Live today…

August – a month when flights are cheaper, hotel accommodation rates are lower and vacationers who dream of owning a beach can fulfil the fantasy…at least temporarily. ‘Slow Season’ they call it. More like ‘Value Season’ as a certain renowned restaurateur in Cane Garden Bay would say.

Of course, not forgetting that this is BVI August Festival month – a time of vibrant culture, profound reflection and colourful celebration; in this issue, several of our contributors review fun activities and innovative methods of relishing the best experience from this time of year.

Weather vigilance over this season is maintained with OBMI’s Managing Director Steve Fox and his article about architectural design against disaster. Smiths Gore Director Edward Childs presents a market review of commercial property, revealing potential progress for the BVI economy; we also investigate the true reception of August in our slice of paradise and how the concept of ‘slow season’ is gradually dissipating.

Speaking of reflection, amid the celebrations of this month, aLG says a fond farewell to long-standing veteran crusader Owen Waters, who moves on to pursue his passions. Commencing his tenure in late 2007, he entered the aLG family as a desk-jockey, writing stories about his preferential pastime—water sports—before becoming the Editor of VIPY.

Enthusiastic about first person experiences, Owen met characters from all different walks of life, venturing on wild assignments from diving for the magazine to helping in salvage operations. He recalls one of the more amusing stories where he aided salvage operators, who were rescuing a boat; a sailor who had mistakenly fallen asleep at the helm and crashed at the south side of Virgin Gorda: “I really felt for him as this open ocean adventurer losing everything, so I went out to help with the salvage guys as he said that his stuff was being washed away constantly or being pillaged.

I went out with 2 other guys super early in a dinghy and we swam ashore to the boat in really rough seas and currents. “We pulled as much stuff off as we could find, which was really nothing and we nearly broke our necks on the rocks. We took him back to base clutching a salty bottle of rum and really felt the heart strings go. After we published the story, I got a call from his wife who wanted to know where he was. Turns out he had run off with all their money and sailed off with it, leaving her at home with his kids to look after the farm on their own …Karma in that salty rum – I don’t think he was welcomed back.”

Some of his fonder memories are of accomplishing challenging goals with the aLG team whilst remaining optimistic that they helped people and projects along the way, like the Marine Awareness Guide and other various charities.

Owen concludes his time at aLG as Senior Account Executive having held an intricate role in developing the company with Nick Cunha and Colin Rathbun. An asset to the magazine, he will be sorely missed.

…look forward to tomorrow.

Editor
Stephen L France

Publisher
aLookingGlass

Contributors
Brian Duff
Clive Petrovic
David Blacklock
Edward Childs
Fran Morrell
Kate Henderson
Steve Fox
Susie Younkle

Creative Director
Nick Cunha

Design & Layout
Scott Taylor

Web Developer
Maros Pristas

Sales & Marketing
Stephen L France

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