04142022 WEEKEND

Thursday, April 14, 2022

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Weekend EASTER MEALS Page 08 + 09

Colourful Easter

page 07

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Thursday, April 14, 2022

home

LIGHT, airy furniture, hanging light instead of lamp and mirror combine to make a small space larger.

(Photo courtesy of Z Design at Home Blog)

THERE’s no such thing as too much white, light or bright in a small space, Danielle Moss for The Everygirl

OVERSIZED mirror bounces light by Byron Beach Abodes

Making a small space look bigger

A

few simple design tips can make a small space feel larger. That is especially important if the space is a shared one like a dining room that doubles as a home office or a playroom for kids that is also the parents’ media room hangout. There is one basic rule – lighter spells larger.

The first tip is a simple one -choose light colours everywhere.

That’s light colours not just on the wall, but on furniture and for accessories, then add an element of surprise. Off set the light wall colours with an accent wall (as described in last week’s Life By Design). The accent wall can be a solid dark or even a pattern, either will add a feeling of surprise to a small space. A really dark accent wall adds brightness because it breaks up the line of sight. Just keep the majority of the space light.

Secondly, paint the trim, door frames, mouldings and window

frames a lighter colour oversized mirrors, in than the walls. Treating particular, bounce light in them this way is opposite the room. of what many designFourth, chose furniture ers will advise in a large that is slender, not bulky, space where you want to airy, not heavy. Open achieve more intimacy weaves in side tables but in doing so in a small or upside- down sturdy space, it makes the area baskets for tables work. feel even lighter and Furniture with open larger. shelving is ideal. Look Thirdly, give mirrors for slim, tall lines in every LIFE BY their rightful due. They piece you choose. Using are as valuable as décor DESIGN glass and open, skinny as they are functional, BROOKE PYFROM tapered legs on beds and not just giving you an chairs makes a room feel opportunity to check more open. your appearance but adding light Fifth, choose light colours for any and space to how a room feels. The fabric and hang curtains higher to mirror is so important in that addcreate illusion of high ceilings. In space feel category that rarely will the bedroom, try sconces or hanging you walk into an entryway without pendant lights on either side of the finding one above that table where bed instead of table lamps on the everyone drops car keys, bags, night stands. Doing so not only saves papers. The general rule of thumb valuable space, it makes everything is that the smaller the space, the more effective the mirror. Larger, look larger.

Finally, and this may be the most important tip of all, keep the room organised and free of clutter. Buy trays and organisational storage containers. Avoid excessive furniture or accessories and keep it minimalistic. Use multipurpose furniture like a storage ottoman to add more functionality. Using shelving on the walls to put items away or create displays.

Use rugs to create boundaries define areas in the room. Hanging plants and layering lighting draws the eye upward and makes the room appear taller. And the last surprise – choose one wall to hang a large piece of art.

Even the smallest space can look larger with a few easy tips like these.

• Brooke Pyfrom is the proprietor of Oasis, Sandyport, and Oasis, East Shirley Street. She sources exceptional pieces from around the world to combine trendy with traditional.

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Thursday, April 14, 2022

music

Sharmond Smith’s devotion to jazz carries him higher and higher

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

H

e has played for the likes of US President Bill Clinton and been the opening act for artists like the 1980s rock band Huey Lewis and the News. But regardless of how big the gig, in the end it always comes down to one thing for Sharmond Smith: his unwavering love of jazz.

The Bahamian flautist and saxophonist is a jazz devotee. He loves all styles and types of jazz, and believes it is the perfect genre to express his talents through improvisation.

It also allows Sharmond to guide listeners through an array of emotions and cultures.

“I love how jazz brings artists and people from all walks of society together to have a musical dialogue through the voice and sounds of an instrument,” he told Tribune Weekend.

Sharmand comes from musical stock.

He is the son of David Smith, better known under his stage name Kasavubu, a legendary Bahamian calypsonian and entertainer.

He has been flautist and saxophonist, recording engineer and recording artist for over 27 years.

Since 2005, he has released four albums, one of which reached number eight on the Smooth Jazz Global Holiday Charts in 2021. In addition, he studied at Hofa College and the University of the People, as well as Berklee Online.

He also studied privately with Grammy Award-winning jazz saxophonist Eric Marienthal, the late Fred Henfield Sr, jazz trumpeter Lou Adams Jr, and vocalist and instrumentalist Duke Errol Strachan, a Bahamian icon.

“I first started playing music at RM Bailey High School and was trained on the flute and saxophone by a well-known trumpet master Lou Adams Jr. Since I was a youngster, music has always captivated me. Seeing my father, the late David Smith, perform on stage and in rehearsals and hanging out with my godfather, the late former president of the musician’s union, Duke Hanna, at the musician’s union where so many of the great Bahamian artists congregated - have all influenced my musical career,” he said.

Above all, Sharmond said it is the memory of how his father as a musician

and entertainer was able to command the audience’s attention. This is what influences his style and work ethic the most. “(Dad) being original through music, songs and entertainment has been my biggest influence. My advice to upcoming students and musicians who are thinking of entering the music and entertainment space is to study and practice your choice of music disciplines. Always be original and carry yourself professionally by being on time, well-dressed, wellgroomed and knowing your stuff,” he said.

Recalling some of his most memorable performances, Sharmond said a standout experience was being the flute player in the band for Shelia E’s show.

He was also the flautist in Kim Fields’ band and the opening act for Huey Lewis and the News. Sharmond has played for the likes of US President Bill Clinton and at Lenny Kravitz’s birthday party for his grandfather. He was the opening act for 90s R&B duo K-Ci and JoJo, and performed with Ronnie Butler and Fire Band for three years.

“The majority of the response I receive from Bahamians is positive. Bahamians, for example, would compliment me after witnessing my show by stating, ;great show, very soulful, very romantic, you made me cry, that was my wedding song, you are amazing.’ Furthermore, people would occasionally inquire as to where to obtain some of the music and purchase some of my unique compositions,” he said.

When asked what music is currently on his playlist, Sharmond said he is listening to songs from artists like Al Jarreau, Miles Davis, Joe Sample, Bob James, Kenny Garret, Silk Sonic, Snarky Puppies, Anita Baker, and Hubert Laws.

“As my musical career continues to blossom and bring me success, I will continue to create original content. Also, this year, I will be releasing my fifth album for the summer and my second Christmas album. I am currently the resident flute and saxophonist at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma and Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau. Apart from that, I love long walks and spending family time with my wife, Charmine Smith, of 25 years, and daughter Symphony Smith,” he said.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Thursday, April 14, 2022

interview

Megan Roberts

She’s been connected to the beauty industry her entire life – first through the family business, then as a model, and now as a businesswoman. She tells Cara Hunt about the different beauty standards around the world, and how we could see some surprising make-up trends this summer.

(Photo_Scharad Lightbourne)

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Thursday, April 14, 2022

M

ake-up and beauty have always been a major part of Megan Roberts’ life.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that she has made a career of being the local brand manager for a prominent make-up brand and has also dabbled in modelling.

Growing up, Meghan would spend school breaks working in the family business – Commonwealth Drugs.

The business has been in operation for the past three decades and has two major sides of operation: the medical supply side, which focuses on pharmaceutical products, and the consumer side, which focuses on consumer products and in particular cosmetics.

“That is the side (consumer) that I always worked on growing up and so it was inevitable that I would take on a beauty brand,” she told Tribune Weekend.

“Growing up, I was surrounded by women wearing make-up and putting their best face forward.

That included our sales ladies who would market our make-up brands like Black Opal and then my mom and my grandmother always made sure that they had their faces made up when I was growing up. My grandmother would never dream of leaving the house without at least putting on her lipstick and face powder. She may not always do a full

this

weekend in history April 15 • In 1865, the 16th US President, Abraham Lincoln, dies from a bullet wound inflicted the night before by actor and Confederate soldier John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. The assassination comes just five days after the Confederate army surrendered in Virginia.

• In 1912, at 2.20am, the Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic about 400 miles south

face, but she would do her lipstick.

Also, my mom was a hairdresser ad so she always stressed to me the importance of putting your best self forward and to always look your best.”

Megan attended an international boarding school in Canada and said this experience gave her a fascinating glimpse at different beauty standards around the world.

“The school that I went to only had international students, not Canadian, and so I went to school with people from all over the world including Africa, China, Europe, and so I got to experience different cultures,” she said.

“It is interesting how the standard of beauty is different all over the world. Each country has a different beauty trend. For example, some cultures do prefer the idea of a brighter complexion. Chinese girls tend to like to define their eyes, while the African girls always take pride in having a beat face. But my experience in boarding school was wonderful.”

It also exposed Megan to another side of the beauty industry - modelling.

“I got started in modelling because one of my school friends who is actually Nigerian started her own cosmetic brand, Loola Cosmetic, and asked me if I would model some of her products.”

The brand is 100 percent femaleowned and provides a multi-purpose line of products with a diverse variety of colours.

This was her first introduction to the modelling industry and would set the standard for the types of projects she would work on in future.

“Who doesn’t love to dress up and not be yourself for the day? You can forget yourself and live in the moment. I am selective in the jobs I take because I do get camera shy,” she admitted.

“But I like to work with Blackowned businesses and female owners and brands that I believe in.”

Since returning home several years ago, she has also returned to the family business, where her primary role is to help Bahamian women select the best products from the Black Opal line that work for them.

Black Opal has been in operation for more than 25 years and offers high-quality, high-performance beauty and skincare products for women of colour.

“One of the challenges in marketing makeup and beauty products is that often people are set in their ways when it comes to the products that they use,” she said.

“So, they can be reluctant to take a chance to try something that may actually be better for them. Sometimes they may like a brand, but they may need to try a different product that would address the needs of their

of Newfoundland, Canada.

The White Star ocean liner had struck an iceberg two and a half hours earlier. More than 1,500 people perish.

• In 1947, Jackie Robinson, 28, breaks the colour barrier, becoming the first Black player in Major League Baseball as he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Up until then, the sport had been segregated for more than 50 years.

Charles Edward Stuart.

April 17

JOHN Wilkes Booth

April 16 • In 1178 BC, a total eclipse blots out the sun at high noon.

Researchers believe this is also the day the legendary Greek king and hero Odysseus returns home to Ithaca after the 10-year Trojan War.

skin better, such as if they have oily skin or dry skin and, so that is the biggest challenge.”

Now that the COVID restrictions are slowly being lifted and more activities are resuming, Meghan is excited to discuss the trends she thinks we will see this summer.

“I think that as we finally emerge from having to constantly wear masks, women will be really showcasing their skin. I think a lot of women have used this time in quarantine to really work on their skin. They were able to go without make-up for a bit which allowed their skin to breathe and so I think that that you will see some really fresh, healthy looks with smooth clear perfect skin,” she said.

As far as make-up trends go, Meghan think women will tend towards the bold.

“I think we will see bold lips either in a lipstick or a very glossy lip. And then I think you will see women chasing to have a pop of colour on the eyes,” she said.

Further, she said a lot of makeup artists are replicating looks and drawing inspiration from the popular HBO show “Euphoria”, a drama that follows a group of high school students as they navigate the world of sex, drugs and social media.

“It’s dramatic, but I think a lot of Bahamian women are willing to be that creative and daring,” said Megan.

• In 1745, the Scots are defeated in the Battle of Culloden, the last battle on British Soil, and the end of the Jacobite Rising.

The Royalist troops under the Duke of Cumberland decisively defeat the Jacobite army of

• In 1815, heavy eruptions of the Indonesian volcano Tambora finally let up. The unexpected eruption on Sumbawa Island led to the deaths of 100,000 people and disrupted weather around the globe for more than year, resulting in famines and food shortages in China, western Europe and parts of North America.

• In 1492, Italian-born explorer Christopher Columbus signs a contract, officiated over by the Spanish monarchs, to find the “Indies”. One stated goal was converting people he found to the Catholic faith.

down:(6) 1 Stair; 2 Adequate; beam about 3 Beat up; 4 Norm; 23 Act it out in the 6loft (5) 5 Scholar; Betterment;

impolite (4) 27 Complicated chancel – it needs redesigning (9)

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

● 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.

Verb forms ending in s permitted’.

TODAY’S TARGET Good 17; very good 25; excellent 33 (or more). Solution tomorrow

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

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Eighteen lives represented.

Can you beat it? (3-3) 4 Believe Bill has surplus wealth (8) 9 Make movement start and finish (4,2) 10 Mingle in the enclosure (8) 12 The first man to be a mother (4) 13 They join the course (5) 14 An opening possibly lost (4) 17 Assistants give a portion of food to the workers (7,5) 20 Prone to being longwinded? (9,3) 23 Just quits (4) 24 A man seen in the distance (5) 25 Scheme that is little short of perfect (4) 28 Goes without saying (8) 29 Spring past (6) 30 People may have to put up with her (8) 31 Fireman who doesn’t put fires out (6)

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Lucid, 4 Recover, 8 Rum, 9 Cap in hand, 10 Chagrin, 11 Essay, 13 Loofah, 15 At last, 18 Match, 19 In order, 21 To the good, 23 Pun, 24 Figment, 25 Roomy.

Down: 1 Lyrical, 2 Come about, 3 Decor, 4 Repent, 5 Contest, 6 Via, 7 Ruddy, 12 Stand up to, 14 Achieve, 16 Tyranny, 17 Die out, 18 Motif, 20 Older, 22 Tag.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Snack, 4 Alcohol, 8 Met, 9 Allotment, 10 Variety, 11 Drove, 13 Rhodes, 15 Pledge, 18 Diner, 19 Adipose, 21 Spaghetti, 23 Moa, 24 Saladin, 25 Tenet.

Down: 1 Samovar, 2 Afternoon, 3 Knave, 4 Allays, 5 Citadel, 6 Hoe, 7 Lethe, 12 Odd-job men, 14 Earthed, 16 Elegant, 17 Batten, 18 Doses, 20 Idiot, 22 Awl.

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 German pianist/ composer (6) 4 Conversation (8) 9 Mischievous small boy (6) 10 Place under surveillance (8) 12 Expectant silence (4) 13 In view of (5) 14 To incline (4) 17 By chance (12) 20 Paranormal (12) 23 Loud deep cry (4) 24 Sham attack (5) 25 In a high degree (4) 28 Sovereignty (8) 29 Part of the eye (6) 30 Apostate (8) 31 Put aside (6)

Down 1 Curt dismissal (5-3) 2 Lineage (8) 3 Principal (4) 5 Having chance of winning (2,3,7) 6 Similar to (4) 7 Behave obsequiously (6) 8 Scope (6) 11 As an unofficial statement (3,3,6) 15 To erect (3,2) 16 Indolence (5) 18 Unconstrained volition (4,4) 19 Take no chances (4,4) 21 Merchant (6) 22 Opera by Bizet (6) 26 Unexpected drawback (4) 27 Network fabric (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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Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Y E G W H L X J

Thursday, April 14, 2022

9 Perpetrate; 12 Shipment; 14 Mistake; 16 Horror; 19 Sward; 20 Shoe.

TARGET 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.

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Thursday, April 14, 2022

fashion

Spring styles for the young and fashionable Lilac, lavender and periwinkle are hottest colours of the season

By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

S

pring is the time of year that pastel colours abound, displaying a fashionable freshness that is also reflected in the hottest trends for children this season.

Danielle Anusiem, the Kalico Bay CEO and children’s style specialist, told Tribune Weekend that the most popular colour of the season is “Very Perri”.

“It’s just a play on periwinkle, and so you will see this spring that lilacs, lavender, periwinkle and soft pastel shades of purple have really come through for both girls and boys,” she said.

“The colour can be found in dress shirts, in stripes and polka dots, and in dresses that have some form of purple or pastel blue, and so a lot of that is present in our selection.”

Traditional colours are also still in high demand.

“Of course, there will always be those beautiful colours of spring which will never go out of style – coral, orange, yellow, pinks and sea foam green; those colours will always be popular, they trend every spring,” said Danielle.

“Those are the colours that wake up your senses and give you the true feeling of Easter.”

Danielle said that she wants her customers to feel transported into an Easter wonderland when they select items for their children to wear through the holiday weekend and season.

“During this season, people take this opportunity to host family gatherings and so we all want to step out and wear our very best and our brightest,” she said.

Danielle said this can range from casual clothing that kids can run, play and frolic in, to dressier styles suited for Easter Sunday church services or other formal events.

One of the season’s hottest trends are circle dresses in pretty prints which allow little girls to play and feel free with biker shorts underneath.

“It makes them feel pretty and they are great for twirling,” Danielle said.

For the boys, there are shorts in pastel prints or they may choose button-down shirts with pops of colour.

Danielle said there are a number of fashionable Easter gifts as well.

“Last-minute Easter gifts can include trinkets that the kids will absolutely love: sunglasses, arm candy bracelets, bows and chokers for the pre-tween girls make great additions to Easter baskets if you don’t want give the norm. And for the boys, fedoras, neckties and bow ties are great options,” he said.

She explained that Kalico Bay specialises in everything custom for kids and prides itself on having items that will complete that head-to-toe look.

“That is what we do; make sure that your kids are perfectly outfitted which gives parents less headache and hassle,” she said.

Danielle said this applies to parents who want a more traditional look for their kids such as rompers with Peter Pan collars for boys and smocked dresses with T-strapped shoes for girls, to parents who want a more modern, fashionable look for their kids.

The Tribune | Weekend | 07

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Thursday, April 14, 2022

gardening

Easter weekend gardening

G

ood day, gardeners. If you hadn’t guessed it already, no, I have not taken to writing about foreign erotic films (readers of last week’s page will understand). There are some eyeopening films out there to do with growing food though!

One show in particular titled “Rotten” (Netflix) is quite an exposé on how things such as peanuts, garlic and avocados are grown and the perils that are involved. Who would have thought that the avocado trade was so fraught with danger and corruption, and so very harmful to the environment? Regardless, it is worth watching and is quite shocking, the effects that we have on our surrounding world simply by the choice of food that we eat.

As the saying goes, vote with your money, and buyer beware. Just because it looks healthy doesn’t mean it is, there are many counterproductive and undermining factors involved in the food at the grocery store, some that may be compromising your morals or your health. Yes, it is food I am talking about. Pesticides and plastics seem to be in or on everything, and this a detriment for human health.

Back to the home garden and Easter weekend. If there was a perfect time to get into the garden, certainly this weekend is one of the best for it. It is a four-day weekend, the last before the heat of summer.

Your favourite garden centre and plant nursery will be open for business as it is a busy time in the garden.

If you have only very limited time to do some gardening, it is a good time to get a last batch of cabbage, tomato, cucumber or peppers into the ground or pots. Gardening does require time, and most of all, patience. If you are an impatient sort, gardening can help that.

No need for therapy, gardening is therapy. Ten minutes in the garden each day can reap rewards for months. I have a favourite tomato plant that I am growing this season, it has been producing for almost six months now and still going strong with fruit (yes, tomato is technically a fruit). I spend 10 minutes a day on that plant alone though! I

selectively (key word) pull off sucker growth from the nodes, remove any exhausted branches, remove fading foliage and inspect for insects or disease. I just applied another (and likely the last) dose of nutrients to keep it producing for another month or hopefully more. Fortunately, a lot of the tomato varieties that are available at reputable nurseries are bred for disease resistance and productivity, or in the case of heirlooms, for the spectacular fruit quality. If you really want to step up your game though, plant some grafted vegetables and prepare to grow plants like you’ve never done before, even into the heat of summer! Keeping a tomato plant evenly moist reduces the chances of blossom end rot from occurring. No, Epson salts will not help. Myths abound regarding growing plants, just as they do with history and just about everything else. What could possibly go better with fish from the dock down the road than some homegrown vegetables?! So, you’re not a veggie gardener. No matter what you’ve

tried it hasn’t worked. I hope you’ve been making friends that garden!

The issues that our world faces today affect the price and quality of just everything we need to survive.

Andros is producing some topquality onions for example, yet there are still old, subpar onions on store shelves from thousands of miles away. Even if you do not garden, you can still support the local economy and local growers by visiting farmer’s markets and plant nurseries to help fill the refrigerator or pantry. Canning and bottling can preserve local produce, and value-added products are something that we as a nation still run behind on. If you are one of those out there who are doing something to change this by producing chickens, eggs, pepper jelly, hot sauce, guava jam, pickled onions, etcetera, then you deserve credit and market space if your product is consistent and meets a certain accepted standard of quality. Local buyers need to support the local economy though for it to work (big and small grocers alike can all do better at this). I do hope that you can

spend time in your garden, and if you don’t have one, call on a friend that does!

Peace and blessings to each and every one of you, I hope that this weekend allows you time to get into the garden, or at the least enjoy some local produce along with your fresh fish (tilapia or swai doesn’t count). Happy Easter, and I wish you even happier gardening.

• Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery.

You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail.com.

The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Thursday, April 14, 2022

community

Resin art

Mother-daughter team create unique business

By Alesha Cadet | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

W

hen working with resin, Anya Williamson said an artist is guaranteed to never duplicate a piece, as every design will be one of a kind.

“Resin has a mind of its own. For me, my designs come from colour combination and patterns that I see, one of the main designs being the waters of the Bahamas,” she said.

“This was one of the first paintings that I sold. I remember walking into a store and I saw a lady wearing a floral dress. I said to myself, those colours are really nice and so I went home, mixed up a few colours and began to design a canvas,” said Anya.

Anya decided to use her talent to start her own company, the Creative Boutique Bahamas. And now that her mother has retired, she has joined Anya in her business.

The mother-daughter duo creates charcuterie boards made from real wood with matching coasters, foldable game tables for chess/ checkers, and their newest product, a scent collection that includes diffusers, candles, car scents, room sprays, wax melts and plug-ins.

“Our goal is to create unique Bahamian products that both locals and tourists will enjoy,” said Anya.

“For our resin boards and paintings, you know that they will not find an exact piece anywhere else. Our scent products are made using clean scents, fragrances which are free of carcinogens, mutagens and toxins.

We are committed to having

the safest and highest quality products in the industry.”

Like most small business owners, Anya said it was at the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic when she decided to focus more on her creative side.

“This pandemic shows you how at any moment you could be out of a job. A certified accountant by profession working as the CFO of an offshore bank, my (entrepreneurial) journey began when my daughter was born seven years ago. I

was not feeling very confident in the financial services industry during the first six months of the pandemic and realised that you must always have a backup plan in the event that you are dealt a bad hand. I watched a lot of my family members and close friends be left without a job because of cost cutting and redundancies, and this reinforced my determination to keep going,” said Anya.

Being in such a stressful industry as banking, Anya said she realised she was using her creative endeavours as stress relief.

She remembers purchasing her first resin kit and experimenting on tumblers, though very simple ones at first.

“I continued my research about resin and the importance of resin safety, and as I did this, I noticed that there are so many more things that can be done using resin.

I started making various purchases of different resin moulds and mould-making kits. This opened up a door for coasters and other small trinkets. At this point, I

realised that I really love what I do. After I put my daughter to bed at night, my work began. I worked from about 9 pm at night to about midnight, sometimes waking up at 5am if I needed to complete an order. I never realised how many people were interested in personalised items. Again, with more research I realised how much more areas my resin knowledge could take me in, and this is when I started to design charcuterie boards, side tables and paintings,” she said.

“I sometimes found it a bit overwhelming as I was a wife, mother and CFO of an offshore bank, but for some reason I still was determined to make it happen. I knew that my mother would be retiring in a few years and I wanted to have a business for her to be able to retire into to keep her busy. I knew that this may not be a field she would be interested in, but by keeping the company around we could expand into areas that would be of more interest to her,”said Anya.

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literary lives – Iris Murdoch

MURDOCH in 1978. (Photo_Jane Bown)

A rare writer and philosopher

Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the Irish and British novelist and philosopher – best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious.

“For most of us, for almost all of us, truth can be attained, if not at all, only in silence. It is in silence that the human spirit touches the divine.”

– Irish Murdoch Iris Murdoch was born in Phibsborough, Dublin, Ireland on July 15, 1919 – the daughter of a civil servant from a Presbyterian sheep farming family from County Down.

Her mother was a singer from a

middle-class Church of Ireland family in Dublin. She was an only child. When she was a few weeks old the family moved to London where her father joined the Ministry of Health as a second-class clerk.

Murdoch was brought up in Chiswick, and educated in progressive independent schools. In 1938, she went up to Somerville College, Oxford with the intention of studying English, but switched to “Greats”, a

course of study combining classics, ancient history, and philosophy. She was awarded a first-class honours degree in 1942. After leaving Oxford she worked for HM Treasury, but left to work for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) in London, Brussels, Innsbruck and then Graz, Austria where she worked in a refugee camp. She left the UNRRA in 1946.

She studied philosophy as a postgraduate at Newnham College, Cambridge from 1947 to 1948. She then became a Fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford and taught philosophy there until 1963. From 1963 to 1967 she taught General Studies at the Royal College of Art. In 1956, Murdoch married John Bayley, a literary critic, novelist and Professor of English at Oxford University. This strange marriage lasted more than 40 years until Murdoch’s

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Thursday, April 14, 2022 death. Bayley thought that sex was “inescapably ridiculous”, allowing Murdoch to have multiple affairs with both men and women. He was present at many of these encounters.

several years. In a 1990 Paris Review interview she admitted that her membership of the Communist Party had made her see “how strong and how awful it (Marxism) is, certainly in its organised form.”

“One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better.”

Iris Murdoch Iris Murdoch’s Under the Net was published in 1954. She went on to produce twenty-five more novels, more works on philosophy, as well as poetry and drama. In addition to Under the Net her books include The Bell (1958), A Severed Head (1961), The Red and the Green (1965), The Nice and the Good (1968), The Black Prince (1973), Henry and Cato (1976), The Sea, the Sea (1978), The Philosopher’s Pupil (1983), The Good Apprentice (1985), The Book and the Brotherhood (1987), The Message to the Planet (1989), and The Green Knight (1993). Her last novel Jackson’s Dilemma was published in 1995.

MURDOCH and John Bayley had a 40-year-long unusual but devoted marriage Empire in 1976, and made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1987. In 1997, she was awarded the Golden PEN Award by English PEN for a “Lifetime’s Distinguished Service to Literature”.

“We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.”

– Iris Murdoch Murdoch’s novels show great variety and follow the tradition of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, George Eliot and Proust, and show an abiding love of Shakespeare. The Black Prince (1973) is a study of erotic obsession. It won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Her novels includeupper-middle class male intellectuals, caught in moral dilemmas, and sometimes a demonic male person who imposes his will on other characters – said to be based on one of her lovers – the Nobel Laureate Elias Canetti.

Murdoch’s novel The Sea, the Sea (1978) won the Booker Prize and is a detailed treatise about the power of love and loss and jealousy. Poems

by Iris Murdoch appeared in 1997, and several of her works have been adapted for the screen and television, including An Unofficial Rose and The Bell. JB Priestley’s dramatisation of her novel A Severed Head (1961) starred Ian Holm and Richard Attenborough.

Murdoch got mixed reviews from literary critics. Harold Bloom wrote in his 1986 review of The Good Apprentice that “no

THE NOVEL that won Murdoch the 1978 Booker Prize

other contemporary British novelist seemed of her eminence”. AS Byatt referred to her as “a great philosophical novelist” and Antonia Byatt was not that generous with whom she praised. James Wood also praised her in How Fiction Works and stressed that Murdoch’s ability to create free and independent characters was “the mark of a great novelist ... like Tolstoy, Trollope, Balzac and Dickens”. Sam Jordison on the other hand declared that The Sea, theSea contained “scenes of absurd melodrama”.

Murdoch was named a Commander of the Order of the British

For many years Murdoch’s achievements as a philosopher were eclipsed by her success as a novelist, but more recently appraisals have increasingly accorded her a substantial role in post-war Anglo-American philosophy, particularly for her prescient work in moral philosophy, and her reinterpretation of Aristotle and Plato. In a recent survey Justin Broackes brings attention to a “moral realism or naturalism allowing into the world properties such as humility and generosity, and a rejection of Humean moral psychology with special attention to the virtues and emphasis on the metaphor of moral perception”. Broackes also notes Murdoch’s influence on the discipline of philosophy being indirect, as it impacted her contemporaries. In general Murdoch’s work was influenced by Simon Weil and by Plato. She gave force to the reality of the Good, and to a sense of the moral life as a pilgrimage from illusion to reality. Murdoch’s work offers criticism of Kant, Sartre and Wittgenstein.

Murdoch’s political views were questionable. She won a scholarship to Vassar College in 1946, but was refused a visa to enter the United States because she had joined the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1938 while a student at Oxford. She left the Party in 1942, but remained sympathetic to communism for

Murdoch’s Irish heritage, however, remains a sensitive aspect of Murdoch’s political life. Although Irish by both birth and descent, Murdoch never displayed the full set of political opinions that are assumed to be coupled with her Irishness. She regretted the sympathetic portrayal of the Irish Nationalist cause that she had given earlier in The Red and the Green (1965), as well as a competing defence of her book in Caen, Normandy in 1978. She remarked to her close friend and fellow philosopher Philippa Foot in 1978 that she felt “unsentimental about Ireland to the point of hatred”.

Peter J Conradi’s authorised biography Iris Murdoch: A Life (2001) intelligently addressed the Irish issue in Murdoch’s life, and follows his earlier critical work The Saint and the Artist: A Study of Iris Murdoch’s Life (1986). Other biographies include Iris: A Memoir (1998) by her husband John Bayley shortly before her death, and Elegy for Iris in 1999.

A “mischievously revelatory” antibiography was published in 2003 Iris Murdoch as I Knew Her by A.N. Wilson. It was not authorised. In her centenary year, 2019, a collection of unpublished memories was published

by Sabrestorm Press entitled Iris Murdoch: A Centenary Celebration, edited by Miles Leeson who directs the Iris Murdoch Research Centre at the University of Chichester in the UK. “There is no beyond, there is only here, the infinitely small, infinitely great and utterly demanding present.”

– Iris Murdoch Iris Murdoch was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1997 and died in 1999 in Oxford. There is a bench dedicated to her in the grounds of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford where she used to enjoy walking.

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Iris Murdoch: A Life (2001) by Peter J Conradi; Iris Murdoch as I Knew Her (2003) by AN Wilson; and Iris Murdoch: A Centenary Celebration (2019) by Miles Leeson.

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history

From Africa to the Bahamas PAUL C ARANHA

FORGOTTEN FACTS

I

t is such a pleasure to see life beginning to return to normal, or perhaps a new normal. While my wife Kim and I still follow what we think of as COVID protocols, we are starting to move around more freely and, last evening (April 7) we attended a meeting of the Bahamas Historical Society where we and our friends all wore masks.

The speaker was only one without a mask – otherwise we would not have understood what we came to hear.

The occasion was the launch of Jim Lawlor’s new book: From Africa to The Bahamas, now a part of my home library. I’m still reading it.

Lawlor starts with the growth of civilisation, in the waxing and waning empires of West Africa, and explains the origins of many of the Africans who came to the Bahamas.

I find it disappointing and upsetting that the majority of Bahamians of African descent do not know what part off Africa their ancestors came from. When I was a kid, I met many people who knew exactly whether they were Congoes, Yorubas, or from some other tribes. I cannot remember them all, but I do remember reading (maybe being read) Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin and feeling sad when Topsy said (as I remember it), “I wasn’t borned. I just growed.”

Tracing Black Bahamians’ family tree is a challenge and often discouraging.

Nevertheless, Dr Donald R Hopkins of Chicago was able to do it. He traced his Bahamian ancestry back to Lewis Hopkins, who died in Nassau in 1850 I met Dr Hopkins in 2011 when he gave a talk at the Bahamas Historical Society in the hope that sharing his many-sided quest would help others.

His talk (printed as an eight-page article in the 2011 issue of the JOURNAL of the BHS) is obtainable at the BHS Museum on Elizabeth Avenue. It took a lot of research, but it paid off.

One important complication was that ”most slaves were known only by one single European name, bestowed on him/ her by their owner. When they were freed, ex-slaves customarily assumed the surname of their former owners.”

An obvious example of this being Lord Rolle of Exuma. One wonders how many of his ex-slaves were blood-relatives.

Lawlor’s new book should inspire more Bahamians to head for the Archives.

Footnote: Columbus discovered America but never knew of the existence of North America. It was not until Easter of 1513 when Juan Ponce de León sighted previously unknown land northwest of the Bahamas and gave it the Spanish word for Easter ‘La Florida’ that North America was really rediscovered.

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

A POSTCARD featuring a ‘Congo Woman’ from 1913

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Thursday, April 14, 2022

animals Animal matters Kim Aranha

PET OF THE WEEK

L

ife’s simple pleasures invariably involve the act of giving because giving makes us all feel good, and of course, receiving is always

wonderful.

The dictionary defines the noun giving as “to make a present of.” And the adjective as “providing love or other emotional support, caring.”

At the Bahamas Humane Society, the animals depend on both the noun and the adjective: they need everything given to them. The material items are of course always very necessary but the emotional side is frequently just as important.

We are very fortunate to have people who provide us with lovingly saved donations. One such donations came from Shonell Smith, a dog-loving caretaker for Janet Currant, pictured in this article.

Shonell is a devoted owner of her dog Ivy and wanted to find a way to honour her and the animals looking for homes in the shelter, so she set her goals to save $1,000, and when she reached her goal, we were very happy to be on the receiving end of her generous giving. Mrs Currant also gave the Bahamas Humane Society a very kind donation… they are certainly a dynamic duo, and we are fortunate to have them as friends.

Just a couple of days ago, we were blessed with another surprise gift of a magnificent new freezer for the shelter, and another an unexpected gift of food.

So many people reach out and are kind to us. Without them, we would have most certainly not made it through the challenges of COVID. Giving makes the world go around as far as the BHS is concerned. There is no way we would be able to do the work we do without all the generous giving.

Sometimes people ask me how can they help the Bahamas Human Society. There are so many ways that you can be involved. In person, there are lots of things that we need people to assist with. The loving and giving side

PHOTO/LINDA GILL-ARANHA

Gifting for lives

is invaluable.

Animals need to experience kind words and loving hands. It is not unlike humans, what would life be if people didn’t love us and care about us? Just imagine being in a world where nobody cares about you, how you feel, what you are doing or what you need? The utter dejection of being totally alone is debilitating for the human soul, and surprise, surprise, for animals too, especially companion animals, like our pets, who have for centuries, interacted with humans and been part of human lifestyles. When

A calm Clem

By The Bahamas Humane Society Clem may look somewhat like Squeak from a few weeks ago, but he’s the strong but silent type, preferring to let his actions speak louder than his words.

He’s looking for just the right human to snuggle up with at night and watch TV with in the day. A nice clear window to bird watch through we have animals in recovery we try and find foster homes where they get well quicker because they receive love and love makes you want to be up and about, love heals all (almost).

Help is not restricted to being hands on with animals, some people would rather not, being concerned that they will want to bring too many pets home.

We can direct you to clerical and telephone work or working in the thrift shop which has become one of the biggest money earners under the skilled guidance of thrift shop manager Linda Gill-Aranha.

wouldn’t go amiss, either. Clem’s a little over a year old so he’s past most of those kittenish antics. Are you the right human for Clem? If so, come in to the Bahamas Humane Society to meet him or call 323-5138 for more information.

Clem looks forward to meeting you!

There is a saying that goes like this: Don’t shop….adopt If you can’t adopt….foster If you can’t foster…volunteer If you can’t volunteer…donate This is a pretty strong mantra for any animal rescue organisation.

Our friends Shonell and Janet were not able to adopt, or foster, or volunteer, so they did another very important thing for our well-being: they donated. Every dollar that comes into our shelter goes to an essential cause. We do not squander on unnecessary items: Food, medicine and staffing are the lion’s share of our expenses. To those (and there are a few) who say you do not wish your monetary donations to go to staffing and salaries, I say this, we could not exist without the dedicated work of our veterinary department, the vets and their assistants, we would be closed down without the huge amount of cleaning and feeding every day that our kennel are in charge of, our administration staff are at it every day, and the adoptions department have their hands full. Salaries are an essential part of running a shelter. Volunteers are neither able nor desirous of doing some of the jobs that need doing daily.

So please if you can make a donation, it makes it so much easier if you would consider trusting us to channel it to the neediest part of the BHS that day.

All we ever want is what I hope you want, and that is to help to rescue needy animals from difficult situations and get them into happy loving homes… it sounds pretty easy but there are a lot of steps between step one and the final delivery to forever happiness, and we are with them every step of the way, a helping hand, a gentle stroke and love….all priceless.

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