Hello!

Bermuda is my favourite holiday destination and I have started to collect Bermuda postcards from the "Golden Era" of postcards - the early to mid decades of the twentieth century
Bermuda has changed a lot since then and these beautiful postcards are a lovely record of a bygone era.
Where possible as well as posting scans of the original postcards, I will also try and post up-to-date photos of the same view and also provide some interesting information.
Here is the first postcard of hopefully many!

Pathway of Oleanders and Cottage, Bermuda
This postcard was published by Yankee Store and Phoenix Drug Store, Bermuda and is No.20 in the series.
Although the stamp has been removed from the back, the message is dated 2nd December 1939.
The Phoenix Drug Store still exists as The Phoenix Group of twelve stores (founded in 1902) and which includes pharmacies and the department store Brown & Co.

Here's a close up of some oleanders - they are all over the island!

Hotel Buena Vista, Paget, Bermuda

Here's a hotel that no longer exists, which is a shame.

It's the Buena Vista, which was situated on Harbour Road in Paget.
The card is No. 280 and was published by Yankee Store, Bermuda.
Seemingly, the hotel was in a marvellous location on Harbour Road, with wonderful views of downtown Hamilton (the capital of Bermuda). It had it's own little beach and dock  just across the road. It also had on-road and off-road parking and easy access to the Lower Ferry stop on the Warwick/Paget public ferry route to Hamilton.
If that's the case, one wonders why it's owner wasn't able to sell it as a going concern when she decided it was too much work to look after and was also in serious need of renovation.
Eventually it was sold and the building used as housing for employees of the business which bought it. Unfortunately it seems that only the barest minimum work was done to the property and it has a rundown feel about it nowadays.
I've never visited Harbour Road, but plan to do so next May. I must see if I can find this building and take a photo of it.

Here's a picture of Lower Ferry - it's on the ferry route used by workers employed in Hamilton, and the guests of any of the hotels and guest houses along Harbour Road.

There are another four ferry stops on this route - Hodsdon's Ferry, Salt Kettle, Darrell's Wharf and Belmont Ferry.

This postcard really shouldn't be here. It should really be in my other blog, which concentrates on the postcards of the Tucker sisters. 

However since I have mentioned Hodsdon's Ferry, I thought I would post it anyway!

I'm sure there are a lot more picturesque Bermuda homes now than when this postcard was painted!

It's No. 95 in the series of postcards painted by Ethel and Kate Tucker. This particular card must have been printed after 1962 as it was published by C.F.Tucker, Paget, Bermuda. (Ethel died in 1962). It was printed in England by J. Salmon Ltd of Sevenoaks.

This is definitely one of the much more recent cards as it is postmarked 1971.

Since this original post, I have found out that the house is called "The Moorings" and it's on Harbour Road. I will try and find an up to date photo of it.

In this case the stamp hasn't been soaked off - 

The set of flower definitives to which this particular stamp belongs were issued from 1970 to 1975.

More Oleanders!

I think the title of this one is hilarious!

It's called "Bougainvillea Blossoms enrich Bermuda's Highways". It was published by the Yankee Store, Bermuda and is No. 223 in the series.

A Warning to Visitors!

This Yankee Store card (No.39) is not in good condition, but you still have to laugh at it! You wouldn't see a card like this released nowadays!

It advises visitors to keep to the left (well, somethings haven't changed!), as it  reminds them that "This is British soil"!

It also tells them that the police aren't "cops" in Bermuda but "Bobbies"!. I've a funny feeling that they aren't called "Bobbies" nowadays either!

The card is postmarked August 1935 and bears this stamp - 

This is one of a set of four stamps issued on 6th May 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V.

It does make you chuckle though!

"The Peak", Bermuda

This is a Phoenix Drug Co card (No. 26) which I was curious to find out more about.

I did a search online, but found no mention of it. I also asked someone who knows a lot about Bermuda as well. He didn't really know and then asked a Bermudian he knew if he had any information about it. He thought it was somewhere close to Flatts Village (see my Tucker blog for more about Flatts). He thought it was overgrown but could be seen from certain angles. 

That gave me a clue as to where to search for it on my Bermuda map. I spotted a "Folly's Tower" (close to Flatts marked on my map) and did a search on that online.

One of the results (thank you Bermuda-online.org!) gave me Zuill's Folly landmark, a concrete observation tower, built in 1908 by a local landowner on the island's highest elevation. His aim was to attract tourists to the top of the tower to view the island from one end  to the other. Unfortunately this wasn't a success as a tourist attraction.

The tower still exists to this day however, but has a 60 foot transmitter used for numerous commercial stations on top.
And here is an up to date photo of the tower.

I'm was wondering why it was called "The Peak" in the original postcard, but if it was on the highest part of the island, that may account for it. Unfortunately the postcard is not used, so there is no postmark to date it.
I would like to find out some more information about the landowner. I have a feeling that Zuill is a fairly common name in Bermuda. If I find out anymore, I will post it here.
This is like being a detective of sorts! Really enjoyable!

Par-La-Ville Gardens, Hamilton

Par-La-Ville Gardens is a lovely piece of tranquility in Hamilton the capitol of Bermuda.. I always enter it from Queen Street. To the right of the entrance is the Perot Post Office and Par-La-Ville House where the famous Perot lived. He actually planned the park. It's now home to the Bermuda Library and the Bermuda Historical Society Museum. I must admit I haven't visited it yet.
 To the left of the entrance is  the popular Lemon Tree Cafe. When I first visited Bermuda with my mum, we always used to lunch there. They had an outside area which was more or less in the Gardens.

The park was renamed Queen Elizabeth Park in 2012 in commemoration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but for me, it will always be Par-La-Ville Gardens.

 Here's No. 224 in the Yankee linen series. When I visit again in May I shall have to see if this view still exists!

Here's No. 104 in the Yankee Store & Bermuda Drug Co linen series.

And below, some photos taken in June 2013.

Here's a photo from June 2012 of the Perot Post Office. I must remember that it much more convenient than the main post office when buying the stamps for my postcards!

To the left you'll see the entrance to Par-La-Ville.

And here's a closer one I've found from 2002.

I've just found out that for a while this was the the Little Green Shop, run by the Tucker sisters, Ethel and Kate who painted a series of lovely postcards that they would have sold in the shop (and which I am collecting). They actually opened the earliest souvenir and gift shop in Bermuda also in Queen Street, but moved in 1915 to what is now the Perot Post Office.

The Little Green Shop remained open until 22nd February 1958 when the sisters  decided it was time to wind up the business, and the building reverted  to it's earlier status as the Perot Post Office.

Below are some photos taken in 2007 of Par-La-Ville.

Happy Christmas!

 Here's a new card and perfectly timed for Christmas! I would love to be in Bermuda for Christmas - it would be quite strange being somewhere quite warm at Christmas and the New Year compared with a chilly Scotland!
This card is No. 253 in the Yankee Store linen series. I actually have another No. 253 which almost exactly the same apart from the fact it doesn't have the word "Season's"!
I love the artwork on this card, so I just had to post it!
So to anyone who has come across my blog for whatever reason, I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!!

Yankee Store, Hamilton, Bermuda

Just realised I haven't posted any cards for a while, so here's one I've recently purchased!
It's quite appropriate as it portrays the shop that sold the Yankee postcards (I presume.) The shop no longer exists but I have been in touch with someone who lived in Bermuda between 1952 and 1960 and who used to visit the shop regularly to have film developed. According to him the linen cards (of which this is one) were at the height of their popularity in the 1950s.

                                        This No. 233 in the set of Yankee linen postcards.