JANUARY 2011 ISSUE BBC TV Arena Documentary to Feature Sir George MartinA two-man crew from Arena, an arts and culture programme on British Broadcasting Corporation TV (BBC TV), was in Montserrat recently finalising work on a documentary about the legendary music producer and former manager of the Beatles, Sir George Martin. Sir Martin and his wife spend part of the winter season in Montserrat and said that he could not tell a story of his life without including the “the Other Emerald Isle”. The crew, which arrived on Monday, January 10th, 2011, was shooting at several locations including Olveston House (www.olvestonhouse.com), which is the residence of Sir George Martin and also operates as a guesthouse. He explained that it was first built to house band members for stars like Elton John who were recording at Martin’s Air Studios in the 1980’s. Several persons from the Montserrat community were invited to be interviewed as part of the documentary. The programme is scheduled to be aired on the Easter weekend in the United Kingdom.
Former Minister of Tourism Laid to RestWell-wishers, family members, friends, and many officials of the neighbouring islands, were on hand at the Montserrat Cultural Centre on January 21st, to pay their last respects to the late Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism of Montserrat, the Honourable Dr. John A. Osborne. Dr. Osborne passed away on Sunday January 2nd in the United States after being hospitalized for several months. He holds the distinction of being the longest serving politician in Montserrat, totalling 38 years. He first came to the position of Chief Minister in November 1978 and continued until losing legislative council elections on October 10, 1991. He also served in this capacity from 2001 to 2006. He was an entrepreneur and shipwright, with a passion for his family and Montserrat. In a fitting homage to his love for the sea, Dr. Osborne’s coffin was a replica of one of his earlier ships the Western Sun and was built by Junie Irish. Following the celebration of his life on January 21st, Dr. Osborne was buried in a private funeral service on Saturday January 22 at the St. Peters Anglican Church.
Montserrat Gets Positive International Media CoverageMontserrat’s recently garnered significant positive worldwide coverage with recent featuresin the Canadian version of Reader’s Digest Magazine and on the Wheel of Fortune television show. Reader’s Digest Magazine featured the island as one of the top 6 places to learn to dive, highlighting the operations of local watersports operation, Scuba Montserrat (www.scubamontserrat.com). Reader’s Digest is one of the leading Canadian multi-brand media and marketing powerhouses and publishes five magazines, including Reader’s Digest and the French Magazine Sélection, which together have 7.6 million readers per month. Montserrat was also featured on an episode of Wheel of Fortune that aired on ABC Television on Friday January 21st, 2011. A lucky winner received an all expenses paid grand prize trip to Montserrat, with accomodations at Alta Loma, the luxurious Tropical Island Retreats’ (www.tropicalislandretreats.com) villa located in Woodlands. With an audience of 10 million viewers in the US and reaching almost 1 billion persons worldwide, Wheel of Fortune is one of the world’s most popular televisions shows.
Celebrate St Patrick’s Festival Caribbean Style in MontserratOverseas visitors are invited to enjoy the craic in Montserrat as it celebrates its unique St Patrick’s Festival from 11th– 20th March 2011. Known fondly as “The Other Emerald Isle”, Montserrat is the only country outside Ireland where St Patrick’s Day is a public holiday, and the island comes alive with more than a week of activities. The St Patrick’s Festival showcases the island’s rich mix of Irish and African heritage and culture, making this one of Montserrat’s most popular annual events. The activities for this year’s Festival include include a Freedom Run/Walk from Cudjoe Head to Salem Park, Nature Hike, Kite Festival, St Paddys Day Rock Concert, Heritage Concert, Jazz Concert, Ireland Alive Concert featuring the Martin Healy Band from Ireland, Cultural Dance Exchange featuring a Dance Troupe from India, All-Island Heritage Feast, Beach Parties, St Patrick’s Dinner, Emerald Community Singers in Concert and a Junior Calypso Competition. Events will take place in parks and buildings across the north of the island, with a number of activities concentrating in the Salem area this year. For more information on this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival including a detailed events listing, go to www.visitmontserrat.com/St_Patricks_Week