A 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN NASSAU, BAHAMAS!

 

60 years ago, July 1^st 1966, Erskine and I were married in St Anne's Anglican Church, Fox Hill, Nassau, Bahamas.

The priest, Father King, told me he didn't believe in a bride being late for her wedding so he wouldn't marry us if I was late! Imagine how frantic I was when the limousine Erskine had booked for me and the Father Giver, Erskine's boss Mr Ashton, didn't turn up for me on time!

Fortunately, a good friend of Erskine's, Levi Wilson, stopped by to see if I needed any help. I told him just get me to the church on time please!

We sped down Village Road in Levi's beat up old car, along the Eastern Road, with me in full bridal attire, brown paper packages in the back and Levi wearing an old straw hat! Bystanders stood on the side of the road, staring at the spectacle, aghast!

I also have a photo of me picking up my skirts and running into the church! Luckily, I got there in time!

It was a very hot day and there was no air conditioning in the church. Erskine passed his crisp white handkerchief around between him, the priest and best man/best friend George Cartwright, to wipe their brows! I had just had the front of my long hair cut into bangs - big mistake!

But It was a lovely wedding with special guests from out of town - my mother, grandmother and Erskine's parents in attendance. It wasn't even dampened by the sight of the tardy limousine driver waving his fist at us as we exited the church, claiming we had told him the wrong time for my pick up!

Afterwards we drove down Bay Street in a motorcade with horns blaring, heading to the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre for the Reception. That evening we would be driven to the airport for our honeymoon flight to Jamaica, with a first-class upgrade courtesy of British Airways employee and friend of Erskine's, Jerome Darville.

Look out for the final (eighth) episode of our series "Secrets to a Successful Relationship" (tiktok and youtube - youngheartsforever)! For the seven previous episodes - Part One (How we met); Part Two (How we got serious); Part Three (How we got more serious); Part Four (The Engagement); Part Five (The Wedding Preparation); Part Six (The Wedding); and Part Seven (The Honeymoon), look for the red rose on the videos!

OLD DOLPHIN HOTEL, NASSAU - FAY REMINISCES!

 

Fay Knowles reminisces about the Dolphin Hotel, the first place she stayed in when she arrived in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1965. 

She arrived in Nassau in the dark of the night after travelling from Toronto, Canada, where she had been working, down to Miami on a Greyhound coach and flying across to Nassau.

She sat at the hotel bar, feeling very much the world traveller, then retired to her hotel room, where she was disappointed to hear the BBC news on the radio! She had thought she was in a foreign country.

The next morning she pulled back the drapes and when she saw the bright sunny day, palm trees and white beach across the road, and heard the babble of voices from locals, she realized she really was in a foreign country!

Operating during the mid-20th century, the original Nassau Dolphin Hotel was a popular beach-facing resort located on the corner of Nassau Street and West Bay Street.

#DolphinHotelNassau

#oldNassauHotels

#downtownNassauBahamas

 

LOWER DEADMAN'S CAY PRIMARY SCHOOL BOYS LOVE ISLAND SURPRISE!

 

Here, twin brothers Bailey and Braxton Russell are asked by Mrs. Paula Higgs-Knowles, their Fourth Grade teacher at Lower Deadman’s Cay Primary School, Long Island, Bahamas, to give reviews of “Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure” on the last day of term. “Island Surprise” had been a book project over several classroom sessions.

“Unfortunately,” Mrs. Higgs-Knowles says, “when we took the video of the boys, there was a lot of background noise from people and activity outside my classroom, as it was the end of the final day!” She told Bailey and Braxton they reminded her of the two young brothers in “Island Surprise”, especially as the characters Michael and Tony’s last name in the book is Bailey!

Mrs. Higgs-Knowles says: “I had planned to do more organized in-depth review interviews with the kids but it just got crazy at the end of day. I will say they were all disappointed and sad to finish the book. They were completely absorbed into the story. You definitely need to write another one!”

“Island Surprise” was Ranked in Amazon’s Top 100 Best Sellers in Elementary School Books in Australia shortly after its release.

Tell your friends and family this book is a MUST for any child needing to get into the reading habit!

Action packed and heart-warming! Children will love and learn from this fun adventure story of family togetherness, simplicity and resilience.

About “Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure”: Two young Bahamian boys are excited when their parents decide to take them to remote Coco Plum Island, to surprise their grandparents for Easter. But they have difficulties getting a flight and then a storm threatens to spoil all of their plans. They eventually reach the island, but their troubles aren’t over as they must land at an airport further away from the grandparents. The journey south is hazardous and they run into problems on the way. They wonder if they will ever get to their grandparents’ house!

Get your copy of "Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure" on Amazon at https://mybook.to/ISLANDSURPRISE (universal link). It is available in paperback, hardcover and as an eBook. Paperbacks are also available locally at Logos Bookstore, Harbour Bay, Nassau, Bahamas.

LOWER DEADMAN'S CAY PRIMARY SCHOOL FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS REVIEW ISLAND SURPRISE: A BAHAMIAN ADVENTURE!

 

After reading “Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure” as a book project over several classroom sessions, Mrs. Paula Higgs-Knowles’ Fourth Grade students at Lower Deadman’s Cay Primary School, Long Island, Bahamas, give their reviews of “Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure” on the last day of term!

Mary Metcalf, Arabella Cash and Sarai Miller all seemed to agree that the puppy’s near disaster was the highlight of the book!

Mrs. Higgs-Knowles says: “I had planned to do more organized in-depth review interviews with the kids but it just got crazy at the end of day. I will say they were all disappointed and sad to finish the book. They were completely absorbed into the story. You definitely need to write another one!”

“Island Surprise” was Ranked in Amazon’s Top 100 Best Sellers in Elementary School Books in Australia shortly after its release.

Tell your friends and family this book is a MUST for any child needing to get into the reading habit!

Action packed and heart-warming! Children will love and learn from this fun adventure story of family togetherness, simplicity and resilience.

About “Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure”: Two young Bahamian boys are excited when their parents decide to take them to remote Coco Plum Island, to surprise their grandparents for Easter. But they have difficulties getting a flight and then a storm threatens to spoil all of their plans. They eventually reach the island, but their troubles aren’t over as they must land at an airport further away from the grandparents. The journey south is hazardous and they run into problems on the way. They wonder if they will ever get to their grandparents’ house!

Get your copy of "Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure" on Amazon at ISLAND SURPRISE . It is available in paperback, hardcover and as an eBook. Paperbacks also available locally at Logos Bookstore, Harbour Bay, Nassau, Bahamas.

"ISLAND SURPRISE: A BAHAMIAN ADVENTURE" OFF TO CAT ISLAND!

 

Young Amira Pratt proudly holds a copy of “Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure” before she jets off to Cat Island the next day with her cousins for weeks of summer fun. Asked if she enjoyed reading this beautifully illustrated children’s chapter book, she enthusiastically says “Yes!”

Amira is a Prefect in Grade 5 at Eva Hilton Primary School. She has just turned ten years old. Her grandmother Delray Pratt (who nicknamed her “Mimi”) bought “Island Surprise” for her as she saw how excited she was about the book. Amira’s parents are Ashley Pratt and Dexter Kerr.

“Island Surprise” is a heart-warming adventure story about family, courage and resilience. In “Island Surprise” two young Bahamian brothers face flight issues, a storm, and a hazardous journey on their way to surprise their grandparents on imaginary Coco Plum Island. Action packed, children will love and learn from this fun story.

Shortly after being released, “Island Surprise” was ranked in Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers in Elementary School books in Australia!

“Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure” is available on Amazon at ISLAND SURPRISE in paperback, hardcover and as an eBook. Paperbacks can also be purchased at Logos Bookstore, Harbour Bay, Nassau.

FROM COCO PLUM LANE TO COCO PLUM ISLAND!

 

“From Coco Plum Lane to Coco Plum Island”! Hydie Knowles and her family once lived on Coco Plum Lane, Seabreeze Estates, Nassau, Bahamas! And in “Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure”, two young boys head to Coco Plum Island with their parents to surprise their grandparents for Easter!

Hydie is seen here with her copy of Island Surprise and me! She asked me to inscribe my children’s book to “The Knowles Family, who once resided on Coco Plum Lane”! I hope they are all enjoying my heart-warming adventure story about family, courage and resilience!

“Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure” is available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover and as an eBook. Shortly after its release, "Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure" was Ranked in Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers in Elementary School books in Australia!

Hydie is a Sustainable Development Goals Officer working collaboratively to report and accelerate the country’s awareness and development towards the SDG’s. During her time in sustainability, she has acquired advanced open water diver and certified board professional project management certifications in addition to research and project consultancy experience. In her spare time, she enjoys going on adventures, spending time with loved ones, painting masterpieces, trying new foods, watching movies and reading books. The genesis of her passion for sustainable living began right at our Bahamian coral reefs, and the rest is history. Her bio says you don’t have to be a tree hugger to contribute to sustainable development initiatives. In fact, pilots, engineers, doctors, social workers, judges, architects all can play a role too.

Hydie Knowles is also a National Youth Parliamentarian as well as a Disabilities Advocate.

“Island Surprise: A Bahamian Adventure” is available on Amazon at ISLAND SURPRISE: A BAHAMIAN ADVENTURE

AMAZON AUTHOR BIO

 

Author’s Tip: This is my new Amazon Author bio, which is connected to all of my seven books on Amazon. Amazon recommends that authors do not use more than 1,000 characters for their bios. My bio was previously way over that amount, so I greatly reduced it! I think it makes it look neater, don’t you think?

Note: I added that I do not use AI for any of my writing, as there is so much of that going on now!