Royal Palms, the demolition of which made the news in this week’s Cayman Compass, was mentioned in a front-page article in the 9 Jan. 1975 issue of The Caymanian Compass – but for a much-less-dramatic reason. The beachfront establishment was the venue for an international heartworm seminar attended by about 25 veterinarians, most of whom came with their wives. W. W. Conolly, ExCo Member for Agriculture, gave the welcoming address.
The editorial on page 4 started with a look at tourism, ahead of a regional Conference on Tourism being held in Caracas. Noting that the Cayman delegation was “in a good position to share their benefits with those of other countries in the region”, the editorial continued, “Cayman has shone in the field of tourism in recent years, more than her counterparts in the Caribbean, and this is largely due to the colony’s unspoilt nature and the marked friendliness of the people”. But it also warned, “We in Cayman can take note from countries where some of the ugly sides of tourism have prevailed … we would be placed in a position to profit from unfortunate experiences in other places.”
Under ‘District News’ for West Bay there was an obituary for Reginald Benson Parsons, the youngest and last remaining of the 11 children of Samuel and Elizabeth Parsons. “Following in the steps of his father and four elder brothers he went to sea at an early age and became a master mariner at the age of 19,” the tribute said. He skippered several schooners that would go to Mosquito Cays to catch turtles, and later was at the helm of the Goldfield.
Then, on page 9, there was a story about ‘The Old Man’ and his band playing at Grand Old House. The ‘old man’ was lead guitarist S.E. Nembhard, who in 1958 was responsible for inviting saxophonist and future Cayman icon Wellesley Howell to play here.
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