the B.v.islander - 1974
Government House - More than just an official residence
As the visitor sails into Road Habour he is struck by the charm of the scene. Rounded brown and green mountains, dotted with colourful houses surround the harbor on three sides, and one of the first buildings to catch his eye is the Government House.
A stately white structure set into the hill slightly above the waterfront road, encompassed by flowers and shrubs, this building had been the official residence of the island’s British administrators since 1926.
Presently residing in the Government House is the current Governor, His Excellency Derek George Cudmore and his wife Vrai. The Cudmores, who arrived in the territory in January 1971, find their house, “comfortable and homelike,” in spite of its imposing look.
The building’s distinguished, but massive appearance is due to its being built as a replacement for the original Government House, a wooden structure which was destroyed in the hurricane of 1924. Designed to withstand future hurricanes and act as a shelter, the house is constructed entirely of reinforced concrete, with walls that are about a foot thick.
Throughout the years little has been done to the building. But recently the United Kingdom has been allocating funds to improve all the Government Houses in the West Indies and in 1971 and 197, money came through for renovating the Governor’s residence here in the B.V.I.
Such long-needed improvements as rewiring were carried out. This was a major job because of the thick reinforced concrete walls. The kitchen was rebuilt and work done on the roof to cure the house’s many leaks and to provide insulation.
According to Mrs. Cudmore, one of the improvements that she is most pleased with is the covering of the patio, which added much needed space for official entertaining. “I’m sure the house fits the requirements of the time,” she stated, “but before the improvements, I found it difficult to entertain in.” Now the Cudmores hold most of their large functions in this covered terrace.
With the house’s entertaining facilities remedied the Cudmores have little cause to complain about their residence, and find only the noise and dust associated with living so close to the main road bothersome.
Although the basic furnishings of the house are provided, Mrs. Cudmore provides decorative touches where possible.
She particularly likes bright colours and yellow and gold are her two favourite hues. Red is another favourite colour with which she likes to accent a room and she disagrees with anyone who thinks it is a bad colour for the tropics.
The downstairs of Government House is comprised of a large drawing room, a dining room and patio, all of which are used for official receptions. Also on the lower level are the kitchen, laundry and store rooms. In the drawing room the Cudmores have on display, their sizable collection of South Pacific and West Indian shells, and the many pictures and artefacts that they have collected throughout their travels.
Besides their own pictures there are also many painting which belong to the house including one given by Queen Elizabeth on her 1966 visit to the island, which depicts Road Town in the 19th century.
The house’s upper level is divided into two parts, one for guests and a private apartment. For visitors there are two double and one single bedrooms, and three bathrooms, while the Cudmores’ apartment is made up of a sitting room, bedroom, drawing room, a bathroom and a small office of which Mrs. Cudmore makes full use.
Of their own apartment Mr. Cudmore said, “It is important to have one’s own home within the official residence, which can be shut off from one’s guest Of course, this is something we rarely do because we usually become friends with our guests within a few days.
“Another favourite feature of the house,” stated Mr. Cudmore, is the view. I always find it marvelous to look out at the harbor, there is always something going on out there.”
Mrs. Cudmore is as involved with what is going on outside the house as in. An avid gardener, she is proud of Government House’s profuse flower beds and the vegetable garden at the back. Although the climate is good for growing things here, she stated that the rocky conditions around the house make a garden difficult.
The Cudmores will be leaving their B.V.I. home this July, when the Governor’s term of office is up. Although most of the major work in improving the house has been completed, there were not enough funds left to finish with such decorative touches as re-covering the drawing room furniture. Mrs. Cudmore hopes that her successor will be able to carry out this work.
As the visitor sails into Road Habour he is struck by the charm of the scene. Rounded brown and green mountains, dotted with colourful houses surround the harbor on three sides, and one of the first buildings to catch his eye is the Government House.
A stately white structure set into the hill slightly above the waterfront road, encompassed by flowers and shrubs, this building had been the official residence of the island’s British administrators since 1926.
Presently residing in the Government House is the current Governor, His Excellency Derek George Cudmore and his wife Vrai. The Cudmores, who arrived in the territory in January 1971, find their house, “comfortable and homelike,” in spite of its imposing look.
The building’s distinguished, but massive appearance is due to its being built as a replacement for the original Government House, a wooden structure which was destroyed in the hurricane of 1924. Designed to withstand future hurricanes and act as a shelter, the house is constructed entirely of reinforced concrete, with walls that are about a foot thick.
Throughout the years little has been done to the building. But recently the United Kingdom has been allocating funds to improve all the Government Houses in the West Indies and in 1971 and 197, money came through for renovating the Governor’s residence here in the B.V.I.
Such long-needed improvements as rewiring were carried out. This was a major job because of the thick reinforced concrete walls. The kitchen was rebuilt and work done on the roof to cure the house’s many leaks and to provide insulation.
According to Mrs. Cudmore, one of the improvements that she is most pleased with is the covering of the patio, which added much needed space for official entertaining. “I’m sure the house fits the requirements of the time,” she stated, “but before the improvements, I found it difficult to entertain in.” Now the Cudmores hold most of their large functions in this covered terrace.
With the house’s entertaining facilities remedied the Cudmores have little cause to complain about their residence, and find only the noise and dust associated with living so close to the main road bothersome.
Although the basic furnishings of the house are provided, Mrs. Cudmore provides decorative touches where possible.
She particularly likes bright colours and yellow and gold are her two favourite hues. Red is another favourite colour with which she likes to accent a room and she disagrees with anyone who thinks it is a bad colour for the tropics.
The downstairs of Government House is comprised of a large drawing room, a dining room and patio, all of which are used for official receptions. Also on the lower level are the kitchen, laundry and store rooms. In the drawing room the Cudmores have on display, their sizable collection of South Pacific and West Indian shells, and the many pictures and artefacts that they have collected throughout their travels.
Besides their own pictures there are also many painting which belong to the house including one given by Queen Elizabeth on her 1966 visit to the island, which depicts Road Town in the 19th century.
The house’s upper level is divided into two parts, one for guests and a private apartment. For visitors there are two double and one single bedrooms, and three bathrooms, while the Cudmores’ apartment is made up of a sitting room, bedroom, drawing room, a bathroom and a small office of which Mrs. Cudmore makes full use.
Of their own apartment Mr. Cudmore said, “It is important to have one’s own home within the official residence, which can be shut off from one’s guest Of course, this is something we rarely do because we usually become friends with our guests within a few days.
“Another favourite feature of the house,” stated Mr. Cudmore, is the view. I always find it marvelous to look out at the harbor, there is always something going on out there.”
Mrs. Cudmore is as involved with what is going on outside the house as in. An avid gardener, she is proud of Government House’s profuse flower beds and the vegetable garden at the back. Although the climate is good for growing things here, she stated that the rocky conditions around the house make a garden difficult.
The Cudmores will be leaving their B.V.I. home this July, when the Governor’s term of office is up. Although most of the major work in improving the house has been completed, there were not enough funds left to finish with such decorative touches as re-covering the drawing room furniture. Mrs. Cudmore hopes that her successor will be able to carry out this work.