Back then it was one of my favourite spots to go for some quiet time to sit and watch the ocean and contemplate ideas and life in general. It was there that I did a lot of my planning for Eating Clouds - including taking a photograph as I lay on my back on the bench (which is an old railway sleeper). The photograph was of clouds drifting across the blue sky directly above.
At that point I'd already decided on Eating Clouds as the title for the book and I needed an image for the cover. The photo I took that day was used on one early proof-only copy of the book, but was later replaced by Lucy Hollis' stunning panorama shot from John Smith's Bay.
I can still remember the wonderful, whispering sound of the breeze through the thin needle-like leaves of the tall casuarina tree that overlooked the bench, and to which the bench was secured by a rope.
In July 2008, this is how I described the spot: Living on a compact little island of 21 square miles means it isn’t the easiest thing to find some peace and quiet away from it all….unless you know the secret of Coney Island. This little dead-end hideaway, linked to the main island by a small bridge, is little more than a nature reserve in all but name. Here, tucked away behind some trees, is an old railway sleeper that doubles up as a bench on which a morning coffee, banana bread and the newspaper can be savoured while stretching out and gazing at unbroken views of the blue ocean, or lying on my back on the sleeper to watch clouds float by high above the branches of the casaurina tree that whistle softly against the breeze.
A picture of the bench as it looked in 2008, with my take-away coffee, banana bread and morning newspaper resting on top, can be seen at the bottom of this blog post.
For many years it was my place of choice to go for my morning coffee and relaxation, but I frequented it less in recent years in favour of another spot - a hillock that overlooked the ocean - closer to where I used to stay. Nevertheless, I still paid occasional visits to 'contemplation bench' when I wanted a little change of scenery, or to reconnect with the place.
Sadly, the storms that struck Bermuda this month have all but destroyed the bench. Tropical Storm Fay, which was a direct hit on the island (and many believe was as destructive as a fully-formed hurricane), toppled the casaurina tree to which the bench was attached. The bench looked pretty much finished at that point, but a few days later Hurricane Gonzalo also made a direct hit on the island and threw the toppled tree back up and over so it now faces the opposite direction. That additional damage further wrenched the earth from around the bench.
What will become of the bench? Nature may take its course and claw it back into the undergrowth; a parks department crew may tidy up and remove the fallen casaurina, or the toppled tree may be left where it fell and possibly become a new, natural bench over time.
Yesterday I visited the bench. As I sat there on the wreckage I hoped that the secret spot would recover and, in some shape or form, continue to be a secluded place where curious wanderers might stumble upon it and find they can comfortably sit and contemplate the world, as I did so many years ago.
Below: The bench in July 2008 (with coffee, banana bread and newspaper)
