To See Sunshine One Must Weather The Storm An Island Parish

4,000 miles south-west of the British Isles,

where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea,

lies the island of Anguilla.

Colonised by English settlers in the 17th century,

it was quickly abandoned because of its poor soil.

So the African descendants, many of them former slaves,

became landowners rather than plantation workers,

fostering an independent spirit and close connection to the land

that still flourishes.

Today, just 3% of the population is white,

and it's now one of the 14 British Overseas Territories

with its own government and the Queen as its head of state.

It's very similar to growing up in Cornwall.

Everybody looks out for each other

and it's just a really nice way of living.

I mean, I've been here 23 years and I still think I'm kind of British!

With an average temperature of 80 degrees,

British expats have been lured here by the beaches, low taxes,

and relaxed way of life.

We have a tradition in Anguilla of going to take a sea bath.

This is the epitome of paradise.

You know, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

But this delicate island's future is precarious.

With few natural resources,

Anguillans have always had to be inventive to make ends meet,

competing with larger nearby islands like Antigua and Saint Kitts

for the tourist dollar.

Here, the threat of hurricanes is ever present,

and in the eye of these storms is a rock -

the Anglican minister Bishop Errol Brooks,

who presides over the island's largest parish.

As a people, we stand strong

when things get rough.

This paradise is extremely fragile.

In the days to come...

Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.

..at one of the island's premier resorts,

Anna Kennedy encounters some unwelcome guests...

You can see this is a little white fella in the middle there.

There's the start of what we don't want. Little devil.

..island vet Dr Garry Swanston gets to grips with a reluctant patient...

So here we have Snowflake.

SNOWFLAKE SHRIEKS

-Snowflake does not like...

-That's not nice.

..and on neighbouring Antigua,

Bishop Brooks leads the start of festivities

for the 175th anniversary of the diocese.

It's not a party, it's a celebration,

and we do that regularly down in the Caribbean.

It's a wonderful sight to behold.

-RADIO:

-'This time of the year is the hurricane season.

'Prepare your homes. Check those shutters.'

When they warn you about a hurricane, be prepared.

That is the slogan.

Hurricane season in the Caribbean can last for four months or more,

and tropical storms can build up momentum at any time.

Grant unto us, your sovreign people, protection against hurricanes...

At St Andrew's Anglican Church in the East End,

Bishop Brooks and the whole community

are mindful of the threat at this time of year.

In the old days, they used to say,

"June too soon, July stand by,

"August you must,

"September remember, October all over."

Our people here are extremely watchful,

having experienced much disaster in times past.

I know people who will have suffered loss of property,

and even loss of life.

And government and the disaster agency ensure that

shelters are provided for those

who fear that their home will not withstand the hurricane.

Good morning.

Hello, kids.

-ALL:

-Hello, Sergeant Best.

Being prepared and making sure

all the island's six shelters are fit for purpose

is the job of Sergeant Brian Best

from the Royal Anguilla Police Force.

Between 50-60 persons should be able to comfortably be housed here.

If you notice, the aluminium shutters versus glass shutters.

The ceiling is predominantly concrete,

which adds to the sturdiness of the building.

I mean, God forbid that something be devastating enough

to have persons inside for a week, two weeks, stuff like that.

Those of us who have experienced it know that it's no joke.

For local resident Dr Linda Banks,

reminders of the devastation hurricanes can bring

are ever present.

That boat was swept there by a hurricane

and that is a reminder to us that...

..life is fragile, our positions are fragile.

You know, no matter what we have,

the storms of life can just come and take them away.

In a few short hours,

what you have built for so many years can just be demolished.

One of the last major hurricanes to hit Anguilla was Luis in 1995.

The eye of the storm passed directly through the north of the island,

where Anna Kennedy had moved from the UK two years earlier.

It was a category-four hurricane.

You know, they only make five for a good reason.

After five, there's just nothing left.

Not only did I lose the gardens I was working at, I even lost the cat.

Personally, I lost everything.

But, you know, the people were very generous here.

I have to say, the Anguillans were amazing.

You know, somebody gave me a blue saucepan and a red plate

and a silver spoon, and it was just... You know, that's...

We were all in the same boat

and they knew what it's like to lose everything.

So they were very generous, I have to say.

To think, if I hadn't been on Anguilla,

I think I would have picked up and left.

Originally from Trerulefoot in Cornwall,

Anna is director of landscaping

here at one of the island's most exclusive resorts.

With few tourists visiting during hurricane season,

it's the perfect time for maintenance.

So at the moment we're taking advantage of being closed

and we're having a lot more work done than any other year,

because there is a lot more work to be done.

Anna is responsible for the large 35-acre garden,

and one of the biggest problems is bugs.

Oh, dear. Oh, dear, oh, dear.

You can see this is a little white fella in the middle there.

There's the start of what we don't want.

This is our Mr Pink Mealybug right there.

Little devil. They can get away with you if you're not too careful.

The resort has recently changed hands

and the new owners prefer an organic approach to horticulture,

creating a particular predicament

for one type of tree that's bearing the brunt of the blight.

This is one of my biggest challenges when it comes to pest control.

This is the turpentine tree, also known as the tourist tree,

because it's red and peeling.

You can see the stickiness on this plant.

It's absolutely bugged right out.

We've tried everything that I know

and I think there comes a point in time where I need to start

looking at another source on the island who can advise me.

Maybe there's something old-school Anguillan that they would use.

Having tried the latest pesticides and afraid of what might happen

if the bugs kill the expensive imported trees,

Anna's going to seek the advice

of one of Anguilla's foremost organic farmers.

How are you?

Frankie Lake has been selling chemical-free produce

at his roadside stall on the east of the island for over 15 years.

You're supposed to live with the nature.

If you're going to add pesticides, chemicals to the plants,

it goes into the soil and kills all the microorganisms,

kills the earthworm, and your soil becomes dead.

So you need to put as much organic matter that is healthy for the soil.

Keep the soil healthy, you're going to keep growing for years and years

and it's going to give you decent food to eat.

I've been doing that for the better part of 20 years now.

-Morning, Frankie.

-Morning. How are you?

-Very good, thank you. How's things?

-Pretty good, pretty good.

I've got this problem at the hotel.

-You know the turpentine tree?

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's full of fly.

I can't keep it clean.

The best thing I think down there for you right now is a lot of neem,

-a lot of neem.

-Right.

-The best you want to use it,

-use it actually in the evening is the best time.

-OK.

And it stays overnight, and it helps to kill the bugs longer.

Frankie's suggestion for Anna is using an extract from a neem tree.

Found in abundance in tropical climates,

neem is thought to have been used by subsistence farmers

to control insect attacks for hundreds of years.

OK, first of all, you've got a bunch of berries here.

The seeds, once it's dry, you can feel the oil from there.

-Right.

-You see that, you see the glass there?

-Right.

-That's the oil.

-Oh, wow.

-You see that?

But it smells like crazy.

You smell that?

-Oh! Yeah. Well stinky.

-Exactly. But it works pretty good.

Neem's effectiveness as an insecticide has been disputed

by some in agricultural circles.

But for Anna, it's her best hope to save her beloved turpentine trees.

This week, Bishop Brooks is visiting Antigua,

the largest of the 12 islands that he resides over.

He's here for the first leg of the 175th anniversary celebrations

of the diocese of the North East Caribbean and Aruba,

and it's also home to his diocese headquarters, the cathedral.

When you come in by ship,

the first landmark you see happens to be these towers.

The Cathedral of St John the Divine has dominated the skyline

of the island's capital since it was built in the 19th century.

Destroyed by an earthquake in 1842, it was rebuilt

but has since fallen into a desperate state of disrepair.

INDISTINCT

Oh, watch yourself.

Welcome to the cathedral.

Today, Bishop Brooks is meeting Bruce Arrindell,

project manager of the cathedral's restoration,

a massive undertaking which has been going on for six years,

and has already cost over £2 million.

With the restoration of old buildings, you pull one board,

and you suddenly realise that there are ten more that you have to pull.

So as we started uncovering, we found more and more damage.

Rather than leaving it, you decide, look, let's get on with it.

Penny wise and pound foolish.

Unfortunately, that has also affected the rate

at which we've been restoring,

because we cannot restore faster than we can fundraise.

So that's one of the main reasons why it has taken as long as it has.

And this...

is what it looked like before all the dismantling.

The Canadian architect Thomas Fuller, who designed the cathedral,

built a wooden structure first,

which he then clad with an outer stone shell

to protect it from hurricanes and future earthquakes.

Essentially what we are doing is

we're repairing the wooden structure,

the internal structure first

so that we can move the congregation back in to start worshipping again.

And then while the congregation, while the building is in use,

the inside, we can then continue

the restoration by restoring the external portion of the cathedral.

It's very neat.

So, this wall now is secure.

Despite the formidable amount of work that still needs to be done,

the Bishop has plans for the cathedral to be the closing venue

for the year-long celebrations of the diocese.

I'm an optimist

and I'm quite sure that we'll be able to use the building

for our 175th anniversary celebrations in 2017.

We start in Antigua and we end in Antigua.

To kick off the festivities,

Anglican clergy and followers have organised a procession.

Joining Bishop Brooks is special guest and good friend John Holder,

the Anglican Archbishop of the West Indies.

Anglicans like processions.

And we normally have them within the church

but, on occasions like this, when there's a very special service,

we go outside of the church

and we have this processional witness,

so that people in the vicinity who are not going to church can see

Christians, Anglicans, walking to church, singing and being merry.

It's not a party, it's a celebration,

and we do that regularly down here in the Caribbean.

It's a wonderful sight to behold.

Yes, it's a celebration, you know.

Over the coming year,

each of the 12 islands that make up the diocese

will host its own commemoration.

The next stop for the celebrations will be on Bishop Brooks' home turf,

St Mary's Church in Anguilla, where he will be responsible

for hosting the island's biggest ecumenical service of the year.

Back on the east of the island is Morlens,

Anguilla's only veterinary clinic...

..employing just seven staff and headed by Dr Gary Swanston.

I'm an island boy and

I'm committed to improving the quality of life for the islanders

and for my people.

And most of all, I hate the cold!

In here, we have the animals that came in today.

This is a cat which I suspect has a tumour.

This one has a very common disease on the island, tick fever.

This is our friend for adoption.

Ready to get adopted.

He came in, was given up, a stray.

Many of the animals at the clinic have been brought here

by members of the Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation, or Aarf,

a charity specialising in rescuing stray dogs and cats.

Mostly these puppies, people find them on the road, or in groups,

and they bring them here.

You know, people are kind and pick them up and bring them here,

so then they get a chance.

Dr Swanston contributes by providing spaying, neutering and vaccinations

to keep animal numbers down and animal health up.

-Look at this one!

-Bambino.

-Bambino! Hi!

Oh, you give kisses!

-Kisses!

-He's the little lover boy of the clinic.

He IS a lover boy.

Shelley Albert is one of the many Aarf supporters

who have adopted strays and taken them back to the US.

I've brought six of them home.

I have one that looks just like that

and I have one that looks like that black one.

Then I have another one that's very fluffy.

I don't know where that came...

I got it at... He was found at Sandy Ground.

I don't know where. I've never seen another one like him.

You're so cute.

They always pop in and spend at least an hour

playing with the animals, helping us to socialise them,

and to see which one they would like to take back to the States.

I just love animals, and animals on this island.

It's a small island,

so there aren't really enough people here to adopt them.

Anguillans love their animals too.

Most households on the island have a dog or a cat,

but vaccinating against disease is expensive,

so Dr Swanston and Aarf have cooked up a plan to make sure every pet

on Anguilla can be immunised.

-RADIO:

-'Well, you see, very important.

'You can bring your pets to the free vaccination clinic.

'We have to take care of the animals'

and our pets as well because, you know,

'our pets are valuable things to us.'

Today, for the first time,

a pop-up clinic is being set up on the west of the island,

offering free vaccinations to pets brought in by their owners.

Today's first patient is Sherman.

He had his three baby shots

so now he's ready for his annual yearly one.

Right, Sherman?

He'll be vaccinated against distemper, lepto, parainfluenza,

and especially parvo and adenovirus.

By doing that, we maintain a population of healthy animals,

the chances of them coming down with disease is very unlikely.

There we go.

Following swiftly in Sherman's paw prints is Rosie.

-Is Rosie fixed?

-Yeah, she is.

It's just clipping her nails, one of the free benefits.

Jacob is now going to de-worm her and give her heartworm protection.

With two dogs immunised,

the team must now wait to see if any other pets will be brought in.

You know, at the moment, it's a little on the slow side.

I'm hoping that we do have some more coming in.

I'm hoping. That's all we can do.

-RADIO:

-'You're tuned in to Radio Anguilla.

'A tropical storm, Matthew,

'has been gaining momentum as it enters the region,

'having caused extensive damage in Grand Bahama.

'Choppy seas and high winds are expected as the storm heads south,

'and residents are warned to check their windows and shutters,

'and make provisions.'

With Hurricane Matthew growing in intensity

as it crosses the Caribbean,

at St Mary's Church,

with preparations for the anniversary in full swing,

the bishop is keeping a watchful eye on the weather.

175th anniversary of the diocese is coming up,

and the Anguilla leg of that celebration is very much imminent,

and you hope that everything will fall into place.

But of course one has to leave room for disappointment along the way.

At the moment, even as we speak, there is Matthew,

the storm that's raging in the southern Caribbean.

For Anguilla's electric company, Anglec,

a precautionary approach is the wisest.

I think it was two hurricanes ago,

that was the worst one because we didn't board up,

because they said it was just a tropical depression,

and in four hours it was a category one.

It's basically lots of wind, lots of rain, it floods,

and you hear your windows sounding like there's a bear attacking them.

You don't want wind and rain getting inside,

but the biggest thing you don't want

is for a tree branch to come flying through your window.

Yeah, it's going to hold.

Particularly vulnerable to the effects of the tropical storm

are the senior members of the island community.

Right, come on...

HE CHEERS

For island dentist John Jones,

keeping his 100-year-old mother in good health has been a top priority

since moving her here four years ago from Anglesey in Wales.

My mother was very much alone and she was getting quite dizzy

so I decided to bring her to Anguilla

and I've been looking after her ever since.

TRANSLATION:

'I'm deaf and I'm almost blind, but he's got patience.'

With John here I am very happy.

We hardly ever quarrel, don't we?

Three times a day.

-Oh!

-SHE LAUGHS

No.

Being at work most days himself,

John knows his mother has to feel safe and secure,

so he's built them a new home

that he's made certain is hurricane proof.

In charge of building this fortress

was his best mate of 40 years, Chinnicks.

These are the type of hurricane shelters

what we call Old English Caribbean style.

In the event of a hurricane, this is what we do.

We put them together, and we go...

and we latch it. Hurricane...

have to do a damn good job to get it to move.

My mother actually has mixed feelings.

Doesn't want to leave the apartment but wants to come to her own house.

I'm going to miss this house very much

because I'm so comfortable here.

I'm happy.

I personally believe that this is stronger,

because it's mine and I'm biased.

And I built it! I know the strength of it!

LAUGHTER

-You know that too.

-I know that too.

-OK, good.

LAUGHTER

Very true.

Despite the threat of a hurricane looming,

islanders are used to getting on with everyday life.

Organic farmer Frankie Lake is helping Anna Kennedy,

whose 35-acre garden at a nearby resort

has been blighted by tree bugs she can't get rid of.

If I have knowledge that can help you,

just come by and I'll pass it on

because that's the way it's supposed to be.

I got knowledge, and if I don't pass it then it's lost.

So, Warren, as you can see, the heart's looking really bad on this.

With the help of her team of gardeners,

director of landscaping Anna

has been diligently applying neem extract,

the organic pesticide that Frankie recommended.

I went to Frankie because I was stuck, I didn't know what to do.

All the newer chemicals that I had been using weren't working,

so Frankie suggested we use some neem extract, so we did that.

Yeah, you can see we have a few dead bodies here.

I'll just peel off a bit of this bark.

This is where they tend to hide but you can see even this is clear.

That's good news.

Let me have a look at these dead bodies here.

No, they're dead. You can see it's just flaking off.

They're blowing away in the wind.

If they were alive, they would stick onto it.

So it's really done a great job.

I'm very impressed.

Frankie knew what he was talking about.

If you work with nature, nature fights against nature

and takes care of the bad stuff, so it's simple!

No chemicals needed, brother.

No chemicals at all.

Back at the free vaccination clinic on the west of the island,

pet owners are starting to arrive with their four-legged friends.

OK, let me go get a carrier to put...

Because I'm afraid he'll run.

-What's the name?

-Snowflake.

So here we have Snowflake.

SNOWFLAKE SHRIEKS

Snowflake does not like...

That's not nice!

So before she decides that she's going to take an island run...

-Ah! Ooh!

-LAUGHTER

A little challenge, but safe and sound, back in her box.

With Snowflake now immunised

against three of the most common feline diseases,

it's all hands to the pump as one islander after another

bring in their pets.

This is Bluenose. This is Fire.

You know, we call him Fire because he looks...

But, you know, he's sensitive on the inside.

And this is Maisie.

I have my Shih Tzu. This is a Shih-poo.

He is one year and a half, and she's only now two months old.

We call it family.

Yes, I love my dogs.

Yes, it is good because sometimes, you know,

you may not have the cash

and it's a good thing they're doing, to help us out.

Just doing a physical exam of him, make sure he's OK.

Just watch his weight. Anything more, we'll have tea on...

We'll have tea on his back.

OK.

We were hoping to get about 25.

We have passed that now. We're about 27 and counting.

We've had people from all different parts of the island,

which is a dream result.

For Dr Swanston and the members of Anguilla's Animal Rescue Foundation,

this enthusiastic turnout is just part of an ever improving state

of animal welfare on the island.

We're starting to see less heartworms,

less flea and tick problems,

and also a lot less puppies.

-And kittens.

-And kittens.

Aw. A little sweetheart.

Linda's sweetheart.

-RADIO:

-'This is 95.5 FM, Radio Anguilla.

'Hurricane Matthew has swept through the east coast of Haiti,

'causing hundreds of deaths and over 1 billion worth of damage.

'Hurricane Matthew's trail of devastation has come to an end

'as islanders across the West Indies are left to pick up the pieces.'

With Anguilla mercifully unscathed by Hurricane Matthew,

in the centre of the island, Father Menes Hodge

is performing a blessing at the newly built house

of island dentist John Jones, for his 100-year-old mother, Margaret.

-Good morning.

-Good to see you indeed.

And you are now on the porch of your new home.

-Yes.

-Very good.

Peace to this home and to all who shall dwell here,

and may those who enter its walls find comfort for their sorrow,

fulfilment for their daily needs and joy everlast,

and so we bless this place

in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

It means a great deal to her cos she's a very Christian woman,

so to have the house blessed makes all the difference in the world.

Built by man, protected by God.

I'm so glad for her because now I know that, with her age,

she needs to be very comfortable, and when she lays her head down,

with this place closed up, it may blow as hard as it can,

she will be quite safe.

Do you like the house, Mother?

I love it. I really love it.

Let's hope we have a number of more years here.

Yes.

For islanders, it's not just a time to pray for those devastated

by the effects of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti,

but also a time for celebration.

SINGING

It's the 175th anniversary

of the Diocese of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba.

Errol Brooks is the 12th Bishop and the first Anguillan

to be in charge of the 12 islands that make up this vast diocese.

Presented to Bishop L Errol Brooks,

in grateful appreciation for 25 years of invaluable,

dedicated and committed service.

Well, thanks very much.

I really appreciate all the kindness and the support.

For Dr Linda Banks, nobody on the island is more deserving

of recognition than her good friend.

Free her from all pain.

Bishop Brooks is a constant.

He is a very humble person.

He is not highfalutin in any way.

You know, he is not high and mighty.

He is a man of the people, and we love that about him.

I think the people are special.

Anguillans have a resilience about them, a dogged determination.

They're loving, they're generous,

they are always looking out for each other.

It is a strong community.

We will face any difficulty...

and surmount it too.