We were delighted to read in this morning’s Royal Gazette that our old friend and former colleague, Robert “Bob” Porter, and his wife Anne, who was working here at KEMH when they met in 1970, are holding a family reunion here next month for 15 members of their family.
Bob, who previously served in the Portsmouth City Police, had joined the Bermuda Police in October 1970 along with a group of young men from the UK with prior police experience, including Brian Anderson, Frank Smith, David “Dai” James, Raymond Thomas, Dave Shakeshaft, Henry Parry, Keith Bird, Alistair “Angus” Brown, Alan Bolton, Michael Sample, Michael Walker, Keith Pellow and Gerald Harmer. They were joined on their Localisation Course by P.C. Raphael Honore who joined as an experienced officer from the West Indies.
During his 11 years on Island, Bob’s postings included Central Division (Hamilton), Mobile Reserve, Eastern Division, Smith’s Parish Constable, CID (Murder Room), and several stints in “F” Department where he became a highly experienced Outward Bound instructor.
Bob and Anne were married in September 1972, and their first two children, Nicola and Amy were born here in Bermuda. Bob served until June 1981 after which he and Anne returned to the UK.
As reported in the Royal Gazette, ‘In April 1981, Anne and Robert Porter “sadly left beautiful Bermuda” and returned to England. The couple have been back several times since, but their trip next month is a special one. Coming with them on July 13 for a week’s stay at Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa are 15 members of their family.
For the Porters, who met on the island in 1970 only months after they relocated here for work, the vacation is “the fulfilment of a dream” of having their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren together in “the beautiful place where their story began”.
Anne Porter surrounded by daughters
“The beaches and the reefs and the water … They've seen photographs and heard our stories and they're just really excited about all of that and about getting together too, because we very rarely all get together because there's so many of us,” Mrs Porter said.
Their hope also, is that they are able to reconnect with old friends."
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Bob and Anne are certainly keen to meet up with their old friends whilst on Island, staying at Grotto Bay Beach Resort and Spa. For anyone wishing to contact them we have their details available at info@expobermuda.com. We have also mentioned that the usual weekly get togethers still take place at the Police Club on Thursdays around 4pm so they might be at the PRC on Thursday afternoon 18th July.
24th June 2024