Times of the Islands Summer 2023

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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum Colombia. At the time, South Caicos was a major hub for bringing in illegal drugs on their way to the United States. We may only speculate that some of the traffic actually went through Grand Turk rather than South Caicos. The DC-3 went on visits to the Dominican Republic to bring back vegetables and other consumables that were difficult to get in the Turks & Caicos Islands. There were occasionally charters for visits to Haiti with calls at the Citadelle Laferrière, a large, early 19th-century fortress situated approximately 17 miles south of Cap-Haïtien. It was commissioned by Emperor Henri Christophe, and built by tens of thousands of former slaves. My son, Andrew, was very young at the time but loved to watch the planes landing. I was driving up to the hospital late one afternoon with Andrew when we saw a bright light out to the west. I thought it was the light of the plane coming in to land so parked near the government offices to await the plane’s arrival. The light started to get larger but did not come any closer and after a time, a perfectly round cloud started to spread out from the light. I had not experienced this sort of sight before and found it rather eerie and almost threatening. After a time I carried on up to the hospital and told the nurses what I had seen. They were quite relaxed and explained that it was just a second stage rocket from Cape Canaveral, igniting and heading off into outer space. brakes were released, and the plane, hopefully, gathered enough speed to take off. There was a relaxed view to flying in Turks & Caicos. Once in December, a Christmas tree was brought into the cabin and threaded down between a full plane of seated passengers. I experienced an unusual landing at South Caicos where one plane was landing from one end of the runway whilst another the plane was coming in from the other end. Presumably the pilots were communicating to say which side of the runway they were going to take as they passed in the middle! There was a rumour that Ultramar, an oil company, was going to develop an oil refuelling station on the northern end of East Caicos. The pilot who I was discussing this with said, “Oh let’s go and have a look at the site.” People of Town Strip The pilots who flew into Town Strip were an interesting group (and all male to my knowledge). Most of the pilots of single engine planes just had private pilot’s licences and navigated from island to island around the Caribbean. The professional pilots were a very disparate group. There were pilots flying around the Turks & Caicos Islands who were on long term contracts. Other pilots were only there for a very short period of time between their main jobs, for example, as crop sprayers. Once a number of them left the island at short notice to go to West Africa. The Biafran War had just finished but there was still a need for pilots. One pilot explained one of the tricks for getting a DC-3 off a short runway. The plane was manually moved as far back down the runway as possible. Then a number of men sat on at the tail, the brakes were applied, the engines were run up to full speed, and the propeller’s pitch adjusted to give maximum power. At a signal the men leapt off the tail, the This is a 1979 slide of the Admiral Arm’s Inn, South Caicos, a base and home for many pilots. Although the flight was to go from Grand Turk straight to Blue Hills, he diverted to see the proposed site for the development. Some of the pilots would have not been out of place as characters in an Ernest Hemingway novel. The Admiral’s Arms hotel in South Caicos was a base and home for many and the idea of limited flying hours, rest periods, and no alcohol around the time of flying were alien concepts at the time. It was not unusual for pilots to fly their hangovers around the Islands! Many histories do not capture the culture and atmosphere of a community by ignoring the everyday life and times as they existed. Town Strip and its users do deserve to be remembered as they were important for the wellbeing of Grand Turk and epitomised the lifestyle and traditions of the past. a 74 www.timespub.tc
astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum Museum Matters Children’s club The Museum had a second Kid’s Painting event in April. The kids painted Petey, my potcake. Emerging from the event were some budding artists! Local artist Aysha is hosting a series of eight afterschool art classes at the Museum. The children will learn to draw, paint, and shade. After the last class, the Museum will be hosting a Beach Fun Day. For more information, email info@tcmuseum.org. a Grub, grill, and good times Mark your calendar for the annual Grub, Grill, and Good Times event on Saturday, July 22 at the Grand Turk Museum location. This event highlights local cuisine and music with local vendors selling your island favorites and live music with V6 Band and Zeus. A raffle is also held with prizes from many local restaurants, watersports operators, cash prizes, and more. a Grand Turk campus • The Museum continues to be the premiere stop on land tours offered through the cruise ships. Our gift shop is often complimented as the best on the island. If you are visiting Grand Turk, be sure to stop in and see our various new products, T-shirts, books, and locally made handicrafts. • The on-island guests also continue to visit the Museum and gift shop. We appreciate the support from the hotels and vacation rentals. a Current days & hours of operation: Grand Turk (Front Street): Hours vary daily, but in general open on all cruise ship days 9 AM to 1 PM. When a ship arrives on or after 11 AM, we will open one hour after arrival for three hours. Providenciales (The Village at Grace Bay): Open Tuesday and Thursday, 10 AM to 2 PM. Both locations include interesting exhibits and artifacts related to the history and culture of the Islands. Visit our gift shops for souvenirs, history books, and locally made products such as baskets, jewelry, salt products, and more. Days and times of operation are subject to change so please check our website or email us for updated information: www.tcmuseum.org• info@tcmuseum.org Story & Photos By Museum Manager Lisa Talbot Providenciales campus • New plant identification cards are being ordered for the Heritage House Garden. • We are always looking for more volunteers so we can expand our opening hours at this location. Please contact us if you are interested in donating a day or two of your time each month. • Condominiums, hotels, and a shopping area are currently being planned for the Grace Bay Village. As this area continues to develop, the Museum will be in a prime location to get additional exposure and support. a Times of the Islands Summer 2023 75
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TIMES OF THE SAMPLING THE SOUL OF T
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contents Departments 6 From the Edi
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from the editor MARTA MORTON—WWW.
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Everything’s Included For Everyon
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Building Your Vision, Delivering Ex
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TIMES OF THE ISLANDS MANAGING EDITO
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South Caicos, if you haven’t been
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MARTA MORTON—WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLA
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Times of the Islands Summer 2023

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