Description

Meet Bermuda's "Voice of Summer," Jim Woolridge, the voice behind cricket broadcasting for the past 45 years. A former politician and the longest serving Minister of Tourism, Woolridge shares his love for the game and encyclopedic knowledge of the sport.

Transcript

Jim: I’m the most fortunate man in the world now I’m very fortunate actually I came from humble beginnings my father’s mother died when he was 5. Father died when he was 5 years raised 10 of us and gave us the world. Go out there and get it. A CONVERSATION WITH THE HON. CV JIM WOOLRIDGE Bermuda’s Voice of Summer Jim: What I did in number of other things I was boulders operator. I drove a truck. I was a waiter, I was a bartender and of course in 1988 I became a member of parliament. I was a member of parliament for 33 years and during that period I was the Minister for Tourism for 14 years, Minister for Labor and Immigration for 7 years, Minister of Works and Engineering 3 years and the Deputy Premier for 4 years. So I had a very exciting and illustrious career, loved every bit of it. You know I have said many times if anyone did not grew up with the benefit of a big family miss the joy of living and you know my father was an unbelievable man. He used to tell us, we guys if we wanted to get and play cricket in the evening, if you’re not here by 6:30 you won’t eat. Literally he didn’t mean it but what he did, we insist that we all sit down at the table because that’s where he had his farm and he it wasn’t uncommon, 9:30 to 10:00 o’clock at night was still sitting there and meanwhile if some music came on the radio he was the first up to dance with one of my sisters. He was a marvelous man. I do, I grew up with it and during the period and it wasn’t forced upon me. It’s just that I admire all of the great qualities. The quality of service, the dress, I mean I don’t have on my shorts today because what we inherited from them which was our stand dress. Our long Bermuda socks and shorts and we adopted that from the regiment and from the Navy when they came in. There was some very noble you might say habits and whenever that we adopted from him and I enjoyed every bit of it. Discipline is a thing is starts the day you’re born and stops the day you die and we grow up under that type of thing. Tourism was our main source of living so everybody who came here was a potential visitor. You know, I mean the year I was there in 1980 was my best year ever for the island. And there were 650,000 visitors came, what did that give to us, it gave us the highest standards of living in the world. One of the highest per capita incomes in the world and then you consider that we don’t have sufficient soil to feed ourselves for 3 months. Its this volumes. “Going to London to visit the Queen…” Yes, as a matter of fact I have photographs of me with her. I met her several times and I’ve been to Buckingham Palace 5 years ago where I received my CVE. I’m a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and or my services to tourism and to the country in general, I guess. And when I went to Buckingham Palace I took my 3 granddaughters. I took them because I wanted them growing up knowing what the British government and what the British Commonwealth stood for and I will tell you if you ever get the opportunity when they knight you, don’t let them send it by a bus boy but go to Buckingham Palace itself because it’s the most fabulous experience that you ever want to meet. The Voice Summer Well that title was given to me some years ago by a Royal Gazette Reporter. Well this is my 5th year of broadcasting cricket to the island. I have enjoyed every bit of it and you know interesting enough during that period when I first became a member of the cabinet because one of the cabinet ministers said to me, “Now that you’re a minister in the government I hope you’re not going to be doing those ridiculous cricket commentaries.” Well I said, “I beg to differ.” I said, “I believe that there are a lot of seniors out there who have helped us to give good life through their contribution and sacrifice and they deserve to have this board into the homes.” And the second that they showed in to the hospitals and but your point is well taken. And I had the benefit with talking with my good friend Lord Montemayor who was a great Governor and a wonderful man. And he was kin woodsman. And I said Lord Montemayor on the advice of the premiere appointed me to my high office and I wouldn’t want to do anything to detract from it but I have been told that I should not be continuing with my cricket commentaries. He said “Jim had you not started it would be a mistake to start but the fact that you would do it, it would be a mistake to stop. Who would I jolly well listen to.” www.voyage.tv