Richard and Lorraine Thorley shared a photo opportunity with living legend Sir Wes Hall and his daughter Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Tourism Product Authority Dr. Kerry Hall during a reception hosted at the Prime Minister's official residence at Ilaro Court on Wednesday night. The couple has visited the island a whopping 73 times.
OVER THE past 35 years, the Thorleys have visited Barbados a whopping 73 times.
Hailing from Staffordshire in central England, Richard and Lorraine Thorley first came to Barbados in 1982 on their honeymoon after hearing about the island from some of their friends, who had bought a villa on the east coast.
They stayed at the then magnificent Sam Lord's Castle and the rest, as they say, is history. The couple reveals they fell in love with the climate and most of all the people, which drew them back to Barbados annually, at times twice or more during the year.
When their parents died, the now retired couple said they were then able to spend longer periods in this island paradise, and that they did.
In 2012, they bought their second home in Sunset Crest and admit that they go to the beach every day for a swim, or hop into their car and go to various spots across the island.
Richard, while listing the many selling points said: “The weather is important to us because in England it rains all the time. We love the people. The people are very welcoming. We have so many Bajan friends. We like the food, the fish.”
His wife chimed in that she is also loves with local fruits, particularly bananas, sugar apples and avocados.
The couple doesn't anticipate their visits will increase that much more since they now spend longer periods on the island.
As it relates to changes that can be made to the country, the Thorleys reluctantly pointed to the roads which can be improved; the pedestrian crossings that can be made more visible; and the driving of the public service vehicles on the road, which they say can also be improved.
As it relates to their outlook on the contentious Brexit vote, Richard believes the separation will bode well for Barbados in the not too distant future.
“We are very much for Brexit. We think in the next two or three years the economy at the moment, the fourth richest economy in the world,the UK, and I think we are going to go up and up. Because Europe is past tense, there is no future in Europe. The economy, the trade will pick up, which will mean the tourism for Barbados will pick up even more,” he predicted.
(JH)
Section: