KIPPIE'S Bar, on Water Street in St. George's, is a throwback to an older Bermuda. It doesn't matter that its operator, well-known St. Georgian Kenny Bascome, only opened it four years ago.

It was created based on 53-year-old Mr. Bascome's experience in the hospitality industry - running the successful concession at Tobacco Bay Beach - which spans more than two decades. Kippie's however, is unique.

There's a book exchange open to the public which operates on trust. A plaque given by Kenny's mother to her son after he was elected as a member of the Corporation of St. George's graces the walls. Pamphlets detailing tourism-related activities cover the centre table in the dining room and ceiling fans are everywhere.

And then there's the entrepreneur's huge heart, which he regularly shares with a fortunate few. "My father died 15 years ago," said an American who has visited the island regularly for the past 20 years, "and he was the only one who ever yelled at me with love and passion. I travel here twice a year so Kenny can yell at me. And I send my friends too."

Mr. Bascome spoke this week to reporter HEATHER WOOD and photographer TAMELL SIMONS.

Q: When did you take over Kippie's?

A: Basically, this is a spin-off from the Tobacco Bay beach concession that my wife Rochelle and I had the pleasure of operating for a number of years.

I will have been here now for four years this July. I took Kippie's over six months prior to the 1998 General Election (in which he ran as an Independent candidate after splitting from the Progressive Labour Party) in anticipation that if I lost, it would happen exactly as it did happen.

The concession was given to someone else; exactly what I expected would happen. We've got a little kitchen, a bar and a restaurant and our patrons, basically, are a lot of folks who I've developed relationships with over the years while at the beach.

Many of them stop by to see us and I always tell (cruise ship and hotel operators) if your guests don't meet me they're missing out on the opportunity of visiting one of Bermuda's jewels.

Q: Why do people always use the word "controversial" when referring to you?

A: I have never thought of myself as controversial although initially I was looked on as being somewhat of a controversial character. I love to talk, I have very strong beliefs and I am not a follower in any aspect and so a number of people had a certain interpretation of me.

What I've found is that as Bermudians we are very judgmental of one another, particularly if someone has a different opinion to yours. I was interviewed and made a comment that Bermudians were not willing to stand up for their convictions.

In a letter to the editor, someone responded to what I had said, but used a pen name and qualified that by saying: "Yes Kenny, I will use a pen name. Maybe it's because I'm shy. Maybe it's because I'm less outspoken than you are. Maybe it's because I don't like controversy."

But in my opinion, if you take your opinion to the public, you should be willing to stand by those convictions. To me, a pen name is controversial because it makes you a ghost. I find it most amusing that under the previous administration people felt threatened (and therefore felt there was a need to use a pen name) and under the present administration they still feel threatened.

So I've come to the conclusion that Bermudians, as a whole, don't have the courage to stand for their convictions.

Q: What were you like as a child?

A: As a youngster, I was known to be a hostile and violent individual. I grew up in my neighbourhood, in Wellington, St. George, in a single-parent home There was no male figure to represent me in confrontations in the neighbourhood and I was considered to be a bully.

In the past, I've been in trouble with the authorities for assault and young people tell me that their parents say, "Leave him alone".

They consider me to be half crazy but I say, "No, I'm a graduate. I'm full crazy." I intentionally promote my hard-core exterior so that people leave me alone although I am now being told on a number of occasions that people find me very approachable.

Most people, I think, have found I'm not the hard-core individual they believed I was. Today, I'm a Justice of the Peace and an Alderman of the Corporation of St. George. I can look back and feel proud of my childhood and my upbringing and I always give credit to my mother who stood by me in my turbulent teenage years.

Q: Do you think people who knew you as a child are surprised to see you holding such positions of responsibilty?

A: I say to each his own, but I don't belittle anyone for their character and I hope people would respect me for mine. One day I decided I could have more of an impact if I got on the inside and saw how things actually operated.

I'm finding it's not as simple as a lot of people believe. But I believe the community has forgiven me for my transgressions as a young man, to afford me the opportunity to be part of the municipal government. This is the fifth year I have sat on the board of the Corporation of St. George's Corporation as a member and my second year as an Alderman.

I don't have a degree, but I have a personality and I have nine doses of common sense. My highest aspiration was to make my mother proud and I believe I have accomplished that ten times over. And so now I aim to do my best for Bermuda in everything I endeavour to do. If Bermuda does well, I automatically do well.

Q: Do you think young people in St. George's are being portrayed unfairly? What do you make of all the violence?

A: One of the reasons that I tell folks today that I have a high degree of tolerance for young people is because as a youngster, I was considered to be outside the mainstream of productivity. I assaulted someone going back 33 years but the individual and I today, I believe, we have a great rapport.

However, it's we as adults who have allowed Bermuda's culture and character to deteriorate as we've gotten caught up in materialism, but we blame our young people for our social illnesses. Technologically, we may have advanced, but our moral fibre has basically declined.

I got myself in a little trouble about a month ago, I called in to one of the talk shows and the topic was all the negativity in St. George's. And what I said was that until someone is convicted, they should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Young people, I believe, are under a lot of pressure today more so than when I was young. In my neighbourhood in particular, I can look at the land mass that's been lost to development. We once had so many open spaces where, as children, we could go and blow off steam.

Young people don't have that today so they're sitting on the road and everybody is of the opinion that if they're sitting on a wall they're not a productive person. They could be doing shift work and spending mornings or afternoons there - because someone is sitting on a wall, doesn't mean the person is not gainfully employed but it's the assumption most people make.

Q: Do you have any advice then for people who, as you describe it, fall "outside the mainstream of productivity"?

A: In the days of the good old Bermuda, everyone knew everyone and so everyone acted in a respectful manner but the good old days will never come back.

When I interact with young males in particular, I try to make them understand that there are five attributes to success - "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon", "Good Evening", "Thank You" and "You're Welcome" - in one word, respect. And I try to encourage people to use that. Bermuda will never be what it was, but people should try and impart some of the old days to young people.

Q: Do you miss having the concession at Tobacco Bay?

A: I was there for 23 years and would say that it had become part of my life. But life goes on and I've picked up and moved on to another plateau. The concession has a very special place inside me. I fought with the establishment for six and a half years to get a licence for beer and wine.

I built my reputation and respect in the area and someone else has now come along and benefited from all the hard work my wife and I put in for not only us to benefit, but Bermuda as a whole. But it's now all water under the bridge. I've moved on to another plateau.

Q: You ran unsuccessfully in the 1998 General Election as an Independent candidate. Do you think that St. George's is being served well by its parliamentarians today?

A: As a St. Georgian, I don't believe that any of our parliamentarians really served their constituency. I can tell you that three weeks ago, a public meeting was held after all the incidents of fire bombing and car burning.

Rev. Larry Lowe asked me to assist in putting a meeting together which was very well attended by a wide range of people. Last Tuesday another meeting was held which was organised by Government and I was not informed of it. It appears they put politics into (the organisation of a community event).

Q: Do you have any hobbies? What do you do when you're not at Kippie's?

A: I earnestly work for the betterment of the community. I am in direct contact with young people and have been over the last many years. I've been involved with the soccer programme at the St. George's Cricket Club for the past 13 years and the soccer programme at the St. David's Cricket Club over the past seven years.

I also read a little. I save all newspapers. I like to go back in history and see how things have changed from when I was a youngster until now. My three favourite headlines which have run between 1969 and the present day are "Immigration to put pressure on firms", Boom means more expats" and "Explosion of foreign workers predicted". It's amazing to me to see how things have changed but the issues remain the same.

Q: Any regrets?

A: I will be 54 on my next birthday and have no regrets whatsoever in my life. I believe every shortfall is a stepping stone to something better. If you don't learn from something, then it wasn't progressive. I arrived at the Lester B. Pearson International airport in Toronto, Canada in 1970 and Immigration paged me on the intercom.

I was under the opinion that they were paging me on behalf of my uncle who was there to pick me up, but they said they had received information that I was to be sent back to Bermuda because of (the) assault.

I spent the night in Toronto in a maximum security prison. The cell was so tiny that when I stretched out, my feet actually went through the bars. I flew back to Bermuda the next day, cried like a baby and when I got home, explained to my mom that I'd been arrested and detained in Canada.

All she said was: "I told you it would come back to haunt you one day." On April 2, 1970 I said to my mom that I would become a force to be reckoned with in this country but it was up to the powers that be (to decide whether I'd be a force of good or not).

Today I can walk anywhere in Bermuda with my head held high.