Yellowfin Tuna Seared “rare” and served in green peppercorn sauce with a potato cake and steamed asparagus
New Zealand Lamb Shanks Slowly braised and served on creamed potato, with seasonal vegetables, finished in a rosemary glaze
Death By Chocolate Flourless Chocolate Cake, tower of Chocolate Mousse, Triple Chocolate Ice-cream and a Chocolate meringue
Warm Bread & Butter Pudding Served with Toffee Sauce and Vanilla ice-cream
PISCES This distinguished landmark restaurant, established in 1972, is nestled on the water’s edge in the bustling atmosphere of St. Lawrence Gap. Pisces has long been one of the island’s more sought after spots to dine, with its beautiful oceanfront setting and lush indoor gardens. Under the patronage of well known Barbadian chef, Larry Rogers, who has a flair for seducing your palate with simple yet delectable dishes with a distinct Caribbean flavour. Pisces offers diners an international menu with a subtle West Indian influence and features an extensive variety of fresh seafood. Full Bar. Elegantly Casual Attire.
Reservations (246) 435-6564 Web www.piscesbarbados.com Email piscesrestaurant@caribsurf.com Where St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church When Dinner nightly • 6-10pm Price BB$ Starters • 19-40 | Mains • 54-135 | Desserts • 20-28
348 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SAMPLE MENU
Grilled Asparagus & Parma Ham Salad With poached egg & potato croutons
Chicken Liver Parfait With red onion jam & melba toast
Seared Fresh King Scallops On Israeli cous cous with ratatouille vegetables & lemon tarragon butter
Roasted Best End of Lamb In a honey mustard crust with a creamy polenta & vegetable ragu creamed potatoes, baby onions
Steak Frites With French onion rings, Béarnaise or green peppercorn sauce
Chocolate Fondant With coffee créme anglaise and vanilla ice cream
Panna Cotta With maple roasted pears
CIN CIN As the name suggests Cin Cin (pronounced Chin Chin) is chic and fun! Since Larry Rogers and his wife Michelle opened in June 2011, Cin Cin has enjoyed resounding success. Refreshingly contemporary and très elegant with uninterrupted views of the Caribbean sea meeting the horizon. The ‘al fresco’ terrace is perfect for waterside dining under the stars, while the air-conditioned inner restaurant provides a cool sanctuary allowing sweeping vistas of the ocean framed by an expansive glass wall. Cin Cin features a trendy bar lounge area, perfect for sipping cocktails or simply enjoying a light bite served by friendly and efficient staff. Larry has a flair for creating an eclectic range of Mediterranean style dishes with a Caribbean twist using the freshest of ingredients. His distinctive style and standard of "no compromise on quality" has gained him a loyal following over the years...many from the "Olives" and "La Terra" days. Open for lunch Monday to Friday and Dinner Nightly. A cool hot spot not to be missed!
Reservations (246) 424-4557 Web www.cincinbarbados.com Email dine@cincinbarbados.com Where Prospect, St. James When Lunch • Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm | Dinner • Mon-Sun 6-11pm Price BB$ Starters • 28-39 | Mains • 62-125 | Desserts • 21-29
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
349
SAMPLE MENU
Champers Ceviche With citrus vinaigrette
Shrimp and Mango Salad With mango vinaigrette
Parmesan Crusted Barracuda with mashed potatoes, vegetables & wholegrain mustard sauce
Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna with mashed potatoes, spring vegetables, wasabi cream & soy ginger emulsion
Pan Roasted Breast Of Chicken Served with Creamy Polenta Mushrooms and Sherry Sauce
Champers Coconut Pie with ice cream
Warm Bread Pudding With Bajan rum sauce & ice cream
CHAMPERS Right at the water’s edge, Champers is one of the leading restaurants on the south coast, with a solid reputation for consistently good food, excellent service and value for money, owner run by much admired restaurateur Chiryl Newman. The amazing cliff-top setting overlooks Accra Beach and the southern coast. Alive with vibrant Caribbean design and atmosphere, Champers offers a choice of ‘bubbly fun’ in its downstairs area or the enhanced elegance of its spacious air-conditioned dining room upstairs. Chiryl uses the highest quality locally grown produce and sources the best Barbados caught fish and seafood. Champers has original art on display, as well as a dedicated gallery. Private dining room.
Reservations (246) 434-3463 or 435-6644 Web www.champersbarbados.com Email champers@champersinc.com Where Torrington, Skeetes Hill, Christ Church When Lunch (Closed for Saturday lunch) • Dinner nightly Price BB$ Starters • 20-40 | Mains • 55-99 | Wine •50-455
350 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SAMPLE MENU
Rock Shrimp Tempura With creamy, spicy sauce
Chicken Manchurian Deep fried chicken with Manchurian spices
Ribs Bok Choi Tender pork ribs with give spice mix sauce & bok choi
Catch of the Day in Hunan Sauce Fried catch of the day with chopped fresh chilies in hunan sauce & soy ginger emulsion
Beef Thai Curry Red, yellow,green or masamann Thai curry. Served with rice
Sushi Unagi Tempura Smooked eel, crab, cucumber, cream cheese
Fusion Roll Crab, tempura shrimp, avocado, spicy mayonaisse
Spider Panko crusted soft shell crab, tobiko, avocado
Tiramisu Sticky Triple Chocolate Brownie With rum caramel sauce & vanilla ice cream
FUSION Since its opening in 2008, Fusion has raised the bar for dining on the island’s south coast. With a new ocean-front location in Bayshore complex, the elegant fusion-styled menu has a notable Asian influence, offering an outstanding selection of Japanese, Thai and Cantonese cuisine. Their famous Fusion Sushi is geared to be shared! Diners have the choice of being served in the spacious, air-conditioned dining area with its chic, contemporary décor, or al fresco on the outdoor lounge area – perfect for lounging and enjoying cocktails. A great night out with superb food, first class service and plenty of atmosphere.
Reservations (246) 436-1538 Web www.fusionrl.com Email info@fusionrl.com Where Bayshore Complex, Bay Street, Bridgetown When Lunch • Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm | Dinner • Mon-Thur 6:30-11pm Fri-Sat 6:30pm-12am. Sundays closed Price BB$ Starters • 19-44 | Mains • 30-98 | Desserts •27-45
352 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
The Home of Bajan Cuisine SAMPLE DINNER MENU
Cou Cou & Flying Fish (Our National Dish) A smooth blend of cornmeal and okra served with, lightly seasoned and poached flying fish roll-ups in a court-bouilon
Coconut Beer Shrimp Large Guyana shrimp crispy fried in a coconut batter flavoured with beer, with a spicy cucumber yoghurt relish Cou Cou and Flying Fish - The delicious National Dish of Barbados
Curried Coconut Shrimp Large Guyanese shrimp lightly simmered in a hearty coconut curry sauce
Seafood Medley Au Gratin Fish, shrimp and crabmeat baked in a delicious cheese & white wine sauce
Grilled Pepper Chicken Half spring chicken martinated in garlic, lime and bonny peppers charbroiled and served with a sweet pepper jelly
Flaming Banana Chocolate Crepes A light crepe folded around flambéed bananas and cinammon Presented with a flaming rum sauce
Bajan Bread Pudding Baked with rum-plumped raisins, served with a local rum sauce
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake Smooth and creamy. 3 chocolates in one dessert
Madelyn Foster, a proud member of the kitchen team at Brown Sugar since they opened on November 10th 1977
BROWN SUGAR Brown Sugar is the place to sample the authentic flavours of Bajan cuisine, served with warm hospitality in a charming traditional Barbadian home.Their Planter’s Buffet Luncheon is an all-you-can-eat four-course feast of Barbadian and Caribbean specialties including flying fish, cou cou, fish cakes, bul jol, souse, the famous pepperpot and the largest array of freshly made in-house homemade desserts. At dinner enjoy a delightful melange of local and Caribbean cuisine. Enjoy live entertainment on selected nights.
Reservations (246) 426-7684 or 436-7069 Web www.brownsugarbarbados.net Email dine@brownsugarbarbados.net Where Aquatic Gap, St. Michael When Lunch • Sun-Fri 12-2:30pm (closed Sats) Dinner • Sun-Sat 6-9:30pm Price BB$ Starters • 12-30 | Mains • 38-89 | Desserts • 14-20 Daily Buffet • 57 | Sunday Buffet • 69
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
353
LOBSTER ALIVE SAMPLE MENU
Lobster Bisque Freshly made by Art himself
Pickled Sea Cat Caught out front
Lobster live from the tank - pick your own Parboiled in fresh sea water, finished on the barbeque with garlic butter - minor variations at your request. 1 1/4 lbs to 2 1/2lbs. 5-8lb big lobster - central platter for three or more sharing - good economy for the adventerers (crab pickers will know)
Conch au Vin Creole Classic
10 oz US Strip Steak Lobster Thermidor ~ Lobster Salad Lobster Pasta ~ Lobster Crepe Bernadette’s Bread and Butter Pudding
THE BOATYARD RESTAURANT & BAR SAMPLE MENU
Crab Cakes Crab meat blended with creamed potato, local herbs & drizzled with house dressing
Shrimp Cocktail Jumbo Shrimp served on a bed of lettuce & Chef’s cocktail sauce
Smoked Salmon Served with red onion, capers, green salad & finished with chutney yogurt chili dressing
Coconut Shrimp Jumbo Shrimp battered with shredded coconut, deep fried and served with pesto mash potato and tropical garden salad
Caribbean Lobster Tail Grilled & served with garlic herbed butter, Chef’s rice 7 seasonal vegetables
Angus Striploin Steak Cooked to your requirements, topped with fried onion rings, served with baked potato and corn on the cob
Seasonal Specials
Caribbean Spiny Lobster, flown in from The Grenadines to a big central distribution tank at the restaurant on Carlisle Bay. Good parking; wheel chair friendly. Coming by boat? Wade ashore anchorage! Daily Bridgetown Fish Market Catches. Beach umbrellas and beach bar. Open for lunch and dinner every day. Sunday lunch with swing jazz sextet - wonderful jazz musicians. Cool Jazz Quartet Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday dinner. Varied Menu! Kids meals/Veggies. Enquire for Cooked takeaway/delivery. Reduced Summer openings. Reservations strongly advised. Enquire about Jazz nights.
Enjoy dinner on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches just feet away from the calm blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Their menu is extensive and covers a variety of local and international dishes to delight every taste bud. Casual attire, barefoot elegance, bon fires, coconut trees and white powdered sand. On Fridays we do our own version of Oistins serving up an array of local delights coupled with Live Entertainment from 7pm – 10pm. Reservations not required and there is no cover charge. Paradise never tasted so good!
Reservations (246) 435-0305 Web www.lobsteralive.net Email arttaylor@lobsteralive.net Where On the beach in Carlisle Bay 400m south of Bridgetown When Open everyday. Lunch • 12-3:30pm Dinner • 6-9pm Price BB$ Starters • 18-34 | Mains • 35-130 | Desserts • 15-25
Reservations (246) 826-4448 Web www.theboatyard.com Email boatyard@sunbeach.net Where Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown When Lunch • 11am-5pm Dinner •5-9pm Price BB$ Starters • 14-32 | Mains • 34-65
354 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
BERT’S SAMPLE MENU
MAMA MIA ITALIAN DELI & PIZZERIA SAMPLE MENU
Nacho platter
Antipasto Italiano
Tortillas layered with diced tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, green peppers & lots of melted cheese. Served with salsa & sour cream
Served with a selection of Italian meats and cheeses & a side of ciccio bread
Calamari Rings
Mini Caprese
Hand-cut rings marinated in a herb garlic sauce, lightly dusted with flour & deep fried golden brown, served with tartar sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and garlic & served with a side of toasted garlic bread
Fisherman’s Platter Shrimp, flying fish & catch of the day - grilled, pan-fried or blackened
Bert’s Sizzling Steak Platter Char-grilled 8oz Top Sirloin Steak, topped with sautéed onions
Bert’s Banana Split 3 scoops of ice cream topped with strawberry, pineapple & chocolate sauces, whipped cream & a cherry
Spaghetti Frutti di Mare A typically Neapolitan dish, a combination of mussels, clams & shrimps, fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic.
Mama Mia Pizza Signature pizza made with bruschetta tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh feta cheese and topped with onions and basil
Lasagna
Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie
A traditional lasagna made with fresh pasta and layered with bechamelle and bolognese sauce and a lot of Parmesan cheese
Served warm with vanilla ice cream & drizzled with chocolate sauce, topped with a cherry
Chicken served with fresh lettuce, fresh tomatoes, carrots & olives
Chicken Salad
Eat, drink and Chill at Bert’s for the perfect mix of island ambience, international sports coverage, world famous daiquiris and authentic stone fired pizza. Enjoy a weekday lunch combo in the air-conditioned dining room, pull up a stool at the island bar to catch the game or chill poolside with an ice cold draft or daiquiri. Bert’s menu offers traditional Bajan fare, Bert’s original favourites, vegetarian and healthy choices, and delicious meal options just for kids. Open from 11:00am (and earlier for the big sports matches).
Discover the delightful atmosphere and tasty cuisine at Mama Mia's Italian Deli and Pizzeria! A warm welcome awaits you from “Mama” and her friendly staff who set the tone of this charming Italian eatery. Savour the aroma of freshly ground coffee, the sizzle of Paninis straight off the grill and the unmistakable smell of an authentic Italian pizza from their genuine Italian pizza oven. Relax in the charming air-conditioned pizzeria, or feel free to lounge on the open-air veranda. At Mama Mia you’ll relish the undeniable taste of Italy – always accompanied by warm Italian hospitality!
Reservations (246) 435-7924 or Pizza Hotline: 431-1111 Web www.bertsbarbados.com Email info@bertsbarbados.com Where Rockley, Christ Church When Happy Hour & a half • 4:30-6pm | Open from 11am daily Price BB$ Starters • 16-51 | Mains • 27-56 | Desserts • 11-19
Reservations (246) 434-DELI (3354) Web www.mamamiadeli.com Email reservations@mamamiadeli.com Where Hastings Main Road, Christ Church When Mon-Thur • 10:30am-9pm| Fri-Sat • 10:30am-10pm| Sun• 5-10pm Price BB$ Starters • 15-25 | Mains • 25-45 | Desserts • 10-30
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
355
SAMPLE MENU
Tuna Tartare With sesame soy citronette
Lobster Ravioli Lobster & sweet potato parcel with a creamy butternut squash sauce
Jumbo Shrimp Seafood risotto topped with jumbo shrimp
Grilled Seafood Catch of the day, jumbo shrimp, mussel and scallops on mix leaves
Rack of Lamb With goat cheese & walnut mash and ratatouille
Chocolate Lava Cake With whisky sauce and vanilla ice cream
Tiramisu Mascarpone cream nestled with coffee lady finger biscuit
TAPAS This trendy restaurant, beautifully positioned along the south coast boardwalk, is not only known for its breathtaking view but for its exceptional service and delicious cuisine. With a wide variety of Tapas dishes as well as an À La Carte menu, there is more than enough to satisfy any palate, making Tapas a favorite amongst locals and visitors alike. Enjoy the casual, bubbly atmosphere at the bar just a few feet from the water’s edge or have a more intimate, fine dining experience with sweeping views of the island’s southern coastline. The perfect venue for any special occasion! Fridays and Saturdays - Tapas menu until late.
Reservations (246) 228-0704 Web www.tapasbarbados.com Email info@tapasbarbados.com Where Hastings Main Road, Hastings, Christ Church When Lunch • 11:30am-3pm | Dinner • 6-10:30pm | Tapas all day Price BB$ Starters • 14-28 | Mains • 40-90 | Tapas • 8-16
356 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SAMPLE MENU
Nutty Salad Toasted pine nuts, roasted red peppers, soft goat cheese, red onion, tomatoes & lettuce with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette
The Famous MOJOAN Burger Homemade 8oz burger served on a toasted sesame seed bun with cheddar cheese, bacon, fresh mushrooms, onions & homemade tomato relish served with fries & coleslaw
Catch of the Day (cooked to your liking) Served with Jasmine rice, sautéed veg and tomatoes, with white wine, cream and dill sauce
Chicken Pesto Wrap Grilled organic chicken breast, roasted red peppers, rocket romaine and homemade pesto mayo
Bacon Linguini Pasta Grilled bacon, parmesan, red onions and HOT chillies tossed in a homemade tomato & basil sauce
Trio of Mini Desserts Lemon cheesecake, chocolate frenzy, ice cream & berry coulis
Mini Cheesecakes Homemade white chocolate cheesecake served with a berry coulis & whipped cream
THE CHOPPING BOARD KITCHEN The Chopping Board Kitchen is the award-winning restaurant at MOJO, with an island wide reputation for the best homemade burgers in Barbados and a focus on healthy and organic eating. It is likely that if you order the bruschetta, you will see one of the Chef’s picking fresh basil straight from their herb garden. Dining is available inside, on the deck, or in the garden. Great for families, big groups and takeout service is also available. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, so stay as late as you want, have a drink at the bar and enjoy the lively atmosphere after dining. A late-night menu is also available.
Reservations (246) 435-9008 or 262-MOJO Web www.facebook.com/choppingboard Email mojobarbados@gmail.com Where Worthing Main Road, Christ Church When Monday-Saturday • 10am-1:30am | Sunday • 5pm-1am Price BB$ Salads • 18-32 | Mains • 36-52 | Desserts • 12-16
Photo by Rosemary Parkinson, from her latest book: Barbados B'un-Bu'n published early 2014
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
357
CAFÉ LUNA
CAFÉ SOL MEXICAN GRILL
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Fresh Local Chicken Liver
Cheese Nachos
Sautéed in port wine demi cream with braised apples
Crisp tortilla chips topped with zesty 3-cheese sauce & spicy salsa
Tempura Guyanese Shrimp
Mini Taquitos
With mango piquant sauce
2 corn tortillas wrapped tight around your choice of chicken or beef filling, deep fried and served with sour cream and guacámole
Smoked Caribbean Mahi Mahi On a warm potato cake with wasabi mayonnaise and capers
Flat-Iron Fajita Sizzlers
Fresh Local Chicken Breast
Sizzlin’ steak, shrimp or chicken fajitas, flour tortillas & all the fixings
Stuffed with cheddar cheese and local sweet potato and Sauvignon Blanc demi-glace
Lamb Rack (N.Z) grilled With local sweet potato crust and balsamic syrup
Mojito Chicken Juicy boneless chicken breast marinated in our special Mojito seasoning, grilled & finished with a Cockspur Rum glaze
Luna Bouillabaisse Fresh local fish and shellfish simmered in local tomato Pernod broth served with citrus aioli and garlic, herb, parmesan bread
Hazelnut Quesadilla Soft flour tortilla filled with hazelnut creme, cream cheese & pecans, toasted on the griddle, topped with a caramel & chocolate
Cafe Luna- Barbados “Restaurant of the Year 2012” award winner! Located al fresco-style on the rooftop of Little Arches Boutique Hotel, this award-winning restaurant offers exceptional dining in a truly romantic setting overlooking the Caribbean Sea and Enterprise Beach below. Fine dining at an affordable price are the hallmarks of Café Luna, which offers not only a full a la carte menu, but also the new “Back to Bajan” menu - showcasing local ingredients and produce for only BDS $79 for 3 courses. Sushi Specials menu is also offered on Thursday and Friday nights.
In the heart of The Gap, Café Sol is the island's original Mexican restaurant. This lively, fun spot has relocated to a brand new location at the entrance to St. Lawrence Gap and now has a fabulous ocean view. Enjoy 2 happy hours nightly: 5-7pm & 10-12pm. Margaritas are a specialty with 15 fruity flavours on offer! The new and improved menu boasts a wide variety of Mexican favourites, from Cheese Nachos to Sirloin Steak and Shrimp fajitas. A "Gringo" menu features non-Mexican fare such as Striploin Steaks, Mojito Chicken, Buffalo Wings and much more.
Reservations (246) 428-6172/420-4689 Web www.littlearches.com Email paradise@littlearches.com Where Little Arches Boutique Hotel, Enterprise Beach, Ch Ch When Dinner • 6-10pm Price BB$ Starters • from 20 | Mains •35-85 | *Set menu • 79
Reservations (246) 420-7655 Web www.cafesolbarbados.com Email info@cafesolbarbados Where St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church When Dinner 7 nights a week & lunch Tues-Sun • From 11:30am Price BB$ Starters • 14-18 | Mains • 30-44 | Desserts • 10-16
358 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
SAMPLE MENU
Blackened Shrimp, Sushi Roll With carambola coulis
Traditional Caesar Salad French croutons & parmesan shavings
Seared Catch of the Day Grilled vegetables in balsamic vinaigrette
Paniola Rack of Lamb Roasted garlic in a merlot barbeque infusion
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Breast with a tropical mango coulis
Variety of Flavours of Ice Cream In brandy snap basket. On a pool of raspberry sauce reduction
Rich Chocolate Cake With vanilla bean sauce, topped with bittersweet chocolate shavings
THE GARDEN TERRACE at Southern Palms For a delicious lunch by the beach sipping Caribbean cocktails or a dinner with live entertainment for dancing, Southern Palms is a delightful beach front hotel in St. Lawrence Gap and the restaurant, The Garden Terrace, is right on the stunning beach. Sunday lunch, famous buffet with live steel band - popular with both visitors to the island and residents. Monday night dinner is accompanied with live band for dancing, and on Thursday night it’s BBQ with live Steelband underneath the stars. Popular band Syndikyt plays on Saturday night with Roast Beef Buffet or English Pub Night (seasonally available). Dining at Southern Palm’s Garden Terrace is fun! All Day Snack Menu 11am-10pm. Buffet Breakfast. Lunch Starter: From $16. Lunch Main Course: From $24. Dinner: Starters from $16; Mains: From $60. Prices are in BDS Dollars and include VAT. 10% SC is added to the bill.
Reservations (246) 428-7171 Web www.southernpalms.net Email info@southernpalms.net Where Southern Palms Hotel, St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church When Bfast • 7:30-10:30am | Lunch • 11am-1pm | Dinner • 6-10pm Price BB$ Starters • 16-35 | Mains • 55-70 | Desserts • 10-18
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
359
SAMPLE MENU
Carpaccio of Beef Thin slices of raw beef tenderloin topped with tomato, roasted corn salsa and an orange sesame peanut oil
Pan Fried Foie Gras Served on toasted brioche with a grape confit and sherry emulsion
Best-End of Lamb Honey roasted lamb tenderloin served on a ratatouille of Mediterranean vegetables, fresh herb couscous & glazed with a fresh mint rosemary jus
Chilean Sea-Bass Crusted with macadamia nuts and served with wanton skin filled with sautéed exotic mushrooms, freshly roasted dill new potato and finished with a Burgundy caper reduction
Classic Italian Tiramisu Served with a frozen centre sitting on a white chocolate & vanilla bean sauce
Mango Brulée Served with orange and mango crisp
AZUL RESTAURANT With breathtaking views of the ocean and the twinkling lights of Oistins Bay by night, Azul Restaurant offers a seductive atmosphere with an eclectic menu to tempt any palate. Whether you are looking for a romantic evening for two seated along the cliff overlooking the sea, or a cozy area to lounge with friends over cocktails and their sampling menu, Azul offers a chic twist on Caribbean fine dining. Their creative team of local chefs provide not only fascinating and delicious food but a truly memorable experience through their interaction with guests and fine display of their skills in Azul’s open-concept kitchen.
Reservations (246) 428-2825 Web www.azul.bb Email reservations@azul.bb Where Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church When Dinner • 6.30pm - 10pm (Varied nights depending on occupancy. Enquire when making reservation)
Price BB$ Starters • 15-40 | Mains • 50-125 | Desserts • 18-35
360 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
CARIB BEACH BAR This lively beach bar on the stunning Carib Beach is ideal for lunch, dinner or just chilling out. The food is consistently good but we particularly recommend the catch of the day, deep fried calamari, seafood chowder and their caeser salad with shrimp or chicken. The Carib is rocking on Friday nights with live music and it’s party time on Sunday nights with a DJ. The swimming in the lagoon is wonderful. Children friendly.
Reservations 246-435-8540 Email caribbeachbar@freemotion.bb Where Sandy Beach, Worthing, Christ Church When Lunch • from 11:30am | Dinner • Come as early as you’d like! Price BB$ Starters • from 13 | Mains • from 28 | Desserts • from 14
PAPA MCBRIDE’S PIZZA KITCHEN SAMPLE MENU
Bajan Fish & Shrimp Cakes Local fish cakes & chopped baby shrimp with spicy house dipping sauce
Crispy fried local chicken wings Tossed in your choice of one of their five homemade wing sauces.
BRICK OVEN 12” THIN CRUST PIZZA Traditional hand-tossed: Margarita, Pepperoni, Garden Vegetable, Flame Grilled Chicken, Crispy Bacon or Chicken Pesto
6oz Handmade Lamb Burger Skillet seared with mango chutney mayo, feta cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and pickles & spicy potato wedges.
Local Chicken Burger Spice rubbed and skillet seared with jack cheese, lemon dill mayo, tomato, onion, pickles, lettuce & sweet potato fries
Local “Catch” Sandwich Spice rubbed and skillet seared with jack cheese, lemon dill mayo, tomato, pickles, lettuce and fresh Caesar salad on the side
APSARA SAMUDRA Renowned for the excellence of their Indian & Thai cuisine, Apsara welcomes you to its new seaside home in bustling St. Lawrence Gap. Apsara’s familiar slatted pavilions and beguiling swings step down into gentle terraces through the dense foliage of a tropical landscape to the sun dappled Caribbean Sea that laps below your feet. In the evening, the caress of ocean breezes and the romantic flicker of flambeaux create an atmosphere of enchantment. Soothing Yoga in the elegant gazebos brings peace and balance to the morning, complemented by a nutritious and delicious breakfast. Lunch goers have a choice of sitting indoors in the breezy dining room, or outdoors where the brilliance of the Caribbean Sea is challenged by the excellence of the food!
Reservations (246) 435-5454/5446 Web www.apsarabarbados.com Email apsara@caribsurf.com Where Waverley House, St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church When Breakfast • Mon-Fri 8-11am | Lunch • Mon-Fri 12-3pm Dinner • Nightly from 6pm | Brunch • Sunday 10am-3pm
Price BB$ • 15-48 | Mains • 50-80 | Desserts • 15-18
The all new Papa McBride's Pizza Kitchen brings you hand-tossed Italian-style pizza, the largest selection of wings in Barbados and plenty more good stuff! All of the sauces and breads are made in-house daily and use only the freshest of local produce and ingredients. Located in the McBride's building in the heart of the dining and nightlife center of Barbados - St. Lawrence Gap, Papa McBride's Pizza Kitchen is the perfect starting off point to a night on the town or for a casual meal with the entire family.
Reservations (246) 420-7646 Web www.thegapbarbados.com Where St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church When Open 7 days from 5 (bar) & Dinner from 6. Happy hour 12-2 Price BB$ Starters • 18-24 | Mains • 22-44
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
361
ZEN
L’AZURE
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Tom Kha Kai
Blue Swimmer Crab Cake
Thinly sliced chicken breast, fragrant lemongrass and a galangal in a chicken broth and sprinkled with pieces of fried garlic
With cucumber relish & chilli mayonnaise
Japanese - Kani Age Deep fried soft shell crab
Thai - Phad Khing Delicious morsels of snapper delicately flavoured with ginger, garlic & shiitake mushrooms together in a mixture of fresh vegetables
L’endive, Blue Cheese & Walnut Salad With aromatic mustard dressing
Grilled Marinated Salmon On ratatouille with lemon and thyme oil
New Zealand Rack of Lamb On garlic potato mash and asparagus with balsamic merlot sauce
Japanese/Sushi - Caribbean Sails
L’Azure Bouillabaisse
Tempura, teriyaki chicken, california roll
Classic seafood stew with lobster, scallops and shrimp
Japanese /Sushi - Sushi Pizza Fried sushi rice, with spicy tuna, spicy hamachi or crabmeat
Tempura Alaska
East Meets West Trio Selection Tasters platter of cheese cake, sticky rice and banana spring roll
Ebony Ivory Milk Chocolate Decadence
Vanilla ice cream lightly battered, quick fried and coated in a roasted almond paste
Served with chocolate ice cream and marinated berries
Zagat Rated #1 for Food in Barbados, Zen offers authentic Thai & Japanese delicacies in a magnificent setting on the island’s south-east coast. The sophisticated, Asian-inspired architecture and interior décor complement its dramatic setting, complete with an all-glass frontage offering spectacular views of the sea. The centre-piece of the restaurant is a 12-person sushi bar overlooking the sea 50 feet below, where sushi chefs prepare delicious, exotic fare. Intimate Tatami rooms, designed in traditional Japanese style, provide an option for parties from four to fourteen to dine in privacy.
The Crane has been renowned for over a century for both its deliciously prepared seafood and its breathtaking scenic beauty. Lunches feature an excellent and varied International and Caribbean menu in a relaxed atmosphere, boasting spectacular panoramic views of Crane Beach. In the evening, the restaurant's romantic candlelit ambiance is the perfect complement to any special occasion. A well-established tradition, Sundays at The Crane are extra-special, offering a Sunday Gospel Breakfast with live performances and a steel-pan accompanied Bajan buffet lunch.
Reservations Required (246) 423-6220 Web www.thecrane.com Email dining@thecrane.com Where The Crane, St. Philip When Dinner • 6-9pm • Closed on Tuesdays Price BB$ Starters • 12-48 | Mains • 21-88 | Desserts • 14-25
Reservations Required (246) 423-6220 Web www.thecrane.com Email dining@thecrane.com Where The Crane, St. Philip When Open daily • 7:30am-9pm Price BB$ Starters • 20-57 | Mains • 48-92 | Desserts • 18-25
362 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
D’ONOFRIO’S
THE CARRIAGE HOUSE
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Rhugetta
Garden Salad tossed with bell peppers
Tossed arugula, shaved parmesan cheese, lemon oil vinaigrette
Tear drop tomatoes and refreshed in a house dressing
Napoleon
Caesar Salad
Roasted eggplant, portabella, red pepper with basil coulis
With chicken
Chicken Pizzaiolo
Traditional Bajan Flying Fish Cutter
Tomato & parmesan cheese
Rotelini Gratin Eggplant, basil, ricotta cheese and tomato sauce
Risotto Pescatora
On sesame seed bun
Sirloin Steak 8oz Sirloin beef steak cooked to order
Shrimp Kebabs
Shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari with your choice of tomato or white wine sauce.
Jumbo shrimp on a bamboo skewer with fresh pepper and onions
Granita di Caffe
Tropical Fruit Salad
Shaved frozen espresso coffee topped with whipped cream
Mousse Special
Apple Cinnamon Cake
Chocolate caramel coffee mousse with an amaretto cookie
For a taste of home cooking, head to D’Onofrio’s Trattoria! Located within the charming Crane Village, D’Onofrio’s offers a delectable selection of antipasto, salads, homemade pastas, paninis and hand tossed thin crust pizzas loaded with your choice of ingredients. Toast to good friends and good health with a glass of Prosecco while you savour the aromas of authentic Italian cuisine being prepared to your liking. Whether you choose to dine on the patio or within the beautifully designed interior, D’Onofrio’s is the perfect spot to relax, drink and enjoy good company
Reservations (246) 423-6220 Web www.thecrane.com Email dining@thecrane.com Where The Crane, St. Philip When Open daily • 6-9pm Price BB$ Starters • 20-42 | Mains • 36-62 | Desserts • 25-32
The Carriage House Bar & Restaurant was once the official stable of the historic “Crane Beach Hotel” over 100 years ago. Today, it has been transformed into a modern day poolside bar and grill. Overlooking four waterfalls, infinity edge pools with a panoramic ocean view and waterfall pond in the surrounding back drop, this facility serves a variety of light and delectable food items and refreshments.
Reservations (246) 423-6220 Web www.thecrane.com Email dining@thecrane.com Where The Crane, St. Philip When Open daily • 11:30am-6pm | Dinner seasonally Price BB$ Starters • 21-34 | Mains • 28-41 | Desserts •15-18
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
363
THE ATLANTIS
SUNBURY
SAMPLE MENU
SAMPLE MENU
Flying Fish & Cream Cheese Pate
Homemade Pumpkin Soup Bajan Fish Cakes
Tomato jam, garlic crostinis
Conch & Sweetcorn Fritters Sweet chili dip
Roasted Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad Stilton crumbs, raddish, honey roasted apple dressing
Linguini-Wok-Fired Seafood Tamarind chilli oil, cherry tomatoes, chives, parmesan
Black Pepper Crusted Flat Iron Steak Sweet potato fries, garden herb butter
Pepper Pot, Salt Fish Stew, Chicken, Flying Fish or Seafood With rice & peas, cornmeal cou cou, yam pie or breadfruit cou cou
Daily Homemade Pies, Ice Creams & Sorbet
The historic Atlantis Hotel, which overlooks picturesque Tent Bay in Bathsheba, has been restored to its former glory by the same team that has made the Fishpot at Little Good Harbour so popular. They are committed to ensuring that the revived Atlantis is famous for serving high quality, traditional Barbadian cuisine. The legendary Atlantis Buffet Lunches, on Sundays and Wednesdays, offer the perfect opportunity to savour the many delights of local food, while the regular menu offers a selection of delectable Barbadian dishes served in a more modern style.
Reservations (246) 433-9445 or 433-7180 Web www.atlantishotelbarbados.com Email enquiry@atlantishotelbarbados.com Where Tent Bay, Bathsheba, St. Joseph When Open everyday for breakfast, lunch, tea & dinner! Price BB$ Starters • 15-25 | Mains • 25-95 | Buffet • 70-90 364 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Sunbury House Combo Grilled shrimp, mahi mahi and flying fish platter Traditional Bajan Beef Stew with peas and rice Bajan Rum Trifle Coconut Cream Pie Afternoon Tea: $25 Freshly Baked Scones Served with butter, fresh cream and jam Mini Sandwiches Slice of Cake Freshly Brewed Pot of Tea or Coffee
Set in spacious grounds, Sunbury is over 300 years old and is a superb example of a Barbadian Sugar Estate Great House. Sunbury offers delightful private five-course candlelight dinners for up to 28 guests seated at the 200 year old mahogany table, where the famous Sam Lord was often a guest. The Courtyard Restaurant serves a delicious Bajan buffet lunch, an a la carte menu or the delightful Sunbury High Tea. The Pavilion, adjacent to the mahogany woods, lends itself to any function seating up to 300 guests.
Reservations (246) 423-6270 Web www.barbadosgreathouse.com Email sunbury@caribsurf.com Where Sunbury, St. Philip When Buffet Lunch • $40 weekdays $65 Sundays Price BB$ Starters • $15 | Mains • $30-40 | Desserts • $6-10
MAMU’S GAZEBO
FISHER POND GREAT HOUSE
SAMPLE MENU
FUNCTIONS
Samosas Indian pastries with chicken or vegetables
Spicy Fish Curry
Sunday Barbadian Planter’s Buffet Lunch served year round.
Ginger, apricots, in a coconut milk takari with cardamom and chilli peppers. Served with rice, roti bread, raita & chutney
Thursday Planters Buffet – December to April
Chicken Takari
Exclusive Lunch and Dinners for 6 or more guests
Raisins, poppy & mustard seed, in a savoury almond & coconut paste. Served with rice, roti bread, raita & chutney
Fabulous Wedding Venue
Chickpea & Potato In a tomato and korma sauce. Served with rice, roti bread, raita & chutney
Cocktail Parties and Corporate Events Personal Tours by John
Kulfi Creamy pistachio, cardamom ice cream
Located at Ocean Spray Beach Apartments in the heart of a surfer’s paradise, right on the edge of Inch Marlow Bay with spectacular views of the coastline. Breathe in the fresh Atlantic breezes and enjoy hearty breakfasts and lunches served daily, all made with fresh, locally grown herbs and vegetables. On Thursday nights guests can savour authentic Indian Cuisine with original recipes from Bajan-Indian film maker, “Mamu”. Caribbean Seafood Grill Night on Tuesdays & Saturdays.
Reservations (246) 428-5426 Web www.oceansprayapartments.com Email info@oceansprayapartments.com Where Ocean Spray Beach Apts.,Surfer's Point, Ch. Ch When Bfast • 7:30-10:30am |Lunch • 10:30am-1:30pm|Dinner • 7-9pm Price BB$ Starters • 12-15 | Mains • 28-38 | Desserts • 15
AN AMAZING BARBADIAN EXPEREINCE. Fisher Pond Great House takes you back in time to an era of elegance and sophistication. This historic home built in 1635 is filled with a collection of whimsical and eclectic antiques and objects d’art. Lush tropical gardens and exotic birds surround this family home. Fisher Pond Great House offers a selection of carefully chosen menus both Barbadian and International cuisine. Their Sunday Planters buffet won an award from the late Michael Winner in his Winner’s Dinners Book. Fabulous flowers, crystal and china. John and Rain are the perfect hosts. GREAT STORIES. FUN PEOPLE.
Reservations Essential (246) 266 8752 Email rainchandler@hotmail.com Where Fisher Pond Plantation, St. Thomas
Ins & Outs of Barbados •
365
REFER
INDEX
Above Barbados 37 Adventureland 4x4 Tours 239 Alleyne Real Estate 285, 317 Alpheus Blake 174 Altman Real Estate Insert, 316 Animal Flower Cave 230 Apes Hill Club 78, 79, 298-303 Apsara Samudra 361 Arcadia 311 Armani Exchange 128, 129 Artsplash! Barbados 179 Atlantis Submarines 221 Azul Restaurant 360 Bajan Blue at Sandy Lane 338 Bajan Services Knight Frank 279, 280, 281, 315 Barbados Blue 221 Barbados Fertility Centre 200 Barbados Golf Club 77 Barbados Museum and Historical Society 262 Barbados Wildlife Reserve 232, 233 Because of Jenna Trust 84 Belle étoile 53, 103 Bequia Beach Hotel 223 Bert’s 326, 336, 355 Best of Barbados 111, 179, 180, 181 Breitling 14, 15, 113 BrideLife Magazine 195 Brock, Janice Sylvia 177 Brown Sugar Restaurant 353 Burberry 32, 33, 126, 127 Bvlgari 18, 19, 105, 116 Café Luna Restaurant 358 Café Sol Mexican Grill 325, 358 Carib Beach Bar 361 Cartier 1, 114 Cave Shepherd 106, 107 Chakra Spa 198 Champers Restaurant 350, 351 Chandelier Weddings 188 Chantours Caribbean Inc. 224 Chanel 67 Chopard 55, 100 Cin Cin 326, 349 Colombian Emeralds Int’l 7, 11, 47, 97, 119 Cool Runnings 210, 211 Coral Reef Club 340, 341 Coral Reef Club, The Spa at 197 Country Club at Sandy Lane 339 Courtesy Rent-a-Car 231 Courtyard Marriott 63 Crocs 136, 137 Daphne’s Restaurant 344, 345 deAction Beach Shop 269 Designers’ Choice 152, 153 Diamonds International Insert, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 104, 105, 115, 116, 117 Dingolay 144, 145 DJ Dusty Payne 192 D’Onofrio’s at The Crane 363 Earth & Fire 174 Earthworks Pottery 109, 182, 183, 234, 235 Ebel 47 El Tigre Catamaran Cruises 212 Exclusive Cottons of the C’bean Inc. 148, 149 Fisher Pond Great House 365 Five Star Fast Track 43 Flower Forest 241
368 •
Ins & Outs of Barbados
Forevermark 117 Forter-Chee-a-Tow, Catherine 177 Foster, Gina 176 Fusion Restaurant & Lounge 352 Gallery NuEdge Fine Arts Ltd. 168, 169 Gallery of Caribbean Art 173 Gaye Boutique 142, 143 Gina Francesca Photography 193 Gregory Paul Salon 146 Grenadine Air Alliance 225 Grenadine Escape 223 Harbour Lights 323 Harley Davidson of the West Indies 93 Harrison’s Cave 237 Hazell’s Water World 221 Hublot 22, 23, 105 Hugo Boss 130, 131 Island Safari 239 Jada 288, 289 Jenny Blanc 154, 155 Joanne Mobile Spray Tanning 199 John Hardy 20, 21, 116 Jon Farmer Photography 192 Juma’s Restaurant 346 Kiwanis International 84 L’Acajou at Sandy Lane 338 L’Azure at The Crane 362 LIME 59 Lime Bar and Café Zoola 329 Limegrove Lifestyle Centre Insert Little Switzerland 67, 91, 98 Liv’s Party Box 192 Lobster Alive 354 Lone Star Restaurant 347 Longines 57, 102 Louis Vuitton 120, 121, BC Magical Moments Photography 191 Mallalieu Motor Collection 256 Mama Mia Italian Deli & Pizzeria 355 Mamu’s Gazebo 365 Marco Bicego 49, 103 McBride’s Irish Pub 325 Michael Kors 122, 123 Milano Diamond Gallery 61 Miller Publishing/barbadosbooks.com 110, 287, 366, 367 Mojo 325, 357 Monkey Puzzle 138 Mount Gay Rum 93 Movado 5, 102 Mullins Beach Bar 346 MyDestination.com/Barbados 31 National Car Rentals 231 Natz’ Home Furnishings & Design Studio 159 Ocean Two Residences 313 On The Wall Gallery 170, 171 Optimist International 84 Palm Villa 225 Pandora 11 Panerai 16, 17, 105 Papa McBride’s Pizza Kitchen 361 Patisserie & Bistro Flindt 164, 165 Photo Dynamics Inc. 43 Pisces Restaurant 348 Platinum Services 37 Port Ferdinand Marina & Luxury Residences 292, 293 Port St. Charles 295
Priva 328, 329 Pure Source 139 Rado 51, 102 Ralph Lauren 2, 3 Realtors Real Estate Limited 275, 277, 314 Reflections Mobile Spa 199 Relish Epicurea 164, 165, 347 Roach, Linda 176 Rolex 101, IB Rotary International 84 Royal Shop 5, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 100, 101, 102, 103 Royal Westmoreland 296, 297 St. Nicholas Abbey 254, 255 Saint Peter’s Bay Luxury Resort & Residences 290, 291 Sandy Lane 75 Seaduced Luxury Catamaran 213 Silver Moon Luxury Catamarans 208, 209 Simply Flowers 192 Small Cats Catamaran Cruises 212 South Coast Restaurants Map 336 Southern Palms Beach Club 65 Sports Associations Directory 83 Stephanie Barnes Design 156, 157 Stuart, John 176 Sunbury House 257, 364 Sundek 134, 135 Sunlinc 43 Sunshine Kula Yoga 199 Super Centre Supermarkets 164, 165 Tag Heuer 7, 119 Tapas Restaurant 356 Tiki Hut 329 The Atlantis 364 The Batik Studio 73 The Boatyard 269, 326, 354 The Carriage House at The Crane 363 The Carrington Collection 176 The Chopping Board Kitchen at Mojo 357 The Cliff Restaurant 342, 343 The Crane Resort Insert, 305-310, 362, 363 The Garden Terrace at Southern Palms 359 The Gourmet Shop 164, 165 The Sandpiper 340, 341 The Shell Gallery 175 The Spa Café at Sandy Lane 339 The Studio 109 Theo Fennell 9, 118 Tiffany & Co. 69, 99 Tissot 91 Tiyi By Design 147 Trusted Care Providers Inc. 63 Un Dimanche a Paris 124, 125 United Caribbean Trust 84,110 Useful Information 202 Variety, The Children’s Charity 84 Vena d’Amore 115 Vilebrequin 132, 133 Vuemont 312 Warren Yachting 213 Weddings By Malissa 190 West Coast Restaurants Map 337 Whispers On The Riviera 144, 145 Zen at The Crane 362
© D. YURMAN 2013
The Ins & Outs of Barbados
Ins & Outs OF BARBADOS 2014
2014 Edition
People
THE
EDITION