Dear Sir,

I have just spent three magical weeks on your beautiful Island — a place we have loved and visited several times over the last 50 years.

Your people are friendly and courteous, your streets clean and tidy and your bus and ferry services are excellent.

We find that the island of Bermuda is unique in the world, and we have travelled extensively and have never come across such a special place anywhere else on earth.

You should be proud to be chosen as the next venue for the America’s Cup — a real chance for everyone to pull together and promote the fine hotels, golf courses, fabulous plants and flowers and excellent sailing and water activities. And don’t forget those Bermuda smiles!

But the main problem we detected was the continual angry squabbling over the rebuilding of the airport. It has become a real hot topic.

I appreciate it is a major decision on how to fund it and I realise it will be a long-term commitment but surely for the near future there could be some improvements made. We arrived in the drab Arrivals Hall and got unfriendly reception.

There were no pictures, no flowers, no music but above all no smiles! It was almost as if we were not welcome. Someone in the line likened it to a third world country. The Departure Lounge, however, is on the other hand, bright and cheerful — and yes, we are glad to see you go.

I have a suggestion — a temporary one, I agree — but it could work. Why not ask your wonderfully artistic children in the schools to paint and design panels to cover those miserable walls.

There could be a competition and a prize given for the best effort. This would provide the welcome required and maybe cheer up the airport staff a little. After all they have to spend their days there. Plus, it wouldn’t cost too much.

Maybe Graham Foster, who painted those amazing murals at the Commissioner’s House in Dockyard, could be persuaded to help or even judge these works. Masterworks, I’m sure, would be willing to participate.

WHY NOT GIVE IT A TRY