fantasy islands

The resilience of residents was quite remarkable after a battering which saw 3000 people made homeless - some 25% of homes were destroyed - and a state of emergency and curfew declared. A global appeal was made for humanitarian aid as basic as canned foods, drinking water and clothing. Overall, damage was put at $400m, far exceeding the GNP.

The recovery was underlined last summer by the decision to proceed with the fourth annual St Kitts Music Festival which featured some of the best artistes in the Caribbean in soca, reggae, jazz and gospel. With the four concerts held at night (and it's dark by 7pm), the festival was ideally suited to meet the government's key objective of boosting tourism.

International music journalists arrived by the score, inevitably spreading the message that this tiny island has emerged from the crisis through sheer spirit and hard work.

But now that tranquillity has returned, it seems time is of no consequence, for the young in particular. Chilling out is a mainstay occupation.

St Kitts, originally named Liamuiga, meaning Fertile Isle, could still see its agriculture, and sugar in particular, withering. Automation remains taboo among the workforce, given the job implications - and, despite such fertile soil, the island cannot produce even its own vegetables. The government hopes to change all that, with restructuring, irrigation and mechanisation.

Tourism is widely perceived as an economic saviour - although, thankfully, not at any cost. All developments are subject to preserving the isle's pristine charm - rainforests, mountains, rugged seascapes and magnificent flora and fauna. Only a handful of upmarket, exclusive hotels exist, regardless of an impressive 10% increase in the UK long-haul market and growing interest throughout Europe.

One is the Golden Lemon, owned by Arthur Leaman, former New York-based decorating editor of House and Garden. He's an extraordinary character, as is partner Martin Kreiner. Their customs and habits are a strong reminder of the ''old world'' on St Kitts, before it gained independence from Britain in 1983.

Both thrive on manners, good taste and grand style. On smoking, their brochure quaintly advises: ''If you must. But, please, never in bed.'' It also warns that shorts, halter tops and hats should not be worn in the evening dining room, where the imported china and works of art are matched by the culinary standards. Their Siamese cat, OBE - Old Blue Eyes - is not allowed any scraps. He has his own diet. Above all, Leaman and Kreiner adore conversation, and revel in impressing guests that they know all that goes on throughout St Kitts's 68 square miles, up to and including its highest echelons.

However, both are frustratingly discreet about the local gossip, although desperate to please and totally dedicated to ensuring that relaxation is achieved by guests. Despite their efforts it was still impossible to escape Glasgow: not only do they offer porridge at breakfast, but in the reefed bay, just yards from the elegant Great House, is moored a classic, vintage and now rare Clyde-built steam-powered yacht. The Tiger, launched in 1927 but sadly neglected in recent years, is undergoing restoration work after being bought by Atlantic single-handed sailor Philip Walwyn. The 93ft yacht, requisitioned in the Second World War by the British Navy to hunt submarines, is only one of a few to have survived, and Walwyn plans to turn it into a luxurious island hopper.

Leaman first set sight on St Kitts 40 years ago while backpacking around the Caribbean. Fed up with the New York rat race, he agreed to buy a derelict property in Dieppe Bay - once the owner put the roof back on. That roof turned out to be 20 different types of corrugated sheeting in as many colours. Friends told Leaman he had bought a lemon. Then he upset government officials when the grand opening organisers failed to invite them. Two years passed before he obtained a drinks licence.

But success followed, hence the name Golden Lemon, now a luxurious AAA four-diamond resort. His Great House, built in 1615, overlooking the palm-fringed beach, reef and island of St Eustatius, with a volcano as backdrop, has been fully restored, including crystal chandeliers. Some 15 one and two-bedroomed villas with private plunge pools have been added, set in lush, manicured gardens.

Kreiner, formerly in US tourism advertising, arrived in St Kitts to set up its first duty free fragrance store, and is now helping create a museum of the island's rich culture and heritage. Last summer's music festival is part of that scene, with the opening night of soca - a fusion of soul and calypso - held in the grounds of the Fort Thomas hotel.

The atmosphere, with moonlit waters to the front and the lights of suburb Bird Rock to the rear, was frenzied, thanks to the 10,000-strong crowd, a synchronised phenomenon of jumping and flag-waving. The four-day celebration of the island's nationality and history through music resembled Hogmanay, without the maudlin. But gospel night in this deeply religious country was a different matter. Even at the pre-show press conference, artistes tried to capture souls of cynical hacks with potent - and deeply disturbing - language. Jamaican born-again Christian Carlene Davis, a former reggae star, spoke of the concert being ''harvest time''. That night, though, it seemed only the converted were moved. This year's festival will be bigger - and followed in August by Carifesta, a mammoth annual event which unites all countries in the region to highlight their pot pourri of arts and culture.

Known still as the Mother Colony and ''cradle'' of the Caribbean, St Kitts's unspoilt charm belies a bloody history in which the French and English annihilated the local Carib people in the 1600s during a struggle for supremacy of the seas and the lucrative sugar trade which followed. Its capital, Basseterre, retains much of its original character from Nelson's day, and even has a miniature Piccadilly Circus as centrepiece. Then there's Independence Square, built in 1790 for slave auctions, complete with balconies to witness the awful trade. Another must-see is the painstakingly restored Brimstone Hill, a fortress 800ft above the Caribbean known as the Gibraltar of the West Indies. Many beaches have black sand rather than golden, but the jade and indigo waters resemble a warm bath. The fishing is superb, as is snorkelling, thanks to more than 400 sunken ships and numerous reefs with excellent

visibility.

If there is one complaint (and there isn't), it would concern the currency: both US and East Caribbean dollars are used, leading to confusion when trying to work out the sterling equivalent. However, there is no rip-off culture (indeed, one taxi driver searched long and hard to return a forgotten bag). Driving is on the left hand side, but still hair-raising at blind corners or in villages where there are no pavements: doors of houses equal the verge. Gullies to clear monsoon floodwater are unmarked, causing havoc to suspensions for the unwary.

Forget preconceptions. Most surprising of all were the litter-free streets, the lack of begging - and waccy baccy. Drug taking, of any kind, is anathema to locals as well as police. The best stimulant of all is the people, mostly descendants of African slaves, with a dialect near hallucinatory. Based on seventeenth-century English, it involves running words together, dropping letters, and code. Cracking it will take years, but who cares. After all, time is of no consequence.

check in

Caledonian Airways has direct flights to St Kitts from Gatwick

take: a truly adventurous palate; sun cream; mosquito repellent; US dollars; snorkelling gear; rainwear

go: any time but the hurricane season. Christmas, a high point, embraces a 10-day carnival

contact: St Kitts

and Nevis Tourism,

tel 0207 376 0881; www.stkitts-nevis.com.

The Golden Lemon: www.goldenlemon.

com. Tel: (809)

465 7260