KF: Yes, it was one of those unexpected circumstances where I had a job all lined up in England but then with the growth of XL’s business into Europe and my knowledge of German language, an opportunity came available to me that it made sense not to miss. It was a great lesson in choices as at the time it seemed a bit of a sacrifice to leave London to come back to Bermuda, but it was the right decision and I ended up working at XL for seven years.


JBA: Your family owns the Market Place group of grocery stores, so was it always in the back of your mind that you might work there? KF: My grandparents started Modern Mart and then my parents grew the business from there, so yes, it definitely always was an option and as I had grown up with it and with my father working there I felt a natural draw to the grocery business. But, my parents never wanted to restrict my opportunities by pushing me towards it; in fact they actively encouraged me to obtain all the other experiences that I could and wanted. When I left XL to work for the Market Place many people advised me not to do it, but something ‘deep-down’ told me that the time was right.


Kristen didn’t just jump into management at the Market Place, despite her family involvement. She interviewed with the president and vice-president who told her she had no experience, which she acknowledged, so she started in a training programme for the next two years.


KF: My first day on the job started at 5am in the produce department – it was interesting and great and I spent a month in produce and then moved around to the different stores and then worked with the head of the produce department. I then repeated that experience with the meat, dairy and frozen departments and on the floor. I said ‘Good bye’ to my painted nails, my pert wardrobe and my high heels and ‘Hello’ to my new hair net, shortened nails and non-slip shoes, (that were very comfortable!). One thing is certain; when you make 5am, you sleep like a rock every night.


JBA: You wear the Market Place Button with your name on it and the familiar “You can count on us!” all the time – you even wore it on your suit at Prizegiving. Do you ever take it off? KF: I’m proud of the Market Place and the role that I have in it. At the end of the day you cannot separate yourself from what you do – no matter what I do, I am still representing the Market Place, so I thought for the prizegiving I would wear my button, as even though the students wouldn’t remember Kristen Ferreira – at least I could help them remember that their speaker was the girl from Market Place! So, although there are times when you want to simply be yourself, it’s important to remember your connections. That’s the way life is and you just have to accept it, so I embrace it.


JBA: So, what do you do now at the Market Place? KF: Well, our president would say that I do all the stuff nobody else wants to do, but I help to resolve problems and strategize for our future. We are always updating our procedures and our practices to adjust to our changing times and move the Market Place forward. Our philosophy has always been that it is not just about the quality of the product, but also about service and people, and our people need to feel happy if the customer is going to be happy.


THE CHELTENHAM - BHS CONNECTION


On the 17th September 1894, the Bermuda High School opened in two rooms of a rented house on Reid Street. School fees were set at three guineas a term for each student 10 years or older, and two guineas for the younger pupils. The school opened with 51 pupils (ages 6-17) and three teachers.


BHS was founded on the lines of Cheltenham Ladies College in England which had proved itself as the leader in girls education at the time. With the help of Mrs Beale, then Headmistress of Cheltenham, Miss Matilda Tothill was chosen to establish the school as its first Headmistress. Mrs St George Butterfield, in a speech given during the school’s fiftieth anniversary said:


“The task assigned was to build in this far away little colony, a school on Cheltenham lines and ideals, and thus bring to Bermuda, as it has been taken to the far corners of the Empire, the influence of that great parent school in the mother land.”


Under Miss Tothill the School adopted the Cambridge Local Syndicate examinations which set the importance, right from the start, of external examinations. This tradition of setting international standards has continued to this day.


In January 2010, Mrs Parker rekindled the partnership between BHS and Cheltenham Ladies College. She spoke at their assembly and presented a cedar friendship goblet and book on Bermuda to Mrs Vicky Tuck, the headmistress. Mrs Parker spent two days at the school visiting classes and speaking to staff and students.


Torchbearer Spring 2012 15


JBA: Do you have a favourite memory from BHS? KF: We used to have skipping next to the field in the roundabout in the mornings and it really set us up for the day – everyone had to do it and it didn’t matter how fast you were or how slow, we were all there in the fresh air outdoors- it was a great start to the day.


Kristen ended her speech at Prize Giving with the following words:


Whatever you are, be a good one. Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Whenever you can – Smile – because one size fits all.


I thank Kristen for sharing her smile and her story with me and Torchbearer.


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