In `72, I agreed to partner with 2 friends and moved to the Caribbean to build a 47 ft catamaran sailboat designed by Peter Spronk, who lived there. They are still up on Google, now but ours was the first, so not up, now. We found Roland's art studio in a small town, Grande Case, on the French side of St Maarten, when we were exploring the island. We told him that we were building the big catamarans, in Simpson Bay, and he came to visit. Later he invited us to a party at his parents house, and they served only Champaign and Caviar on Crackers, with live music. On the way there I found a VW bus like mine minus parts, broken down on the road and decided to come look at it the next day. When I was there, suddenly Gendarmes appeared, caught me looking at the engine, then arrested me on suspicion of auto parts theft and put me in a French Dungeon. Later, When they were recording my identity, I told them I needed to go to the bathroom, on return, I saw that I could jump over the wall, and Escaped, ran for my life through Marigot, and hid in the woods until after dark; - swam home and hid out until my friends went and told Roland what happened, and he agreed to come get me and take me to the Gendarmes where he taught me to say, J'ai peur comme une bete. I had the fear of a beast!. - So they let me go! Last year, I discovered that you can look up people on Google, and had such great luck - There I found Laura and Roland and he remembered us and the boat (he was at our twin catamaran, launch party) and all that happened. So I told Laura the story, we were 25 and 28. then, and I have been following his activities, ever since, including buying Cheryl his wonderful Bouquet print, for our Anniversary, and now she had it Framed, and on the living room wall.So now we have his e-mails and Website, and activities and all he does that is so great it fills me with joy to think that somehow, I was part of his life.. They were visiting friends in Florida when Covid, hit and could not return to his home, St Martin! So they bought or rented in Vero Beach Florida and now live there and go back to St M, when they can. Please look at all their website offers.
Sir Roland Richardson - A Source of Sunshine (click URL)
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