opening late during the summer is entirely to be welcomed. It will clearly be an experiment to see how much business late opening actually generates but we should resist the temptation to try it too briefly or abandon the idea too rapidly. Often any kind of different concept takes time to catch on and we think Hamilton abandoned street closings with too brief a trial. If evening customers do not rush in immediately, it may only be that the idea will take getting used to.

Late closing has doubtless been brought about by economic pressures and a desire to maximise visitor dollars. It does however indicate that we are thinking about the needs of visitors. While nine to five may be a generally accepted working pattern for such things as offices and banks, it is not the pattern for people on holiday. Many resorts understood years ago that visitors wanted to see open signs when it was convenient for them and not when it was convenient for merchants.

The problem, of course, is the pressures and problems that staggered opening hours create for retail employees. Like most people, they are accustomed to and prefer regular hours but other people who work in an economy based on tourism have to work when necessary. Bermudians in the service areas from hotels to airlines to Police and Customs work shifts. Even banks are now always open with instant teller machines. They are ready when they are needed.

Therefore it is not illogical for visitors to expect stores to be open during their holiday hours rather than conventional business hours. There is, of course, also an enormous cost factor for retailers in late opening in terms of wages and built in overheads like lighting and security.

We hope this will become part of a pattern to gear Bermuda as a resort to the requirements of holidaymakers rather than to the convenience of Bermudians.

Too often we operate Bermuda to suit ourselves rather than to suit the cash customer. Bermuda is old fashioned and in many ways visitors find that attractive but it should not be inconvenient. As a resort, Bermuda needs to relax, let some fresh air in and lighten up a bit.

It must be fairly bleak for cruise visitors to come ashore in Bermuda in the evening and find that they can only window shop. We can only think that Wednesday has been chosen for the 9 p.m. closing because it is seen as the maximum cruise ship day. There are not very many resorts which do not cater to cruise passengers across the street from their stores. Indeed, in some ports, early evening, after the beach and the sightseeing, is boom time for visitor shopping. Yet Bermuda is rather prim resort which has carefully controlled hours both by choice and by almost Victorian legal regulation. The time has come to give careful consideration to all of that. We need, after all, to be responsive to the customer.