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
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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.