Life Guard

My father sitting overlooking the small beach and probably having to take his turn at lifeguard duties. Not too difficult as we could all swim.

The men would often go out on long fishing trips with the boatsman who knew the rather tricky waters around the islands and with the coast of Venezuela just 8 miles away on the other side of the Dragon's Mouth Straits, one didn't want to be picked up by their coast guard for illegal entry.

The next door island, Chacachacare,  was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus on 12th August 1498 and he laid up in the bay. In 1999 Donald Trump was there and considered building a hotel/casino complex. Nothing came of it.

He probably heard the island had held a leper colony which was in existence when we were there. Somewhat frightening thought to us children, even if we hadn't read Charrière's Papillion and the Steve McQueen/Dustin Hoffman film was yet to be made. That, of course, happened not far away in French Guyana.

Also in the photo, John Porter left and Andrew Bushe centre