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Joining dots on the proletarian map: Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey to Cuba

Posted by Peter on May-14-10

Journeys can begin and end anywhere

When I was six months old I crossed to the mainland of Great Britain -so I am reliably informed- having already begun the most important personal journey of all: birth on the Isle of Sheppey in the town of Sheerness.

Over the years it has been to my great surprise that neither the town of Sheerness nor the Isle of Sheppey have been much heard of even in England and one of the very good reasons why I cannot give it as an answer to the question of “where are you from?” Ordinarily such a claim is just met with a blank stare. I have often thought it would be nice (and perhaps convenient) to put the place on the proverbial map but I was beaten to it last week by a non-to-worldly-wise sailor. This sailor, clearly had not heard of the island either and after his little escapade probably never wants to hear of it again. In a kind of reverse-Columbus syndrome our fellow clearly refused to acknowledge it’s circular existence because he ended up in an interminable circumnavigation of the island believing all the time he was hugging the mainland British coast and on his merry way to the far reaches of Southampton.

So here now, courtesy of the BBC, is that map with the Isle of Sheppey duly marked on it?

Finally on the map!

The full story can be read on the BBC web page although the follow up interview with the coastguard in charge humorously reveals so much more:

Interview with Neville Crane – Sheppey’s coastguard

Now, the question remains as to how do you get from the Isle of Sheppey to Cuba? We can presume that it certainly wouldn’t be any good asking our errant sailor but the two islands probably couldn’t have been further apart, in my mind, than when I started my recent Latin America travels last year and did some more island hopping: just the short distance across one corner of the Caribbean sea from the Dominican Republic to Cuba to begin with.

Cuba, of course, is most certainly already on the map even if the USA, at times, would prefer that it wasn’t and perhaps if the USA administration was aware of the Isle of Sheppey’s proletarian ambiance they would be leaving it too right off their maps.

After spending some very enjoyable and relaxing days in Havana I headed by bus to Trinidad, a town famed for its colonial old-worldliness. These were early days in my re-venturing into adventures and especially with Cuba being in a different “system” I really hadn’t got into the swing of accommodation hunting. I had nothing more than a man’s name on a scrap of paper and a verbal agreement with the Havana tourist office that this man would be there to meet me when the bus arrived in Trinidad and show me to his house for lodging. Juan was there, as promised, and duly escorted me to his more than ample house with gorgeously bedecked private roof terrace. The tourist accommodation “system” in Cuba works very effectively and this western equivalent of bed and breakfast comes under the epithet of “casa particular”, perhaps more honestly translated as “house designated by the system for tourist stays”, just a bit longer but more descriptive than the literal “special house”.

The first thing that surprised me in this special house was the English flag hanging up in one of his rooms Reason: his son had visited and stayed in England recently. But the big surprise was Juan told me how he himself had visited England many years ago as a sailor. “Just once,” he said. “Just once and just the one place.” “Sheerness!” he exclaimed. You could have knocked me down with a feather and then he proceeded to bring and show me his all important souvenir of that trip. A ballcock from the toilet of the pub he visited – a truly momentous proletarian memento!

Juan flying the English flag in Trinidad, Cuba

Juan's precious proletarian souvenir

Life is full of little surprises isn’t it and journeys really can begin and end anywhere can’t they? – just ask our errant sailor trying to get to Southampton recently.

A little yesteryear photo gallery revealing some of those proletarian beginnings!