History · St. Mary · written in Patois with an English translation
Yuh did know seh James Bond baan inna St. Mary? No inna no spy office a London — right ya so, pon di cliff dem a Oracabessa, one likkle banana town pon di coast. Di writer Ian Fleming did wuk inna British navy intelligence, an im come a Jamaica fus during World War Two. Im love di island so till, im mek promise seh im a go live ya. Inna 1946 im buy fifteen acre a land a Oracabessa an build one simple house pon di sea edge. Im name i GoldenEye, afta one secret war mission. Every winta Fleming come dung come write. A right deh so, pon one likkle desk wid di window-dem shut so bird an flowas couldn' distract im, im write every one a di James Bond novel-dem. Im self seh im no know if Bond wooda eva baan if im neva did a live inna Jamaica. Di fus Bond flim, Dr. No, shoot partly inna Jamaica inna 1961 — a deh so di famous beach scene mek. Lata di music man Chris Blackwell, di same man weh help carry reggae go a di worl', buy GoldenEye an tun i inna hotel. Tideh, visitor from all bout come a Oracabessa fi see weh 007 baan, an di town even have one James Bond Beach. Nuh so likkle St. Mary reach di big screen?
Did you know that James Bond was born in St. Mary? Not in some spy office in London — right here, on the cliffs of Oracabessa, a little banana town on the coast. The writer Ian Fleming worked in British naval intelligence, and he first came to Jamaica during World War Two. He loved the island so much that he promised himself he would live here. In 1946 he bought fifteen acres of land at Oracabessa and built a simple house at the sea's edge. He named it GoldenEye, after a secret wartime mission. Every winter Fleming came down to write. Right there, at a little desk with the windows shuttered so the birds and flowers couldn't distract him, he wrote every one of the James Bond novels. He himself said he didn't know whether Bond would ever have been born if he had not been living in Jamaica. The first Bond film, Dr. No, was partly shot in Jamaica in 1961 — that's where the famous beach scene was made. Later the music man Chris Blackwell, the same man who helped carry reggae to the world, bought GoldenEye and turned it into a hotel. Today, visitors from everywhere come to Oracabessa to see where 007 was born, and the town even has a James Bond Beach. Isn't it something how little St. Mary reached the big screen?
Yu did nuo se James Bond baan iina St. Mary? No iina no spai afis a London — rait ya so, pon di klif dem a Oracabessa, wan likl banaana toun pon di kuos. Di raita Ian Fleming did wok iina British nievi intelijans, an im kom a Jamieka fos juurin World War Two. Im lov di ailan so til, im mek pramis se im a go liv ya. Iina 1946 im bai fiftiin ieka a lan a Oracabessa an bil wan simpl ous pon di sii ej. Im niem i GoldenEye, afta wan siikrit waar mishan. Evri winta Fleming kom dong kom rait. A rait de so, pon wan likl des wid di winda-dem shot so bod an flowaz kudn dischrak im, im rait evri wan a di James Bond navl-dem. Im self se im no nuo if Bond wuda eva baan if im neva did a liv iina Jamieka. Di fos Bond flim, Dr. No, shuut paatli iina Jamieka iina 1961 — a de so di fiemos biich siin mek. Lieta di myuuzik man Chris Blackwell, di siem man we elp kyai rege go a di worl, bai GoldenEye an ton i iina uotel. Tide, vizita fram aal bout kom a Oracabessa fi si we 007 baan, an di toun iivn av wan James Bond Beach. No so likl St. Mary riich di big skriin?
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
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