Fancy a ghost tour of the Old Town by lantern?

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25: ‘Ghost town lantern tours’ of St George’s could be in the pipeline as the Old Town seeks to liven things up in the east end.

The people of St George’s have formed an ‘activities committee’ to breath new life into the town.

Late night shopping could be expanded year-round and stores will adopt historic themes to encourage ‘nostalgia tourism’.

The committee is chaired by Mayor Kenneth Bascome and made up of eight members including storekeepers and museum officials.

It met for the first time on Saturday and plans are now afoot to bring in a series of new events to the World Heritage Site such as swimming and running races and late-night shopping nights.

The committee also hopes to take the first steps towards ‘nostalgia tourism’ with a weekly themed evening when frequent visitors to the island are highlighted and rewarded.

Mayor Bascome told the Bermuda Sun that St George’s was on the verge of a ‘renaissance’.

He added: “We are keen to make people aware of some of the amenities that are available to rent in St George’s like Penno’s Wharf, the car park behind BELCO and Ordnance Island.

“We are also looking to hold hat and fashion shows in the Town Square as well as swimming races in the Camber.

“And there are plans to do ghost town lantern tours around St George’s.”

Mr Bascome hopes that the first night of late-night shopping in the town will take place on the second week of August.

Plans are also being put in place to hold a regular car boot and plant sale in the town.

He added: “We would like to see the Thursday night late shopping event to be an all year around event.

“That way people can arrange their schedule to fit with it.

“The stores will also adopt themes of one of the 13 first US colonies or Bermuda parishes to give a little extra colour.

“Hopefully these series of events and our first push at nostalgia tourism will give us an advantage.”