Peter Burton

Peter Burton is part of the BajanThings crew. He is a co-editor of BajanThings.com with his cousin William Burton. Peter and William started BajanThings in December 2014 with the aim of building a website that focused on William's three loves: preserving handed down Bajan history, hiking and international travel. Peter was born in Trinidad to Bajan parents. At 11 he went as a boarder to Lodge School in Barbados before going to boarding school in England the following year when his parents left Trinidad. Peter's father, Jim Burton, worked in the oil industry, so as a child Peter grew up in Trinidad, Barbados, England, Nigeria, Iran and Malta. His father retired to England in 1982. As an adult Peter has lived in England, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong. After 20+ years in Asia, spent mainly in Hong Kong, Peter in 2014 returned to England and now lives in Surrey with his family. Peter maintains the BajanThings website and writes the occasional BajanThings post. Peter trained as an engineer. In his early career he worked as a management consultant. Since 1998 he has worked in the field of advertising technology and programmatic advertising. Peter's day-time job is with with the start-up: SOLV Technology who have developed geo-defined advertising tools to help locate missing people and children. SOLV work with Law Enforcement Agencies, Emergency Response Agencies and Missing Persons Charities / NGOs to deliver messages that are broadcast as advertising banners within defined geographic areas on websites accepting commercial advertising.

SS Scottish Star Survivors Arrive Barbados Feb 1942

British Ship: SS Scottish Star Torpedoed – 19th February 1942

This is the story of Sid Graham, Arthur Walker and Michael Doyle – three survivors of The Blue Star Line SS Scottish Star that was torpedoed 600 miles off of Barbados on 19th February 1942. The survivors lifeboat was towed into Barbados by the fishing boat “Stella” on 27th February 1942. The sixteen survivors remained …

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Chase family vault Christ Church Parish church

Feuding Chase brothers vault – Christ Church Parish church, Barbados

Below are photographs of the famous Chase Vault, located in the south-west corner of Christ Church Parish churchyard.  Sixty meters from the Church Government school. Two Chase brothers, who hated each other and had many furious fights during their life-time, were buried with their coffins placed side by side in the vault; and they continued …

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2nd Lt Walter Tull – first black infantry officer in British Army (1888 – 1918)

Walter Daniel John Tull was born in Folkestone, Kent, on 28 April 1888 to Barbadian carpenter Daniel Tull and Kent-born Alice Elizabeth Palmer.  In 1895, when Walter was seven, his mother died of cancer. A year later his father married Alice’s cousin, Clara Palmer. She gave birth to a daughter Miriam, on 11 September 1897. …

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Sidney Graham 2005 A forgotten Bajan WWII hero

Sid Graham. A forgotten Bajan WWII hero (1920 – 2017)

Sid Graham was born in Tidal Basin, Custom House in the London’s East End in 1920, the son of Sidney “Siddy” Graham a seaman from Barbados and his English wife Emma an East Ender.  Sid made it to his 97th birthday on 28th January 2017  and sadly passed away on 30th April 2017.  Until then …

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CNS Cornwallis torpedo damage

Torpedoing of the Cornwallis in Carlisle Bay, Barbados, 11th September 1942

The torpedoing of the Cornwallis in Carlisle Bay, Barbados on the afternoon of Friday 11th September 1942 by German U-Boat 514 is remembered by older Bajans as the dark day in 1942 when World War II reached Barbados’ shores. The 75th anniversary of the torpedoing of the CNS Cornwallis in Carlisle Bay was Monday 11th …

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Lord Nelson's Statue Bridgetown Barbados

Lord Nelson’s statue – Bridgetown, Barbados

Lord Nelson’s statue – Bridgetown The statue of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson in Barbados was unveiled in Bridgetown on 22nd March 1813.  It was sculpted from bronze by Sir Richard Westmacott.  It is considered an excellent likeness of the British Admiral. Very soon after his victory and subsequent death at Cape Trafalgar in 1805, plans …

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Hong Kong Sevens 2014

Bajan & Trini sports ambassadors – HK Sevens, March 2014

Barbados and Trinidad both had teams competing at the 2014 Hong Kong Sevens.  Both teams were knocked out in the qualifier round.  That didn’t matter.  It was just a joy to see Barbados and Trinidad competing on the international stage. The Bajan team were a mixture of local boys and British boys whose parents or …

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