Peter Beckingham

On Sunday 8 March countries around the world mark International Womens’ Day. I’m pleased that Turks and Caicos will be joining in those celebrations. We have a great deal to be proud of. In politics our country’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport is Akierra Missick. Her position as Minister of Youth […]

As well as a magnet for North  American tourists seeking warmth from the winter, Turks and Caicos was an attraction for experts from all the other Caribbean Overseas Territories last week, together with representatives from as far away as Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.  The occasion was a meeting of environment specialists to consider how […]

Predictions and resolutions for a new year can often prove wildly wrong or optimistic. Sadly, one possibility I mentioned to a meeting of Permanent Secretaries (PSs) just  before Christmas – a terrorist outrage in Europe or the US – has already proved chillingly accurate, with the carnage on the streets of Paris in early January. […]

In early December the Premier the Hon Dr Rufus Ewing and I represented the Turks and Caicos Islands at the UK Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council. This has now become firmly established as one of the key building blocks of relations among the Territories and with the UK Government. This year’s three  day-meeting was no […]

Over the last few weeks I have been reminded of the significance of the churches in Turks and Caicos to so many people here. I had the good fortune to meet no less than three bishops – from the Church of God of Prophesy, Anglican and Catholic – who were visiting Grand Turk or Providenciales, […]

It hardly seems possible that it was a year ago this October that Jill and I flew into Provo airport, took a connecting flight to Grand Turk, and 24 hours later were in the charming House of Assembly building for my swearing-in  ceremony as the Governor of Turks and Caicos Islands. I said in my […]

The advantage of a holiday, and a short break from the day to day demands of work, is that it provides a great opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. I was fortunate enough to get away for a couple of weeks recently to Hong Kong and the UK. In Hong Kong we […]

Running along an almost deserted Grace Bay beach on an August morning, it is hard to believe that we have had a record start for tourism arrivals so far this year. Despite the wide open spaces free of people – which would be unimaginable on many of the Mediterranean’s crowded beaches – Turks and Caicos […]

Protecting our borders is one of the most important and difficult tasks we face. This is not something special to Turks and Caicos. Some of the other Caribbean Overseas Territories are challenged by Cuban and other migrants trying to reach their shores, while across Europe, including the UK, countries employ hundreds to safeguard their land […]

A guest blog from Simon Excell, an immigration adviser to the Ministry of Border Control. During a recent meeting with The Governor, he asked if I would  be  a “guest blogger” on his site, to talk about my work over the past two  years with the Ministry of Border Control and Labour. Needless to say, […]