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Presents BUILDERS OF TORTOLA |
Roger Harris A native of England, Roger Harris now lives at Nanny Cay, a few score yards from the berth for his sailboat. He previously lived in a series of other apartments, near “The Pub” and in Brandywine Bay, in the (over) 37 years since he first arrived on Tortola. Roger has lived in fourteen countries in all, and visited 160, making him something of an expert on a variety of topics. He often shares his expertise and ideas with the readers of The BVI Beacon, and is known countrywide for his outspoken opinions. Roger is now a “belonger” in the BVI.
Roger, his late wife Ann, and his family came to Tortola in February, 1972, transferred to the BVI from Antigua by his company, Cable and Wireless, a British Telecommunications company that once had the monopoly for such services in the Caribbean. It still provides landline services to the BVI (and elsewhere in the Caribbean) as LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment). The BVI developed as an important relay point for C&W in the Caribbean in the 1960s and transformed communications in this country. The territory went from having “thirty telephones to thousands” in a few years. Characteristically for the time this transformation was dependent upon British hardware imports, with all the attendant hassles of bringing equipment over long distances, and of building facilities with a shortage of skilled labour. A number of other people interviewed in this series have remarked upon the transformation of the economy that was aided in part, by the development of the C&W network. As Roger says these services did not come cheaply. There was no competition, but more importantly C&W had to pay to install all of the hardware, and to train the workers, and this was expensive. More so as the BVI were then more isolated from the rest of the world. Now 71 years old, Roger retired from C&W when he was fifty – although he now wishes he had continued for a few more years.
When he arrived in the BVI in 1972 Roger found, of course, a very different place from that discovered today by contemporary visitors and residents. Apart from the shortage of telephones, there were few roads, fewer with pavement, a limited number of vehicles, and a completely different cultural landscape. But the seeds of change were there. Lawrence Rockefeller’s Little Dix had opened on Virgin Gorda in 1964 – officially marking the beginning of modern day tourism development in the BVI. The Moorings had begun in 1969, operating with six boats from the Tortola Shipyard area near to The Pub. The finance industry was soon to ‘take-off’, with the 1983 Offshore Finance Act spurring this on. But in 1972 much of this development was at best incipient. Roger and his family flew in (to the old airport). Their belongings (including their car) arrived fastened to the deck of an inter island schooner.
There have been, of course an enormous number of changes over the past few decades. Roger has seen many of these. The improvement in the quality of roads, the development of Wickham’s Cay I and II on ‘reclaimed land’, the expansion of the road system – and of course the telecommunications system. Less obvious, perhaps, was the past need for weekly trips to St. Thomas for shopping. Shops in the BVI in the early 70s tended to be small, and to carry ‘one of everything’ in classic general store fashion – if you were lucky. Generally, the range of goods was limited and the prices were higher. Although prices in St. Thomas may still be ‘more competitive’, the need to go to the USVI has lessened as the stores in Tortola have grown in size and increased their inventory.
There has of course been a massive increase in ‘boating’ in the BVI. The Moorings grew enormously, but so did other companies, and along with them subsidiary industries such as chandleries. Other elements of tourism have boomed. The finance industry has skyrocketed. The number of expats has continued to grow, so that they now outnumber belongers. Like other early expat arrivals, Roger used to “know everybody”. This is no longer the case. But it is certainly easier to ‘get the job done’ now. Workers are more available (despite occasional challenges with bureaucracy), and necessary imports are easier to find and faster to arrive.
Forty years ago, the inhabitants of the BVI were land-rich and cash-poor. This has changed and it is still changing. New ‘monster’ houses owned by belongers (and others) are transforming the landscape – as Roger’s photograph collection shows. But the importance of ‘family’ is still apparent to Roger and can be seen in a variety of contexts – social, economic, political - on a daily basis. Government has grown, and the large number of government buildings is a characteristic of contemporary life in Roadtown and elsewhere. Education has improved immensely.
Despite massive changes, however, there is still a need for local and outside expertise and advice, although as the recent spectacle with the ‘roundabout’ traffic lights has shown, this advice is not always welcome nor taken. There remains room for greater efficiency. The BVI has been lucky, Roger feels, that tourism and finance have provided so much money in recent years that the teething troubles and challenges associated with growth of the economy, and the changes in the society, have been muted – but this might not always be the case if the economy experiences a prolonged downturn.
Along with the many positives, there have inevitably come some negatives. Drugs are widespread; crime has increased – as has been the case in many places around the world when ‘development’ occurs and tourism booms. Much of this seems to be associated with young males (if the newspapers paint an accurate picture). Once again this is not atypical of the world in general. The Police and Gaol systems have grown and changed along with the increase in crime. The Cruise Ship debate continues and is unlikely to be resolved in the near future. Coupled with this are challenges associated with the taxi industry and other services related to tourism in particular. But as Roger points out, there have always been pros and cons to life in the BVI. They are just different from what they were forty years ago.
Roger and his late wife were always contributors to the BVI. Apart from his work, there was involvement with VISAR, the Humane Society, the Red Cross, prostate screening, the Botanic Society, the National Parks Trust, and other causes. Roger’s wife Ann was known as the ‘Marmalade Lady’ as she kept her friends supplied with this valuable conserve. Roger is now becoming the ‘Marmalade Man’. The future holds more of the same for Roger. And he would change little of his past. He has “grown into the place”. Now 71, he will continue to live in the BVI for most of the year. Perhaps in Nanny Cay (his home since 1991). He will continue to travel for part of the year, and will spend time in his other house in Seaford, a small resort and dormitory town in East Sussex, UK. But the BVI will remain his home. And rest assured, he will continue to send his letters to The BVI Beacon.
Draft of December 3rd of interview of December 2nd 2009
Builders of Tortola Guide