First trip to Jamaica

Towards the end of the war, Ian was invited to attend the Anglo-American naval conference in Kingston, Jamaica.  He stayed with his friend Ivar Bryce whose wife had a beautiful old house in the Blue Mountains, Bellevue.  November is a notoriously wet month in the Caribbean and their visit was overshadowed by torrential rain.  Bryce was certain Ian’s introduction to Jamaica had been a failure, until he turned to him on the flight to Washington and said, ‘you know, Ivar, I have made a great decision.  When we have won this blasted war, I am going to live in Jamaica.  Just live in Jamaica and lap it up, and swim in the sea and write books.’  By that time, Fleming already had an idea of the sort of books he would write as he confided to his colleague in Naval Intelligence Robert Harling that he intended to ‘write the spy story to end all spy stories.’

From left to right, Ian Fleming, Ann Fleming, Ivar Bryce (foreground) and Robert Harling in Jamaica in the 1950s

‘When we have won this blasted war, I am going to live in Jamaica.  Just live in Jamaica and lap it up, and swim in the sea and write books.’