Juli Campbell read her poetry to Dorothy Trimingham every Thursday evening, for 20 years.

She always gave her a copy; she assumed her friend threw it away.

When Mrs Trimingham died in June at 91, Ms Campbell learnt she’d kept every poem she ever gave her, neatly filed away.

“I was very touched,” the 72-year-old said. “Her daughter, Barrie, liked them and said she wanted to sponsor a book in Dot’s name. I said, ‘Really?’ I was blown away.”

Ms Campbell dug out her notebooks and started typing. The result is the poetry collection, Bermuda High, in stores now.

“I never imagined these poems would see the light of day,” she said. “It was a real thrill when I finally had the finished book in my hands.”

The dedication reads: “To such a classic lady who was so generous with her friendship and encouragement.

“Dot gave of herself unstintingly, and we always looked forward to our Thursday evenings in ‘Dot’s Salon’ where she often urged me to keep writing. This collection is for you, with much love. I miss you.”

Ms Campbell started “scribbling” poetry as a youngster in England.

She was born during the Second World War, in Stanmore Hall, a historic manor in Stanmore, just outside of London.

The house was requisitioned during the war by the Ministry of Health, and the family moved downstairs. It was then forcibly purchased by the government, under market value, and the family moved.

“My father was a First World War veteran and had been a Japanese prisoner of war. He was always in poor health, and the stress of losing the house was too much for him and he died when I was ten years old,” Ms Campbell said.

Her mother, Ada, then married Sir Myles Abbott. In 1961, he was appointed Chief Justice of Bermuda and the entire family moved here. “I was 18,” she said. “When I saw how beautiful Bermuda was I was thrilled. It was a lot quieter then and there were a lot fewer cars. I bought a blue Cirrus 50CC motorcycle and spent my days exploring the Island.”

She found a job working with the American consulate where her British accent caused some confusion with telephone callers.

“They would say ‘Is this the American consulate?’” she said.

But after a few years in Bermuda, Ms Campbell decided it was time to get serious about life. She’d always loved languages and went to the University of Grenoble to study French.

Shortly before she left she was at a party and met the “dishy” Bryan Darby. She was 21 and he was 24.

They flirted a little, but she cut things short saying she was leaving Bermuda soon.

Three decades later, they met again in their 50s.

By then Mr Darby was well-known as a television journalist and Ms Campbell had lived in two countries, married, had children and divorced.

“We met again one evening in Dockyard,” she said. “He was rather ticked off that he had to work late.

“This mutual friend said ‘Do you remember Bryan Darby?’ and I said, ‘Oh, yes’. And that was the beginning of the end. We have been married 18 years. I certainly never expected to marry again in my 50s.”

Ms Campbell has two children, Nadia and Marc, who live in Canada, and two granddaughters, Vanessa, 13, and Olivia, 11.

She is especially proud that her granddaughters helped with the artwork for Bermuda High.

“That makes it a family affair,” she said.