13th - 21st June 2018
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| Bermuda |
When I discovered the exhorbitant air fare (BA have a monopoly on direct flights from UK) and the cost of accommodation on the island(s) I decided that a visit to Bermuda was well outside my financial limits. However, a very generous ex-military friend of mine works on the island from time to time and kindly offered me free board and lodging; an opportunity not to be missed as I was curious to see the place. So I paid BA their rip-off fare for the 7 hour flight from London Gatwick to L.F Wade Intl Airport near St George's at the north-east end of the island .
Bermuda lies in the North Atlantic 660 miles off the east coast of Virginia, USA, 1000 miles north of the Caribbean and 3500 miles south-west of the UK.....in the middle of nowhere frankly. It is at the northern tip of the infamous (if mythical) Bermuda Triangle and to the west of the Sargasso Sea. The island, or islands (there are 181 in total) with the 8 larger inhabited ones connected by bridges, are arranged in a fish-hook shape. It is 22 miles long and only about a mile wide at any point. Its population is about 66,000 and is (I am told) the 3rd most densely populated country in the world.
In fact it is a British Overseas Territory, indeed the oldest one. It was discovered and charted in 1505 by a Spaniard called Juan de Bermúdez, hence the name, then visited from time to time by Portugese sailors who introduced pigs, but didn't stay for long. The pigs enjoyed sole ownership until, in 1609, a flotilla taking supplies and settlers to the new English colony of Virginia under the command of Admiral Sir George Somers was hit by a storm and his flagship, the Sea Venture, together with some smaller boats, were driven onto surrounding reefs. 150 passengers and crew, including Sir George, and a dog (the ship's dog), made it safely to land on the eastern end. They stayed for 10 months, establishing a settlement, later to become St George's, and built two ships which duly took most of them on to Jamestown, Virginia. The island was claimed by the English Crown and settled in 1612 when St George's became its first capital. I think the pigs have now all been eaten.
Following that, and the introduction of African slaves in the 18th century (a significant factor in the present day demographic), it remained a British stronghold with a major Naval base, the Royal Naval Dockyard, on the tip of the western 'fish-hook'. This was an active dockyard, with surrounding fortifications, until the mid-20th century. Hamilton, a town about 12 miles from St George's on the north coast, became the new capital in 1815.
It is also well known as a 'tax free' environment for various enterprises, mainly of the financial, investment and re-investment (whatever that is) variety plus being a 'flag of convenience' for shipping and aviation companies worldwide. I note that even large airlines such as Aeroflot fly with the 'convenient' Bermudan registration code of VP-XXXX. It's all to do with money, and tax of course.
Talking of money, I discovered that Bermuda is a very affluent country with many vastly wealthy people owning grand villas and big yachts dotted around the place (tax free). It is also a vastly expensive place to visit, and more about that later! The island produces virtually nothing in terms of agriculture and industry. Everything, excluding fish perhaps, is imported, hence the high prices.
It is still a British Overseas Territory with a British Governor in residence, but rules itself independently. The majority of the population is now ethnically 'black' and most of the senior political positions, from Prime Minister downwards, are held by such.
It has a sub-tropical climate and is in the hurricane belt (which sometimes occur Sept-Oct). Currency is the Bermuda Dollar (BD$) and is pegged one-to-one with the US$.
Oh, I forgot the golf courses. This small island boasts 7 major golf courses; 5 of which are of international championship standard. I don't play golf.
OK, that's a brief background summary of an island with a long and much more complicated history that I can be bothered to bore you with. The rest might be explained around photos in blog(s) to follow.
In fact it is a British Overseas Territory, indeed the oldest one. It was discovered and charted in 1505 by a Spaniard called Juan de Bermúdez, hence the name, then visited from time to time by Portugese sailors who introduced pigs, but didn't stay for long. The pigs enjoyed sole ownership until, in 1609, a flotilla taking supplies and settlers to the new English colony of Virginia under the command of Admiral Sir George Somers was hit by a storm and his flagship, the Sea Venture, together with some smaller boats, were driven onto surrounding reefs. 150 passengers and crew, including Sir George, and a dog (the ship's dog), made it safely to land on the eastern end. They stayed for 10 months, establishing a settlement, later to become St George's, and built two ships which duly took most of them on to Jamestown, Virginia. The island was claimed by the English Crown and settled in 1612 when St George's became its first capital. I think the pigs have now all been eaten.
Following that, and the introduction of African slaves in the 18th century (a significant factor in the present day demographic), it remained a British stronghold with a major Naval base, the Royal Naval Dockyard, on the tip of the western 'fish-hook'. This was an active dockyard, with surrounding fortifications, until the mid-20th century. Hamilton, a town about 12 miles from St George's on the north coast, became the new capital in 1815.
It is also well known as a 'tax free' environment for various enterprises, mainly of the financial, investment and re-investment (whatever that is) variety plus being a 'flag of convenience' for shipping and aviation companies worldwide. I note that even large airlines such as Aeroflot fly with the 'convenient' Bermudan registration code of VP-XXXX. It's all to do with money, and tax of course.
Talking of money, I discovered that Bermuda is a very affluent country with many vastly wealthy people owning grand villas and big yachts dotted around the place (tax free). It is also a vastly expensive place to visit, and more about that later! The island produces virtually nothing in terms of agriculture and industry. Everything, excluding fish perhaps, is imported, hence the high prices.
It is still a British Overseas Territory with a British Governor in residence, but rules itself independently. The majority of the population is now ethnically 'black' and most of the senior political positions, from Prime Minister downwards, are held by such.
It has a sub-tropical climate and is in the hurricane belt (which sometimes occur Sept-Oct). Currency is the Bermuda Dollar (BD$) and is pegged one-to-one with the US$.
Oh, I forgot the golf courses. This small island boasts 7 major golf courses; 5 of which are of international championship standard. I don't play golf.
OK, that's a brief background summary of an island with a long and much more complicated history that I can be bothered to bore you with. The rest might be explained around photos in blog(s) to follow.
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