History is a living thing. Time changes everything, and – thereby – everything has history.
Celebrated South African writer Njabulo Ndebele once championed the idea of ‘rediscovering the ordinary’. Ndebele’s concern was South African literature, and its traditional focus on the spectacular: a focus that most folks adopt when they think of history.
Ndebele argued that we need to explore the rich, complex lives of everyday people in literature. History is the same.
In Bermuda, each and every one of us make history every day – and each of our stories indelibly contribute to our culture.
For six little girls who met in the mid-1960s, growing up in West Pembroke was all the history they needed to become lifelong friends, who regularly meet and reflect on more than 60 years of life, laughter and fellowship – to this very day!
The spectacular is often discussed but not required.
Wendy Wilson, Patty Perinchief, Gina Davis, Denise Peters, Connie Simmons and Sonia Smith established their collective during their time together at St John’s Sunday School, St Alban’s nursery, which was across the street from where Western Stars Sports Club is today, and West Pembroke Primary School.
Five of them later went to Berkeley together, while Sonia attended Warwick Academy. Their bond, however, had already taken root. They played together, danced together, went fishing, swimming and to the movies together – it was all outside in those days.
“Going to the home of your friends – that was a thing. You went to people’s houses to play, eat, run around, explore,” quipped Gina, the comedienne of the group.
“I used to go movies every weekend. Stand in the movie line at either Rosebank or Island Theatre. During the week, being inside was punishment, because the fun was outside playing with friends.”
Patty recalled playing games like Chinese hopscotch, sock-and-ball games and footsie (the game with a hoop around the ankle and a ball attached).
Wendy added context: “There wasn’t a lot of TV in those days, so lots of time was spent outdoors riding bikes, playing marbles, jacks and exploring our neighbourhood.”
Love that lasts a lifetime
Growing up was all about exploration: finding your way in a world that was anything but virtual. There was adventure, learning and growth in every moment away from home.
These were the everyday, ‘mundane’ activities of a group of friends who were never aware that they were living in a unique historical moment – and certainly did not allow that to affect their connection.
There was richness, culture and love in their ‘ordinary’ movements, so much love that, if you sit with the group today, you can feel the affection in every mumble, eye-roll, small giggle and aside – and there will be an abundance of asides!
Full of wit and charm and armed with a bond that demands that you accept them as they are, these ladies are shining examples of how living in Bermuda shapes us: how our ‘ordinary’ becomes our history.
Wendy hated gym class in school; she was always the last to be picked for teams. Sonia was the athlete who would be the first picked for teams. Patty joined the group late and still credits them with accepting her because she thought she was “funny looking”. Gina points to Patty’s blue eyes as a feature that made her different, and special – at least to this group.
Connie is the Christian of the group. She first met the others at St John’s Sunday School, then later went to West Pembroke, and the Berkeley, when her home became the group’s lunchtime hangout. Gina recalls that Connie’s mom would allow her to make sandwiches for the girls. Denise is the youngest, but she is universally acknowledged as the most ‘bossy’ and ‘pert’ – she’s the ‘girly’ girl of the group, and the youngest in charge! She presents as reserved, demure, with a tangible sense of confidence.
Happy days
To this day, each personality is easy to discern, and the love and authenticity that this group exudes is downright intoxicating. There is laughter – voluminous, full bellied laughter – that gives a family vibe. These ladies are family now, and their collective memories are rich with history, culture and devotion.
Growing up in Bermuda in the 1960s and 1970s instilled a resolute value for family in these ladies, and a sense of adventure that made them the stellar Bermudians they are today. When Gina describes a typical school week in those days, it feels like a warm, familial hug.
“Going to school was fun. Learning was adventurous and fun,” she said.
“We had teachers who made lasting memories, from standing in front of the class telling a story, reciting your times tables, or learning how the earth moves. We had teachers who were creative, so we built Bermuda homes from Styrofoam, had an African Show on the field. I remember a concert we had singing songs from the Jackson Five; Christmas plays, and sports day.”
Gina confesses to hating sports day. It was always a day when she would end up crying because she came last. Other events were more treasured, however.
“Children’s birthday parties were at your home, in your yard and you played, all dressed up with your friends. We walked home from school; no one picked us up. If we went swimming, we walked to the beach or the rocks.”
Adult supervision was not conspicuous in those days, but the ladies testify that if anything happened, their parents knew about it by the time they got home!
After high school, the girls drifted apart for a while, as life would have it. But Wendy, who is acknowledged by all the ladies as the common link that kept them together, made a concerted effort to write letters, arrange gatherings and ensure that the family they built in their school days would be the family they would return to for a lifetime.
Now, as they each enter a new chapter at 65 years young, they have memories of the ordinary: spectacular secrets to keep among themselves, and a history that each of us would cherish.
But most of all, they have each other.
