Hamilton, Bermuda will surely be the most picturesque city I’ll ever work in during my lifetime. I was lucky enough to spend six months working on the island in 2004/2005. Bermuda is one of the most remote islands – located on its own in the Atlantic around 1,000 miles north of the Caribbean and 600 miles east of North Carolina in the US – and surely one of the most beautiful. An island of only 21 square kilometres that snakes along narrowly from one end to the other, so much so that driving from a northern tip to a southern tip only takes ten minutes at some points.

Hamilton is the capital city and the hub, centrally situated and sitting on a harbour. Front Street faces the harbour with its beautiful pastel shaded colonial buildings, a sign of the British colonial history of the island. The cultures of Hamilton and Bermuda are arguably as much American as British however. Some traditions are most certainly Bermudian, such as the common sight of local business men going to work in colourful Bermuda shorts accompanied by dressy shoes, high socks, blazer, shirt and tie. Some of the many ex pats living there also partake in this custom, as one of my Irish friends did. I decided to spare the locals the daily view of my knobbly knees and skinny pale Irish legs!

Both Hamilton and Bermuda are steeped in affluence, with financial services and tourism being the main industries. With its favourable tax breaks, hundreds of financial firms have set up presence on the island and most are situated in Hamilton. There are also thousands of companies which are legally registered in Bermuda for tax purposes but only have a postal presence there and no actual office or staff. Cruise ships bring thousands of visitors from America and beyond each year, all with plenty Bermudian dollars to spend. Crime is low and the streets are clean. The weather is generally sun kissed with a mild climate – summer temperatures average around 30 degrees centigrade and 15 in winter. Though the cost is living is high, salaries also reflect this and the low income tax rate allows for generous savings. The Bermudian dollar is fixed to the US dollar so is currently strong. The city and the island show plenty signs of its history of trying to fend off would be invaders. Fort Hamilton on the eastern edge of the city has lovely views of the harbour from its ramparts, a relic of US-British tensions in the 19^th century. Fort St. Catherine on the northern tip and the fort at Royal Naval Dockyard at the islands southern tip are other impressive geographical signs of its history.

My memories of Hamilton and Bermuda revolve around scooting around town and along ocean lined roads on my moped, shrouded in sun. Almost everyone has a moped! My favourite pastimes were weekend drives to remote beaches or fortifications, looking out at the endless and beautiful turquoise sea. And swimming in the warm waters. Another highlight was Christmas Day 2004, champagne on the beach with friends and a sea swim. Though I left the following March and missed the chance to see what Bermuda summer life was like, I still had plenty sunny days. Looking back I know I didn’t make the most of the time there and cherish the island as much as I should. However, health issues meant cutting short the two year contract after six months and returning home. Which was 100% the right decision at the time, with no regrets overall.

I can picture now my view from the 4^th floor of Bank of Bermuda right at the front of Hamilton harbour, and know I’ll never come close to working in an office again with such beautiful sights all around! My room on Winton Hill had double doors out to a balcony overlooking a little cove of shallow blue/green water, sun kissed more often than not. I hope to revisit the island at some point in the future, explore some of the favourite places of the past and find some new ones. Preferably exploring on a moped in warm sunshine, though the driving licence finally ran out last year so I may need to have a ‘Plan B’!