Royal couple a hit with locals
The Earl and Countess of Wessex's first engagement during their visit was to The Centre on Angle Street in Hamilton to honour Duke of Edinburgh Awardees. Prince Edward and wife Sophie praised Bermuda’s youngsters as they visited schools and -community centres, met students, young sailors and children with special needs.
Tucker’s Point SDO approved by Senators
A controversial bid to build new condos at Tucker’s Point resort was backed by Senators on March 25.
The move cleared the way for hotel bosses to build on land environmental protesters insisted was a vital part of Bermuda’s natural heritage.
The original plan for 70 hotel rooms and 78 new residences was significantly scaled back in a bid to get Senate approval.
British MP upsets Burch
Andrew Rosindell, a British MP, remarked on a recent visit that Bermuda is a British territory and should be flying the Union Jack along with the Bermuda flag.
Senator David Burch accused the MP of being “disrespectful” saying if he took the comments personally he could put the MP on a stop list.
Grisly cast of Animal Farm
Cast members from the Gilbert and Sullivan production Animal Farm roamed the streets of Hamilton to give the public a taste of what was to come.
The production of George Orwell’s classic ran for four nights at City Hall.
$131m refit for Tynes Bay
The Tynes Bay refurbishment project was allocated a whopping $27 million in this year’s budget — but that is merely a fraction of the $131 million being ploughed into the facility.
The old equipment will be replaced by state-of-the-art technology built in factories in the US and Europe.
Smuggler jailed for 13 years
A 20-year-old woman was jailed for 13 years for smuggling more than $650,000 of heroin.
Co-Shae Bartrum put the drugs into a condom and put it inside of her shortly before a plane landed in Bermuda from London on May 23, 2010.
Work starts on new KEMH
The front of the old hospital was demolished to make way for the new development, expected to be completed in 2014 at a cost of $247 million. It was expected to take six weeks to raze the old building plus another two to clear the rubble from the site.
Year in Review 2011