Once again, I must share this blog post by Professor Carolyn Cooper (who also writes a Sunday Gleaner column) as once again, she has hit the nail on the head! We love our beaches. Fort Clarence has always been a particular favorite of ours, and the last time we went there (which would have been in 2018, when my brother and his wife visited from Australia) we all had the greatest fun. For our two family members from very far away, it was the authentic Jamaican beach experience and they loved every minute of it.
It’s an unpretentious beach. It’s close to Kingston (perhaps the water is not the cleanest, therefore) but always had a lovely laid back atmosphere, nice almond trees for shade, and – importantly for a beach trip – good Jamaican food available if you wanted it, or you can just bring a picnic. It’s definitely a beach where you can laze away the day. For heaven’s sake, Jamaicans love their beaches. Do all our public beaches have to be bought up and turned into a money-making exercise? And you are quite right, Sis Carolyn: Summer is not a season in Jamaica.
Last year, I got an email from an irritated man: “I visited the Fort Clarence Beach today with my family, July 16, 2021, and realise that the place is in an unfortunate state. Maybe you can help me to understand the status of this beach; is this beach closed? What about the renovations you spoke of in your article about a year ago? The place seemed abandoned and unkempt. If Kingstonians or those from St Catherine desire a beach rendezvous, what are our options especially those who may not [have] the option of driving out of town?”
My column was headlined ‘Bait and switch at Fort Clarence Beach?’ Douglas Abraham did not see the question mark. In a letter to the editor, he wrote: “I note with interest an article in The Sunday Gleaner (March 1) written by Dr Carolyn Cooper titled ‘Bait and switch’.” Mr Abraham admitted that I…
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