11262021 WEEKEND

Friday, November 26, 2021

books interview gardening history entertainment puzzles animals

Weekend

‘The good old days’ Page 07

Birth of a brand The making of a luxury giant

pgs 11 -13

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 26, 2021

entertainment

• Sex and the City

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Movies to delight the consumer’s heart this Black Friday

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

T

oday is Black Friday, which means that most people are either scouring the internet or the aisles of brick-andmortar stores in hopes of finding the perfect deals on those most-have items and Christmas list items.

But whether you are trying to resist temptation or need company as you browse online, here are eight great movies that will definitely give you some much needed retail therapy without costing you a dime.

1. Crazy Rich Asians (2018) When New Yorker Rachel travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family, she soon learns he is not just rich, he is “crazy rich” - Asian style.

Immerse yourself in a world where money is no object and the mega wealthy can buy whatever their hearts desire without batting an eye at the price. Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh.

2. Pretty Woman (1990) It would be a big mistake to skip this modernday fairytale about a prostitute who wins the heart of a business mogul. Fans particularly love the film’s famous scene where a bedraggled Julia Roberts is kicked out of a store on Rodeo Drive.

She gets her own back when she returns to the store with Richard Gere, dressed to the nines and proving that she is an affluent customer, and puts the snooty sales assistants in their place.

Also starring “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander as the smarmy friend.

3. Clueless (1995) We all wish we had Cher’s allowance and her high-tech closet, because this Beverly Hills teen’s fashion sense can’t be beat. Follow her as she traverses the perils of high school, in between trips to the mall and performing makeovers on her less fashion capable friends.

Starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacy Dash and the late Brittany Murphy.

4. Sex And the City (1998) Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte are the ultimate divas as they celebrate love and friendship in New York - one of the shopping meccas in the world. From buying things like the famous Manolo Blahnik shoes, to the muchcoveted Hermés Birken bags and couture wedding gowns, or thrifting for treasures, this movie is eye candy for a shopper’s soul. Also, it’s a great lead-in to the new HBO sequel series, “And Just Like That”, set to air next month.

5. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Audrey Hepburn inspired multiple generations of young ladies to dream in blue. Tiffany Blue that is.

We definitely understand her obsession with the iconic Tiffany and Co flagship store in New York

• Crazy Rich Asians and all pleasure you can derive from just gazing at their jewellery in the shop window. Even if you can’t afford the majority of items, there is something about Tiffany’s that just brings out the best in all of us…and it’s available here in the Bahamas, at John Bull and Baha Mar. The film also stars a young George Peppard of “A-Team” fame.

6. Brewster’s Millions (1985) Monty Brewster (Richard Pryer) is just a minor league baseball player struggling to make ends meet when he receives the news of a lifetime. He will inherit $300 million from a distant relative.

There’s only one condition, to receive the full amount he must spend $30 million in 30 days without ending up with any assets, destroying valuable objects or giving the money away outright. Easy, right? Brewster realises just how hard it can be.

7. Confessions of A Shopaholic (2009) True shopaholics will certainly identify with Rebecca Bloomwood, the charming if slightly irresponsible fashion lover in this movie inspired by the popular book series by Sophie Kinsella. After all, who hasn’t taken drastic measures like freezing a credit card or desperately ignoring a bill collector because they may have gotten a tad behind in paying off debts. As Rebecca says, “When I shop, the world gets better, and then it’s not anymore and I have to do it again.”

Starring Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman and Krysten Ritter.

8. Jingle All the Way (1996) This movie will trigger any parent who has waited until the 11th hour to buy that must-have toy for their kid. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desperate search for the elusive Turbo Man toy for his son will definitely propel you to check those online sites or pop into a store ASAP. Also starring Sinbad and Rita Wilson.

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, November 26, 2021

Weekend Inside

My Perfect Bahamian Weekend Allea Brown

CEO of Nurse, Help Me Teaching and Tutoring Services “Christmas movies.

Christmas is my favourite time of year and I usually start watching Christmas movies from the end of August until January.”

Q: Wine, rum, Kalik or a cocktail?

“Rum; Stoli - with cranberry and pineapple juice or lemonade.”

Q: If you could be quarantined with a celebrity, who would it be and why?

“Rihanna. She knows how to have a good time. Additionally, I love her sense of fashion and makeup, as well as her passion for helping the less fortunate.”

Q: Beach or sofa?

“Sofa. I love the comfort it offers. They are excellent for taking naps, which is my favourite pastime.”

Hope marches on: Salvation Army aims to raise $200,000 with Red Kettle campaign

T

he Salvation Army, one of the largest non-governmental direct providers of social services in the country, hopes to raise $200,000 with its Red Kettle campaign this holiday season to power programmes that seek to bring help, hope and comfort to those who need it most.

Lisa Rahming, Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, pledged a donation to the Salvation Army and encouraged others in the community to give generously.

“The Salvation Army feeds so many people, so when you are going to give to the kettle or come to the establishment...

Q: What will you be binge-watching this weekend? think of a family who has absolutely include nothing to eat,” combating she said. hunger, Felix Stubbs, supporting chairman of the people affected Salvation Army by disaster, THE SALVATION Army Marching Band Advisory Board, assisting with echoed Minister emergency Rahming’s sentiments, highlighting the shelter, providing educational and increased level of need during this time. employment opportunities for the “This is an extraordinary time in the visually impaired, and more.

Bahamas. Not only are we still recovering To herald in the season of giving from Hurricane Dorian, but we are and jump-start the campaign’s coping with the realities of COVID-19. charitable engine, CIBC FirstCaribbean, As such, we are seeing a level of need this year’s Red Kettle patron, in our society that is unprecedented.” donated $10,000 to the campaign, Mr Stubbs said individuals who would demonstrating its support for the have typically been considered “middle critical community work the Salvation class” are now seeking the Salvation Army has been doing since 1931.

Army’s assistance for food and clothing “Together, we can reach their goal of to either go to work or look for work. $200,000. We know that the majority Each year, with the generous support of this organisation’s fundraising of donors and selfless contributions from happens at Christmas time, but the volunteers, the Salvation Army helps funds raised during this period do more than 30,000 people rebuild broken not only support holiday programmes. homes and lives. The organisation’s numerous programmes and services All of the generous donations during

Q: If you could take a COVID-free trip, where would you go and why?

“Dubai I would love to see the beautiful, shiny skyscrapers, state-of-theart buildings, and ride a camel in the desert.”

the annual kettle drives also help the Salvation Army provide much-needed assistance to those who need it most all year round,” said Dr Jacqui Bend, CIBC FirstCaribbean managing director.

CBS Bahamas also donated $1,000 at a recent private presentation.

This year, more than 30 locations will feature Red Kettle bells and volunteer bell ringers, including all Super Value Food Store locations, Kelly’s Home Centre, Lowe’s Pharmacy, and John Bull.

To donate to the 90th Red Kettle Campaign and join a legacy of giving: • Drop dollars and coins into the dozens of Red Kettles found in front of partner locations • Visit the website: salvationarmybahamas.org/donations/ • Volunteer to ring the Red Kettle bell individually or with your friends, family, or coworkers.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 26, 2021

interview

Larouche ‘Runkanoo’ Morley This business consultant turned singer-songwriter wants to put the Bahamas on the map with a unique and unexpected sound. He tells Cara Hunt how following his studies London, he became inspired to follow his dream of carving out his own niche in the local industry - a niche he hopes will someday grow and expand beyond these islands’ borders.

J

amaica’s reggae music conquered the world in the 1970s, especially Britain and the United States, and now Bahamian artist Larouche Morley is looking to do something similar with a unique new sound.

He may not have a traditional “Bahamian” sound when it comes to his music, but the local reggae singer is hoping to become this country’s version of Jamaican superstar Bob Marley.

“I know a lot of Bahamian singers tend to focus on rake n’ scrape and soca more, but I would say that my sound is a bit more international - Caribbean and African mixed with English,” he told Tribune Weekend.

“I know that a lot of Bahamians may not understand my sound, but I am hoping to get more Bahamians into this type of music.”

He added: “Our country is still a young country when it comes to our music and to international exposure, and so I would like to do my part to improve and expand that. I would like think I could be the country’s Bob Marley.”

Larouche has picked up some international music influences along the way.

After graduating from high school here in Nassau, he then relocated to England to further his education.

He first obtained a Bachelor degree in Business Studies and E-commerce before also obtaining an MBA in International Business.

“I truly enjoyed my time in the UK, especially London; it is such an international city,” he said.

It was his time in England that sparked his love of music.

“When I was in college, I was more of an underground artist, being selected for parties, but my focus was more on garage style music at that time,” he explained.

UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house, but also incorporates elements from the R&B, jungle and dance-pop genres.

“During that time, I also wrote music and it was always part of my plans to take it further, but I wanted to focus on my studies and get my degrees first,” he said.

When Larouche eventually returned to Nassau in 2005, he began his career as a business consultant.

He also advanced his dream of entering the music industry - initially in a management capacity helping other local artists achieve their dreams.

“But then eventually I realised that it was time that I showed the world who I am as an artist,” he said.

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, November 26, 2021

“…we are such a young country when it comes to music, but we really sit between two music power houses - Jamaica and the United States - and I believe that there is a gap in reggae music here. So I’d like to start that fill that gap….”

This was also when he decided on using a stage name, and it was his brother Alex who initially suggested the name ‘Runkanoo’.

“My brother suggested it because it is a play on the word Junkanoo but with the ‘r’ as a twist to show realness,” he said. “So, I decided to run with that.”

So far, Larouche has written songs for seven albums and EPs, including tunes like “Gun Powder”, “Pressure”, “Wipe Those Tears”, and “Babylon Falling”.

He writes his own material and says his inspiration comes from many places, including painful ones.

“My Dad passed away during the pandemic and that led me to write some things, but also I am very big on research, because I want my sound to be authentic and so I do a lot of research into Caribbean patois and different reggae beats,” he explained.

While he said it is a sound that is not that popular in the Bahamas right, Larouche believes that can change.

“Like I said, we are such a young country when it comes to music, but we really sit between two music power houses - Jamaica and the United States - and I believe that there is a gap in reggae music here. So I’d like to start that fill that gap, but I am a new artist and so I am looking for more exposure,” he said.

Larouche said he is of course inspired by reggae greats like Bob Marley, but also artists such as Sizzle, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Ja Cure, Tony Rebel and Tupac.

Launching his music career has not come without its challenges.

Larouche said one of the main obstacles he has faced is paying for quality studio time. This is a challenge for many new artists who struggle to record their music in quality settings, he explained.

But he hopes to conquer this particular challenge and create a new and exciting sound for the Bahamas that may one day be a product for export abroad.

LIKE reggae superstar Bob Marley, Larouche wants to be a musical ambassador for the Bahamas. (Photo/July 6, 1980, concert in Dalymount Park, Dublin, Ireland)

SMALL CroSSWorD 23 Decor given to hide dog (5)

uncommunicative person putting bow tie on chick (5-4)

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 26,THe 2021 ALPHAbeA

ue r AG t eAn

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 25; very good 37; excellent 49 (or more). Solution tomorrow

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

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Offer that is about right although below par (6) 4 It’s seen in Egypt as dawn breaks before morning (5,3) 9 Half turn to the church and the sound of bells (6) 10 Go forward or go right back in a crowd (8) 12 Dress in a collection of suits (4) 13 Danger lurks in upper Illinois (5) 14 It’s a possibility for a drinker (4) 17 It will show what conditions we may expect (7,5) 20 Feature of society perhaps (6,6) 23 Some pay earned for a period (4) 24 Tried to record the sound of cattle (5) 25 Boat made by company in the southwest (4) 28 Nothing daunted I printed a different version (8) 29 Not just a mixture of fun and music (6) 30 Discuss when the lecture’s finished? (4,4) 31 Bays but can be silent (6)

1

2

3

4

9

5

10 11

12

13 15

17

20 21

22

23

24 26

28

29

30

31

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Down 1 Face up perhaps but not Across: 1 Gross, 4 Trouble, to a challenge (4,4) 8 Rut, 9 Vice versa, 10 In force, 11 Angle, 13 Hiatus, 15 Belong, 2 Outdoor garment for actor 18 Fudge, 19 Impasse, 21 In in a play (8) keeping, 23 Via, 24 Honesty, 3 One to be crossed with a 25 Nerve. goat (4) Down: 1 Garnish, 2 Out of hand, 3 Sever, 4 Ticket, 5 Obviate, 5 Yet a curvaceous actress 6 Bar, 7 Erase, 12 Gloss over, may play it! (8,4) 14 Useless, 16 Grenade, 17 Vilify, 6 Golden retriever’s craft (4) 18 Faith, 20 Pagan, 22 Kin. 7 Got up smartly (6) 8 Get me out one wood and one old iron (6) 11 What one wants most is the reader’s Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution reform (6,6) 15 Kill off new growth (5) Across: 1 Pupil, 4 Fiddler, 8 Coo, 16 It’s a mistake to hesitate 9 Threshold, 10 Farther, 11 Inter, or become upset, 13 Comedy, 15 Return, 18 Cheap, right? (5) 19 Earshot, 21 Take stock, 23 Orb, 24 Senator, 25 Sense.

18 Cash exchanged in Down: 1 Pacific, 2 Programme, pure monetary 3 Latch, 4 Furore, 5 Despite, transaction (8) 6 Leo, 7 Rider, 12 Touch down, 19 How one is taken by 14 Deposit, 16 Notable, surprise (8) 17 Memoir, 18 Cites, 20 Rakes, 22 Kin. 21 Finger print expert? (6) 22 Association distributing claret (6) 26 Sign put up by Verne’s captain (4) 27 A refusal in France soon emerges (4) Down Across 1 Similar (8) 1 Smart in appearance (6) 2 Witty retort (8) 6 7 8 4 More than 3 Head cook (4) anything else (5,3) 5 Wait for 9 Red-brown good metal (6) opportunity (4,4,4) 10 Great 6 Disgusting (4) adulation (8) 7 Armed 14 12 Entice (4) conflict (6) 16 13 Giver (5) 8 Non-professional people (6) 14 Large heavy book (4) 11 Fall 18 19 heavily (4,1,7) 17 Prevent quarrelling (4,3,5) 15 Lower oneself (5) 20 Set a fast 16 Group of eight (5) gallop (5,3,4) 18 People lacking 23 Cost in lives (4) possessions (4-4) 25 24 Spacious (5) 19 Recklessly 27 determined (4-4) 25 To cut down (4) 21 Unvarying (6) 28 Insolvent (8) 22 Momentary 29 Word of look (6) honour (6) 26 Prudish (4) 30 Always (8) 27 Annoy (4) 31 Cupboard (6)

EASY PUZZLE

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

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10

A

2

B

3

C

2

D

1

E

3

F

2

G

3

H

1

I

2

J

1 1

4

0

2

2

2

3

black squares: 6, 7, 10, 12, 26, 30, 32, 34, 37, 40.

Across: White, Elephant, Z Slump, Laze, Tsunami, Dyer Aquarium, Jock, Ejection, B Down: Skid, Axes, Hazel, Tu C cAn you crack the Alphabeater? Quasi, each Flow, grid Upon, Expat, TArgeT ext Naked, Stag, Edgy. number represents a letter – or black square. boArDWALk aboard abroad blow boar board DoubT As in Alphapuzzle, every letter ofCroSS the alphabet (Dedu BOARDWALK bold bowl broad brow Across: QUOTE is used. complete the grid too! each e koala kolaBut loadyou lobarhave lord to okra oral Down: FOCUS road woad wold word work world

THE ALPHABEATE

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.

C N S J E H P O A O

Across: 1 Policemen, 7 Romans, 9 Attempt, 10 Shia, 12 Men, 13 Desired, 14 Nib, 15 Ease, 17 Between, 19 Screen, 20 Cooperate. Down: 1 Peasants, 2 Oath, 3 Let, 4 Committee, 5 Empire, 6 Ended, 8 Sentence, 11 Asleep, 13 Disco, 16 Seat, 18 Era.

1

4

1 x Battleship

3 x Destroyer

2 x cruiser

4 x submarine

1

090

use the given letters and black squares below SuMMiT uP 090 the grid to start. the grid is ‘rotationally 89 and symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the93 *Calls c your same if you turn the page upside down. net Solution tomorrow A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

35

31

33

4

25

7

29

13

13

21

29

15

13

12

28

22

4

37

3

16

8

25

34

16

25

33

39

23

23

39

36

25

5

38

12

21

32

15

4

3

7

5

32

20

13

26

31

13

11

19

10

27

39

18

17

2

8

18

17

26

27

3Yesterday’s 15 34 31

1

2

21

22

25

37

13

21

20

13 Kakuro 33 18 Answer 8 2 14

24

4

2

18

6

39

5

30

38

13

15

8

36

34

1

26

27

20

16

15

2

5

39

14

11

27

39

40

13

15

11

35

19

8

33

2

19

17

2

38

17

29

6

19

1

25

15

23

13

12

21

34

11

3 15

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

■

H

10

G 30 F

11

12

13

14

31

32

33

34 35

■

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to you text DXBEAT to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus your usua

KEIJO 4 3 1 3

1

1

1

2

3

4

2

3

4

2

2

4

a

The Tribune | Weekend | 07

Friday, November 26, 2021

books

Experience the Bahamas of the “good old days” in new novel

By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

B

AHAMIAN author Tyrone Sawyer wants readers to get lost in time as they flip through the pages of his newest novel, an insightful adventure set in what he calls the “good old Bahamian days”.

“Harbro: The Finding of Sam Holbert” is the name of the book and it was recently released by the author. It follows the protagonist, Sam Holbert, who is born in Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, to the daughter of the Out Island Commissioner.

He grows up experiencing the quaint island life before chaos sets in. But even during the hard times, Sam finds ways to enjoy life.

“It is also a story that is, sadly, somewhat unfamiliar to persons born after 1973 because it portrays a way of life that their parents lived as children; one that some of them only glimpsed on holiday trips to the island to visit briefly with grandpa and grandma. But things have changed.

And Sam has changed with them,” Tyrone told Tribune Weekend.

The book, he said, gives readers a chance to experience the island life of yesteryear.

“Although it’s just a novel, it is almost historical; almost a beacon,” he said.

The first chapter is set in 1955 when Sam was born.

“Back then, the Bahamas was still in many ways a sleepy colonial outpost. Still ruled and governed

Nonfiction 1. Will by Will Smith and Mark Manson, narrated by Will Smith

The top 10 audiobooks on Audible. com

By The Associated Press

2. The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The New York Times Magazine, Caitlin Roper - editor, Ilena Silverman - editor and Jake Silverstein editor, narrated by Nikole Hannah-Jones and full cast 3. Betrayal by Jonathan Karl, narrated by the author 4. I Am Mine by Eddie Vedder, performed by the author 5. OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say?

by Great Britain, with a parliamentary democracy, with a seasonal tourism economy. Some fishing, some farming. Where a lot of men made their way to the projects in the US as itinerant farm workers to feed their families. Where the class system remained rigid and almost unbreakably intact.

Where every man, woman and child knew their place. Where the prospects for the poor man were dim indeed,” he said.

As story advances through 1960 into the ‘70s and eventually the ’80s, the character of Sam grows up and changes along with the times.

“And that is what makes the story so compelling; seeing how Sam grows and evolves as a person through the changing scenes of his life, seeing the decisions that he makes, and seeing the noble, exceptional person that he turns out to be,” Tyrone said.

“It is interwoven with life as it was on the island of Bimini, on the island of Harbour Island, on the island of Nassau, and other places where Sam’s journeys take him. It turns out that Sam’s story is, in many respects, the quintessential story for the ages: how a man from humble beginnings faces unbeatable odds and overcomes,” he said.

“Harbro”: The Finding of Sam Holbert” is available at Carrie’s Donuts on Miami Street in Nassau (opposite E P Roberts Primary), at local book stores in Nassau, Bimini, Harbour Island, Freeport, and on Amazon.

by Ben Sheehan, narrated

by Candice Renee and the author (Black Dog & Leventhal) 6. Atomic Habits by James Clear, narrated by the author 7. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, narrated by the author 8. The Verge by Patrick Wyman, narrated by the author 9. The Real Anthony Fauci by Robert F Kennedy, Jr, narrated by Bruce Wagner 10. The Storyteller by Dave Grohl, narrated by the author

Fiction 1. Mercy by David Baldacci, narrated by Brittany Pressley and Kyf Brewer 2. Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book III: Lesser Evil) by Timothy Zahn, narrated by Marc Thompson 3. Dune by Frank Herbert, narrated by full cast 4. Footwizard by Terry Mancour, narrated by John Lee 5. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, performed by Thandiwe Newton 6. The Guilty by James Patterson and Duane

Swierczynski, peformed by John Lithgow, Bryce Dallas Howard, Peter Gallagher, Aldis Hodge, Corey Stoll and Marsha Stephanie Blake 7. The Judge’s List by John Grisham, narrated by Mary-Louise Parker and the author 8. Trusting Cassidy by Susan Stoker, narrated by Lucy Rivers 9. The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan, performed by Aoife McMahon 10. The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly, narrated by Titus Welliver and Christine Lakin

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 26, 2021

gardening

Planting depths

G

ood day, gardeners! I hope that your gardens and outdoor spaces, patio and indoor plants have all been enjoying the cool temperatures and the late rains, as much as mine have.

Indoor plants love being moved outside for a bit of filtered sun and rain when the opportunity presents itself. Most everything in the garden tends to perk up some at this time of year, as mentioned last week regarding some fruit trees flushing new growth, etcetera.

Something I have to mention this week is planting depth. I have come across a few instances in the last week both in our nursery and at friends’ houses with plants being planted too deep.

Adenium (desert rose) is one plant that is averse to planting too deep.

Whether an adenium is grown from a seed, a cutting, or it is grafted onto a seed grown rootstock, they are all subject to issues if planted too deep.

Typically, in the form of stem rot or when seed grown, caudex rot. The caudex is the stem which only forms when certain plants are grown from seed. A caudex stem is thick and large at the base when compared to stems of plants propagated by cuttings. The caudex serves as a water reservoir and creates a wider, broader and sturdier trunk or stem than when grown from cuttings.

Caudexes are common in a group of plants referred to as pachycauls. This grouping includes Pachypodium,

There is a horrible malpractice that some call the volcano mulching method, where mulch is mounded up high around the stem. This is not a helpful practice, but rather, it is harmful.

It invites stem rot. This also applies to palms. The new soil level should be to the top of the roots and to the base of the AN ORANGE tree that was planted too deep trunk, and no higher. This rule does not apply to Adenium, poinciana, silk cotton, ant many vegetables including tomato plants, and a handful of others. and cucumber, as they are herbaStrawberry is another plant that is ceous, and their roots can migrate averse to being planted too deep as upwards on the stem to create a they rot out very quickly when the stronger stem when planted deep. In stem is buried in planting media that may not contain enough drainage, or fact, it is recommended to transplant some herbaceous plants deeper than in one that holds too much moisture, the existing soil level. The stems, which is essentially the same thing. leaves and flowers that we see on a Woody plants (i.e. not herbaceous) plant are nothing more than a result are prone to rot when planted too of what is happening unseen below deep, as well. With any grafted plant the soil. (fruit trees, for example) the graft Protect your roots and treat union must be above soil level when them right by giving them sufficient they are transplanted (more on this drainage, moisture holding capacnext week). The general rule of ity and nutrient availability, and the thumb dictates that a plant should visible growth will be exponentially not be buried any deeper than the better than a poorly transplanted highest root on the stem. Ideally the tree, shrub, or vegetable plant! Plant top, highest roots should be at the no deeper than the highest root on very top of the new pot or ground woody plants or trees, palms, and level. In other words, do not transpachycauls. As always, I wish you plant to where the new soil level is any higher than the existing soil level happy gardening. in the pot or on the stem. Do not • Adam Boorman is the nursery mound the new planting media any manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. higher than the level of that which You can contact him with any it already is, unless the roots are questions you may have, or topics exposed, then plant to the depth of you would like to see discussed, at those exposed roots and no higher. gardening242@gmail.com. at garAvoid mounding mulch around stems as well. dening242@gmail.com

The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Friday, November 26, 2021

literary lives - Louis Vuitton

The birth of an iconic brand

From a 19th century royal trunk-maker to a luxury giant of today Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the French fashion house and luxury goods company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label’s LV monogram appears on most of its products ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-towear, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses and books.

Its 2012 valuation was US $25.9 billion.

“I used to have a fake Louis Vuitton bag because I thought it meant something in life. But now I realise that all the things in the world don’t define you. It’s what you stand for, what you’re willing to do, how close to the truth you’re willing to be in your life.”

- Oprah Winfrey Louis Vuitton was born on August 4, 1821. He was a French fashion designer and the founder of the Louis Vuitton brand of leather goods now owned by LVMH. Before getting into business for himself he, was appointed as “trunk maker” for Empress Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III. Vuitton was born to a family of artisans, carpenters and farmers. When he was ten years old his mother, a hat-maker, and his father died. He had a difficult relationship with his adoptive stepmother and left his home in Anchay in the spring of 1835, getting odd jobs whenever he could. He travelled 292 miles to Paris, arriving in 1837, in the middle of the Industrial Revolution. Once in Paris he was apprenticed to Monsieur Marechal, a successful trunk

He also invented a thief-proof lock, registered with the owner’s name and kept in the Vuitton workrooms in case another key was needed.

When the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1871 demand for his trunks collapsed. He lost many of his staff and many of his tools were stolen. However, Vuitton rebuilt a new shop immediately at 1 Rue Scribe, next to the prestigious Jockey Club in the middle of Paris. The new line featured his now famous beige and brown stripe design with an LV monogram that would remain his signature long after he died. Many other luggage makers imitated Vuitton’s style and design, and to protect himself, soon after he opened his first store on Oxford Street in London, he registered his Damier canvas pattern and his logo that reads “marque L Vuitton déposée” – a trademark that continued long after his death in 1892.

LOUIS Vuitton (1821-1892), founder OF the House of Vuitton maker and packer. Within a few years, Vuitton gained a reputation in Paris’s fashionable class as one of the City’s best practitioners of the craft.

LOUIS VUITTON Securely packs the most fragile objects Specialising in packing fashions

Once the French Empire under Napoleon III was re-established, Vuitton was hired as a personal trunk maker and packer for the Empress. She ordered him to pack her clothes in an exquisite way. This appointment gave him an introduction to many other elite and royal clients, and he found himself to be extremely busy for the rest of his life.

Inspired by HJ Cox & Sons of London, Vuitton introduced his revolutionary canvas trunks when the market was only selling roundedtop leather trunks that could not be stacked. His trunks were flat topped and used Trianon canvas, making them lightweight, airtight, and they could be stacked easily - in a train’s baggage car or in the hold of a ship.

When Vuitton was thirty-three years old, in 1854, he married the seventeen-year-old ClemenceEmilie Parriaux and left Marechal’s trunk-making shop to open his own workshop in Paris. He hung a sign outside his shop that read:

The demand for Vuitton’s durable lightweight designs forced him to expand into a larger workshop in Asnières-sur-Seine. He named his new original shellac embedded canvas “Damier” (checkerboard).

In 1893, Georges Vuitton, his son, campaigned to build the company into a worldwide corporation. He exhibited the company’s products at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.

He launched the company’s signature monogram canvas in 1896 and registered worldwide patents on it – which included its graphic symbols, including quatrefoils, flowers, as well as the LV monogram. These patents helped prevent counterfeiting. He toured the United States – a large new market – and sold the company’s products in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. In 1901, he introduced the “Steamer Bag” – a smaller piece of luggage designed to be kept inside Vuitton luggage trunks.

When the Louis Vuitton Building opened on the Champs-Elysees in 1913 it was the largest travelgoods store in the world. Stores also opened in New York, Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria and Buenos Aires. The “Keepall Bag” was introduced in 1930, and the “Noé Bag” in 1932, which was originally made for Champagne vintners to transport bottles. The “Speedy

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 26, 2021

Bag” was introduced soon after this and is still manufactured today in various sizes.

George Vuitton died in 1936 and control of the company was passed to his son Gaston-Louis Vuitton.

During World War II, and under the direction of Gaston Louis-Vuitton, the company collaborated with the Nazis during the occupation of France.

In her book Louis Vuitton, A French Saga, the French author Stephanie Bonvicini, published by the Paris-based Editions Fayard, relates how the Vuitton family actively aided the Vichy government led by Marshal Philippe Pétain and substantially increased their fortunes from their business affairs with the Germans. Bonvicini confirms that the Vuitton family set up a factory manufacturing artefacts glorifying Pétain, including more than 2.500 busts. Caroline Babulle, a spokeswoman for the publisher Fayard said:

IN the courtyard of the Asnières workshops, around 1888, Louis, Georges and Gaston L Vuitton (sitting on a bed trunk)

know, I love being in Paris. I love working at Louis Vuitton. I love fashion. That’s why I do it. No one’s forcing me to do this. And nobody forces anyone to buy it. It a real love affair.”

“They have not contested anything in the book, but they are trying to bury it by pretending it doesn’t exist.”

- Marc Jacobs

Responding to the book’s release in 2004, a spokesman for the company said the book covered a period when it was family run and long before Louis Vuitton became a part of LVMH – which was created in 1987 when it joined forces with Moët et Chandon and Hennessy to form the luxury goods conglomerate.

During the half century after the end of World War II in 1945 Louis Vuitton began to incorporate leather into nearly all of its products, including small purses and wallets to large items of luggage. Counterfeiting continued to be a major problem – and still is today. In 1966, “Papillon” was launched – a cylindrical bag that continues to be popular. By 1977, revenue of the company exceeded 70 million Francs (US $14.27 million). A year later, the company opened its first stores in Japan in Tokyo and Osaka; and in 1983 joined with America’s Cup to hold the Louis Vuitton Cup – an elimination regatta for the yacht race. It further expanded its business with stores in Taipei, Taiwan in 1983, and Seoul, South Korea in 1984. The “Epi” leather line was introduced in 1985.

TO prevent plagiarism, Georges Vuitton creates and patents the monogram canvas in 1896, which features the now iconic botanical pattern

The Monogram Vernis line, the LV scrapbooks, and the Louis Vuitton City Guide, were also introduced in 1987. The Mini Monogram line was released in 1999, and the first African store opened in Africa, in Marrakesh, Morocco in 2000. At the International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, a Vuitton vanity case, the “amFar” designed by Sharon Stone, was sold with the proceeds going to AIDS Research.

THE REVOLUTIONARY flat trunk from 1858 was the first luggage of the modern era - its flat shape allowed it to be stacked in a train’s baggage “There’s a lot of baggage that comes along with one family, ... it’s like Louis Vuitton baggage.”

- Kim Kardashian Following the merger and creation of LVMH in 1987 when the company merged with Moët et Chandon and Hennessy, the luxury goods conglomerate’s profits increased by over 49 percent over 1987, and by 1989 Louis Vuitton operated 130 stores worldwide. Yves Carcelle was named president of Louis Vuitton in 1992,

and he instigated the company opening its first store in mainland China in Beijing at the Palace Hotel. The “Taiga” leather line was introduced in 1993, and “Voyager Avec ...” in 1994.

In 1997, Louis Vuitton appointed Marc Jacobs as its artistic director.

He designed the company’s first “prȇt-à-porter” line of clothing for both men and women.

“I don’t want to sound too silly or pretentious about this, but, you

In 2001, Marc Jacobs collaborated with Stephen Sprouse to design a limited-edition line of Vuitton bags that featured graffiti written over the Monogram pattern. Jacobs also produced a charm bracelet – the first ever piece of jewelry from LV. The Tambour watch collection was introduced in 2002. In 2003, Marc Jacobs collaborated with Takashi Murakami to produce the Monogram Multicolour range of canvas bags in thirty-three different colours on either a white of black background. Stores in Moscow and New Delhi were opened the same year, and the following year in New York (Fifth Avenue), Säo Paulo, Mexico City, Cancun, Johannesburg and Shanghai.

The Tribune | Weekend | 13

Friday, November 26, 2021

AD for Louis Vuitton luggage, 1898

LOUIS Vuitton’s son, George, with his family in 1898 “The Louis Vuitton woman is more about a quality – a quality within some women that needs to come forward and be recognised.”

During the eight years between 2005 and 2013, Louis Vuitton reopened its Champs-Elysées store in Paris, introduced a Speedy Watch collection, released a Damier Graphite Canvas (in black and grey), and jewellery and glasses designed by Pharrell Williams.

Marc Jacobs was replaced by Nicolas Ghesquière on November 4, 2013. In the twelve years Jacobs was with the company he developed special projects and collaborations with many artists and designers and contributed enormously to the growth of the fashion house. Jacobs was always interested in performing, and fashion played a big part in his performances. For his last collection at Louis Vuitton he recreated some of the sets from his time at the Maison. The clothes on the runway

- Marc Jacobs

INSPIRED by the design of the house’s luggage during the 1930s, the Alma bag is born in 1922. It is still sold as one of LV’s most popular pi were all black, and the show was closed by model Edie Campbell, who stepped on the runway with a transparent body suit covered in writings, wearing a big feathered headpiece, chains and handcuffs.

Shortly after Marc Jacob left Louis Vuitton to run his own brand the company was recorded by Millward Brown as being first of the world’s ten most popular brands, and was estimated to be worth over US $24.3 billion – a figure that is far exceeded today.

“Louis Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brands in terms of sales, is planning to dampen its expansion worldwide and focus on high-end products to preserve its image.”

- Bernard Arnault Chairman LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

The company continues to cultivate celebrity and has featured many models, musicians and actors including Jennifer Lopez, Keith Richards, Kim Kardashian, Madonna, Sean Connery, Matthias Schoenaerts, Angelina Jolie, Gisele Bündchen, Mikhail Gorbachev, Oh Sehun, David Bowie, Maria Sharapova, Brad Pitt, Tiger Woods and Uma Thurman. Sales of products advertised by Tiger Woods increased by over thirty percent when they appeared.

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He has acknowledged to have quoted liberally from Wikipedia; and Louis Vuitton, A French Saga by Stephanie Bonvicini (Editions Fayard – 2004)

14 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 26, 2021

history

Rediscovering a Welsh war hero in the Bahamas

H

ave you ever visited the Nassau War Cemetery on Maxwell Lane off Farrington Road?

I used to go there with my parents during World War II, but it looks very different today. Stone monuments have replaced all the original wooden crosses and it is the neatest graveyard on this island.

About 20 years ago, I took pictures of every inscription in St Matthew’s churchyard, the Jewish Cemetery, the Eastern Cemetery and the Centre Burying Ground – all located between Church Street and Lover’s Lane, and donated the resultant book to the Department of Archives. Since then, I have ‘done’ 14 other cemeteries, including the Nassau War Cemetery.

I was amazed to see the resting place of a holder of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth of Nations forces. I had to find out more about Group Captain Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees, VC, OBE, MC, AFC (1884-1955). Here is a small portion of what I learned.

Rees was born in Caernorvan, Wales (If you want to know more, read “Caernorvan – Through the Eye of Time” by T Meirion Hughes.)

Rees was a member of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club and owned a 29-foot sailing yacht named ‘May’, built in Scotland and powered by a twocylinder kerosene engine – on which he sailed to the Bahamas, arriving on October 21, 1933.

In Andros, C C Cavill introduced Rees to Dr Evans W Cottman, author of the Bahamian classic “Out Island Doctor” (1963), who described the event as follows: “…the Captain was a big, rawboned Welshman; and, if he deliberately lived a solitary life, he made up for it, when he had company…obviously Cavill and I were welcome.

I never really appreciated the meaning of the word ‘ship-shape’, until I stepped onto Captain Rees’s boat. The cabin space was tiny, with every inch of it fitted to maximum use. There was a place for everything and everything was exactly in its place. There was even a miniature machine shop, with a lathe…

The Captain invited us to stay for dinner and we happily accepted…The food was bully beef, out of a can, but the service was something else.

The Captain brought out a complete set of sterling silver, each piece bearing the Rees coat of arms… with the bully beef ready and the silver set, Rees dressed for dinner. That is, he changed his torn shorts for an immaculate white pair…”

The Yachting Monthly was an English magazine, and in their May and June issues of 1934, Rees authored an 11-page article titled “To the Bahamas Single-Handed”, describing his

transatlantic crossing.

On November 1, Rees set sail to Miami for a short visit, before returning to Nassau, which became his first home base.

In the August 1934 edition of the Yachting Monthly magazine, Rees wrote a five-page article about his “Bahamian FORGOTTEN FACTS Days”, pointing out that he did not like the crew accommodations on a sponge vessel, but he was so impressed by the sails on Bahamian boats that he bought a set of sails for his own yacht.

On the subject of his voyage from Wales to Nassau, the battle-hardened RAF hero wrote: “For the first time in my life, I could sleep on in the mornings, as long as I like”.

PAUL C ARANHA

GROUP Captain Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees, VC, OBE, MC, AFC

REES in action (Photo, Cottman)

Per Ardua Ad Astra

The Tribune | Weekend |15

Friday, November 26, 2021

animals Animal matters Kim Aranha

Y

esterday was Thanksgiving, a busy day for most humans.

Buddy here, Chief’s best friend.

I tried my hand (oops paw) at writing a few months ago and it was very well received by Mum’s readers. In my wisdom I thought today would be a good day to remind you of a couple of things.

Thanksgiving - such a wonderful name for a holiday ! It is an American holiday, but I think that it should be a holiday everywhere around the world because there are always things to be grateful for.

In the Bahamas lots of people love the excuse to celebrate with turkey and other rich and delicious foods but I hope that they don’t loose sight that it is all about being grateful.

I am a very elderly dog. I was born March 25, 2007, in four months I will be 15, which is a grand old age for a large Labrador. My back legs are wobbly (Mum likes to say that sometimes when I am patrolling the garden, my front legs go where I send them and my back legs do what they want).

I am grateful to have a large garden to enjoy and plants with leaves of all shapes and sizes to sniff and sniff again.

Did you know that one of the greatest pleasures for an older dog is to sniff? From sniffing we can learn so much. When we get older we can’t run and chase, but, boy can we sniff and I still love doing that!

I am hugely grateful for my nose.

Sometimes, Mum gets very excited when she finds my nose cold and wet

PHOTO/KIM LINES

Some things to be thankful for and some not

PET OF THE WEEK

just like it was when I was a puppy!

Humans are a bit strange.

On Tuesday there was a post on Facebook about a 16-year-old collie dog who had been surrendered at a shelter in the US because the owners didn’t have time for her any more.

Mum cried when she read that and came over and hugged me - gently, because she worries I may be achy in my old age - I licked her tears off her face. Silly Mummy, she cries very easily when she reads things like that.

Thanks to social media that poor girl was taken in by kind people to live out her years in a loving home, but they are not her people.

A smooth Latte

By The Bahamas Humane Society Just as smooth as your morning coffee with steamed milk of the same name, the lovely teenaged Latte (about nine months old) is one of many older kittens available for adoption at the Bahamas Humane Society.

Latte’s inquisitive and eager to see what’s around her, and is always happy to meet new people.

She gets along well

with the other kittenry cats and wouldn’t mind if you opted to adopt another along with her. It’s always more fun with two!

If you’ve been looking for a pickme-up to start your day, why not consider adopting Latte?

She’ll be sure to start your morning off right! Call 323-5138 for more information. Latte looks forward to meeting

They say she walked to her kennel, when she was surrendered, with dignity, but she lost her people of 16 years.

How can you do that to a family friend, a member of your family? Just dump them when they are no longer fun and need extra care.

Not in my house. We are four dogs all over 10 and nobody would dream of giving us up.

I am tremendously grateful for the love and care and understanding I receive every day. Nobody ever gets angry with me - it doesn’t matter what I do! I have beds all over the house so that I am always comfortable, water BUDDY exploring his garden

you.

• The BHS Thrift Shop is open!

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 11am to 3pm, and on Saturday from 10am to 2pm. All proceeds go to the BHS and there are always awesome deals to be found. Bring your bag and catch some of the savings. Donations are always gratefully accepted.

bowls, too. I can go in and out a hundred times, there is always someone to open and close the door. I am living my best life just as all elderly dogs should.

Never forget that a very large part of the human/pet picture is that we give back to our human families in so many ways. We do not take this life for granted, and our love for our families is what sustains them frequently. It makes me sad to think of how many dogs and cats are not the recipients of love, care and consideration. Today and every day we have to try and change this, one pet at a time.

If you are older and do not want a puppy, why not consider adopting an older pet? The shelter always has dogs and cats given up, or found wandering, who need homes. Mend a broken heart and welcome them into home for their remaining years.

As I lie in my very comfortable orthopedic bed (left to me by Chiefie) and close my eyes for yet another nap, I have no idea what it is to be abandoned or surrendered but Mum says I would be lost and frightened.

She thinks I would die of a broken heart, but I don’t have to worry about that ever happening. I will just have another sleep, my little paws moving fast as I chase a rabbit, or try to catch the waves, when I wake up, I will use my signature single woof to summon a human to let me out into my garden to check if the leaves are all still there (what a job) and then, I will come back in, get comfy in one of my many beds and the cycle continues again.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 26, 2021