Sukie is a traditional character in Bahamian folklore. She is generally at odds with the govemen’ and she always has her nose in other people’s business. Her expostulations are best rendered in the dialect of Eleuthera. This was written about ten years ago.

SUKIE PONDERS NAME CHANGES IN FREE PORT

Sukie say it difficult to keep up wid de name changes in Freeport nowdays.

Take for instance dem two hotels at Ranfurlies Circus…. Ranfurlies Circus you axe? Well dat’s de roundebout traffic circle what wuz named for an old gubnor of de Bahamas locate near the Kings Inn, which wuz once call the Princess Country Club and Princess Tower, den de Driftwood, de Sunspree Holiday Inn, Royal Oasis and now it some ting else dat I doan rember. And have you notice what happen to dis property? No man, I don’t mean dat million dollar road diwersion so dat de developers could prowide a beach for the wisitors dat look a lot like a swimmin’ pool to me. No, I mean the way it isolate itself from Free Port. A new wall bin construct at the roundeabout that seem to axe you stay away if you not a wisitor. The big wall de biggest billboard in de Bahamas and stop you seein’ that Tory gate ting. Once pon a time dat big gate wuz call important symbol of Free Port.

An’ what happen to de posh Marrocan-style El Casino? It bin ‘christianized’ dat’s what! The Marrocan dome bin replace by a flat roof. Fancy dat! The two minyrets dat used to look like rockets dem gone, instead dey got some ting on top dat look like garden sheds dough I expec’ dey suppose to look like church steeples or some such ting. Dey even got plastic bells man… wit’ electronic chimers! Now dat a sometin’ hey! Erry hour I tink dey call de faithful Holy Rollers to say der prayers and roll. Well, dem people what use big words say dis all political correct I s’pose. Anyhows it probables seem like a good idea to close de road den, but now the wisitors can’t see the Casino now so I guess dem not taking as much money from the Holy Rollers now.

Den der is de ‘re-label’ Westin Hotel that I tink is a bit confudle up bein’ part of ‘Our Lucaya’ dat was once call the Lucayan Beach Hotel (I still tryin’ to tink what bit of Our Lucaya is for we?). De glitzy tall glass building shape like a snake is part of ‘Our Lucaya’ and is also call Westin Hotel. It stan on the gravesite of the ole Oceanus South which once call the Sheraton Hotel den the Atlantik Beach Hotel – dem it blowed up. The ole Holiday Inn once call the Grand Bahama Beach Hotel den Breakers Cay and now, it part of Our Lucaya and it call the Sheraton at Our Lucaya. You understan’ all dis? The classy Monty Carlo Casino is be re-borned in a buildin’ that looks like a large bungelow. I don’t tink it will have de same name though. Nex’ time I write I will tell ‘bout you the proper political correct name …well since writin’ dis, it got a name, it call Isle of Capry. We got seven hundred island in de sun and I never heard of one call ‘Capry’!

Other tings: de Freeport Inn become the Island Palm Resort. Barcley Bank an’ CIBC done join and now call Carrybeen someting. Even de light company done gone from being call Freeport Power to Gran’ Bahama Power an’ Freeport Harbour now Lucayan Harbour…. I doan tink that a good name cos dem Indians wus bare naked what paddle canoes. I can’t understan’ what dey have to do wid a big industry harbour. All dem industry boats scarin’ cruise ships away dat bring we wisitors I tink. But, anyways the Gran’ Bahama Port Autority ain’t change it name yet but I don’t tink it have much autority now and it don’t control de Port no more, dat all done from Hon Fong.

All dis make de head spin, anyways…dat wat Sukie tink…

Island Notes is contributed by Peter Barratt, extracted from his new book: "FREEPORT NOTEBOOK”. This new book is, in some ways, supplementary to his other, better-known work, 'GRAND BAHAMA', a text that has gone through three editions and will shortly be published in a new edition.  He has some very interesting notes on the early history of Freeport but, he admits himself, he should have taken a correspondence course in poetry writing. Barratt's books are available in Grand Bahama at Oasis drug store, the Rand Nature Centre, Bahamian Tings and the Garden of the Groves shops. In Nassau his books are available at most bookshops on the island.