Non-playing wives

Titled by my father, this is probably my favourite photo of this chapter in my life. See 30/5/1958

The BP ex-Pat community were all housed on a very large plot of land (in excess of 100 acres - 50 Hectares) south of the village of Palo Seco, known as Beach Camp, directly on the coast. Much of it was enclosed with fencing, we had our own police force with a hut at the one road entrance, our own kindergarten, primary school, cricket pitch and social & sports centre. No shops though. I will need to check on Google Earth how many houses there were, I think perhaps 30 i.e 30 families.

It was however like one big family and there was a hierarchy built of course on the basis of who the General manager and deputy were. In addition, in the capital Port-of-Spain, there was a Director who fulfilled all the semi-political roles needed in such a business operation.

I don't remember which of the ladies was the wife of which employee but from memory, they were the matriarchs who made the social world go round and ensured for proper British standards and conduct. I think the car was the GMs but it could have been the Directors who had come down to visit the field employees.

They are from left to right:
Lady guest of GM's wife, Mrs. Walling, Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Wallis.

PS I think Mrs. Walling was the wife of the Head of Trinidad Operations and named or at least called "Darling". Somewhere there is a USA connection but I don't remember what. My mother and I were allowed to use their flat in Dulwich for several weeks sometime in the late 1960s during a school holiday when my mother stayed over longer.