The Whisperer

BAPCO stalwart Mike Hogg was back in Bahrain this week with his wife, Heather, visiting family and friends for the first time since 1980 … after taking the long way back to Europe.

Having enjoyed a 17-year spell in the kingdom, the now 76-year-old quantity surveyor, and later the oil company’s head of general services, jumped into Heather’s green Honda CRX and sped across the Causeway into Saudi Arabia.

After that, the couple shared the driving on a leisurely journey taking them through Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France and across the North Sea to England for a short stay before jumping on board another ferry from Hollyhead to Dublin.

They left behind Heather’s son Tom Gilbert, 45, a company general manager and his wife Julie Anne, and their children Isabel, 19, Paddy, 17, Harry 16, and Joe, nine, and although mum has travelled back a few times it was step-dad Mike’s first return trip.

“When we first arrived we lived in one of the rows of terraced houses in Riffa, fondly named ‘Coronation Street’ by the tenants after the popular English soap opera, before settling down at Awali,” recalled Mike. “Bahrain was completely different then, there’s a lot more hustle and bustle nowadays.”

Heather was well known too during her stint in the country, teaching English as a foreign language and reigning supreme on the tennis courts taking the Awali ladies singles and doubles titles, as well as becoming ladies squash champion and chairing the annual Ladies Open Golf Tournament at Awali Golf Club.

The couple returned to their Irish home in West Cork this week … this time taking the quicker route by plane!