One of her very first memories is of running towards the music.

"I will never forget the sunlight shining on the gold and silver instruments as I ran towards them and, since then, music for me has always reflected that brilliance -- the gold and silver tones against the brilliance of the blue sky behind.

"When I was tiny,'' reveals Ruth Thomas, MBE, "I would run out of the house, across the road, up the bank and through the wire fence to get as close as possible to the military band that used to play every day at Prospect. I'm sure my love of music was partly due to the proximity of our house to Prospect and the constant stream of music. There were fewer houses then and no noisy cars, so when the North Village Band was playing, you could hear the strains of their music down on the North Shore, and even when the Salvation Army and Boy Scouts paraded down Cedar Avenue, the wind would blow the music up and across the hill and it seemed as if my entire life was filled with music.'' As a child who received piano lessons from a very early age, Miss Thomas, who retires as Cultural Affairs Officer this month, had harboured a "vague sort of dream'' of becoming a famous pianist. Although that never actually happened, her dream did come true in a strange and unexpected way because, first as a teacher, and then at the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, she has been able to help many other young people fulfill their dreams of working in the arts.

Appointed in 1988 as the first person ever to hold the newly-created post of Cultural Affairs Officer, Miss Thomas has performed a unique service in defining and then developing the varying strands of this Island's heritage and culture. As she somewhat ruefully notes, one of her major tasks was to win over to her side, the sceptics who proclaimed that Bermuda had no culture of its own or those who genuinely couldn't understand why something like "culture'' could keep her occupied on a full-time basis. Nowadays, of course, the arts and culture in general have assumed an unexpected importance, seeming to point the way to the possible recapture of Bermuda's presently precarious tourist trade.

Part of that renewed invigoration is due to the dedication and foresight of Ruth Thomas, who has quietly devoted the last decade of her life to the vital and often pioneering role of setting out the aesthetics of Bermuda's past heritage as well as plotting out the course for the Island's cultural future.

Even a cursory glance at her long list of accomplishments reveals how skillfully she has heightened awareness of our collective past and, at the same time, showcased the potential and full-bloom talent so evident today.

These have included her Premier's Concerts which have provided a platform for the cream of Bermuda's youth in the performing arts, her popular TV "Bermuda Profiles'' on historical figures of the past, the annual emancipation observances at St. George's, her inspired decision to produce the book, "Bermuda Reflections'' in which older citizens recall aspects of Bermuda's bye-gone days, and 16 highly-acclaimed, separate productions of "Mosaic'' in which Ruth Thomas and Company use the drama and comedy of the spoken word to keep Bermuda's colourful social history alive. One of her most important accomplishments occurred in 1995 when she hosted "Carib Art'', a huge travelling UNESCO-sponsored exhibition of art from all over the Caribbean -- another first for Bermuda.

On the eve of her retirement after 41 years of community service, Miss Thomas muses over the "rich and varied tapestry'' of her career.

Feeling justly proud of the fact that she will leave the arts in a far healthier state than when she took up her Ministry post, she also warns that Bermuda is in danger of losing many of the old traditions that has made the country unique.

"As a people, we have had to be materialistic, and that is part of our identity, because for most of our history we were totally isolated and had to learn the art of survival in very tough circumstances. We did it very well but perhaps, along the way, we also tended to lose sight of the aesthetic things in life. It is difficult to appreciate what is your very own, to be consciously aware of your heritage. Sometimes, we don't appreciate our assets until they are gone -- such as most of our architecture and many of our cultural traditions that are gradually being lost.'' Explaining that by "traditions'' she is thinking of that segment of culture which gives a "sense of direction and determines the destiny of a community'', Miss Thomas believes that the style and pace of life is now changing so rapidly that many find it hard to keep up.

"I think that's why there is perhaps a sense that life is meaningless, a feeling of confusion and, because of that, an almost vicious form of aggression that sometimes gets the upper hand.'' Admitting that she finds it very distressing that guards have been posted to deflect violence at Bermuda's schools, the former teacher believes the prevailing climate of aggression is an emulation of what is seen on both the small and large screen, in magazines, and even reflects what is seen by young people when they are abroad.

"I would even venture to say that adults have been derelict in their duty in their responsibility of showing our young people how to develop coping skills.'' Interestingly, she feels that the seeds of today's dysfunctional attitudes and the loosening of family ties were germinating generations ago and that the breakdown in discipline and moral values began gradually, "probably, back in the days of my grandparents''.

She is convinced, too, that "at the risk of sounding old-fashioned'', the decreasing role of church and Sunday School in children's lives has had an adverse effect.

"Not only does the church play a strong role in giving one a sense of values and a social conscience, it also gave them music and poetry. As a child, I was taught values and the finer qualities of life through music and literature. We were automatically exposed to aesthetics without even realising it and speakers at church and school assemblies helped instil a strong sense of pride and respect for oneself and for others. Much of that, I think, has been lost today, with disastrous consequences.'' Ruth Thomas, however, is a shining example of how, at a time when opportunities for black people were certainly limited, her grandmother ensured that she took full advantage of the few chances that did then exist. Although there was no money available to train as a concert pianist, her grandmother ensured that she had the best education available.

"As far as she was concerned,'' laughs Miss Thomas, "education was not negotiable! I just knew I had to go to school and work hard, because she was down on her knees, praying every day that she would stay alive to see me past the worst. She died when I was 17 and I would have to say that if ever a child was prayed over, I was that child. Yes, I think that both she and my mother would have been proud to see what I made of my life.'' Miss Thomas's schooling began at Central School (now Victor Scott) where music featured prominently in the curriculum, winning most of the prizes in the annual eisteddfods, before going on to Berkeley Institute. She obtained her teacher's training certificate from Ottawa Teachers College.

"I actually spent a year there, and a year in Toronto. Just the experience of going abroad is an education in itself! Everything seemed to be on such a grand scale in comparison with Bermuda. It was there I heard my first symphony concert and when I heard William Warfield in Handel's `Messiah', I thought I was going to jump out of my skin.

"I do believe,'' she adds reflectively, "that Bermuda, because of its size, is different from anywhere else. It is no bigger than a large village, really, but because it is a country, there are the same stresses and strains that confront a large community. I think we feel the pressures more because we can't escape! You can't even decide to drive home to Somerset and by-pass Paget, for instance. Also, the cacophony -- we have allowed ourselves to become such a loud society -- is a very bad thing on such a small island because it deprives us of our privacy.'' After several years of teaching, initially at Francis Patton School, Miss Thomas moved to the Department of Education where she spearheaded another new concept -- establishing 11 Government pre-schools.

"In 1984, we had a `Ministry of Community Affairs' but no `Culture' attached and it was through Loudru Robinson, who was director then, and the late Reggie Ming who invited me to lunch one day and asked if I would agree to sub for Loudru as he was going off to study in England. I ended up staying there until the Department of Cultural Affairs was created in 1988.'' Meanwhile, back in 1964, Ruth Thomas had discovered the joys of the theatre and, thanks to the late Hastings Saltus, had also found that she was an accomplished actress. Her best role? "Well, I loved them all but I did like playing those strong, dramatic roles such as `Take a Giant Step' where I played the grandmother. I died halfway through that play and I was surprised to find that I quite like the idea of the audience crying at my death!'' Miss Thomas retires From Page 37 Said Miss Thomas, "One night, Lou Gossett and Dick Williams were in the audience and they both said I reminded them of Cicely Tyson -- that's my claim to fame!'' In 1970 Miss Thomas became a member of the Arts Council and between 1984 and 1992 was Chairman. She was instrumental in developing the Lifetime Achievement Awards which the Council presents annually and for many years, has been Chairman of the Debutantes Ball Committee for the Queen's Birthday Ball.

She has also represented Bermuda at Commonwealth Arts Administrators' Conferences in the Bahamas, Barbados and New Zealand. In 1994, she was awarded the MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List, an event that "stunned'' her.

"It was for my work at Education and the Arts Council -- nothing to do with my work at Culture, but it's a great feeling to be acknowledged by the people with whom you've been working. It's also frightening, because you feel you have to work that much harder!'' Enigmatic about the fact that she has never married, Miss Thomas admits that she would have liked children. "There is nothing more wonderful than the family unit especially if it is full of love. It's the foundation of life. But I've had a full life and my work here has been all-encompassing. I don't think I would have had the ability to juggle marriage, motherhood and a career! I have three godchildren. I was an only child so, really, I am totally alone in the world. I do have eight cousins, two in the States, but that's it. I don't have a large circle of friends but I have a few solid, very close friends whom I can call on at any time and that's a very good thought ...'' Typically, she has been rounding off a spectacularly successful career with yet another innovation that has, she says, brought her almost more satisfaction than any other she has undertaken. This has been her "Tribute to Artisans'' where, this time around, 16 people, active in maintaining the crafts and culture of Bermuda, were recently selected for recognition of their services by the Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs.

"For me, it is perhaps the ordinary people who continue to quietly persist in honouring the traditional crafts who really define what Bermuda's culture is all about.'' As unaccustomed leisure beckons, Ruth Thomas insists she will remain close to things cultural. "I have no spectacular plans. I shall enjoy having time to play the piano and read books for pleasure and not because they are connected with my work. I have a garden the size of a handkerchief but I like to get my hands in the soil and,'' she adds rather unnecessarily, "I do love to see things grow.''