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Benedict, Barbados, reparations

3rd January 2023 funtime65

Sometimes you find yourself going off track on a Caribbean ceilidh tour and become immersed in all things Benedict, Barbados and reparations.

St Nicholas Abbey and Steam Railway sits inland in the north-east of the island in the St Peter region.

And little about this tranquil location betrays its links to an Oscar winning actor other than the framed painting of Joshua Cumberbatch, his seventh great-grandfather.

Something which on our visit there they wanted to play down… naturally.

And particularly because the Cumberbatch/Caves no longer own the former plantation and its grounds.

That responsibility is now Bajan architect Larry Warren and his wife Anna’s who bought it in 2006.

Brave Bajan

And their sons Simon and Shae who have overseen a meticulous restoration of the property as an operating sugar plantation.

You’ll likely see Simon at the climax of the tour when you sample the rum.

The St Nicholas Abbey rum may take you by surprise, or the one I imbibed did… more of a liqueur but a glorious addition to the range.

Simon is as warming as the rum and delightfully self-deprecating.

Simon says: Our host Simon, Michael, Corrie and your Bandanaman

Joking to groups that he doesn’t blame us for thinking from the sound of his voice that he’s pissed.

The truth though, as he’ll tell you, is truly heartening as he was in a coma for months after a driving accident and which you can read on his alma mater’s home page.

Back on track

If the St Nicholas rum has whetted your appetite then you can wind down in the Terrace Cafe after your visit to the house.

And refresh yourself with rum punches and a fish cutter (my fave, but the menu is extensive).

In the sanctum of the overhanging trees overlooking the plantation’s lush tropical gullie.

We’re all working on this: The St Nicholas Abbey railway

St Nicholas Abbey is a hell of an addition to Barbados’s visitor experiences…

And as you wend your way up to the house your mind may drift to Benedict Cumberbatch‘s forebears.

And think too about the sweat and toil of those working here.

Cat’s the way: The St Nicholas Abbey house

They still are on the steam train, but it’s refreshing to see that today’s staff will be heading for a beach bar at the end of their shift.

The house is a charm too, only one of three Jacobean-style mansions still in the Western Hemisphere.

We can point too about the history of the house, Benedict, Barbados and reparations.

But anyone who has visited will know who has the real claim on the house…

The cat, whose name I didn’t get but I’m thinking maybe, Nicholas.

America, Caribbean, Countries, Europe, Ireland, UK

Flower of England

10th October 202210th October 2022 funtime65

The anticipation was at fever pitch ahead of The One Show announcement… no, not Eurovision but on Britain’s blooming with my Flower of England.

And in this one we have skin in the game with My Green-Fingered One and her North Berwick in Bloom team in the Britain in Bloom contest.

It is NB’s good fortune that they have someone on their team who brings the English country garden with her.

My love grows where my Sadie goes

My English Rose has got her hands dirty wherever I’ve taken her, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Co. Wicklow.

Where I treated her to a busman’s holiday at one of her favourite places, Powerscourt Hotel.

Tulips from Amsterdam

Flowers everywhere: At the Dylan in Amsterdam

And when we’re away too with tulips from Amsterdam from the Tulip Museum planted for the autumn and ready to spring next year.

We all have our own indulgences on our travels and you’ll know well I like to go where the locals ‘play and pray’.

Italia’s green and pleasant land

While My Green-Fingered One loves to dig out a gardens which meant the Villa Borghese in Rome and Villa d’Este, Tivoli.

Now I’ve oft been somewhere and thought my wee petal might enjoy the charms of a maze.

Such as the one Napoleon used to play in the Villa Pisani near Padova

Flower of Ireland: My mum in our old garden in Greystones, Co. Wicklow

The Parco Fauna Orobica in Bergamo, the lungs for the northern Italian city at the time of Covid.

And Padova is of course itself famed for its grounds, the world’s oldest academical botanical gardens, dating back to 1545.

Where the thing to do is to live it up with a sit down tux meal with full orchestra.

Bloomin’ Barbados

Or more recently in the St Nicholas Abbey grounds in Barbados.

Where another of her passions can be indulged… there’s a steam train line there too.

And on the sea

Of course it’s not just on land that you’ll see great gardens… there’s the Eden project on Celebrity Edge too off Florida.

And Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas in Barcelona.

Although it’s sometimes best not to show her everything.

For fear that she’ll not let me away on my own again.

Now the judges only agreed with me, and North Berwick won Best Coastal award.

But I could have told them all about my Flower of England.

She’s Britain’s blooming marvel.

Caribbean, Countries, UK

Bajan Auld Rummie in Edinburgh

26th August 202226th August 2022 funtime65

The Fringe faithful are wading through the rubbish from the strike… we though take to the water, it’s Bajan Auld Rummie in Edinburgh.

The Union Canal in the West End of Edinburgh is bathed in sunshine and the office buildings are reflecting off the water.

OK, it’s not Bridgetown.

But we’re with a true Bajan, Shane, and we’re drinking Barbados rum and cocktails.

And filling ourselves with our favourite drink and filling up on Scottish links with the Bajan rum story.

All with the help of Jamie and the two-hour Summerhall Drinks Lab Rum Cruise.

Labbing it up

Now you remember how gin had its hour with juniper (and more of that later) the tipple du jour of the Twentyteens.

Well, now that’s rum and hence why Summerhall Drinks Lab have added a rum tour to their popular gin cruise.

And why where Dark Matter in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, started pouring in 2015, a raft (well we are on a boat cruise) of rum distilleries followed.

And a shout-out here to my work colleague Michael.

His Jacobite Spirits business and their new spiced rum Charlie’s Chopper Clean Cut.

For the day and the company that’s in it we’re on the Bajan rum.

Well it is the birthplace of rom.

All roads lead to rom

And that means kicking off with Cockspur Old Gold which we taste.

As a sample to warm our palates and throats, a la a whisky or bourbon.

And if you’re getting that bourbon hit then it’ll be because one-use bourbon barrels get repurposed for rum.

For those who like their rum in mixers we’re treated to the daddy of them all the Mount Gay Black Barrel.

And the new kids on the block, St Nicholas Abbey and their white rum.

And a couple of sips and I’m right back.

In the verdant courtyard after our steam train journey and old plantation visit from June’s Barbados Celtic Festival trip.

Rum’s a Ting or Hing

Jamie is a font of wisdom on Bajan rum and how Scottish craft and guile was at its heart.

And he has even adapted the staple Rum Ting cocktail.

With a Scottish version the Rum Hing with local grapefruit juice and lime.

Limin’ is of course the daily Bajan rhythm of life.

And we lime our way throughrums, samples and cocktails…

And the lychee-based beaker particularly hits the spot.

All before we arrive back at Leamington Lift Bridge and toast Shane and Jamie with a Doorly’s 14-year-old from Foursquare rum distillery.

Juniper Mac and Cheese

There’s time enough in the evening to carry on the party in true Bajan style.

And we taxi to Juniper on Princes Street.

And we avoid the garbage which has revived references to the Scottish capital’s old nickname of Auld Reekie.

Juniper offers a relaxed library to lime.

With mini-saucepans of Mac and Cheese, a particular Bajan fave, my pick from its menu.

Do like the rumans do

With Mount Gay kindly providing us with rum punch which is, of course, water to Bajans but strong water at that.

Talk, of course, turns to absent friends.

And old pal Marc who represented the island so well over eight years in the UK.

But who has understandably returned home.

And he has now set up a rum tour business with distilleries, rum shops and the magic ingredient, Bajans at hand.

We’ll meet again, and hopefully soon but for now I’m keeping my end up here…

A Bajan Auld Rummie in Edinburgh.