Back in the day: Did you ever shop here?

Last Friday’s photo — The Coral Islanders

A terrific response from readers to last week’s ‘Back in the Day’ photo.

Darlene Ming, George Courtney Jr, Evelyn Lespere, Calvin Hendrickson, Ed White, Wilbert Warner Snr, Dennis Fox, Ty Stovell, the ever-helpful Ellen Coelho, and two unidentified callers all enthusiastically confirmed the identity of the musicians in last week’s photo.

It is, of course, none other than the Hubert ‘Bermuda is Another World’ Smith and his Coral Islanders. Left to right, the band members were Stan Seymour, Hubert Smith, Albert Fox, and Earl Darrell. 

Mr. Seymour is the only surviving member today, with a number of calypso records on the market under the name ‘Lord Necktie’.

Evelyn Lespere recognized her big brother Hubert Smith immediately, recalling his many years with the band, while Dennis Fox spotted his father Albert on the double bass (the instrument is still kept in the family, and Dennis himself is part of the Giant Steps band).

Calvin Hendrickson said that he sang under the tutelage of the Coral Islanders when they gave his vocal group a start in 1956, performing as their backing band at Clay House Inn on North Shore Road.

There was contention over the location, with some people saying it was the Clay House Inn and another The Harmony Club. However, both Dennis Fox and Darlene Ming offered the most convincing argument for the photo having been taken during a recording session in the ZBM Television studio at Bermuda Broadcasting.

Ms Ming said “Giveaways for me include the drapes in the background, the floor ‘riser’ just behind the musicians and their instruments, and the studio Christmas tree on the left side of the pic.”

For more on Hubert Smith, visit www.bermudabiographies.bm.

The popularity of our ‘Back in the Day’ feature has been huge thanks to our many callers and e-mailers. Some callers have said that they immediately turn to page 9 as soon as they get the Friday edition of the Sun. While I am unable to respond to every message I receive, please keep calling in and helping us to piece together a little more of Bermuda’s pictorial history, and be sure to leave your name so everybody gets a credit in the following week’s write-up. 

Contact me: [email protected]. Tel. 278-1880 

Did you ever shop here? Do you recognize this store? Or any of the ladies behind the counter? What can you tell us about this photo? And do you have any unusual, old photos to share? E-mail Photo Editor Gary Skelton: [email protected]. Or call him on 278-1880

*Photos courtesy of Scott Stallard