Early '70's here also, went with some buds from work. Stayed at Yellow Bird, don't remember a lot but the ladies on the beach late at night. lol Things were simpler and cheaper way back then.
Early '70's here also, went with some buds from work. Stayed at Yellow Bird, don't remember a lot but the ladies on the beach late at night. lol Things were simpler and cheaper way back then.
Here is a photo of Captain Dennis who I alway belonged with the sail boat off the beach.
ah yes, mrs brown's... we brought ingredients from her and made the wonderful tea. also brought her key ingredient and she made us great cakes... or at least that's what i think i remember, ha. missed the banana fritters, i bet they were great. i seem remember living on fruit and juice from roadside stand just up the hill from where we stayed, and every night, ate grilled snapper and lobsters outdoors at picnic tables in someones yard. was 3 dives around in 79?
The young kid with the brown hat in the photo was the mushroom man the month I was there and we would get a pint milk carton full of fresh rooms early in the morning from him for $10j and walk to the beach and enjoy them with a Dragon Stout and watch and walk the beach. Then walk back up to the West End, that was a good day.
Last edited by lane; 12-30-2012 at 03:34 PM. Reason: Add more.
Yes, you could buy rum and cigarettes and not much else. I did not smoke but my buddy did. You could also buy cloth bandages, which I needed because of all the coral cuts I would get from going after lobsters. I was amazed at how well those band aids would stick in the heat and humidity. They were a lot better than the band aids sold back then in the US.
Great pics and stories. Proof that memory loss is not such a concern after all. My trips began on Feb 6 82.By then there were roads and electricity so by then any old hands will tell you that the goldrush was over. We still managed to have lots of fun though.This old table will stay with me forever. Miss Lena's 82'
I first went in 1972 and stayed in Redground at James Palmer's - he was the guy that would sell shells on the beach. We paid $300 for a six month stay, promising we would have our friends come to Jamaica & they would stay in some of the other bedrooms. The woman who cleaned the place was named Berna and some of our neighbors were Carlton and Robin. I do remember Presidente, Miss May, the great Heinz family where some of our friends lived. We eventually moved out of Redground and into a house a little bit before the Yacht Club, called Premium Cottages, owned by Eric Reynolds.
Somebody mentioned Dalton, he and Hillman were best friends, Hillman died also. My friends and I mostly hung out at The Sands (long!) walk from where we stayed, also at Tee-Water. Remember the West Indian Sugar company building? It was really a lovely building.
The cave someone asked about was called Joseph's Cave back then. Someone also mentioned that they thought it was strange that a picture of President Kennedy was in the Wharf Club. Historically, because of the Cuban Missle Crisis, he was greatly admired by Jamaicans after that. If you do a google search of Jamaica and the Cuban Missle crisis, you will understand.
There was really hardly ever any traffic on the beach road or west end road, only very occassionally would a car come by, I do remember the blue Ice Truck though, and you could catch a ride on it by hanging on the back bumper. I only remember two places to get food - The Wharf Club and the Yacht Club, which was too expensive when you stayed long term. I loved the conch soup at the Wharf Club! There were two phones in Negril, one at the Sundowner and one just outside of the Yacht Club. And so many fisherman coming in near Tee-Water with so many fish that they would sell right on the beach.
I also remember getting my feet stained by the red soil of Redground after a rainstorm.
Thanks Shelly. I love all these stories from long ago.
Feb.1 - 16 Xtabi
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Shelly, I remember walking to the pay phone across from the Yacht Club to make the call to Air Jamaica to let them know what flight you would be showing up for which was a must or you may not have a seat. So the line was sometimes long and or the coin box on the phone was full and you could not make your call and you just had to walk back the next day.
Here is some traffic for you, one thing you did not worry to much about was getting hit by a car, you could hear it coming a ways off and just watch it go by.
My first trip in mid 73 not electricity up on the West End but the water was in a small pipe running on top of the ground a long the road a each yard got a water faucet, it the pressure was up you could get a cold shower. You can see in the photo's the road going up to the West End still was not much in 1982.