If you live in a tourist resort you are bound to have "visitors'' from time to time whom you hardly know. But, since Bermudians are a friendly lot, they take the time to show these visitors around.

Over Cup Match some "friends of friends'' were here. Nice people. They liked Bermuda, praised their cottage colony, were thankful for the hot sunshine, and thought Bermuda was very beautiful.

It seemed in order to take them sightseeing and St. George's is always on the top of the sightseeing list. They were driven around a bit and then taken to the Old Town.

Over drinks after the tour the wife of the couple said: "I don't mean to be rude but I would like to ask a question. Bermuda seems a very rich and well cared for place. I can't help wondering why you can't do something for all these people who have to live in tents. There must be a way to find them housing. They're even all along the road beside the Airport. I mean, it must be very hot and noisy there.'' There was a valiant attempt to explain camping and Cup Match to two visitors.

But it was clear the lady didn't believe a word of the explanation. For her, Bermuda is a beautiful place where people live in tents.

She had not noticed that most of the tents were brand new. Nor had she noticed the cars parked beside the tent flaps.

*** That most secret place, where the Country's future is debated and decided, has developed a leak, an insider told The Royal Gazette .

And the source of the leak in none other place than the Cabinet office, where the mighty and good of the Government gather, is subject of heated investigation.

It's ramifications have already been felt however. Before the Deputy Premier, the Hon. Irving Pearman, delivered a speech saying he would resign in the event of a `no' vote on August 15, a puddle developed on the desk.

A quick mopping up removed evidence of the leak, coming from the ceiling, however it could not prevent Mr. Pearman from physically moving towards the left as he spoke of the UBP moving towards the right.

*** These are difficult times for the Premier, facing defeat at the polls and the loss of his leadership. He doesn't need embarrassing in his own backyard.

On a hot, sunny day, the newly formed Coalition for the Independence of Bermuda, elected to hold a press conference within the grounds of Victoria Park.

The PLP had already had a request to use the park for a rally turned down by the Corporation of Hamilton which appeared to intervene again.

So off trooped the Coalition members including Sir John Swan, National Liberal Party leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell and lawyer Mr. Philip Perinchief to a safer haven outside the park.

Corporation secretary, Mr. Roger Sherratt said the Corporation had a policy of not allowing rallies and any "major events of a nature'' at City Hall or in parks. He denied, though, asking the group to leave.

A put-out Sir John later said: "I have never gone to a city yet where you can't have an interview happen in a park that's open to the public.

"If you go to Washington, the parks are used for political discussion all the time. And what we were going to have was an interview. However, I had to respect it because it's Corporation policy.'' *** It was ten minutes before plea court began.

Everyone was assembled in Magistrates' Court except for the defendants.

Crown Counsel Ms Nita Grewal stood talking to the Senior Magistrate the Wor.

Will Francis while Police prosecutor Sgt. John Dale, and lawyer Mr. Michael Scott waited to assume their positions.

The Royal Gazette reporter, whose view was obstructed from the Magistrate, remained oblivious to what was going on around her.

So when the Magistrate said something in a low tone, which the reporter missed, but made everyone else rise from their seats and move towards the door. They were very casual so the reporter assumed they were looking for a missing client.

But Nita Grewal joked in a off hand manner, "Everybody leave, anyone whose a bomb expert remain.'' So the reporter decided perhaps she better follow them out of the court room.

Outside about 50 people milled in the hallways waiting for their cases. The reporter still wasn't sure if this was a bomb threat. No sirens were going off. There were one or two more police officers than usual but nothing was terribly out of the ordinary.

The reporter walked around asking people: "Is there a bomb scare or isn't there?'' One officer told the reporter that someone was in the office at that second trying to decide whether or not to evacuate.

The reporter thought: "Whether or not to evacuate???'' they were deciding whether to let us get blown up or not? After ten minutes -- in which no one seemed particularly upset or traumatised except maybe the reporter -- it was finally decided that perhaps it would be better to evacuate.

Everyone headed across to the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street and stood there. The police moved everyone a little further up the street to stand in front of the Government Administration building where everyone would supposedly be safe from any bomb blast.

The VSB reporter arrived and the two reporters then started mildly competing for comments from Police officers. The VSB reporter decided to take her licks and stand on the Magistrates' Court side, bugging one of the police officers.

Not to be outdone, The Royal Gazette reporter decided to stand over there too.

Reporters are immortal after all.

The two reporters eventually gave up and sat in the used book store and cafe across the street, enjoying tea with Sgt. Dale, and lawyers Larry and Michael Scott.

A police officer came by and mentioned that the bookstore was directly in the path of the bomb blast.

"We can't tell you to leave,'' he hedged. Everyone shrugged and continued chatting. The owner of the bookstore warned customers coming in that they were in the path of any bomb. None of them seemed particularly concerned.

One passerby seemed doubtful that there was any bomb scare. "Why isn't everyone running?'' he asked.