The sights were familiar ones for Anne and Robert Porter but to see them through their grandchildren’s eyes was “absolutely amazing”. Among the highlights of the British family’s weeklong visit last month: Bermuda’s pink sand beaches, the sights of St George’s and “a hilarious” quiz night at Swizzle Inn.

On their flights home to England and New York, the group of 17 plotted how they might get back.

“It was absolutely amazing,” said Mrs Porter of their stay. She and her husband had long hoped to show their family the place where they fell in love.

They arrived separately in the autumn of 1970. Mr Porter was a policeman; his future wife had accepted a job with the Pathology Department at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

They met, married and had two daughters. In 1981 they felt that God was calling them to return to England and “sadly left beautiful Bermuda” behind.

Back at home they had two more daughters. As their children grew older, they returned to the island to house sit for friends.

In 2019, while sitting on Clearwater Beach, Mrs Porter felt strongly that it was something her grandchildren should see for themselves.

They arrived on July 13 for a stay at Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa that was “nothing short of magical”.

“The whole family just loved Bermuda. All of them are absolutely mad keen to get back again. The grandchildren were just taken with it. They just were speechless. They just loved it,” she said.

“It was absolutely amazing, just the most wonderful family experience too.”

There was real joy in seeing some of the places they would frequently visit when their oldest daughters, Nicky and Amy, were toddlers.

“John Smith's Bay in particular,” Mrs Porter said. “When we lived there, there was a Mexican restaurant on the beach. And so every Friday night we used to go for Mexican and, after school [we’d go] on John Smith's Bay.”

Gibbet’s Beach, better known as Police Beach, was another favourite.

“We spent a lot of time down there,” Mrs Porter said.

“My oldest daughter, Nicky, and her husband, the first morning we were there, went down to the beach before breakfast. As soon as Nicky put her feet on the beach she started crying and said she felt like a child again. It was just so moving. It was absolutely amazing.”

The Porters were here in 1973 when Governor Sir Richard Sharples, his aide-de-camp, Hugh Sayers, and Horsa, his Great Dane, were shot dead outside Government House.

They were also here in 1977 when Erskine “Buck” Burrows and Larry Tacklyn were hanged at Casemates Prison for the murders.

“Rob was on the Riot Squad, because there were riots afterwards, and in fact he was on security at Government House after the assassination. It was kind of scary because I was at home on my own and pregnant. It was not a very pleasant experience,” Mrs Porter said.

“I clearly remember the morning that Buck Burrows and Larry Tacklyn were hanged and the horrible atmosphere over the island. It was just awful.”

It was an unpleasant memory on an otherwise “amazing” visit to Dockyard by ferry from St George’s.

“And then looking around St George's, we took them to St Peter's Church and the churchyard where [Sir Richard] is buried.”

The family had a great experience using Bermuda’s public transportation to travel from one end of the island to the other “visiting old places, really familiar places”.

“The buses are amazing. We were all absolutely taken with the buses and the bus drivers as well were just absolutely brilliant,” Mrs Porter said.

“We went to Dockyard on the ferry and then came back along South Shore on the bus, and changed buses in Hamilton and caught the bus back to Grotto Bay on the North Shore.

“So they saw both North Shore and South Shore without too much trouble. And they just loved every bit of it.”

Time was also spent catching up with old friends such as Walwyn Hughes, the former independent senator.

“It was really lovely. We got to see some old friends and show the family all the familiar places. It was great. It was incredible. It was amazing. The whole thing was just really a special time for the family,” she added.

“We spent a lot of time on the beach and just jumping in the water. [The amenities at] Grotto Bay included things like snorkelling and paddleboarding and kayaking – which [the family] all do.

“They saw beautiful parrot fish …. Bermuda is just so special. It was perfect! Everyone wants to come back. Whether we'll be able to do it as a complete family again, I don't know, but we'd love to.”