Sandy Island may revive as Anguilla's place to relax on a Sunday afternoon. . . .
February 1, 1999 - Site Map - Click to enlarge pictures

On January 17, 1999 a crowd of 200 people ventured out on the free water taxi to enjoy the launching of Sandy Island BBQ.

The island now has a large shady pavillion, with a bar and BBQ restaurant, to complement the reef-protected beach and lagoon. Very protected swimming here, and a fun boat trip out as well. The menu consists of ribs, chicken, fish, crayfish and lobster, with prices from US$14 to $28. Drinks are priced from $2 for a Coke to $6 for a Pina Colada.

There is live entertainment every Sunday, featuring the Musical Brothers plus Frankie Rogers on Saxaphone. They play uptempo Caribbean favorites, such as "Hot, Hot, Hot".

Open noon to 4pm, 6 days a week (closed Saturday), live music on Sunday. Free water taxi from Sandy Ground, perhaps from Meads Bay later (call to confirm). Telephone: 1-264-497-8780.

Roots, Inc., the company that operatoes Body and Soul fitness center, now offers accommodations on Sandy Ground beach and a fax and email service for visiting yachtsmen! Susanne has a 1 bedroom studio for $100-$125 per night and a single room as well, both tastefully decorated and tropical. These are right on the waterfront, next door to the Dive Shop. Telephone: 1-264-497-8364, email: [email protected]

Looking for Midwives. Jan Tritten from "Midwifery Today" magazine is putting on a conference on midwifery in Jamaica in December 1999. Her goal is to get midwives together from around the world, but especially from the Caribbean. She would like to invite a midwife on Anguilla, although she can only donate the conference fee and hopes that some local group can help with transport and a place to stay. Contact can by email at [email protected]

Because the club now has dependable CD-rom and Sound capability, they have been able to offer new experiences to the children who use the lab: Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, American Heritage Talking Dicitonary, Toon Talk programming game, Sim Tunes from Maxis for creating musical art, and Blues Clues puzzle adventures (the most popular).

To keep the noise level down, they installed headphones on each system instead of speakers. To protect the Win95 software from eventual destruction by eagerly enquiring hands, they installed Storm Windows, a security system that allows you to lock the Windows configuration and the desktop. One older system is a designated "crash and burn" machine, where students can experiment, install software, and get into the innards of Windows 95.

The lab is located in the back of the Arts and Craft building, next to the library. The club is currently open Mondays 3:30 to 5pm for those 12 and older, and Thursdays 3:30 to 5pm for younger children. Admission is $2EC per visit. The lab is also used by Information Technology students from the high school. Visitors welcome.

Directions: from the airport parking lot, take the only exit and turn left. Continue straight past Island Car Rental and the National Bank. Turn left at Alberts Market, go past the library, turn left past the Dept of Education, and drive to the back.

Thu, 17 Dec 1998 8:31:19 -0800
From: [email protected]
Subject: Thanks!!

Thanks for your advice through our previous e-mails and phone calls on Anguilla. I also gathered a lot of information through your fabulous web site. Thank you for all of your valuable information!

My husband and I travelled to Anguilla mid November and we have never had a better trip! We stayed at Cap Juluca, which in our opinion, is the finest in the Caribbean. What a great beach, service, food and activities! Their staff is unparalleled.

We also enjoyed Mango's, Blanchards, Oliver's and Luciano's for dinners outside Cap Juluca, with Mango's being our favorite.

Scilly Cay was a lot of fun with their live music on Sunday as well as tasty rum punch!! We also ventured out in a jeep to see the beautiful Shoal Bay.

I was surprised at how friendly the people are. Even though I heard that through the various travel forums, I was still surprised at how nice and helpful everyone was.

We hope to come back next year!! Hope all is well with you and your family.

Read more email from visitors.

Farmers enter their fresh crops and animals in a competition for awards: pumpkins, sweet peppers, goats, chickens, sheep, beekeeping, ...

There is produce and local honey for sale, or you can buy a souvenir T-shirt. Listen to music, eat barbeque and traditional local food and drink. Enjoy browsing through art and craft booths, even buy some plants or fertilizer.

School children go on class outings to the fair on Friday to learn about farming and farm animals.

If you want to try local farm products while staying in a villa, drop by the Agriculture Dept and see what they have for sale. There is usually a selection of produce, fruit, honey and rabbit meat.

The official booket for the fair was $5 EC: "Annual Agricultural & Industrial Exhibition". With articles on bee-keeping, jollification, growing broccoli, a recipe for Sorghum Johnny Cakes, and many other topics.

Theme for 1999 is "Farm Today or Starve Tomorrow". Produced by the National Farmers Association and the Deptartment of Agriculture. Read the article on the 1998 fair.

Although it is raining as I write this, the weather has been mostly clear and nice for the last two weeks. The humidity dropped too, with a low of 49% for the period.

Here are some events scheduled for the next few weeks:

• Feb 4. Savannah Gallery opening: Janet Cook Rutnik, "Island Scenes Then and Now. 5-8 pm.
  
• Feb 5. Friday: the Wallblake Auction, read all about it.
• Feb 6. Sunshine Theatre Art Awards Dinner. Anguilla Great House. Awards announced for Jason Lloyd as Artist of the Year, Roseanna Brown for Theatre Arts, and Alecia Ballin for Community Service.
• Feb 6-7. First Annual Flower and Garden Show. Ruthwill Auditorium and grounds. Sat 10-5 and Sun Noon-5:30. Sponsored by the Anguilla Beautification Club.
• Feb 7-20. Cultural Festival:
  • Sun Feb 7. 11am. Church Service. Church of God of Prophecy. West End.
  • Mon Feb 8. Noon-1pm. Concert at National Museum (AXA and Leeward Calypso King Mighty Springer, and Bankie Banx).
  • Tue Feb 9. Symposium on Anguillian Culture. Library Auditorium.
  • WedFeb 10. Noon-1pm. Concert at National Museum (High School Steel Pan Orchestra and Boys Choir).
  • Fri Feb 12. Noon-1pm. Concert (Hot Shot and Kingsley).
    8pm. National Trust Fund-raisng Dinner at Old Ta.
  • Sat Feb 13. 6:30am. Jollification at National Farmer's Plot, Wallblake.
    8pm. Ole Time Valentine Concert, Stoney Ground Primary School.
  • Sun Feb 14. Boat race at Sandy Ground.
  • Mon Feb 15. Noon-1pm. Concert (Cool Breeze).
  • Tue Feb 16. Noon-1pm. Concert (Dumpa and Anvibes).
  • Wed Feb 17. Noon-1pm. Drum Concert (Malcolm Melville).
    7:30pm. Primary School Choral Speaking and Cultural Evening. Stoney Groud Primary School.
  • Thu Feb 18 and Fri Feb 19. Lecture/Discusson and Workshops by Malcolm Melville, National Museum, The Valley. 10-Noon, Drums of Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow. 2-4pm and 4:30-6:30pm Drums Workshops.
  • Sat Feb 20. 10am-5pm. National Art and Craft Production Day. National Museum.
    1:30-4pm. Traditional Children's Toys and Games. Museum.

Arts Festival. The Arts Festival is raffling a trip from Anguilla to anywhere in the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska, or from the USA to Anguilla. Tickets are $20 each and are available at most hotels and art galleries. Drawing will be May 1999. Don't forget that the registration deadline for this summer's Arts Festival is fast approaching.

Triathalon. The Optimists Club, High Way Tyre, and Red Lion Distributors announce their second Triathalon Relay Extravaganza. Sunday March 21st at 11am. The three-person teams consist of a swimmer, a cyclist and a runner. Teams can enter in either the "Totally Serious" and "Seriously Fun" categories. Call 497-2369 to register. Ask for Teacher Art.

Email addresses:

Sunshine Villas (David Yates):   [email protected]

Value Plus (moved to The Quarter):   [email protected]

Gem Exclusiv T-Shirt:   [email protected]

Bob Concrich:   [email protected]

Villa For Sale in Seafeathers at this web page. Two bedrooms and two baths, with a pool and lush gardens. Sounds like just what you have been searching for.

Bob Conrich has a home page with pictures of Blackgarden Bay.

Villa for Rent at this page: T-House of the Anguilla Sun. Perfect for a couple.

Owner Oliver MacDonna created his waterfront restaurant on family land in Long Bay village, not far from Malliouhana Hotel. Oliver has spent a long time in the restaurant business before opening Olivers, but his last venture was setting up Brothers Auto Supply in George Hill (which is still run by his brother!).

Telephone: 1-264-497-8780. Email: [email protected]

Here is an email report from a Dennis Sheehan, [email protected], who thought very highly of Oliver's:

On our recent trip to the island we were pleased once again with the fine dining that awaited us. Yes food is important, even if our main routine is sitting on the beach from sunup to sun down and reading one book after another. Our regular haunts did not fail us, Blanchards, Scilly Cay, Uncle Ernies, Smitty,s, Ici, and Hibernia are all as wonderful as before.

But our biggest surprise and by far our best dining experience was Oliver's. It is one of the finest resturants we have found anywhere, including NYC. Oliver's was so wonderful we returned three separate nights. The food, staff and setting is worthy of Five Stars. We hope to enjoy Oliver's hospitality again in August since he assured us he would be open for the Carnival. Anyone up to fine dining must try it.

Bob, sorry but we did not carry a camera, though I wished we had for the setting is breath taking. After dinner, each night , we stepped downstairs to the bar for my ritual taste of the local rum and Diane's glass of wine and gazed off the terrace at the sea. With the glistening moonlight and the call of the surf we found this to be the perfect end to each of our meals at Oliver's, even on the one evening of inclement weather. You must really take an evening to enjoy this fine restaurant which, by the way is owned and operated by an Anguillian who obviously has trained at some of the finest restaurant. Oliver informed us that the chef is a friend from high school that he has known for years. The two have truly created a touch of excellence.

You can always quote me for what I send to you. Your news letter is our main guide to enjoying the island, until we can move there, and even then your letters will remain a certain guide.