Friday, October 29, 2021
books interview art gardening history community puzzles animals
Weekend
Young authors, big issues Page 07
Queen of straw Bahamian model wins top UK talent contest
pgs 04 + 05
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, October 29, 2021
entertainment
New Bahamian TV drama unearths the secrets of the wealthy elite
By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net
T
he Bahamas is getting its own version of “Dynasty”, perhaps with a little “Succession” thrown in, with a new scripted television series that seeks to tell the story of the wealthy Gates family - a family that has to wade through the chaos and untangle the lies and secrets unearthed after the passing of its patriarch. “Beneath the Gates” is described as a bold and riveting new TV drama from creator, writer and executive producer Leandra Lee. The show focuses on the rich Gates family and their drama-filled lives. “Beneath the Gates”, said Leandra, is a show that explores how the
rich and famous live; the impact money and power have on family dynasty, in a way that has never been done before on Bahamian television. Leandra has spent her career directing and producing TV content in the US and now in the Bahamas. She is also the founder of Island Queen Productions, a local media production company in Nassau. “I was inspired to create ‘Beneath the Gates’ because I have always found the lives of the elite and wealthy very interesting and I wanted to tell a compelling narrative about the elites in the Bahamas through the fictional lens of the Gates family. It was my goal to create and develop content I hadn’t
THE CAST and crew of ‘Beneath the Gates’
seen on Bahamian television before, and that is a narrative that depicts Bahamians in a position of wealth and power,”she told Tribune weekend. Leandra’s daring and innovative storytelling style, combined with the tropical backdrop of the Bahamas and a juicy storyline, creates a spellbinding tale filled with intrigue, plot twists, romance, and unexpected turns. “I believe viewers will relate to various themes and storylines of the show. I wholeheartedly feel that viewers may even see themselves reflected in some of the characters,” she said.
“I hope the main takeaway from this production is not to be envious of others’ success, especially if you don’t know the background story of their success.” To tell the story of the Gates family, Leandra has assembled a talented cast. They include Allaya Hagigal, Ann Marie Hunte, Chigozie Ijeoma, Shad Fer, Lechante Wright, Leslie Ellis Tynes, Khara Arel, Deon Simms, Patrick Deveaux, and Hartman Brown, among others. The pilot episode will be available on YouTube in January 2022. There will be six episodes, with plans to begin production on the remaining episodes soon.
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Friday, October 29, 2021
Weekend Inside
Interview 4 – 5
Local model Alexandria Pinder travels all the way to London to get her moment in the spotlight and walks away with a major prize
Puzzles 6 Books 7
Young Bahamian authors tackle big issues in new releases
Family wellness venture wants to change Bahamians’ approach to food
LAST-MINUTE COSTUME IDEAS FOR HALLOWEEN
Art 10
By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
Gardening 11
It’s ghost and goblin time this weekend. But what if you get a last-minute invite to a Halloween party and don’t have time to snag a costume? Tribune Weekend is here with some quick and easy ideas to help your trick or treating be the spooky season bomb. True, they are a bit silly, but hey, the point is to have fun.
Community 8 – 9
Doongalik hosts Dwight Ferguson’s hopeful new exhibit
The importance of native plants
Literary Lives 12 – 13 ‘Nastiest tempered man in England’ wrote the most elegant prose
Forgotten Facts 14 An Abaco boy’s story
Animals 15
Sad times at the BHS, plus Pet of the Week
1. Anything Squid Game
It’s the Korean Netflix series that has taken the world by storm and is sure to be a big Halloween favourite. The good thing is that it’s super easy to participate in a Squid Game-themed Halloween. All you really need is a track suit, preferably in white and green, and add a big sticker with a number on it. Bonus marks for ketchup blood. Or be one of the guards with a pink hoodie and black face mask. Use masking tape on the mask to determine if you
are a circle, square or triangular.
2. Election Road Fever
This is a super easy as well, all you need is a grey shirt and a pair of pants, add some red and yellow construction paper with the words, ‘It’s a New Day’ or ‘It’s About Your Future’. Attach all of one colour front and back, and bingo, you are now the road dotted with election signs.
3. Operation Game
It’s fairly simple to duplicate this childhood favourite. All you need is a flesh-coloured shirt and maybe some pants. Them grab white construction paper and cut out the various operation shapes and stick them on yourself. Bonus points if you have time to snag a red nose buzzer.
4. The Error Costume Want to make only the minimal amount of effort while still ticking off the “technically, I have a costume box”? Consider going as an error message. All you need is a white shirt and a black marker. Write “Error 404 - Costume Not Found” on it and you have a cheeky way to avoid all the Halloween fuss.
5. Double the Fun
Looking for a super quick couple’s costume? Branch out on the T- shirt idea by grabbing one white and one green one. Write the word “Envy” on the white shirt and then when you stand with your green shirt-wearing partner you are ‘Green with Envy’! (get it?)
6. Say You’re Sorry
Another super easy costume may be found right in your closet. Look for a formal gown or suit and add a sash with the word “Apology” on it. Now you’ve said “I’m sorry”, all dressed up… you’re a formal apology!
04 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, October 29, 2021
interview
Alexandria Pinder Neither the pandemic or personal fears could stop this young Bahamian model from travelling to London to grab her moment in the spotlight. She tells Cara Hunt all about her secret to winning a top modelling contest in the UK.
F
or as long as she can remember, Alexandria Pinder knew that she was destined to shine. The recent winner of the Top Model UK contest told Tribune Weekend that she began honing her modelling skills from a very young
age. “I really got the idea for modelling when I was six or seven and I would watch ‘America’s Next Top Model’. I just loved that show and my mother would encourage me to walk around the house like it was a runway. I wanted to be Trya Banks. But I guess I started making it a career in 2016. “I waited until I was of age just because my parents were a bit protective of me starting at a younger age.” she explained. Alexandria said that she pushed herself to learn about the industry. “I really put myself out there. I would contact photographers and volunteer for photoshoots and other projects and then people started seeing my work and that led to more projects from agents and agencies.” Alexandria also took the plunge and entered the Miss Universe Bahamas beauty pageant in 2016. “It was a big decision, because at the time I had no experience, I did not have a pageant coach or even a major sponsor. I had to go around and push for sponsorship,” she said. She walked away with the Miss Congeniality award from that pageant, but won a larger, far more important prize. “That really taught me a lot about myself and how it is so important to be dedicated to your goals,” she said. “Even if you may not win, just taking that leap of faith is important.” As her career took off, she got bigger opportunities, including working for clients such as Baha Mar, KFC and Bamboo Shack. Her modelling career also led to opportunities for acting as well. “This is what I have always wanted to do, I always knew I wanted to shine, I have a passion for the spotlight. One day I would love to see my face on a billboard in a major city. Just think people could pass me every day on their way to work,” she said.
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Friday, October 29, 2021
“
I used to sometimes think that these kinds of competitions were rigged, but I just went out there and showed everyone me by being myself and helping the other girls.”
Of course, every job has its highs and lows. Alexandria admits her challenge is the runway, primarily because most of her experience comes from editorial shots.
But she also finds it difficult to bring the energy required for photoshoots when she is hungry. “When I am hungry, my energy is just not there. I am not myself, I can’t focus because all I am thinking about is what I want to eat,” she joked. But then she also hates sweating on set. “I get really sweaty because I have combination skin, so I hate that.” However, she thinks her general happy outlook on life is the biggest asset she brings to her profession. “The industry can be difficult, but I guess I am just nonchalant in a good way. I don’t let the
drama get to me; it just motivates me to be my best. And the fact that I am just a happy person is what photographers tell me comes out in my shoots,” she said. That personality helped her win the Miss Congeniality award during the Miss Universe Bahamas pageant and helped her secure the major victory of winning the recent Top Model UK. Top Model is the leading model award, model search and fashion event with a proven track record of discovering new model talent, showcasing fabulous designers, launching careers and fulfilling dreams. Many of the previous finalists and winners have signed with big agencies, worked as professional models, been published internationally, travelled internationally and walked at London Fashion Week, in addition to the fabulous experience of being a Top Model finalist and part of the Top Model family. Alexandria earned her spot in the competition by winning the local title, Top Model Bahamas. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a few travel challenges, but Alexandria was determined not to miss her big opportunity and was able to travel to the UK and there capture the hearts of not only the judges but the organisers and fellow contestants as well. “I did arrive a bit later than some of the other contestants who were there to prepare, but that didn’t stop me. I knew this was my moment to shine,” she said. Her costume, which depicted a queen of Bahamian straw, won the Best Costume award and she had the opportunity to walk the runway in the creations of Omar Mansoor, a London-based fashion designer best known for his couture occasion wear. He has dressed British actresses, European aristocracy, and international royalty. He has been credited with re-introducing fusion clothing into modern fashion. “A part of my prize package is that I will also get to participate in London’s Fashion Week,” said Alexandria. “What made this win so special is the fact that no one knew me in this competition. I used to sometimes think that these kinds of competitions were rigged, but I just went out there and showed everyone me by being myself and helping the other girls.” And that is the advice she has for other young girls who may want their own moment to shine. “Just be yourself. And don’t doubt who you are. I used to say, ‘Oh, I have tattoos and I am getting older (age 23), so maybe I can’t succeed. But imagine if I had said no to the opportunity to go to London, because it was difficult or because I was afraid. Sometimes you will fail, but you have to remember to fail forward.” When she is not modelling, Alexandria works at a radio station, is studies media production/ technology, and looks forward to adding a music career to her portfolio.
27 24 Limit no different for CroSSWorD poultry SMALL (5)
calm exterior (8) 28 Plain Poles started in a comfortable way (6)
06 | The Tribune | Weekend
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Friday, October 29, 2021
ACroSS 1 Pacemaker, 7 Tumult, 9 Aspirin, 10 Tomb, 12 Via, 13 Priests, 14 Old, 15 Tore, 17 Pioneer, 19 Magnum, 20 Advisable, DoWN 1 Platform, 2 Also, 3 Cap, 4 Murderous, 5 Amidst, 6 Elvis, 8 Traverse, 11 Bikini, 13 Plead, 16 Reel, 18 Ebb,
V e A rGu l Z i
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
● 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 20; very good 30; excellent 40 (or more). Solution tomorrow
Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 for today’s target solution Sudoku Answer *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Cortes becomes a loyal companion (6) 4 Biscuits or nuts (8) 9 Bill returns to boxing, being concerned (6) 10 Show forbearance (8) 12 A call to New York Times? It will be expensive (4) 13 Poet takes orders (5) 14 Plastic container of wine (4) 17 Reason for a barrier to give affront (5,7) 20 Play rehearsal? (8,4) 23 Chestnuts in the granary (4) 24 Correct definition of noon (5) 25 Cattle without water (4) 28 Does some spelling? (8) 29 It has row upon row of rowers (6) 30 Time to start another day (8) 31 Revising his set subject (6)
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Down 1 Intrude by chance or accident (8) 2 Do remove the sit-in demonstrator (5,3) 3 Offensive row (4) 5 Weather prophets and drivers must be able to (4,3,5) 6 Slice the approach shot (4) 7 Hemingway and Sterne novel (6) 8 Singular kind of money (6) 11 An ideal marriage immediately comes to light (7,5) 15 He has the skill and courage (5) 16 Cares for some land (5) 18 Thoughtless advice to those who are too anxious? (8) 19 Swapping presents - the impudence! (8) 21 Funny thing, it’s way above what is the best (6) 22 Doubly strengthened (6) 26 Vehicle could be an imposition on one (4) 27 A record for being drunk (4)
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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Slick, 4 Handout, 8 Rip, 9 Backpedal, 10 Absolve, 11 Toady, 13 Skimpy, 15 Wanted, 18 Wrest, 19 On top of, 21 Guinea pig, 23 Ton, 24 Related, 25 Thyme. Down: 1 Surpass, 2 Impassive, 3 Kabul, 4 Hockey, 5 Naphtha, 6 Odd, 7 Tally, 12 Antipathy, 14 Patient, 16 Defence, 17 Torpid, 18 Wager, 20 Tight, 22 Ill.
Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Spare, 4 Undergo, 8 Sag, 9 Thrash out, 10 Enslave, 11 Rouse, 13 Squall, 15 Method, 18 Blaze, 19 Alberta, 21 Economist, 23 Tan, 24 Staunch, 25 Event. Down: 1 Sisters, 2 Angostura, 3 Extra, 4 Unreel, 5 Deserve, 6 Rio, 7 Outre, 12 Usherette, 14 Lie down, 16 Dragnet, 17 Parish, 18 Brews, 20 Bathe, 22 Ova.
EASY PUZZLE
Across 1 Italian island (6) 4 Increase fast in intensity (8) 9 On fire (6) 10 Voluntary choice (4,4) 12 Shakespearean king (4) 13 Ungainly (5) 14 Brutal ruffian (4) 17 Understand the procedure (4,3,5) 20 Scholar (3,2,7) 23 Appearance (4) 24 Subsequently (5) 25 Central US state (4) 28 Leadership (8) 29 River sacred to Hindus (6) 30 Eternal (8) 31 A state of Swiss republic (6)
Down 1 Tchaikovsky ballet (4,4) 2 An apple brandy (8) 3 Indolent (4) 5 Unforeseen timely event (6,2,4) 6 So be it (4) 7 Dismount from horse (6) 8 High praise (6) 11 Dismantle (4,2,6) 15 Move surreptitiously (5) 16 Trivial (5) 18 Implored (8) 19 Politically motivated killer (8) 21 Unfortunate state (6) 22 Conductor’s dais (6) 26 Lose power (4) 27 Festive occasion (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. Solution tomorrow 1
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THe ALPHAb
black squares: 2, 3 24, 26, 32, 33, 34, 3 Across: Feeding, Fr Jocund, Besiege, Wh Lacquer, Cavort, Sha Portend. Down: Whe Armchair, Ozone, Ov Alphabeater? each grid Wort Jails, Increase,
THE ALPHABEAT
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.
S Z Y O F R M I S O B S D U Q W Q L Y F O U R O
7 3 4 6 2 9 1 8 5
1
2
1 x Battleship
3 x Destroyer
2 x cruiser
4 x submarine
1
TArgeT cAn you crack the guArANTee number represents a letter – or black square. agar agate agent agnate agree ague anger CroSS Doub arguein auger eager eagre egret every enrage garnet As Alphapuzzle, letter of the alphabet Across: GIANT gate gateau gaunt gaunter gean gear gene is used. Butgnat you to complete the TROLL grid too! genet genre gent granhave grant grantee grate Down: great green gruntletters GUARANTEE gurn black squares below use thegreet given and negate raga rage rang range reagent regent SuMMiT uP the grid tang to start. grid is ‘rotationally rung tanager trug tungthe urge urgent 84 and 75 symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the same if you turn the page upside down. Solution tomorrow
A 13 38 3 20 B C 8 11 33 18 D E 20 11 11 38 F G 21 20 15 20 H I 17 16 40 30 J K 10 11 1 4 L M 30Yesterday’s 38 36 7 N O Kakuro 32 25 Answer 14 6 P Q 35 8 5 16 R S 26 17 24 25 T U 11 10 25 31 V 24 W 34 30 1 X 21 25 7 Y 7 Z 1
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● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues text DXBEAT to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus yo
WORD BUILDER Answer the clues so that each word contains the same letters as the previous word, plus or minus one.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
S
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Friday, October 29, 2021
books
Young Bahamian authors tackle complex issues By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net
W
HILE there is still so much more for him to experience when it comes to love and relationships, it has not stopped young Bahamian author Jahiem Wallace from tackling the subject in his new book. In his book, “Call It What You Want”, Jahiem writes about a teenage love that left him heartbroken. He also offers advice for navigating the sometimes treacherous waters of love. This is the second book for Jahiem. His first book was published in 2015. “The book’s plot begins with a story of how I fell in love and how that love turned tragic. It speaks of how I endured this relationship in high school and how I was able to overcome all of the heartache,” he told Tribune Weekend. “After writing the first part of the book, I allowed my friends Brianna and Solange to read what I had written. They encouraged me that I should finish the story and shortly after they convinced me to publish it.” Jahiem hopes he has written a story which other young people can relate to. “I hope that the main takeaway from my book comes from the moral, which is the last chapter, and it gives relationship advice and suggestions of what persons should do before and during a relationship. It also speaks about what I should’ve done differently in my previous relationship,” he said. Jaheim is the 2019/20 deputy head of C V Bethel Senior High. He is also a graduate of the Lyford Cay Foundation FOCUS Cohort 2020. Since publishing is first book, Jahiem has been looking for other aspiring authors, to assist them with getting published. For example, he assisted another young author, Mariano Rigby Jr, with publishing his newly released book “Bonfire of Dreams”. The book is about mental health, society’s views of the problems of teenagers, and the challenges that face teenagers and adults alike. “I always wanted to write a book, but my main inspiration was my own mental health; I wanted to express my feelings toward a plethora of issues and I hoped it could be relatable,” Mariano told Tribune Weekend. Several themes are explored in the book, including substance abuse, parenthood, heartbreak, suicide, self-harm, and nihilism. “I explored these themes because society, especially Bahamian society, belittles these problems/ topics and I believe we should pay more attention to them,” said Mariano. “I hope that the main takeaway from my book is that these issues matter, you matter, art matters, and dreams matter. I want readers to be inspired
to do the things they never thought they could and to focus on the issues they once scoffed at. I want my book to act as a catalyst for change in many people’s lives,” he said
JAHEIM Wallace (right) and Mariano Rigby, Jr
Apple Books Top 10
1 2 3 4 5 6
. The Judge’s List by John Grisham . Dune by Frank Herbert
. Not All Diamonds and Rosé by Dave Quinn . A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L Armentrout
. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles . Second Chance Contract by M Robinson
7 8 9 10
. Endless Shadows by Kathleen Brooks . Verity by Colleen Hoover
. Shades of Truth by Denise Grover Swank . Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
10 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, October 29, 2021
art
Doongalik hosts Dwight Ferguson’s hopeful new exhibit
D
oongalik Studios is hosting the opening of Dwight Ferguson’s fifth solo exhibition, “Colour Me Yellow”, on Friday, November 5, from 5pm to 8pm.
“Colour Me Yellow” continues the theme from Mr Ferguson’s last show in 2019 entitled “Hope”, which was a response to the tragic passage of Hurricane Dorian through the Bahamas, before yet another tragedy in the form of
‘Glad Pilgrim’
‘What Do You See’
COVID-19 would become a reality several months down the line. The artist is dealing with this ongoing and devastating worldwide pandemic by using the colour yellow in every piece of art in this show as a symbol of hope, healing, and wholeness based on the passage in Scripture which states: “Hope is an anchor for the soul.” The exhibition consists of abstract paintings, photographs, copper and metal sculptures, and mixed media pieces. Mr Ferguson’s wish, as always, is to offer his art as a panacea to lift the soul of his audience during this seemingly endless pandemic. He revisits the theme of using his photographic images to chronicle the journey of the sunflower which, like the human life cycle of birth to death, demonstrates beauty at every stage if one looks for it. Mr Ferguson is also paying homage to and celebrating the lives of five artists he has mentored, in an installation called “On The Road”. The title signifies that these five friendships were established on the road, or on East Street, to be specific.
The five artists, Robert Johnson, Andrew Maycock, Anthony Boyd, Patrick D’Haiti and Prince Clarke, all of whom are now deceased, were all challenged with addiction but throughout their years of interaction, Mr Ferguson made a conscious decision not to diminish them because of this, but rather to treat them with dignity. Mr Ferguson’s first exhibition at Doongalik, “The Road”, in 2016 was held in conjunction with his friend Robert Johnson, a well-known poet and writer who passed away this year. Mr Ferguson was inspired to produce a mixed media in memoriam piece in his honour. The exhibition will also feature a tribute to Bahamian musician Joseph Spence, entitled “Encore”. The exhibition will be on display for the month of November. Gallery hours are Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 4pm. Further information can be obtained by contacting the gallery at pam.burnside@doongalik. com or by telephone at 394-1886.
The Tribune | Weekend | 11
Friday, October 29, 2021
gardening
The importance of natives
I
saw one of the most spectacular sights last week in Exuma. I was visiting a gorgeous property and if you know the islands, you’ll know that there are still enough native plants and trees to satisfy all our native and migratory bird and insect species (and yes, we need insects, they are part of the food circle just like anything else!), much unlike New Providence where the bulldozer has destroyed most of our native flora to the detriment of us all. In this instance, there was a pigeon plum tree that was in full flower, and it was absolutely covered in bees, butterflies, and insects. What struck me other than the fact that the tree was supporting hundreds if not thousands of living organisms, was that it was host to dozens or more monarch butterflies. I have never seen a monarch butterfly in the Bahamas and I was awestruck, it was magnificent to see. Now, I’ve seen the monarch in Canada, and according to studies that I have glanced, our island chain seems to be on the outer edge of their seasonal flight path as they migrate south. I felt lucky indeed to witness such a beautiful and threatened species stopping in and refueling on our islands while on their way to their overwintering grounds in the Oyamel Fir forests in Mexico. For a naturalist and native tree and plant lover, it was a treat. It brought to mind the importance of native species in supporting life. Please read the preceding sentence again. Far too often we tend to landscape with exotic species, mostly originating in Asia or the Indo-Pacific regions, that support nothing more than common garden pests rather than native or migratory species. Maybe one day we will wake up and legislate a law that criminalises the clear cutting of land and the destruction of native trees and plants, in the name of development. We can create a better world for ourselves and for generations to come if we were to mandate that at least one native tree be left to grow on the average sized residential lot, and that major development be mandated to leave a given number per acre, et al. Clearing a piece of land and
planting exotic species does us no favors. Please, stop knocking down all our native trees! We are but guardians and stewards of this only home that we have, after all. When will the destruction be controlled in a sustainable manner? Not only do native trees and shrubs support life (got oxygen?), but they also cool us and calm us down. It seems that the unsubstantiated and irrational fear of trees near a home or building is the common theme, once again, to the detriment of life. Trees are calming and help to ease stress. Being in nature is therapeutic and helps restore health and well-being. With all the violence that this world creates (turn off the TV and go sit in the trees), surely we can reign in the destruction of our native species and start giving back to future generations by leaving alone a portion of what has been given to us, that which supports life and gives us the essential gas that we breathe and sequesters the carbon that we create. Each one of us can plant a native shrub or tree, or at the very least, stop destroying them. Trees make our world a better place. So do vegetables and edible plants. Have you prepped your pots or garden beds for vegetables and leafy greens yet? Now is the time. Most anything that we can grow for food can be planted now. Consult with your favorite plant nursery or
THE MONARCH butterfly garden center for the correct potting or planting medias to use for specific crops or situations if you are unsure. Seeds will sprout quickly at this time of year and transplanting already started plants will give you a jump start. The list is too long as to what will grow now. If you can think of it, it will grow now. Veggies and greens thrive between October and May in our region. Go on out the door and
get in the garden, it’s good for you. Are you composting yet? As always, I wish you happy 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. at gardening242@gmail.com.
12 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, October 29, 2021
literary lives - Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966)
‘Nastiest tempered man in England’ who wrote the most elegant prose Part II Sir Christopher Ondaatje continues his biography of Evelyn Waugh - one of the great prose stylists of the English language in the 20th century.
After Waugh returned to duty in 1944, flushed with success, he was recruited by Randolph Churchill, another well-known tippler, to serve with him in the Maclean Mission to Yugoslavia. They flew together from Bari in Italy to the Croatian island of Yis where they met Marshal Tito, the communist leader of the Partisans leading the guerrilla fight against the occupying Axis forces with Allied support. Waugh and Churchill returned to Bari before flying back to Yugoslavia to begin their mission but, plagued with either disaster or bad luck, their aeroplane crashlanded. Both men were injured and their mission was delayed. Churchill’s mission was eventually established in a deserted farmhouse where liaison duties between the British Army and the communist partisans were light. Waugh despised Tito, and was much more concerned with the welfare of the Catholic Church in Croatia. He returned home on March 15, 1945 and presented a report “Church and State in liberated Croatia”. This report was understandably suppressed as the Foreign Office wanted to maintain good relations with Tito.
“I’ve always been bad. Probably I shall be bad again, punished again. But the worse I am, the more I need God. I can’t shut myself out from His mercy ... Or it may be a private bargain between me and God, and that if I give up this one thing I want so much, however bad I am, He won’t quite despair of me in the end.” - Evelyn Waugh Evelyn Waugh and Laura Herbert, his second wife, lived in Piers Court, Gloucestershire, after their marriage on April 17 1937. Their first daughter, Maria Teresa, was born on March 9, 1938, and their son, Auberon Alexander, on November 17, 1939. Between these dates, Scoop was published in May 1938 to great critical acclaim. In August that year he took Laura for a three-month trip to Mexico, following which he published Robbery Under Law about his experiences there. Waugh left Piers Court on September 1, 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War and moved his family to Pixton Park in Somerset while he looked for employment in the British Army. He was commissioned in the Royal Marines and started training at the Chatham naval base. He did not adapt to the severe training routine and complained that he had so stiff a spine that he could not even pick up a pen. He was promoted to Captain and given command of a Company but was, as he always was, haughty and blunt with his men. His command was taken away from him and he was made an “Intelligence Officer” and sent to West Africa in August 1940 to support the Free French Forces overthrow the Vichy French colonial government and install General Charles de Galle in its place. Operation Menace, as the action was called, failed miserably and the British forces withdrew. Waugh stated that “bloodshed has been avoided at the cost of honour”. Then, in November 1940, Waugh became a member of “Layforce” under Colonel Robert Laycock and sailed to the Mediterranean where it was involved in an unsuccessful attempt to recapture Bardia on the Libyan
coast. It was another disaster, and was followed the following May in the evacuation of Crete. Waugh reported that he was shocked at the disorder and cowardice of the departing troops. It was another failed experience and when he returned to Britain Colonel Laycock recommended that Waugh be transferred to the Royal Horse Guards. However, this transfer too failed to find opportunities for active service. His unmilitary and insubordinate character rendered him unemployable as a soldier. He began parachute training in Tatton Park, Cheshire, but landed awkwardly and fractured a fibula. While recovering at Windsor, he applied for unpaid leave which was understandably granted and he retired to Chagford in Devon where he could work in seclusion at what he knew best. The result was Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder (1945) – the immensely successful tragicomedy set in the period of the First and Second World Wars. It is the most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh’s novels and looks back on the golden age before the Second World War, and of Charles Ryder’s infatuation with the Catholic Marchmains and the rapidly disappearing world of privilege they inhabit in a palatial mansion called Brideshead Castle.
Evelyn Waugh’s army career was a litany of disasters, however, he was delighted with the 1945 reception of Brideshead Revisited which brought him fame, fortune and literary esteem. He looked back on his experiences in the War as “a sweaty tug-of-war between teams of indistinguishable louts”. He saw the defeat of Winston Churchill in the 1945 general election and the victory of the Labour Party as a “triumph of barbarism”. The army released Waugh in September 1945 and he returned to Piers Court with his family and another daughter who was born in 1944. However, he spent the next seven years travelling or in London. He visited the Nuremberg Trials in 1947, and the next year went to the United States discussing the filming of Brideshead Revisited. His efforts failed but he visited the Forest Lawn Cemetery and scrounged material for The Loved One – a satirical treatise on American perspectives on death. He went to the Holy Land and to Goa with his future biographer Christopher Sykes, and worked intermittently on Helena – a novel about the discoverer of the True Cross which he claimed was by far his best book. It wasn’t – but, as his daughter Harriet said, “It was the only one of his books that he ever cared to read aloud.” Men at Arms, the first of his semi-autobiographical war trilogy, was published in 1952 and depicted many of his personal experiences. The
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two other volumes: Officers and Gentlemen, and Unconditional Surrender were published in 1955 and 1961 respectively. During these years he also published When The Going Was Good (1946), The Holy Places (1952), and Love Among the Ruins (1953). Almost fifty years old, Waugh was increasingly dependent on alcohol and drugs to relieve his insomnia and depression. Two more children, James (1946) and Septimus (1950) were born and completed his family. He became a shrewd collector of Victorian paintings and furniture and filled Piers Court with his acquisitions. He also started writing knowledgeable reviews on painting. But by 1953, his popularity as a writer was failing. He was out of step with the times and the large fees THE WAUGH family he demanded were no longer granted. His funds were decreasing and drugs and Waugh’s alcohol caused his writing to stall. He was reduced unsympato giving an interview on BBC Radio which was thetic attitude not very complimentary. His doctors were con“astonishcerned about the deterioration of his health and ing”. He was advised a change of scene. Hoping to find a cure unrepentant. he took a ship bound for Ceylon. But he comWaugh had plained about other passengers whispering about been paid well him, left the ship in Egypt, and flew on to Ceylon. for his journalFriends arranged to come out to get him but he ism, but his made his own way back, thinking he was possessed extravagant by devils. A much needed medical examinaspending left tion showed that he was suffering from bromide him seriously poisoning – a result of his drugs regime. When short of funds the medication changed his hallucinations disapwith recurring peared. The experience was fictionalised a short tax bills. He time later in The Ordeal of Gilbert Penfold (1957) formed a trust – a kind of mock-novel, an invitation to a game. fund for his Waugh called it his “barmy” novel. In 1956, Edwin children “Save WAUGH’S most famous and Newman made a short film on Evelyn Waugh and The Children enduring novel.jpg learned that he refused to drive or use the teleFund” where phone, wrote long-hand with an old-fashioned dip he channelled pen, wished that he had been born two centuries advances and sooner, expressed a view that American reporters future royalties. He also sold personal possessions were divorced at least once, and could not operate to it and kept his head above water but he conwithout a large infusion of whisky. tinued to need money. Selling himself to a BBC TV interview “Face to Face”, he was civil in his With his health restored, Waugh returned to answers to questions, although appearing worldwork and finished Officers and Gentlemen. He weary and bored. then refused to give an interview to Nancy Spain and her friend Lord Noel-Buxton from the Daily In 1960, Waugh was offered a CBE but turned Express, who arrived at Piers Court. He dismissed it down – snubbed as he thought he should have the pair and decided to sell Piers Court. He told been offered a knighthood. He produced another Nancy Mitford that it was polluted. Late in 1956, travel book, A Tourist in Africa, based on a trip the family moved to Combe Florey in Somerset. he had made in 1959. But it was panned as “the He sued the Daily Express and Nancy Spain who thinnest piece of book-making that Mr Waugh wrote that the sales of Waugh’s books were much has undertaken”. He shrugged off the insult and continued work on the final piece of his trilogy lower than they actually were (in fact over four Unconditional Surrender, published in 1961. million copies). Waugh did little work over the next two years except for a biography of his friend Ronald Knox, the theologian, who had died in 1957. His son Auberon was severely wounded in a military accident in Cyprus. However, Waugh remained detached, neither visiting him in Cyprus or when he returned to England. Critics openly called
Approaching sixty, Waugh was “fat, deaf, and short of breath”. His biographer thought he looked like “an exhausted rogue jollied up by drink.” He worked on his autobiography in 1962 – the first volume of which, A Little Learning, was published in 1964. The following year a major financial crisis emerged concerning the “Save the
Children” trust, and a large sum of back tax money was demanded by the tax authorities. His agent, AD Peters, negotiated a manageable settlement but left Waugh seriously short of funds, forcing him to sign contracts to write several books in order to glean advances. His physical and mental deterioration prevented him from doing any work and the contacts were cancelled and some of the money returned. His only activity was editing his three war novels into a single volume Sword of Honour. On Easter Day, April 10, 1966, after attending Mass with his family in a neighbouring village, Waugh died of a heart attack in Combe Florey. He was sixty-two years old and was buried in a plot outside the Anglican churchyard of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Combe Florey. A Requiem Mass was held in Westminster Cathedral on April 21, 1960. *** Evelyn Waugh made many enemies and offended a number of people. James Lees-Milne stated that Waugh “was the nastiest tempered man in England”. Waugh’s biographer, David Wykes, described Waugh’s anti-Semitism as being “his most persistently noticeable nastiness”. When Nancy Mitford asked him how he reconciled his often objectionable conduct with being a Christian, he replied that “were he not a Christian he would be even more horrible”. Waugh also believed that class divisions with inequalities of wealth and position were perfectly natural, and that “no form of government was ordained by God as being better than any other”. He never voted in elections, and admitted to Diana Cooper that his most difficult task was how to square the obligations of his birth with his indifference to his fellow men. Nevertheless, the critic Clive James said of Waugh, “Nobody ever wrote a more unaffectedly elegant English” and that “a hundred years of steady development culminate in him”. Literary critic Andrew Michael Roberts commented that he had “an exquisite sense of the ludicrous, and a fine aptitude for exposing false attitudes.” Graham Greene, in a letter to The Times shortly after Waugh’s death, acknowledged him as “the greatest novelist of any generation; while Time magazine called him the grand old mandarin of modern British prose”. Nancy Mitford said of him in a television interview, “What nobody remembers about Evelyn is that everything with him was jokes. Everything. That’s what none of the people who wrote about him seem to have taken into account at all.” • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia and Evelyn Waugh: A Literary Life by David Wykes (Palgrave Macmillan 1984).
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history
An Abaco boy’s story
I
met Jack Lowe (1926-2016) when he worked for John S George & Co, Ltd, (on Bay Street, between Bank Lane and East Street), the oldest store in the Bahamas. An Abaconian from Marsh Harbour, he was with JSG for 16 years. Jack was his parents’ 13th child and, like his FORGOTTEN FACTS siblings, went to school barefooted and learned to write on a slate. He was born two months after the legendary 1926 hurricane that destroyed most of Marsh Harbour, but in his autobiography, “My Life”, he quotes his eldest brother’s eyewitness account of their family’s survival of the storm. Clerehew ‘Clarie’ Lowe (1903-1993) had come home for a vacation from his job in Nassau, arriving on the day when the morse code operator at the government’s wireless station, Rupert Roberts, received the alert: “Prepare for a hurricane heading your way.” There were no telephones or radios in Marsh Harbour, but the word spread from person to person, like wildfire. “My girlfriend, Fanny, worked in Papa’s store, and that Wednesday afternoon when she closed up, she had no inkling that she had worked her last day at T Eldred Lowe’s General Store. The next day, October 21, 1926, the tidal wave knocked down and washed away the entire store.” Clarie told Jack that the family fell asleep in quietness, that night but were woken by heavy rain and “soon gusts of wind swept over us, banging with intensity anything outside that was moveable.” “At daybreak, we had breakfast in the separate, adjacent building that housed our kitchen and large dining room. As with most homes, in those times, these rooms were separate from the main house, in case the kitchen caught fire. “Ten of us sat at the table: Papa, Clarie, Lambert, Isidor, Eric, Emma, Irene, Eulah, Mama and little Josie, in a highchair. ‘Eat heartily,’ Papa encouraged. ‘We may wait a long time before our next meal’. “During breakfast, the rain stopped, the wind hushed, the silent stillness told us that we were in the eye of the hurricane and Papa cautioned us: ‘The storm is not over. It is moving ahead. In a
PAUL C ARANHA
THE GOVERNMENT Building in Marsh Harbour housed the library, the post office and the wireless station short time, the winds will shift and come from the opposite direction, from the harbour.’ “We went outside (during the eye) … the swollen sea almost reached the boardwalk … Papa had ushered the younger children into the house, to stay inside with Mama...Papa and (my brother) Lambert entered the shop and lifted 100-lb bags of sugar and flour from the floor and stored them on the counters. “The wind shifted. From the sea, ominous wailing and whining sounds were nature’s warning to the settlement… shrieks of ripping wind screamed a message of terror: I’m coming to tear you to pieces!” “Papa and Lambert (brother) rushed to secure the goods in the store, many recently arrived in anticipation of Christmas … then closed the shop door, lifted the iron bar across the door and snapped the padlock – the normal routine. Water sloshed around their lower legs and winds pushed them the 20 steps to our house. “As Papa and Lambert entered through the back door, the tidal wave came rushing in…they watched as boards from the shop flew past them, into our back yard. “With window shutters fastened and the front door barred, semi-darkness filled the house… our house creaked and shook, blasted by wind from the north. Many flying objects struck our house. ‘Oh God, please protect and save us,’ Papa pled and Isador (brother) treasured this memory of the only time he heard Papa call out loud to God
“The first wave that hit the shore rose about six feet . . . then a solid 20-foot wave smashed inland. Swooped off their foundations, buildings rode the wave that deposited them here and there… Peeking through a window, Rupert Roberts cried ‘The forest trees are sailing past our house.’ Later, he discovered that their house had sailed past the trees, into the forest. “Eight of the 60 buildings stayed on their foundations: the big government building, the schoolhouse, the homes of Benny Roberts, Austin Lowe, Uncle George Russell, Dr Stratton, Aunt Della and Papa. In 1926, the population of Marsh Harbour was 327. Three lives were lost. The settlement had to be rebuilt. • For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com
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animals Animal matters Kim Aranha
PET OF THE WEEK
A sad state of affairs The break-in at the shelter at the Bahamas Humane Society was a horrible wake-up call about what is happening in our country after close to 20 months of pandemic conditions. Everybody is frustrated, and so many people are out of work, broke, despondent, and we have the holidays coming up. The holidays traditionally spurn a rash of break-ins and purse-snatching in Nassau, so that has compounded what is already a very difficult situation. Why would anybody want to steal from a hard-working charity that spends their days trying to make the Bahamas a better place for animals and humans alike? Much of the work we do benefits humans just as much as it benefits the animals. This is an argument that I have with people who refuse to understand what I am getting at. It is not terribly difficult to understand: if your neighbourhood is plagued with unruly stray dogs and the Bahamas Humane Society helps you by taking the strays to the shelter to find homes, or speaking to the owner of said animals, helping with fences, giving advice, and with the assistance of BAARK getting the animals spayed or neutered, this action makes your neighbourhood a better place to live. The animals benefit from our care and attention but so do the humans. Tourists do not enjoy seeing mangy, starving dogs and cats struggling to survive on our streets, we do our best to help these animals return to their original glory and find good homes for them. Sure, that benefits the animal we pick up, but it also benefits the image of our nation and benefits all 300,000 plus inhabitants of this country because it enhances our image in the eyes of the tourists, who we are trying very hard to beckon to our shores. So, what were these robbers thinking? Did they even pause to think? Who were they? Did they know that
PHOTO/LINDA GILL-ARANHA
Wanton destruction, anger, malicious intent, infantile behaviour, or desperation?
the Bahamas Humane Society is a charity almost totally generated from private sector donations? Do you suppose they knew, or even cared, that most of our hard-working employees are the sole breadwinners for their families during the pandemic? Our employees are fine, hard-working, Bahamians, who have exhausting jobs, both physically and mentally, but who would never stoop so low as to expect something for nothing. They are for the most part, young, dedicated and kind people, and have been rewarded by a slap in the face by these people who chose to break and enter our premises, and then cause incredible
Loving Lucy By The Bahamas Humane Society Lucy’s young and eager to please! “Don’t forget to get my good side!” It was hard to snap a pic, she was so pleased to have company. Lucy’s about four months old, and ready and eager to have a home to call her own. She’s smart and willing to learn. She’s pretty good with other pups and doesn’t seem to mind cats. Do you have a place for Lucy? If so, contact the Bahamas destruction. Hours of cleaning up, thousands of dollars to payout. Whatever for? They got away with very little, but they caused damage and destruction totalling thousands. I have tried very hard indeed to have compassion for these people, I have battled with myself to feel sorry for them, and to understand what must have pushed them to commit such actions. Were they hungry? Were they down to their last dollar? Or were they people who felt a form of entitlement to break in anywhere they please to take, plunder and run away laughing at the poor fools left behind to clean up the mess. INSIDE the Humane Society after the break-in.
Humane Society at 3235138 for more information. Lucy looks forward to meeting you! • BHS Raffle 2021 tickets are now available! The drawing is on December 29, and the grand prize is $10,000 worth of groceries from Super Value. Tickets are $5 each or a book of 21 for $100. Available at the BHS or Fox Hill Nursery.
I fear that they probably fit into the latter category. I fear they enjoyed destroying and stealing what they could lay their hands on. I am greatly relieved that no human or animal was injured and that everyone is safe and accounted for. We at the shelter are very thankful for that. We continue to clean up, and sort through the mess. Contractors are preparing quotes for the repairs to the damage, new windows and doors, new camera system…money that should be used to save the sick and the suffering animals. One thing I must say is that the response from the public, the kindness and caring, the outpouring of support and love has been unbelievable, and has made it bearable. It is wonderful to know that we are appreciated and loved. There are times that we feel that if we do one thing wrong but three hundred right, we only ever hear about the mistake we may have made. That can be unbelievably disheartening. In the past few days, the public outrage and support has made a huge difference to us all, and for that I wish to thank every single one of you who has stepped up and indicated the desire to assist in the clean-up, everyone who has written words of support, everybody who has made a donation. You are all stars in our eyes, and we would be unable to continue without your love and support. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…we love you all. For further information on how you can help the shelter, please contact the author at: berryislandgirl@gmail.com
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