01082021 WEEKEND

Friday, January 8, 2021

Weekend

photography craft gardening history music puzzles animals PANDEMIC SONG A HIT IN EUROPE Pages 07

The write stuff Petura goes from freelancer to editor

pgs 04 + 05

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

photography

A Rose-Coloured Lens Clear water

B

eauty is all around us in the Bahamas, on land and in the sea. But many of us are too busy with everyday life to pause and really see and enjoy the astonishing sights that surround us. Veteran photographer ROLAND ROSE captures both the ordinary and extraordinary and puts it in frame for us so we can see our environment in a new light.

The beauty of our waters is famed around the world.

Pictured top to bottom, the Governor’s Cup Ace in Nassau; the Great Barrier Reef in Andros; Saddle Back Cay, in Exuma; and the ferry to Hope Town.

Our water is the clearest in the world.

It might now be compromised by politicians who have enabled oil drilling here.

Friday, January 8, 2021

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, January 8, 2021

Weekend Inside

2 Photography

Roland Rose looks at the clear waters of The Bahamas

4-5 Interview

Petura Burrows on her journey from freelance writer to boss

6 Puzzles 7 Music

10 Music

Ready to Open Da Gate

11 Forgotten Facts When Butlin’s came to the Bahamas

12-14 Literary Lives Heiress who changed the face of art

Bahamian singer’s pandemic song going viral?

15 Animals

8-9 Craft

16 Gardening

Folding flowers helps business bloom

All worth it for a devoted dog Companion planting for better growth

THIS WEEKEND IN HISTORY Friday, January 8 • In 1815, the last major engagement of the War of 1812 came to an end as US forces defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans, not having gotten word of the signing of a peace treaty.

• In 1918, Mississippi became the first state to ratify the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which established Prohibition.

• In 1994, Tonya Harding won the ladies’ US Figure Skating Championship in Detroit, a day after Nancy Kerrigan dropped out because of the clubbing attack that had injured her right knee. (The US Figure Skating Association later stripped Harding of the title.)

• In 2011, US Rep Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz, was shot and critically wounded when a gunman opened fire as the congresswoman met with constituents in Tucson; six people were killed, 12 others also injured.

Today’s Birthdays: Singer Shirley Bassey

is 84. Rock musician Robby Krieger (The Doors) is 75. Movie director John McTiernan is 70. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is 63. Actor Michelle Forbes is 56. Singer R Kelly is 54. Actor Amber Benson is 44.

Actor Cynthia Erivo is 34. Actor Freddie Stroma is 34.

Saturday, January 9 • In 2020, Chinese state media said a preliminary investigation into recent cases of viral pneumonia had identified the probable cause as a new type of coronavirus.

• In 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union, the same day the Star of the West, a merchant vessel bringing reinforcements and supplies to Federal troops at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, retreated because of artillery fire.

• In 1916, the World War I Battle of Gallipoli ended after eight months with an Ottoman Empire victory as Allied forces withdrew.

• In 1951, the United Nations headquarters in New York officially opened.

• In 2003, UN weapons inspectors said there was no “smoking gun” to prove Iraq had nuclear, chemical or biological weapons but they demanded that Baghdad provide private access to scientists and fresh evidence to back its claim that it had destroyed its weapons of mass destruction.

Today’s Birthdays: Folk singer Joan Baez

is 80. Rock musician Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) is 77. Singer Crystal Gayle is 70. Actor JK Simmons is 66. Actor Imelda Staunton is 65. Actor Joely Richardson is 56. Actor-director Joey Lauren Adams is 53. Roots singer-songwriter Hayes Carll is 45. Singer A.J. McLean (Backstreet Boys) is 43.

07 Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is 39. Rock-soul singer Paolo Nutini is 34. Actor Nina Dobrev is 32.

Sunday, January 10 • In 1776, Thomas Paine anonymously published his influential pamphlet, “Common Sense,” which argued for American independence from British rule.

• In 1861, Florida became the third state to secede from the Union.

• In 1863, the London Underground had its beginnings as the Metropolitan, the world’s first underground passenger railway, opened to the public with service between Paddington and Farringdon Street.

• In 1920, the League of Nations was established as the Treaty of Versailles went into effect.

• In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century.

Today’s Birthdays: Movie director Walter Hill is 81.

Actor William Sanderson is 77. Singer Rod Stewart is 76.

Boxing Hall of Famer and entrepreneur George Foreman is 72. Rock musician Scott Thurston (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) is 69. Singer Pat Benatar is 68. Singer Shawn Colvin is 65. Actor Evan Handler is 60. Rock singer Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) is 57. Rapper Chris Smith (Kris Kross) is 42. Actor Sarah Shahi is 41.

Presidential adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is 40.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 8, 2021

interview

Petura Burrows From freelancer to editor - Petura Burrows has gone from working for others to being the boss of her own magazine. She speaks to JEFFARAH GIBSON about her journey - and why she wants to bring joy, and faith, to her readers.

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etura Burrows formerly went by the title of freelance writer - and now she is editor-in chief of her very own magazine, Joy Full. She believes the magazine will impact the life of more women than she will ever have an opportunity to meet in her

lifetime.

Petura is no stranger to the world of writing and publishing, having written intriguing stories and profiles on figures in the community, met pressing deadlines, and working as a feature writer for this newspaper almost 15 years ago.

It’s the nature of journalism to be on the cutting edge of what’s happening. Petura has always kept her eyes and ears open to understand and present through her writing the issues that matter to readers - always from a different angle and fresh perspective.

Having this newsroom background was the perfect way to lead to this one big moment - designing, creating and launching a publication.

While she is the editor-in-chief of Joy Full magazine, she prefers to be called a “curator of stories”. With a background in full-time and freelance journalism, she went on to study publishing and ended up in public relations. Petura is a communications professional with a master’s degree in journalism and communication. Now she is venturing out with this passion project - a multimedia, multicultural magazine for women of faith.

Aware of what publications have to offer women, Petura went to the drawing board to lay out the blueprint for the publication.

“This has been four years in the making.

Back in 2016, I wanted to find a way to use my professional skills in ministry. I got the idea to create a magazine. I started reaching out to friends, family and even strangers whose stories inspired me. I was so pleased with the positive feedback but in the back of my mind

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, January 8, 2021

I knew that it wasn’t finished,” she told Tribune Weekend.

As with any new project, there are constant changes - changes Petura said were just all a part of the process.

“Back then, the magazine had a different name and I must admit that the scope was vague. I didn’t feel like there was a concrete message that I wanted to rally women around.”

It was only until several years later Petura would discover what that message was.

“I was burdened with anxiety. There was a point in life when it was as if a feeling of worry, frustration and anxiety was always lingering. I sat with those emotions for some time, but the question would also come to my mind ‘where is your joy?’ To be honest, I had heard casual teachings about joy, but I had never studied it for myself. I kept saying that I just wanted to be happy, only to discover that God wanted more for me. He wants more for all of us as women.

(Andrika Moss): In the story “Waltz of Love”, Andrika Moss shares how a love for performing arts propelled her to an intimate relationship with Jesus.

I was burdened with anxiety.

There was a point in life when it was as if a feeling of worry, frustration and anxiety was always lingering.

I sat with those emotions for some time, but the question would also come to my mind ‘where is your joy?’

“We could eat or buy something and make ourselves happy. We could go on girl’s trips and be happy. We could go out on expensive dates with handsome men and be entertained to happiness.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but I think joy is deeper. It’s not an emotion or event; it’s a state of being. I started wondering how many of us have ever experienced joy?” she said.

Then the light bulb clicked. Petura’s message and how she would deliver it became crystal clear.

“Through this magazine, I want women in the church pews and those watching from the parking lot to have a safe space to go on this journey of discovery. Let’s share, learn and grow. Let the strong teach the weak. Let the brave show us how they got there. So, in this magazine, we plan on dealing with many issues that may be taboo and including voices from women at all stages of their faith journey. I believe that we can all learn something from each other. I am truly humbled that I get to do this and that people have trusted me to share their stories with the world,” she said.

And this Monday, when the publication launches, women will get a chance to engage with the passion project and see the product of nonstop dedication and commitment.

(Anishka King): In the story “Losing Dakari”, Anishka King writes about the death of her newborn baby nearly 12 years ago.

(Davonia Williams): In “Driven to Destiny”, Minister Davonia Williams takes readers on her journey from young mom to mentor.

“One of the major changes over the years is that I moved from a desire to do a print edition.

I love that the online format allows us to reach more people and offer an immersive multimedia experience. For example, we embedded links that add value to various stories. When you read about how to forgive yourself for past mistakes, you can click to download a workbook that walks you through self-forgiveness.

Or when you’ve read about how Minister Marion Hall (formerly Lady Saw) has changed since leaving dancehall, you can listen to a portion of her story in her own words. Our goal is to make the magazine as interactive as possible,” she said.

Though Joy Full is written for Christian women, it is a space where all women can come to learn and grow. Most importantly, women at every stage — whether deep in the faith, struggling to hold on, confused about it all — can find something to believe in. She hopes that no women is intimidated reading the publication.

Readers can expect to be inspired and challenged through personal stories and expert advice, she said.

“Like I tell readers on the welcome page: ‘I pray that as you read this magazine, you will feel empowered to look at your journey through a new frame. Our contributors invite you into their personal lives. They share past brokenness, vulnerability, confusion, imperfection or insecurity in hopes that you will be encouraged. They share advice born from experience so that you increase in wisdom.’ I am grateful for every contribution to this magazine and I hope that you are blessed.”

As a result of engaging with the magazine, Petura said she hopes women become the absolute best at being their true selves.

“That is who they were created to be. This means that we might have to confront things that we don’t like about ourselves and debunk opinions that others hold about us. So, we’ll have fun, but we’ll also challenge ourselves. I think that’s a healthy way to go about living by faith, she said.

Joy Full will launch on a digital publishing platform called Issuu.

Readers can follow on Facebook @joyfullmedia for updates.

26 Ogre has to lie about paper of convenience (6,4) 27 Why start with bird, that’s the question (4)

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.

26 2 Lunge; 4 Ordain; N K R G H A P 5 Cantankerous ; 6 Forfeit; A Q N D A N I 7 Leek; 8 Experimental; Friday, January 2021 P P S 8, L F T Z 12 Addendum; 14 Candour; I D C F T O M 16 Effete; 18 Notch; Z U M K Z S O 19 Gasp.

I V G U S R F Y K A N T D A W A L D O R F M D J F K L I M

E ur E r t i r f

● The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)

HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? in making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. no plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

TODAY’S TARGET Good 16; very good 24; excellent 31 (or more). Solution tomorrow

Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 Sudoku Answer for today’s target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Down 1 Ten arias arranged well (8) 2 Write in a man of letters here (8) 3 Unlocked (4) 5 Today’s charge for electricity (7,5) 6 People in competition (4) 7 It’s said to be an official pronouncement (6) 8 Military show leaves a permanent impression on one (6) 11 European spring water (5,7) 15 It’s very cold in Archangel I discovered (5) 16 Dependable form of alloy (5) 18 Great frolic on the carriage (8) 19 In which we serve (8) 21 Grubby residence (6) 22 Small group involved in PE test (6) 26 His accounts cannot be relied upon (4) 27 Left a long time back Christmas maybe (4)

Across 1 Arms displayed in a hostile way (6) 4 Believe Bill has time to pay (8) 9 Lets out American imprisoned in brawl (6) 10 Result of dropping the charge? (5,3) 12 One bound on a crest of a wave we hear (4) 13 The rate at which oceans recede (5) 14 Unusually loud children’s game (4) 17 Form that saves time for the writer (12) 20 An editor sits out a formal discourse (12) 23 Topless females - a bad sign (4) 24 A teacher’s means of transport (5) 25 You’ll need another one to make one (4) 28 Got into a bed drunk (8) 29 He carries the beer (6) 30 Misplaced trust in a nudist (8) 31 Doesn’t work hard resulting in a deficiency on board (6)

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Rapid, 4 Cripple, 8 Far, 9 Off chance, 10 Example, 11 Blunt, 13 Tripod, 15 Strain, 18 Chaos, 19 Defiant, 21 Never mind, 23 Nub, 24 Lenient, 25 Petty.

Down: 1 Reflect, 2 Per capita, 3 Droop, 4 Coffer, 5 Inhibit, 6 Pun, 7 Erect, 12 Up against, 14 Observe, 16 Notably, 17 Addict, 18 Canal, 20 Fed up, 22 Van.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Delft, 4 Captain, 8 Uri, 9 Springlet, 10 Leg-rest, 11 Class, 13 Should, 15 Relief, 18 Tenon, 19 Chapter, 21 Lifeboats, 23 Ice, 24 Sprawls, 25 Poker.

Down: 1 Doubles, 2 Lying down, 3 Taste, 4 Curate, 5 Panache, 6 All, 7 Notes, 12 A bit thick, 14 Longbow, 16 Forbear, 17 Scraps, 18 Tells, 20 Aesop, 22 Fur.

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Freedom from risk (6) 4 Wide range (8) 9 Imaginary (6) 10 Regard as irredeemable loss (5,3) 12 Lower one’s head suddenly (4) 13 Melancholy (5) 14 Have a marked effect (4) 17 Just becoming apparent (2,3,7) 20 Novel by Tolstoy (4,8) 23 Strong flavour (4) 24 Churlish (5) 25 Take care of (4) 28 Make impossible (8) 29 Liquefied by heat (6) 30 Locate precisely (8) 31 Thick-headed (6)

Down 1 Army, navy and air force unit (8) 2 Savagery (8) 3 Froglike amphibian (4) 5 From time to time (12) 6 Give as instance (4) 7 Firmly established (6) 8 Deaden the sound of (6) 11 Unexpectedly (3,2,1,6) 15 Diversionary sham attack (5) 16 Long for enviously (5) 18 Evade (8) 19 Unrepentant (8) 21 Intensify (4,2) 22 Invisible (6) 26 Likewise (4) 27 Castle’s water-filled ditch (4)

FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off.

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K M P S M R A N

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THE ALPHABEATER

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A E O E Q W S D

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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The Tribune | Weekend |07

Friday, January 8, 2021

music

Bahamian singer finds success in Europe with new pandemic song

BY DENISE MAYCOCK | Tribune Freeport Reporter | dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

G

rand Bahamian singer and songwriter Tim Fire’s single about the COVID-19 pandemic has captured the attention of an international independent music label in Europe.

He said the song, simply titled “This Pandemic”, is “doing well” overseas, and he hopes to sign a deal with the label soon.

Tim Fire believes this could finally be his big break after more than three decades in the music industry.

The song, he told Tribune Weekend, is getting being a played a lot on streaming services right now. He is currently completing a music video to accompany the track.

The COVID-19 pandemic, considered one the biggest global health challenges faced since World War

Two, has spread to every continent except Antarctica and has resulted in one million deaths worldwide.

Tim said: “I wanted to write and express my feelings about the pandemic because of what is going on in the world right now, and I had to come out with this song so that the world would know, not just the Bahamas.”

“It is number one right now in Europe; doing really well, and I am finishing the video right now and it should be out in another week or two. Hopefully, soon I will start touring. I am in the process of signing a deal with an independent label,” he added.

Tim Fire, who was born Timothy Forbes, said singing is his gift from God. “If God blesses you with a gift it will make room for you, and that

Grammy Awards shift to March due to pandemic conditions

By MESFIN FEKADU AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The 2021 Grammy Awards will no longer take place this month in Los Angeles and will broadcast in March due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

The Recording Academy told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the annual show would shift from its original January 31 broadcast to an unspecified date in March.

The Grammys will be held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. Los Angeles County, the epicenter of the crisis in California, has surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 deaths and has had 40 percent of the deaths in California. It is the third state to reach the 25,000 death count.

An average of six people die every hour from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents. County

health officials fear the incoming Christmas and New Year’s surge.

“The Daily Show” host and comedian Trevor Noah is set to host the 2021 Grammys, where Beyoncé is leading contender with nine nominations. Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, Jhené Aiko, Post Malone, Renée Zellweger, Billie Eilish and her producer-brother Finneas also scored nominations. First-time nominees include The Strokes, Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles and Blue Ivy Carter.

Performers will be announced at a later date.

is what I am doing, I am doing what I am put on this earth to do, sing and entertain.

“I have been singing over the past 30 years and I always knew it was going to happen, and it is sad when your own people do not recognise your talent and try to deny you.”

Tim encourages other talented artists out there to not give up on their dreams. “You might feel like you are being dishonoured by your own, but all of that comes to make you stronger; you have to believe in yourself when no one else believes you in.”

Tim has also released a song called “Change is Coming” and the video for it has gotten many views on social media.

“That is a powerful song; God gave me the words for it,” he said.

“I had help from Lil Joe Cartwright as well, and I want to thank him and CG Cartwright, the mastermind behind the music.”

Tim said he will continue to share his talent with the world. “I am on this earth to show and share with the world my God-given gift, and I am grateful He blessed me with a voice.”

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 8, 2021

music

Open Da Gate to new music

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

W

ITH THE rehearsal shacks empty and no Junkanoo parades hitting the streets last year - Bahamian singer Ilsha McPhee said her newest single Open Da Gate is symbolic of locals becoming released from the chains of COVID-19 and entering 2021 hoping for freedom.

“Open da Gate pays homage to Junkanoo. It speaks to that moment before a Junkanoo group leaves the gates and enters the parade. It captures the excitement, the anxiety, and the confidence that’s swells in the atmosphere moments before the parade begins. After an entire year of preparation, this moment, for many is the moment that drive Bahamians to participate every year. Open Da Gate is also derivative of the chorus which basically demands that the gates be opened. It’s the catchy part of the song,” said Ilsha.

For Ilsha, her interest in music and singing, like many artists began from her youth. However, she first took on the Bahamian music scene in 2016 when she entered the Music Masters Junkanoo Carnival competition under the name Jive. Ilsha competed and made it to the top ten finals. From then to now, she continued to produce music and have been recently nominated by the Elevation awards as a new artist of the year.

Apart from the new song, she most recently launched a song called Boss Up, which was featured on a riddim made by Ira Storr. Some of her past projects includes songs like: Rhythms, Carnival Time, and Here Again, which were featured in the Bahamas’ Junkanoo Carnival events.

Ilsha said she is looking forward to shooting the music video for the new song Out Da Gate some time this month, when the song is released on all streaming platforms.

“I know a lot of Bahamians relate to the new song because of its connection to Junkanoo and it’s relation to COVID-19. We want to be able to enjoy the things we used to love, like going to Junkanoo on Boxing Day, going to a regatta, or gathering together to celebrate life. We want them, meaning the world, to figuratively and literally, Open the Gate,” said Ilsha.

She said it was definitely not the most ideal situation to release and celebrate the new single in a time that calls for social distancing, as a lot of what goes into promoting songs is the ability to perform it around the country. Ilsha said, sadly with the emergency orders still in place, this is not feasible. However, she found ways to adjust to the new normal, and social media has been a big part of that adjustment.

“Going forward, I would definitely want to release more music. My style is versatile so I have music coming that is indigenous to our Bahamian roots and some that take Rake n Scape and Junkanoo, and flip it on its head. I definitely want people to see all these different sides of me and my musical prowess in 2021.

Because there isn’t a whole lot to do during this time, we definitely have no choice but to focus on the goals we have and how we are going to bring them into fruition. I would definitely encourage people that it is okay to be in the cooking phase, so that when the meal or product is finally ready for consumption, the food is quality,” said Ilsha.

Ilsha’s music is available on her various social media platforms via Instagram at _ilsha and Facebook and Youtube at Ilsha McPhee.

The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Friday, January 8, 2021

History

Billy Butlin – The holiday camp king sets up shop in the Bahamas

By Paul C Aranha | Forgotten Facts

W

hen Billy Butlin checked in at Nassau’s Fort Montagu Beach Hotel in 1948, few Bahamians had ever heard of Britain’s holidaycamp king, whose real name was William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin (1899 –1980).

Born in South Africa to British parents, his name became synonymous with British holiday camps. Although holiday camps existed before Billy opened his first in 1936, Billy turned holiday camps into a multimillion-pound industry and an important aspect of British culture.

His parents separated before he was seven, and he returned to England with his mother. He spent the next five years following his grandmother’s travelling family fair around England. His mother had a stall that sold gingerbread and it was at that fair that Billy absorbed the skills of commerce and entertainment. When he was 12, his mother emigrated to Canada, leaving him in the care of his aunt for two years. Once settled in Toronto, his mother invited him to join her there but, after World War One, he returned to England, aboard a cattle ship with only £5 Sterling in his pocket (his total worldly wealth), with £4 of which he hired a stall with his uncle’s fair.

Butlin was convinced that giving his customers a better chance to win brought more customers in. The idea worked and one stall became several,

earning enough for him to buy fairground equipment and start his own travelling fair. Over the next 10 years Butlin expanded his fairground empire and, to increase the number of patrons, he provided a place for them to stay.

His first holiday camp opened in 1936, with a second coming two years later, but his plan to open a third was cut short by the outbreak of the Second World War. He persuaded the Ministry of Defence to complete his third holiday camp and build two more, as military training sites, reclaiming them once the war was over.

In 1937, Butlin turned his business into a limited company, as a way to finance new camps. Butlin’s Ltd published its prospectus ahead of a public sale of shares and, when the shares became available, they sold out in five minutes.

In 1944, Billy Butlin was awarded the MBE “for his wartime service to the Ministry of Supply” and, in 1946, made his first trip to the Bahamas, staying at and then buying the Montagu Beach Hotel.

Seeing potential for a camp in warmer climes, he formed Butlin (Bahamas) Ltd, of which the managing director was Sir Bede Clifford, a former Governor of the Bahamas, and bought considerable acreage at West End, Grand Bahama, where Butlin (Bahamas) Ltd was soon building a ‘vacation village’ to accommodate 2,000 guests.

Targeting middle-class North Americans, he built his own airport to get them to West End. The

5,000ft runway welcomed its first plane on November 7, 1949. Why did he not choose Freeport? For the simple reason that Freeport did not yet exist.

He planned for the vacation village to open on New Year’s Day 1950, and despite labour problems, construction progressed quickly, but the project seemed ill-fated. First and foremost, the British Pound was devalued on September 19, 1949 (from £1 = $4.00 to £1 = $2.80), effectively increasing construction costs by 30 percent. Then, the Korean War adversely affected American investments abroad. Only partly finished, Butlin’s Vacation Village opened on January 27, and early results looked promising - 4,040 arrivals in just one month - all of them from Florida (mostly Miami).

At a time when the typical US tourist, in cities like London, Paris and Rome, spent an average of US$15.99 a day, that same tourist could have a week all-inclusive holiday at Butlin’s for US$99.00.

Butlin required a further $2.25 million to complete the camp, but American tourists, unaccustomed to the holiday camp concept, showed little interest in staying there and sadly the village was never able to pay its way. By 1953, creditors had forced Butlin (Bahamas) Ltd into liquidation.

In 1964, Billy Butlin became Sir William (Billy) Butlin, when he was knighted, for his services to charity and the church.

• For questions and comments, send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com

BUTLIN’s Vacation Village boasted the biggest swimming pool in the Caribbean.

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 8, 2021

literary lives - Peggy Guggenheim (1898 – 1979)

How an American heiress changed the face of art

PEGGY Guggenheim at the Greek Pavilion, Venice Biennale, 1948.

PEGGY Guggenheim with her first husband, the artist and writer Laurence Vail, and their children, Pegeen and Sindbad.

Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the American art collector, bohemian and socialite, who settled in Venice and exhibited her collection in a palazzo on the Grand Canal – one of the most visited attractions in Venice.

“I look back on my life with great joy. I think it was a very successful life. I always did what I wanted and never cared what anyone thought.

Women’s Lib? I was a liberated woman long before there was a name for it.”

- Peggy Guggenheim

Marguerite “Peggy” Guggenheim was born on August 26, 1898 in New York City. Both of her parents were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. When she was 21, in 1919, she inherited $2.5 million ($40 million in today’s money). Her father, Benjamin Guggenheim, a member of the wealthy Guggenheim family, died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.

Guggenheim worked in a cutting edge bookstore in New York where she became entranced with the bohemian artistic community. In 1920, she went to Paris and became friendly with avant-garde writers and artists in Montparnasse, including Man Ray (who photographed her), Constantin Brâncusi and Marcel Duchamp. She became close friends with Natalie Barney, Romaine Brooks, Djuna Barnes and Emma Goldman, and became a patron of both Barnes and Goldman who were impoverished at the time.

At the age of 23, wanting to lose her “burdensome” virginity, she became involved with Laurence Vail – one of the leading bohemians. For Guggenheim sex and art were intrinsically linked.

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Friday, January 8, 2021

“I had a collection of photographs of frescos I had seen at Pompeii. They depicted people making love in various positions, and I was very curious and wanted to try them all out myself.”

- Peggy Guggenheim Vail and Guggenheim married in 1922 and had two children: Sinbad and Pegeen. The marriage was a disaster because of intense conflicts and Vail’s physical abuse. They divorced in 1928 after which custody arrangements became chaotic. They were not reliable parents.

Pegeen, addicted to drugs and alcohol, killed herself in Paris in 1967; and Sinbad, who worked in a Paris insurance company and later was editor and publisher of a literary magazine, died in 1986.

Her following relationships were also difficult, marked by infidelity, and by lovers who felt threatened by her wealth. She eventually fell in love with the writer John Ferrar Holms, and the two did little else but travel for two years. Holms, who was a serious alcoholic, died suddenly following an anaesthetic before a routine surgical procedure.

In 1934, Guggenheim moved in with Douglas Garman, a younger friend of Holmes, whom she had met a year earlier. Garman was the assistant editor of Calendar of Modern Letters and a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain. That relationship ended too after some turbulent years.

Moving to London, Guggenheim began thinking of starting a publishing company with the inheritance she had received after her mother died in 1937.

“I was much more interested in literature than I was in art. I just got into art by mistake.”

- Peggy Guggenheim In January 1938, instead of a publishing enterprise, Guggenheim opened her first modern art gallery, Guggenheim Jeune, on 30 Cork Street in London. Her first show featured drawings by Jean Cocteau, and she determined to buy at least one object from each of her exhibitions. Marcel Duchamp, whom she had met when she lived in Paris with her first husband Laurence Vail, introduced Guggenheim to the art world and it was through him that she met many French artists in Paris. He taught her about the developing contemporary art world, and he helped conceive many of the exhibitions at Guggenheim Jeune.

Her second show in London was an exhibition by Wassily Kandinsky – his first in England. This was followed by shows that included works by Yves Tanguy, Wolfgang Paalen, Antoine Pevsner, Henry Moore, Henri Laurens, Alexander Calder, Constantin Brâncusi, Jean Arp, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso,

Georges Braque and Kurt Schwitters and John Tunnard.

The gallery Guggenheim Jeune was a cultural success, but made a loss of £600 in her first year, so she decided instead to create a Museum of Modern Art in London together with the art historian and critic Herbert Read. In this she was influenced by her uncle, Solomon R Guggenheim, who had created his own foundation to collect and to promote abstract art which led to the opening of the Museum of Non -Objective Painting: The Solomon R Guggenheim Museum.

Peggy Guggenheim closed Guggenheim Jeune on June 22, 1939 and made plans for her Museum of Modern Art in France.

In August 1939, she left London for Paris to negotiate loans of art works for the Museum’s first exhibition. She had set aside £40,000 for Museum expenses, but things did not work out quite the way she had planned. Shortly after her departure for Paris the Second World War broke out and the events following September 1, 1939 forced her to abandon her plans. At a loss as to what to do she decided to buy as many paintings as she could by all the artists on Herbert Read’s recommended list for the Museum.

Having all the museum’s funds at her disposal, and time on her hands, she set about to buy at least one picture a day, and to house GUGGENHEIM in later life them in a new museum site in the Place Vendôme. She purchased 10 Picassos, 40 Max Ernsts, eight Mirós, four Margrittes, four Ferrens, three Man Rays, three Dalis, one Wolfgang Paalen and one Chagall.

Again things did not turn out the way she had planned and, a few days before the Germans reached Paris, she had to abort her plans and flee to the South of France where, after months of safeguarding her collection, and sometimes the lives of her artist friends, in the summer of 1941 she left France for the safety of New York. Determined to open a gallery she opened Art of This Century Gallery on 30 West 57th Street in 1942. The new gallery was divided into four sections. Three of the four were dedicated to Cubist and Abstract art, Surrealism, and Kinetic art. The fourth section, the front room, was a commercial gallery. She was only interested in new art and was responsible for spawning the careers of the Americans Jackson Pollock and William Congdon, the Austrian Wolfgang Paalen, the sound poet Ada Howell, and the German painter Max Ernst, whom she married in December 1941.

GUGGENHEIM in Venice, wearing her signature sunglasses, 1950

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Friday, January 8, 2021

“God forbid my ever getting too attached again in my life to anyone.

So far everyone I loved has died or made me madly unhappy by living.

Life seems to be an endless round of miseries.”

- Peggy Guggenheim When asked how many husbands she had had, she answered: “You mean mine, or other peoples?”

In 1962, Venice bestowed on her honorary citizenship.

THE UNFINISHED Palazzo Venier dei Leoni was commissioned by the Venier family in 1749. It was Peggy Guggenheim’s home for 30 years.

– with whom Max Ernst fell in love. This was how the marriage ended. In her characteristic ironic way Peggy Guggenheim said: “I should have had thirty women – not thirty one. That was my mistake.”

After World War II and her divorce from Max Ernst, Guggenheim closed her New York Gallery in 1947, published her autobiography, Out of This Century: Confessions of an Art Addict, and returned to Europe.

Just in time. Her book created something of a scandal as it revealed THE GUGGENHEIM sisters in happier times before their many of her sexual father died aboard the Titanic when it sank in 1912. encounters and affairs she had had with writers and artists. Her wealthy family “Peace was the one thing that tried unsuccessfully to buy up all the Max (Ernst) needed in order to paint, copies of her book and the Chicago and love was the one thing I needed Tribune caustically wrote that the in order to live. As neither of us gave book should have been titled Out of the other what we most desired, our My Head. Guggenheim wanted a union was doomed to failure.” fresh start.

- Peggy Guggenheim She decided to live in Venice.

In 1942, Art of This Century One of the reasons for her decision opened the first exhibition solely was that in 1948 she was invited to devoted to women artists. Although exhibit her collection in the dissuccessful, the show had unexpected used Greek Pavilion of the Venice personal consequences. One of the Biennale. She entrenched herself in women artists was Dorothea Tanning 1949 in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni

(unfinished Palace of the Lions) on the Grand Canal.

In Venice, Guggenheim soon became a celebrity, known for her butterfly sunglasses, designed by Edward Melcarth, which she wore everywhere, and for riding the canals of the city in her private gondola with her dogs. She promoted several young Italian artists – one of whom was Marino Marini, whose “Horse and Rider” (Angel of the City) statue was placed prominently at the entrance to her museum, overlooking the Grand Canal.

“There was also a Marino Marini, which I bought from him in Milan. I went to borrow one for the sculpture show, but ended up buying the only thing available. It was a statue of a horse and rider, the latter with his arms spread way out in ecstasy, and to emphasise this, Marino had added a phallus in full erection. But when he had it cast in bronze for me he had the phallus made separately so that it could be screwed in and out at leisure.

In Venice a legend spread that I had several phalluses of different sizes, like spare parts, which I used for different occasions.”

-Peggy Guggenheim In 1951, Peggy Guggenheim opened her home as a museum to the public, and in subsequent decades she loaned out her collection to various museums in Europe and the United States. Despite her successful life as a collector, and a number of liaisons with young Italian men, she was a lonely figure.

Guggenheim returned to New York in 1969 when the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, founded by her uncle, invited her to show her Collection.

Seven years later she donated the Palazzo Venice dei Leoni to the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, with the proviso that her collection would always remain in Venice.

“It is not only one of the premier collections of modern art in the world, featuring over three hundred works by over one hundred of the most influential artists of the 20th century, but it has also played an integral part in turning Venice into a Mecca for contemporary art.”

- Allison McNearney, editor and art critic Peggy Guggenheim died in 1979, and her ashes remain in the grounds of the Venetian palazzo that houses her collection.

The Palazzo Venier dei Leoni remains the most visited Italian museum of modern art, and the second most visited museum in Venice.

NEXT WEEK: A Nobel Prize Laureate immortalises Mississippi with his work.

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Confessions of an Art Addict (1949) by Peggy Guggenheim; and Art Lover: A Biography of Peggy Guggenheim (2003) by Anton Gill.

The Tribune | Weekend | 15

Friday, January 8, 2021

animals

Chiefie: My Brave Boy

By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters

S

aturday, December 19, is a day I will never easily forget.

It is the day that my wise and wonderful Chief met with an accident or an incident. It is not clear if his elbow broke because of a sudden movement or if it was because of a, later discovered, bone tumour.

The bottom line is that he was in tremendous pain lying on the laundry room floor crying. I was up a ladder looking for candles in a cupboard, so I did not actually see what happened immediately prior.

The next few hours flew by in a blur, some amazing help from friends and family was immediately made available to Chiefie.

My son Scott was at my house in minutes and created a cradle out of towels to carry Chief to the car, we rushed him to Dr Val Grant’s office near-by where an x-ray confirmed that his elbow was broken and that he needed orthopedic surgery in Florida.

My son Paul, with his charter company Trans Island Airways, arranged a flight immediately and in less than

two hours after the accident Chief was airborne and headed to the Hollywood Animal Hospital. A wonderful friend, Trish, met him at the airport and delivered him to HAH. I will spare you all the medical details, but in the end, it was decided that because of the bone tumour, Chiefie’s bone could not support a plate and there were only two options: amputate his front leg or put him to sleep.

It didn’t take long to decide that Chiefie still has lots of happy days left and that he deserved to live them out in the loving home we provide for him. So, alas, a few days later his leg was removed.

One week after the very successful surgery Chiefie was back on the same Trans Island Airways plane heading home. His welcoming committee awaiting him at Odyssey included his vet. Dr Val Grant, Chief’s devoted friend Nikko, my son Scott, and me. His tail said it all, he was so happy to see us.

Chief has now been home since December 30 and the transformation has been remarkable. Every day he becomes more agile on his three legs, and now can be seen strolling around

the garden sniffing the leaves and checking out the trees.

When he first got home, he would not let me out of his sight, wherever I went he was struggling to be too.

He needed help to stand up and constant support with his special vest. In eight days, his independence level has soared; he still will call me periodically with a special kind of short sharp bark that I can instantly recognize as a call for assistance or company.

What is fascinating is watching him reclaim his old “spots”, his favourite places to sit and survey the world.

He is gradually finding that he can climb up on the sofa or armchair with a little help, and if Buddy gets on a chair he wants, he will bark at his incessantly until long suffering and sweet Buddy moves.

What is absolutely amazing is to see how happy this beautiful friend of mine is, his tail wags constantly and he enjoys his explorations of the garden, if he gets a little weary, he sits in the sun and relishes the feeling of the rays on his back. When the other dogs come out with him, he enjoys their company, and they touch noses and bark together at passersby!

pet of the week

Sheba needs a home

By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY

New Year’s Resolution: Adopt. Don’t shop!

Who to adopt? Sheba!

This lovely older lady is looking for a quiet spot to spend her senior years! Sheba is 12 years old and has a few medical issues so would like a restful corner of a yard where she can be close to the humans who love her. She doesn’t mind cats and tolerates most other dogs.

A sunny corner, lots of food and lots of love are on Sheba’s New Year’s wish list. Can you fulfill Sheba’s wish? If so, come in to the Bahamas Humane Society to meet her or call 32305138 for more information. Sheba is sure to make your 2021 start off just right!

The BHS Thrift Shop is open and accepting donations! We sell gently used items to raise funds for the BHS. Shop hours are 11am to 3pm Wed/Thurs/Fri and 10am to 2pm Saturday. It’s also a great place to do some low-cost shopping. See you soon!

PHOTO by Linda Gill-Aranha.

Chiefie will be 15 in March or April, he is wise beyond our understanding, he is never sorry for himself, he enjoys every day, every meal, every treat, and every sniff as they come his way. He interacts with his canine and human friends with joy and has no worries about what tomorrow will bring.

We could all learn so much from this wise and aged potcake, he teaches us how to accept the inevitable and how to make the most of the situation.

Every day is an adventure, one that he can share with the family that he loves and who love him so much.

If nothing else, COVID has given me the opportunity to be close with my animals for the past eleven months. Had things been different, had there been no COVID, I would have been packed and ready to travel to Rome tomorrow for a friend’s spectacular birthday party… instead I sit peacefully at my keyboard writing articles, and working for my real estate office. I am home every night, and I settle my Chiefie in his bed besides mine, I realize how lucky we are to have had him for such a long time and to still have him.

This next phase with chemo will be surmountable and he will always be showered with love.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 8, 2021

gardening

Companion planting and mulch, for better growth

H

appy New Year, gardeners! I hope that you were able to spend some productive, therapeutic, relaxing, and satisfying time in the garden over the Christmas and New Year weekends.

As I keep mentioning (and will again), now is a wonderful time to garden because the cooler weather encourages good vegetable growth, and it also allows for getting some harder work done without having to suffer the intense summer heat.

In the last week or two I have been creating new vegetable and herb garden beds and getting vegetable plants and herbs into planters and pots, no matter how much I plant, it

will never be enough. All too often I spend most of my time growing edibles for our nursery customers instead of tending to my own garden space, so I am grateful for the time to get some things growing for myself, family, and friends! I was reminded of companion planting tips lately in that I was having horrible issues with aphids on my cabbages (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale), and was reminded to companion plant to help with pest control. For now, I have interplanted dill into my cabbage planters. Dill happens to be another attraction for beneficial insects.

Dill helps to repel cabbage moths, worms and loopers, anything with an appetite to devour many a brassica.

Onion will also benefit, as will marigold, nasturtium, rosemary, beets, celery, and cilantro!

I always add mulch when I plant in garden beds or in containers to keep the weeds from easily germinating and taking over, to keep the soil temperature a bit lower, to increase moisture holding capacity in the soil to allow for decreased watering and to add organic material to the soil as the mulch breaks down over time. Mulch comes in several grades or qualities from poor to excellent, as with most anything, you get what you pay for. Recycled pallets are typically used to produce low to medium quality products.

Trees such as melaleuca (a highly invasive exotic that damages the balance of natural ecosystems, much like casuarina), pines, and cypress are also used. Pure cypress is the highest quality and cost as it travels a longer way to get here (it is not

harvested commercially in Florida due to environmental protections with regards to wetlands which are crucial to water tables and wildlife, and we do not have them here), it is highly desirable because it is not as susceptible to pests like termites as many lower quality/cost products are. Mulching is beneficial, and it looks good! Mulched coconut fiber is also beneficial and is long lasting as a mulch, but it is tough on machines.

Indoor plants use a little less water than usual during the “cooler” months and their growth rate can slow to a crawl in January and February, especially if they are in a low light situation. In our greenhouse we water far less during the next couple of months in quantity of water, and we also decrease the frequency of watering for mature plants. Slower growing cultivars of aglaonema for example, become very susceptible to over watering during the next couple of months. Fruit trees are also using less water and utilising less nutrients during January and February. We always cut our watering amounts and frequency in half for our fruit trees in the Bahamian “winter”. I like to prune in January, especially on trees that are not yet putting out new flower (future fruit) like my avocado that recently finished fruiting.

Some citrus trees may be beginning to show flowers or fruit, it is not a good time to prune anything showing flower buds. Going back to the benefits of January and the cooler temperature, I am doing all I can to take control of larger pest or invasive trees before they start growing like gangbusters again in March or April while it is not as hot as summertime.

If I had a mulcher, they would all end up being mulched into the coppice or landscape garden, but as I do not yet have a mulcher all it does is to make me think of the song “if I had a hammer…”!

Let’s keep plugging away, gardeners. I have seen so many wonderful success stories from new gardeners and experts alike, this season. As any experienced gardener knows, there will be failures, but it is trial and error much of the time, and we must persevere! Grow on gardeners, grow on. As always, I wish you happy gardening.

I invite you to contact me at gardening242@gmail.com with questions, or topics that you would like to see discussed. If I do not know the answer, I will find someone that does!