1963 - Navy Instigated Visit

Prequel

After our trip to Post-War Europe in 1950,

my sister and I graduated High School (1955 for me, 1957 for her), went to college (Oberlin for me,

My graduation from Oberlin in 1959

Duke for her) and got married (1959 for me,

Wearing my grandmother's wedding dress

1961 for her). My husband Bob graduated from the US Naval Academy,

My father-in-law, Me, Bob, his grandmother, is mother and his brother at Bob's graduation

my brother-in-law George graduated from West Point (Army).

My husband and I moved first to near Pensacola Florida (1959-1960), Avalon Beach Florida (January 1960 to June 1960), and New Iberia Louisiana (June 1960-December 1960). He graduated from pilot training, and went to the RAG (Replacement Air Group) for a month in Norfolk (Jan 1961), and Key West for two months before we came back to Norfolk where we bought a house. I had our first child in August 1961.

End Prequel

My first visit to Bermuda was in 1963, and I was pregnant with my 2nd child. (I left the oldest with my mom.) I was meeting my husband who was then on the U.S.S. Intrepid, an aircraft carrier that was doing operations in the area. I flew in on a propeller plane.

coming in over St. Georges - 13 June 1963

Bermuda from air

Airport from the plane in 1963

1963 from St. Georges hotel toward airport

I have a 1961 travel book which says: "St. George Hotel...On Rose Hill overlooking town. Has special Family Plan and children's playground. Indoor salt water swimming pool, golf course, beach facilities, dancing. Accommodates 200 - rates $11 to $16 a night -MAP (Modified American Plan which is room, breakfast and one other meal, usually dinner). This hotel was one of the least expensive I could find. I picked it because it was near the airport (to reduce taxi fares), and because it was fairly near to where Bob's ship was anchored. I could see the carrier from my window. There were great views over the town, and it was quite close to Ft. St. Catherine and so very convenient to get there. It was however, a couple of miles from town.

From Kindley AFB - St. Georges hotel on hill

Our room in the hotel

We had twin beds that had an iron bedstead and a sink in the room. The picture of Bob in the hotel room is underexposed (no automatic exposure cameras then, and my camera didn't have a flash plus the film was only about ASA 25) so it is very grainy when digitized That hotel that no longer exists. In the 70s (according to locals) there were 5 different fires that started at the same time one night, and the hotel burned down leading to suspicions that the fires were not accidental. The current St. George's Club condo set-up is now at this location.

View from our hotel

to King's Square and Smith Island from hotel 1963

Cruise ship tied up - movie theatre etc. from hotel in St. George

Gunpowder Tavern

As a pregnant person I found riding the bus very uncomfortable. They were sprung quite stiff and it was a jouncy ride. I preferred the ferries. A moped was out of the question in my condition. We spent a lot of time in St. George which was near our hotel

Sign in the shop. Do not come inside this shop if you are afraid of GERMS -- These rare old coins are covered with GERMS. That is why I sell them so cheaply.

Bob by the Silk Alley/Petticoat Lane sign

Mossy welcoming arms steps or St. Geo. Hist. Soc. museum - house built in 1725

1963 photo of the Stocks and Whipping posts

Town Hall, King's Square

St Peter's Church built 1713 in St. George

Graveyard from inside the church

Somer's Garden monument

Somer's Garden Royal palms - best on island and pregnant me in 1963

When I visited Bermuda in 1963 I was pregnant with my 2nd child. I visited in June and she was born in September. This is the only pictures I have of me from this trip - I do most of the photography, and the photographer doesn't get into the picture very often.

I think the story of Admiral Somers is typical of Bermuda.

More than five hundred colonists headed for Virginia from Plymouth, England, in June, 1609. The Sea-Venture, the leader of the nine-ship fleet, was cut off from the rest by a "dreadful storm…which like an hell of darkness turned black." (Probably an early hurricane) On board were Admiral Sir George Somers and Sir Thomas Gates, new governor of the colony. The party was assumed lost at sea by the remaining colonists who eventually reached Jamestown. But really , the Sea Venture was wrecked on St. George. The survivors built another ship - the Deliverance - and continued on to Jamestown. When the "lost" party arrived in Jamestown the following May, it was thought to be a true deliverance, directed by Providence. Shakespeare's play The Tempest was based on this shipwreck.

We went out to Ft. St. Catherine which was near St. George

Ft. St Catherine

Fort St Catherine

Fort entrance from walk - Bob disappearing

Bob crossing drawbridge

Fort St. Catherine

Bob walking across Ft St Catherine

Sea Venture Flat sign

Bob at gun port

Stone arch and gun backs

We took the ferry to Somerset to see the smallest drawbridge

From St. Davids to bridge

From ferry window - aircraft carrier in distance

The ferry dock in Sandy's Parish

1963 smallest bridge from the bank of the bridge

1963 - Bob and sailors from squadron on Bridge

1963 Sandy's Rectory (Bridge house)

on Somerset Bridge (smallest drawbridge)

and we took a bus to the Flatts where we went to the Aquarium

Flatt's Bridge from the bus

Coral Island Club in Flatts

Penguin in BAMZ (Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo

Time exposure - moray eel in aquarium

Tortoise yard from women's bathroom during rain

1963 Penguins

Aquarium

and we took the bus into Hamilton

Hamilton from north shore road

garden 1963

Bird cage - Front and Queen Street intersection

ornamental fountains in front of CIty Hall - cathedral in back

War memorial from bus in front of colonial secretariat building

Central bus station in Hamilton at dusk

Hamilton from the water - City Hall and Cathedral

And then I flew back home

Bermuda from air

NY - approach to Idlewild

Long Island

Coming in to BWI - Baltimore Washington Parkway interchange

Our next visit to Bermuda was Thanksgiving 1995

But my next big trip was 1964 when I went to Europe and followed my husband's ship from port to port.