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ISLAND HIDEAWAY Words and photographs: Frances Janisch Located in Oracabessa Bay on the north coast of Jamaica, Ian Fleming’s GoldenEye retreat – where he penned all the James Bond novels – is a favourite among those wanting to escape the public eye f you plan to visit Jamaica, so that I wouldn’t be distracted land of Bob Marley and by the birds, the flowers and the Usain Bolt, be sure to sunshine outside,” he said. travel along the northern His wife, with whom he had a coastline to the sleepy village volatile relationship, sums up life of Oracabessa, where you’ll at GoldenEye beautifully in this find a heavenly retreat that’s the extract taken from The Letters home of 007 creator Ian Fleming. of Ann Fleming: “The weather’s GoldenEye – now a hotel owned beautiful and you would feel a by Chris Blackwell, the man who different person and get small introduced Bob Marley to the freckles under your eyes… There world – has a colourful history. are plenty of butterflies and when Originally a donkey racecourse, the you bathe in the dark, there’s lots property was purchased in 1946 by of phosphorus in the water and Fleming, who first came to Jamaica fireflies which drift about and during World War II as a British disappear. We never wear any Naval Intelligence Commander. He clothes when we bathe and it’s fell in love with the “peace, silence just a question of getting out of and cut-offness from the madding bed and walking down the steps world” and vowed to into the warm sea. There’s a great live the rest of his life in deal to do, what with the garden Jamaica. Fleming acquired and what we’re going to eat and the 6ha of overgrown land the small troubles which arise with its own coral beach the whole time, like the Methodist and began construction parson coming to call and on the villa, which still whether the ruined cathedral’s stands today. full of ‘duppies’, which are the The house he built local ghosts.” was very basic: a modest While all 14 of the James structure consisting Bond books were written at of three bedrooms, a GoldenEye, only three of them large living room and a have plots set in Jamaica. The swimming pool. It was name of the superspy was taken furnished simply, but the from the author of a popular view of the Caribbean ornithological book, Birds of the was where the luxury lay. West Indies – a decision Fleming Fleming designed the once explained in a Reader’s windows to frame the vista Digest interview: “I wanted he loved so much: large the simplest, dullest, plainest- wooden jalousies that sounding name I could find and remained open, unless ‘James Bond’ was much better Clockwise, from top: The Fleming Villa’s private beach. Ramsey DaCosta, Ian he was sitting at his desk than something more interesting, Fleming’s erstwhile gardener. Fleming’s bedroom with the original desk and writing. “I wrote every one like ‘Peregrine Carruthers’. chair he used while writing the Bond novels. The Fleming Villa. of the Bond thrillers here Exotic things would happen to with the jalousies closed and around him, but he’d be a 00 Sawubona March 2014 March 2014 Sawubona 00 jamaica Clockwise, from left: The Bizot Bar. Bond memorabilia at GoldenEye. Noel Coward’s home, Firefly, is now a museum. The Queen Mother’s place settings at Firefly. artist Lucian Freud, actors Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Sutherland and Sir Laurence Olivier, and Above: GoldenEye photographer Cecil Resort. Below, right: Beaton. Even the The resort offers numerous watersports. Queen Mother once Crosse & Blackwell mayonnaise resorts group stopped by for lunch. fame) and Blanche Lindo, a which now has Firefly, now owned descendant of Portuguese three properties in by Blackwell, is today Sephardic Jews who settled in its portfolio: Strawberry Hill, in both the gravesite of Coward and a and drinker, died of a heart attack Jamaica in the 1700s. The Lindos the Blue Mountains just above museum, where the original place while visiting London in 1964. were sugar cane farmers who also Kingston, The Caves in Negril and settings used by the Queen Mother The property remained a part of made a fortune off Appleton Rum GoldenEye. The latter consists of neutral figure – an anonymous, are on display. the family estate, but in 1976 it and were considered one of the the Fleming Villa, which has been blunt instrument wielded by a But what became of GoldenEye? was sold to Bob Marley. He, in most powerful families in Jamaica. expanded and can accommodate government department.” Fleming, who was a heavy smoker turn, sold it to Blackwell, who Blanche, who’s still alive, was a 10 guests. Due to the secluded Fleming, although by nature still owns and manages close friend (and rumoured lover) nature of the property, as well a loner and an introvert, was it today. Blackwell of Fleming and it’s thought that as its private beach, it’s become also a notorious womaniser himself is something the Bond character Octopussy is increasingly popular among who continually engaged in of an institution in based on her. celebrities seeking to escape extramarital affairs. Ann was away Jamaica: as the founder Blackwell formed Island Records the media. for months at a time in London and of Island Records, in Kingston in 1960 and went on Adjacent to the villa, further Fleming would pal around with he’s the individual to launch the careers of not only down the property, is the his inner circle – American actor most responsible for Bob Marley and the Wailers, but GoldenEye Resort consisting of 13 Errol Flynn and British humorist turning the world on also Cat Stevens, Stevie Winwood, villas, six lagoon cottages, a small and playwright Noel Coward, to reggae music: an Grace Jones, Burning Spear, Brian beach, two swimming pools (one who owned a property called accomplishment noted Ferry, Tom Waits, King Sunny Ade in the shape of an eye) and two Firefly a few kilometres away. A by the Rock ’n Roll Hall and U2. In 1989 the company was restaurants which serve excellent steady stream of celebrities were of Fame. bought by Polygram, although food. It’s very easy not to want to entertained between GoldenEye He was born in Blackwell stayed on to supervise. leave the resort once you settle into and Firefly, including novelists London in 1937 to In the early 1990s he created a chaise-longue with your Black Evelyn Waugh and Truman Capote, Irishman Joseph (of Island Outpost, a hotel and and Strong (one part Blackwell 00 Sawubona March 2014 March 2014 Sawubona 00 jamaica Clockwise, from left: Meals are a delicious experience. The Fleming Villa’s private beach. The Gazebo restuarant. GoldenEye’s signature rum cocktail, the Black and Strong. writing desk where Fleming banged away at his gold-plated typewriter. If you’re lucky, you’ll also run into Ramsey DaCosta, Rum, four parts ginger beer and now in his 80s, who was once the a dash of bitters). However, if gardener for Fleming (or “the you’d like to move some or all of Commander”, as DaCosta still your limbs, there are limitless refers to him). watersports, most of them free. Blackwell can also still be seen There’s also tennis, bird-watching walking around his property, and yoga, or you could take a stopping to chat to guests at the . guided drive around the island Bizot Bar or entertaining friends at YANA T – some of the best food I’ve had The Gazebo. As you sit in the o B o was in Jamaica. Frankly, though, warm, tropical wind listening to B it’s far easier settling in under an Bob Marley, sipping your Red MBA E umbrella and simply watching the Stripe beer and surrounded by h waves rolling in. Bond memorabilia, it’s quite IYAMT S If no-one's occupying the extraordinary to think that this : N Fleming Villa, you can ask the little oasis of history still exists. o concierge to let you have a look And Blackwell does a fine job of S around. You’ll see the original keeping it that way. l I lu TRATI NEEd tO kNOw Rates start at $620 per room per night, including breakfast, and from $5 500 for the Fleming Villa. Jet Blue and Caribbean Air fly directly to Montego Bay and Kingston from JFK Airport in New York. Transfers to GoldenEye (approximately two hours’ scenic driving) are available upon request and cost $200 from Kingston or $165 from Montego Bay. www.goldeneye.com 00 Sawubona March 2014.