First House

Actually born in the capital city of Trinidad, Port of Spain but this was where I spent the first couple of years of my life. House number 26 on Beach Camp Estate, Palo Seco, Trinidad,

The Estate belonged to and was presumably built by the oil company Trinidad Petroleum Development Co Ltd in the 1940s or possibly 30s. TPD was incorporated in 1918, the first successful oil well found in Trinidad was in 1866.

A small British company, it was to be bought out by British Petroleum (BP) in the late 1950s.  The camp was for the exPat workers. I am not sure but think there were about 30 to 40 such houses/families.

Except for the General Manager's house which had brickwork and glass windows and was a bungalow at ground level, all the others were built on stilts as in the Blip. Otherwise, everything was made of wood and without any insulation. The walls were simply one plank thick.

The stilts prevented most of the more unwelcome creepies and crawlies from getting in but had the advantage of allowing a pleasant shaded place to relax and to keep the car cool. No glass in the windows, simply shutters, opened and closed on cords.

On the very right would have been two bedrooms, a bathroom and open plan sitting and dining room. On the left the kitchen and below that the servant's quarters for two people.

Just to be seen in the photo, my Mum and our dog Sloper.