SIR LYNDEN PINDLING

SIR LYNDEN MY FRIEND – A Personal Story
By Fernley Palmer .M.B.E., J.P.

I knew Sir Lynden Pindling since we were both three years old. We both were born and grew up in the East Street area of New Providence. Our fathers were Jamaicans who came to The Bahamas to work as police officers. Because our fathers were friends, we also became the best of friends.

Sir Lynden and I went to school together. Our first school was Miss Duncombe’s School, which was located on prison Lane, off East Street. We went to Sands School, which was on Sands Lane, off Shirley Street. Following this, we went to Smith’s School together. Then we separated and went to different schools. We remained friends however, and I often helped Sir Lynden with his mathematics homework. He was not a very good student in mathematics but he was good at all other subjects. He also took music lessons and could play the piano. Education was very important in those days so our parents made sure we got the best of it.

As a boy, Lynden was always popular and had many friends. Whenever he was around, he always drew a crowd. Our favourite games were rolling hoops and skating. Lynden was better at sorts than most of our friends and always dreamed of being an athlete. He loved swimming and together we often walked our dogs to Long Wharf Beach to swimming. Around 1943 Lynden organized a group of friends to take an early morning swim at 5:00 a.m. to keep themselves fit. I still do this almost every day. We also rode our bikes together. Lynden’s father had a grocery store and we enjoyed using our bikes to deliver groceries when the store at 6:00 p.m.

Lynden attended the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Wellington Street. It was through selling Seventh Day Adventist books that he learned how to communicate with the public and develop his speaking abilities.

Our parents were very strict. I can remember one occasion when I was told to catch the chickens as they hatched. Instead of doing as I was told I met up with Lynden and a few other friends and we started to shoot marbles together. Because I was not there to catch them, rats ate the baby chicks. When my father discovered this, he asked me where I was. I told him that I stopped to shoot marbles with Lynden. My father then told Lynden’s father who gave him permission to punish both of us. This, of course was one o the worst experiences I had with Lynden.

As we grew up, we continued to be friends and kept in touch with each other during out adult lives. I will always cherish the memories of our friendship and the times I spent with this man who played such a great role in shaping and building this nation.