A Shade of Blues

29/11/2024

There's plenty yachts at anchor - already this season 😀. Bequia growing in popularity! There was a time when few had heard of this special island...

05/11/2024

My neighbour in the UK stayed at this featured hotel - she said she preferred Princess Margaret to Friendship Bay🙂🙂🙂. Friendship is lovely, but the swimming and snorkelling is better at PM.

The featured aerial photo of Bequia in this article is not where this upmarket luxury hotel is located - it's on the other side of the island. It does feature Princess Margaret anchorage, De Harbor, Hamilton and A Shade of Blues 😄 which offers a lower price position to BBH ☺️ and an easier walk to the local bars and restaurants.

(Oh - following Hurricane Beryl damage, the turtle sanctuary is closed.)

The only way to get guaranteed sunshine this month will be with a boarding pass. Here’s where to travel in November

25/10/2024

Dreaming of Bequia? Came across this 7-years-back video of our neighbourhood. Useful for those that wish to better understand where we are - it's The Blue House above Jack's 😄💙💙💙

We have more pop up hospitality vendors on the beach, Jack's Beach Bar is always working on continuous improvement, but otherwise not much has changed...
https://youtu.be/x3WSmhYgZFc?si=TupuL6G79kyDu9ng

Join us at Jack's for delicious cocktails, thirst-quenching sundowners and fabulous food on the beach at Princess Margret. DAILY SPECIALS, LIVE MUSIC, WATERS...

13/10/2024

An update on our valued coastal Trail.
The route from A Shade of Blues to Lower Bay remains open. There will be many now walking the main road to and from the Harbour - good exercise. Can also catch a dollar van part-way or take a water or land taxi.

17/08/2024

Unfortunately nature has destroyed our walkway into Port Elizabeth. It is now out of action. 🥲 The cliff-side route over to Lower Bay is still good.
Hoping our local water taxi operators can organise to provide an efficient and reliable water taxi service between the functioning jetties - bookable via WhatsApp 😀.
Just a bit more pollution compared to walking from their engines...and a wish for slow speeds around the swimming and snorkelling areas 🙏

09/08/2024

New airline routes from the USA coming next season 😃

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines says visitors continue to discover the destination despite the impact of Hurricane Beryl on the southern part of the island’s archipelago. Following the passage of the Category 4 hurricane on July 1, which caused severe disruption to parts of the island chain, tour...

31/07/2024

This is how it is in our Grenadines....many still homeless and without money to rebuild after nature punished their daily existence. Hurricane Beryl took control and destroyed homes they have worked hard for...
https://reliefweb.int/report/saint-vincent-and-grenadines/st-vincent-and-grenadines-operational-strategy-federation-wide-national-society-response-plan-mdrs2001-hurricane-beryl-emergency-appeal
You may know my husband spends hours of his time as a volunteer manager of a charity - Action Bequia. This charity has a tax advantageous method for UK residents of processing donations to help these strong, but desperate people. Action Bequia are transferring funds to the local hard working volunteer community groups who have no administrative costs, just hard working people whose mission is to help those in need in their special community.

If you are in a position to make a donation, big or small, to help peoples of our world recover from a hurricane - it will be appreciated 🙏

11/07/2024

On 1st July, 2024, Hurricane Beryl was the first Category 4 hurricane to ever hit Bequia. And so early - the second named storm of the 2024 season!
It was very scary to those experiencing its winds.😱

The SVG Government and the media provided much advance warning and advice to prepare, but it nevertheless left much damage to properties on our island: destroying some homes, removing many roofs, felling many trees and telegraph poles that held the cables needed for electricity and Internet, wrecking boats and walkways across the sea. Thankfully, A Shade of Blues house and roof was not damaged - a big mahogany tree did break damaging fencing, decking and balustrades on the dancing deck - easily repaired. And yes, for future safety that mahogany tree will - sadly - have to go 😢.

Bequia is a strong community and residents make great efforts to help each other.... Already the electricity has been restored in many areas (yes, at Princess Margaret) and our hospitality businesses are up and running again, albeit some without their roofs and decks 🙃.

Donations of help are being received and distributed to local organisations who already have experience managing the needs of the people who are displaced and suffering from a natural disaster - remember La Soufriere volcano erupted recently, also making many in the country homeless?

Some local Pages that keep folk well informed:
Lite FM: https://www.facebook.com/litefmbequia/
Radio Grenadines: https://www.facebook.com/radiogrenadines
OneNewsSVG: https://www.facebook.com/Onenewssvg
Bequia What's On: https://www.facebook.com/groups/122198531593669

If you love Bequia and are in a position to help the people of these islands that have lost so much, these are two organisations where you can be assured your monies will go directly to those with a need - no salaries, all volunteer based:
Grenadines Initiative: https://grenadinesinitiative.ca/
Action Bequia: https://www.actionbequia.org/

If you are in the UK, Kestral is providing low cost shipping for aid items:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/277315040228829/user/100063817562738/?locale=en_GB
https://fb.watch/tgExY5Ae3g/
The SVG Government are providing import concessions on many essential goods - see the list on the US Consulate poster. Duty concessions for barrels has been extended until December 31:
https://www.stvincenttimes.com/svg-government-duty-free-barrels-hurricane-beryl/

Bequia will recover!

So come visit. The amazing people who live there will appreciate your business to help buy that next material needed to repair and restore their properties. (Insurance is so expensive that very few has any.)

03/06/2024

We also have a great massage therapist in our neighbourhood 💆💆💆😊

Double advertisement here/ you now know where to find 'Sunny Spa' and a competent sign painter🤗😌

05/04/2024

Keeping traditions alive. Keeping music live... 👏👏👏