With cool, ocean breezes whipping at your face while the sounds of reggae, calypso, or jazz filter through the air, Tobacco Bay Beach is the place to be this summer. Run since 1999 by proprietor John Kirkpatrick (Kirk) Bartrum, this East End concession offers all of trimmings needed for a perfect day at the beach.

With chairs, umbrellas, and snorkelling equipment for rent along with a kitchen that offers an array of fast foods, salads and seafood dishes, families are sure to have fun when they visit this small, yet beautiful beach.

Mr. Bartrum, a married father of two, has been self-employed since 1975. It was then he and his wife, Sharon, opened the popular 27th Century Boutique and went on to open The Hair Studio.

"I like being free," the former schoolteacher said when asked why he continues to find new business ventures. Mr. Bartrum said while some may have thought it was an unusual move for him to take over the concession, it was something that he always wanted to do.

"I always wanted to run my own beach facility. I tried getting Fort St. Catherine's Beach concession when it belonged to Club Med, but that never worked out. "When the tender came up for Tobacco Bay, I applied. Now here I am," he said.

Although the beach was already popular with both locals and visitors alike, Mr. Bartrum said he invested lots of money into the establishment in order to improve its amenities. Along with adding a reverse-osmosis plant in order for fresh water to run from the faucets, Mr. Bartrum also constructed a ramp so that the facilities are available to the physically challenged. "We also built a wooden deck along the bar area and we have a full commercial kitchen. We have a very professional concession down here," he said.

Scores of people can be found at the East End beach on a Friday evening, as happy hour is held weekly between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The facilities are also available to rent for private parties. As Mr. Bartrum sat in a stool looking out at the ocean, he said he was thankful for the support he has received throughout the years.

"The determining variables in the beach's success are the weather and the cruise ship season. And my local support is phenomenal. I've won and I've lost. I'm been up and I've been down, but I'm thankful to be here."