Fool’s gold
Given Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley’s frequent criticism of the way some British media outlets portray the Virgin Islands, a Beaconite wonders if he has seen BBC ratings winner “The Gold”? Described as “a banger” (United Kingdom slang for something really rather good) by no less than The Times of London, the show probably is not the type of thing the premier would really want Britain’s Anti-Corruption Champion Baroness Margaret Hodge to watch ahead of her much-touted “fact-finding” mission to the territory next month. Season one of the show portrayed a famous robbery of around $130 million-worth of gold bullion at London’s Heathrow Airport in the early 1980s. Season two takes some artistic licence with the follow-up plot, but a review in The Times was ecstatic: “The show’s most outstanding new character, the venal Isle of Man-based lawyer Douglas Baxter, played by Josh McGuire, definitely isn’t real. But the underlying story is true: British detectives did go on an unauthorised mission to Spain in the search for the villains, which ultimately took them to the Isle of Man and to the British Virgin Islands where the gold from that Heathrow lock-up was mixed up with the murderous goings-on of various South American drug cartels.” Scenes are purported to portray Tortola (but the show was actually shot in Tenerife). Still, the Beaconite suspects that is not the kind of image the government wants in the anti-corruption czar’s head as the territory prepares for Hurricane Hodge to hit.
What’s in a name?
A Beaconite has always appreciated the fact that various buildings in the territory are named after people who have made an impact on the Virgin Islands. They include the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium, the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, the J.R. O’Neal Botanic Gardens, and the territory’s public schools and clinics. These are just a few examples of how the territory embraces the important figures who have helped shape the VI. Of course, the practice is not at all unique to the VI. Many places around the world have named buildings, roads and landmarks after famous people. Another example of focussing more closely on history was the renaming of public holidays including the recent Virgin Islands Day, which used to be called Territory Day — and, before that, Colony Day. Such celebrations help young people learn about the past and understand that the names on buildings and landmarks and parks are not merely words on a sign — they represent real people who have had a positive impact on this territory.
Crown of fire
Across Tortola in recent weeks, the crowns of certain trees have erupted in vibrant vermillion flowers. While on the way to the Carrot Bay Cultural Fiesta’s opening, a Beaconite had to stop and gawk at a royal poinciana — otherwise known as the flamboyant tree. He can see why: The brightest red pigment he’d ever witnessed rivalled the feathers of the male flamingos that sometimes wade in the territory’s salt ponds. The tree seemed to stage its own festival that evening, stretching its branches like arms heavy with banners. Below, the road led to Carrot Bay, where speakers were stacked and fish fried in the open air. But here on the hillside, the flamboyant demanded its own audience, unapologetic in its timing. Two weeks on, the fiesta is over, the music faded into memory. The flamboyant still burns. It doesn’t ask for notice, and yet it marks the season as surely as the hurricane forecasts do. For the Beaconite, it’s a reminder that not all stories come with a press release. Some bloom in silence, right on schedule.
