His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Anwar Choudhury visited the Pines Retirement Home on Friday, 6 April 2018.
He was met and accompanied by the home’s manager Lynda Mitchell and the Pines’ first manager and current resident Ms Olive Miller, OBE. Board member Pamela Webster also accompanied them on the tour of the 48-bed facility.
Ms Olive explained the significance of the Pines’ Wall of History, which exhibited memorabilia charting highlights since the home was opened in 1983. She also showed the Governor a picture of her with Queen Elizabeth II at the official opening of the Pines.
Mr. Choudhury was impressed by the Pines’ modern and immaculate interior and the level to which staff were attentive to the residents’ needs. Sybil Bodden was among the residents that the Governor met and talked with, who despite being bed-ridden, was talkative when she was introduced to her VIP visitor.
The Governor also met on-duty staff. During the tour, Mr. Choudhury asked the manager several questions including the Pines’ annual operating budget and the flexibility of its hurricane preparedness plan.
The tour concluded with the Governor meeting and chatting with several of the residents in the day room, including Carlene McTaggart, James Parsons, Gerry Harper, Louise Kidd and Emily Bodden. Pines resident Barbara Ebanks presented His Excellency with a framed, knitted placemat of Grand Cayman that she had made. Ms Olive then gave the Governor a signed copy of her latest poetry book "Cayman Rhyme Time with Ms Olive” for him to give to his daughters.