Category Archives: Uncategorized

On the valley view side of the main building of Island House, in front of the vanishing pond, on the cliff edge, stands a Bois Bande’ tree. It is not a rare tree. There are plenty of them in Dominica’s … Continue reading →

Fred Ward was coming to do another story on Dominica for the National Geographic. We always looked forward to his visits. He and Charlotte are from Miami but had moved to the Washington DC. area. Fred is the only person … Continue reading →

If you wish to justify flying single engine aircraft over large areas of ocean, remember Frank Delisle’s words. “What the hell are you trying to do? Prove something that has already been proven? That some day your engine will fail … Continue reading →

Ninety Whiskey was my pride and joy. It was bright red, and trimmed in broad bands of gold. Lettering was in simple black gothic and its number in those large black letters was N8590W. I paid a pretty good amount … Continue reading →

The topic of conversation everywhere on the island seemed to be the first-ever visit of Her Majesty, the Queen of England. Stories about the upcoming event were printed in the Dominica Chronicle and Mrs. Alfrey’s Star. The British expatriates at … Continue reading →

When the MauMau decimated Kenya, three of the surviving victims were an early retiring British doctor, his wife, and their young daughter. It was our view that this was at least fortunate for Dominica, because he was sent to the … Continue reading →

Each winter for several years before W.W.II, Gus Smith’s parents had rented a house in Dominica. The rational was probably that it was a wonderfully warm, and cheaper to spend the winter in Dominica than just to heat the family … Continue reading →

          I am not quite sure whether it was Clem Dupigny or Father Charles of the Roseau Cathedral who spoke to me first. I remember Clem explaining in his gentle diffident way that the rule governing the priests’ place at … Continue reading →

Our first residence on the island was the old Manager’s House at Wall House Estate that was kindly made available to us by Miss Eugenia Charles, now Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, our former Prime Minister of Dominica. Wall House was … Continue reading →

It was raining. It often rained in Dominica, but not for long at any one time. “Come on, gang, it’s time for breakfast,” I called, raising my eyes to the ceiling and the little trap-door at the top of the … Continue reading →