Hatchet Bay Reunion - 40+ Years Later

Reunion Group at the Shark Hole, Hatchet Bay Eleuthera

Approximately 65 ‘Hatchet Bayer's’ many of whom had not been back to Eleuthera for 40+ years had the opportunity in spring of 2008 to return to the island for an emotional reunion. A representative of the group contacted the Eleutheran to share the experience with all of Eleuthera. Rainbow Inn hosted the Hatchet Bay Reunion and organizers say that "Ken and Charlie were the awesome host to the reunion dinner on the Weekend night when everyone tried to play ‘catch up’ after being away for so long".

For some who were not back to Eleuthera since the 1970's it was quite an experience visiting places like shark hole, the cave and Surfer's Beach. About shark hole, they remarked how little it had changed, however about the cave it was "wow, who widened the opening and where did the Banyan tree go"?  "To the Surfing Beach where we surfed as teenagers before the ‘surfin beach’ was discovered by others. It is an awesome feeling to know that we, when kids, were the first to try the new founded adventure of surfin’ on Eleuthera and to form the Twin Silos's Surfin’ Association with members who included Les Lathrop, Wayne Stewart, Danny Tomlinson, Betty Tomlinson, Leona Russell, Ray Shilling & Frank Bashore" said the group in their communication with us.

Here's more of what they had to say: "To many of those that returned, Hatchet Bay was home, having been born and raised in this little unique place. As we drove the streets looking at the houses that we had called home, searching for the school house, it was a sad experience to realize that the ‘Hatchet Bay’ as we remembered it would be forever gone. The ‘Plantation’ was a ghost town, the ‘grocery store’ (burned to the ground a couple weeks before we arrived), the Yacht Club, the ‘Office’, the Poultry Farm, the Slaughter House, the Dairy Farm, even the Dock Master's building, disappearing with the passing of time. To many of us, Hatchet Bay, as we remembered it, was no more, at least it wasn't what we had left behind.

BUT on to brighter and happier events, we went searching for our old friends and shed many tears of joy when we found them. Some attended a festival at the ‘old ballpark’ where we once again were reunited with old friends like ‘Red’ from the grocery store, Austin Thompson from Gregory Town and many more.
To all of our friends on Eleuthera, we will return to see you someday and hope to plan another trip to Eleuthera in 2010."

Some members of the reunion group: Les & Ed Lathrop, Don, Craig, Brent Stewart, Rupert, Patsy, Cheryl Albury, Arlene & June Albury, Leona Russell, Billy, Phil, Mary & Ivy Roberts, Jill, Marshall, Patricia, Jim Irby, Kay & Jan Ohlhues, Linda Pendry, Tammy Edgmon, Sam Gifford, Patty, Bunky, Bob & Jim Musselwhite.
 

Billy Roberts & Tammy Edgmon

Arlene, Seabreeze, Leona & Les Lathrop

Jim Irby, Don Stewart & Ed Lathrop

Arlene, "Red", Les Lathrop & Leona an evening at the ole "ballpark"

Arlene Albury with Penny Edwards at the Reunion Dinner

Andrea Stewart & Cheryl Albury enjoying the reunion

Marshall Irby, Billy Roberts, Arlene Albury and Phil Roberts