Mama is 99 today!
Today our family celebrates love and longevity with Mama, Rose Gwendolyn Campbell, as she likes to refer to herself when she stands on point. Known also as Rose McGhie, widow for the past 18 years of Sydney, she has held her own for all this time and for the near 60 years before that while she was married to this strong, stalwart. Rose, Roses, Mama Rose, Rosebud, Mama Losie, Misses McGhie, or Mama, whatever the name that you use; it is said with love on your lips and genuine warmth in your heart.

They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, our Mama has raised a whole village. Before Dada died, she declared to us that she will not be moving to Kingston to live with the family. “I was born in Brown’s Town, my church is in Brown’s Town, my husband will be buried in Brown’s Town and I will die in Brown’s Town.” Mama has lived in Brown’s Town, St. Ann all these 99 years, and counting.

The ‘village’ of Brown’s Town began as an inland market town and is a major commercial centre for Jamaica’s north coast and the multitude of smaller towns in the interior of the parishes of St. Ann, Trelawny and Manchester. Located just 8 short miles from Discovery Bay where Christopher Columbus first landed in Jamaica, it is now much more than a market town. It is a town of many schools and many more churches. St. Mark’s Anglican Church is Mama’s church and she is celebrated there as their oldest member. Today, her Rector will visit her at home, as he often does, and celebrate the Holy Eucharist, with fellow members of her Mother’s Union joining her.

She raised two children of her own and married them off to wonderful husbands, Hartley Neita and Lloyd Adams, whom she loved as her own sons. When her first daughter died at the tender age of 32 years, amidst their grief, she and Dada took their 4 young grandchildren and raised them with double love, as only grandparents can. And there are many more. In addition to her 7 grands, she has loved and cared for 7 great grand children. But that’s not all. Mama’s and Dada’s love and generosity extended to endless families, such that wherever they are in the world they claim her as their own and they bring up their own families to know her and love her and to walk in her ways.

Longevity and short lives have played equal roles on the stage of our family life. Mama, the last of her 9 Campbell siblings has outlived them all. She has not attributed that to her daily cup of coffee, neither to her daily devotions. After all, she does not claim to be holier than thou. She made no plans for a long life. Anyone knowing Mama knows that many a plan begins or ends with, “…if life is spared…” Her promise however is, “If you want to live as long as I have, live down plenty things and don’t put people’s foolishness on your head”.

A 99th birthday cannot be celebrated in a day. The cards were mailed and received long before today. The birthday calls started coming in at day break. Yet they did not change her routine. After breakfast she was wheeled on to her verandah with her Bible, Book of Common Prayer, Daily Word and Daily Bread, her address and telephone book and her cordless telephone. There she holds court with her God and the world. Daily! As the ‘villagers’ pass by on the road they waive and call out to her by name; whichever name they have chosen. She replies, “Alright Darling”. Today, there will be more visitors than usual, and the weeks and months ahead will continue to be filled with expressions of love in all sorts of wonderful ways.

This may sound like her remembrance. But it is not. Mama is alive and well with all her mental acuity in tact. And when the time comes there will be no remembrance. Mama will have none of that. She has already made that clear. Her Minister has been briefed. She says that too much foolishness is spoken after you are gone. And so I take the chance to speak of Mama now so that I can stand corrected. After all, the last word is Mama’s.

Happy Birthday, Mama. You continue to be blessed and remain a blessing to all of us.

The Neita's Nest .com sign went up 2 years ago and we are celebrating with reflections on how it all began...

I wish I could say that Neita’s Nest was “a dream come true”. But I can’t. I never dreamed of owning a Bed and Breakfast. I never dreamed of managing my own hotel. I never even imagined I would own my own business. 

Always seeing myself as being strong support for someone else’s, in my professional capacity I would internalize the targets of my managers and exceed my own goals to make theirs happen. 

In my volunteerism, I would be enthused about the dream of the organization’s president and would put my entire weight behind her to make it happen. If I saw a committee losing its luster, I would lead from behind to breathe new life into their project, and let them shine. 

And yet, I never saw myself as an entrepreneur; could never imagine a business that I would even want to own. Instead, I would admire friends who have found their calling and who passionately pursue their dreams.

It was the “Mother of Invention” who helped me find my entrepreneurial spirit. A second redundancy experience, and this time just 13 years short of retirement age, made me declare that whatever I do at this stage of my life I must be happy doing it. I envisioned myself sliding gracefully into retirement.

For career guidance, there was an opportunity to be seized in a parting gift from that last employer. It was a psychometric test and consultation with psychologist and ideator, Dr. Leachim Semaj of The JobBank. I embraced the opportunity and seized it with full grasp. That process led me to choose ‘Innkeeper’ as my new career. It was a no-brainer. After all, I love to entertain and my home has adequate bedroom and entertainment spaces. After a congratulatory call to my friend, designer Sandra Kennedy, on opening her Hanover home Hartley House for bed and breakfast services, I was sure this was for me too.

Neita’s Nest was conceived.

It was the right fit. The learning and experience from every job I had ever done, every course I had taken, every project I had volunteered on, had come to bear on this new business venture. Whether it was the foreign languages I studied, project management, sales and marketing management, journalism and public relations, or a penchant for the fine arts and interior design, they have all been integral in the start up and operations phases.

When I think back also, our cross country travels with our parents as we adventured around our island, or the opportunities we enjoyed while our Dad, Hartley, was Deputy Director of Tourism, not to mention the many friends and visiting dignitaries whom we helped him entertain at the drop of a hat; name it! They have all been brought to this table. Did I leave out my grandmother, Rose, who never tolerated slow and slouchy? Or my grandfather, Sydney, whose mantra was, “A job worth doing is worth doing well”?

As serendipity would have it, while writing the website text, my friend Alton and I had a chance chat on some historical highlights about our neighbourhood, and my home in particular. It was once the Captain’s Quarters for the British Army, and Bridgemount Heights where we are located, was one of three redoubts established in the area to defend the Stony Hill Barracks, situated a few miles north of Neita’s Nest. 

Three canons, testimony to this little-known piece of history, remain mounted in the gardens of our nearest neighbour. He has kindly offered visits by special arrangement for our guests. 

Neita’s Nest is indeed an Historic Bed and Breakfast.

Jamaica, with her vast and lucrative sugar plantations in the 18th century, was the jewel in the British crown and the envy of Europe. Bridgemount was a part of the Manor Park Estate, and coffee, bananas and sugar were grown here. The British, wary of possible invasion by the French who were seen sailing menacingly in the Eastern Caribbean waters, fortified Kingston at many points. Bridgemount was one such.

That story had me visiting the National Library, the University of the West Indies and the new Jamaica Defense Force Museum for further research. I even made contact with the author of the book The Fortifications of Jamaica, Professor David Buisseret, who kindly sent me a published copy of his presentation at the 2008 Elsa Goveia Memorial Lecture on that topic. The booklet is proudly a part of our library here at Neita’s Nest, and the story, which had been handed down through generations is now told on our website.  

The research experience was as comforting as it was exciting. My father, a published author and renowned communications consultant had passed away only the year before. East Street in downtown Kingston is home to the 177 year old Gleaner Company.

 It is also the home of the Institute of Jamaica and the National Library, repository for the wealth of Jamaica’s history. These institutions were Hartley’s regular jaunts as he researched and wrote his daily column, “This Day in Our Past”, and weekly articles which warmed the hearts of so many Jamaicans at home and abroad. I felt Daddy walking with me as I ventured along East Street and through the halls of these libraries.

Our website has received many a kudo and truly captures the look and feel of Neita’s Nest while complementing the essence and style of our home. In searching for a website designer, the sites developed by Alteroo Consulting Group were appealing because each one reflected the type of business it represented. That was what I wanted to capture for ours. They took my script, and voila, our website was born. I am particularly happy to have Spanish, French and German translations on the Home Page. These were done by dear friends, conference translators and interpreters, Daphne Adams and Annie Rose Kitchin.

With the website up, I set about designing business cards with the expertise of Bunny Levy and Associates. Next was furnishing the first two rooms. My friend, Norman McDonald, designed the furniture in keeping with a determination to be practical. Family and friends were extremely generous with suggestions and feedback on the finer details. Yes! The website came before the guest rooms. 



Neita’s Nest was conceived and believed, before it was achieved. 

The rest is now documented in website blogs and I invite you to read them It has been fun moving up the social media learning curve, attending webinars, blogging, twitting, linking, and just stepping into a whole new realm of communication. 

Through strategic positioning, Neita’s Nest is marketed as comfortable, affordable lifestyle accommodation. From the feedback received, our offering meets and exceeds expectations. Our rates are considerably lower than most so we tend to offer added value rather than specials; a welcome drink for sure, whether it be a hot or cold beverage; scented candles from Starfish Oils perhaps, to complement a late night pot of tea, or a taste of local fruit in season. 

Complimentary mini tours of the city or an invitation to join the family in worship at the historic St. Andrew Parish Church are some of the opportunities that we find bring special delight to our visitors. 

Sometimes, our value-added offering comes in the form of assisting in the planning of your vacation schedule. We recommend places to stay and things to do, customizing your itinerary to match your unique interests as you travel across our beautiful island. Often times, our special treat is to invite you to join us on a visit to a family member or a friend’s place, or to have interesting company join you here for dinner; therein lie opportunities to forge new friendships. Other times, it’s a day on the beach, a trip to the movies, a drive to the country, a visit to Devon House for its infamous ice cream, or a relaxing afternoon on the grounds of the Royal Hope Botanical Gardens to be serenaded by the Jamaica Military Band. These are some of our favourite things. You can read more about them on our Neita’s Nest Recommendations page.

And, by the way, it would be remiss of me not to mention that Devon House, one of our favourite places to visit, is noted in the National Geographic book, Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe as “a masterpiece of Caribbean Victorian architecture, and home to the island’s most celebrated ice cream stand”. That we always knew. What was just announced in that same article is that Devon House is the fourth best place in the world to eat ice cream! I need to check out those other ice cream bars.

You see, I love to travel and would love to have done more. Instead, I focused on making my home comfortable for my family and inviting to my friends. Now, I live my life vicariously through the travels of our visitors. They tell me about their homeland while I share on the city and country I love so much. When it comes to the personal interactions with my guests, this is where I get my kick.

In our short two years of opening our home, we have had the pleasure of hosting guests from twenty-two countries around the world, including 7 Caribbean nations and 11 states in the USA. Conversations over breakfast or dinner run the gamut of the history, politics, sociology, arts and culture of their country and mine, while our library is chock-full of books on similar topics and more. Olive Senior’s Encyclopedia of Jamaican Heritage is the most referenced here. 

Lighter conversations at the table will encompass the meal itself, which is more frequently than not Jamaican, or at least with a Jamaican twist. So, our sausages are jerked, our pancakes drizzled with logwood honey and our French Toast, let’s say it is a contradiction, as it is topped with tropical delights. Our jams and chutneys are from Linstead Market Jamaica. Their tinned ackee is the best on the supermarket shelves, and we always stock up with theirs when our crop is over. You too can stock up at their award-winning shop at the Norman Manley International Airport.

Having been in the financial sector for twenty-six of my working years, perhaps there are persons who feel that I have reinvented myself. Nothing is further from the fact. I was born to serve. 


Entertaining brings me such joy. The smell of fresh linen napkins sets the tone every time. I love staying at hotels and, over the years, have adopted many of their best practices in running my home. At another level, and to be explored in another forum, is the knowing that there is something in sharing a home-cooked meal that is akin to expressing love.

So, how do I love sharing my home in B&B style? Let me count the ways.

I am neither desk-bound nor home-bound in this retirement stage of my life. With Neita’s Nest I keep moving. When I am not physically up and down at the supermarket, the hardware store or the airport, I am busy planning the meals and tours, stewing fruit, making breads and optimizing our space or décor features. 

From a business perspective, the most rewarding experience of running Neita’s Nest is doing strategic planning for my own business and watching the results unfold. 

The most pleasing part is that I get to work from home, a prayer and wish that I threw out to the universe some 10 years ago. 

The most heart-warming and satisfying moments come in the positive feedback from our guests, whether verbally or on our Neita’s Nest Trip Advisor page, and of course from having repeat guests. 

The most beautiful and enjoyable is that I can drink my coffee to the sunrise, raise my glass to the full moon and sit in wonderment, praise and forever thankfulness for an ever-changing view of the beautiful, verdant mountains – all from the verandah at Neita’s Nest. 

This is too beautiful not to share!

You are welcome to be our guest at Neita’s Nest. 

First contributed for Mecca to Jamaica by Author - Sheri Hunter, a 2011 guest of Neita's Nest.

I have long wanted to go on one of the trips organized by the Jamaica Cultural Enterprise. My sister had gone on their Kingston Art Trek and enjoyed it immensely. This time it was the Blue Mountain Path Finder, a full-day tour. I love the mountains; the cool air, the forests with its hues of greens and blues, the flowering trees and shrubs, the waterfalls on the road side!

Usually, I am the designated driver when family and friends take to the hills. This time, with B&B guests, Carol, Rachael and Lucy on the tour, I felt like a tourist in my own country. Everything was taken care of. Karen, our tour guide, organized us ahead of time with what to take and what to wear. She took care of the rest; a comfortable bus, an experienced and road-savvy driver, soft background music, refreshments and her interesting anecdotal commentary along the way, making sure that we missed nothing of the history and geography of the area as the bus climbed up to Newcastle and Holywell Park in the Blue Mountains. 

The hike with Ranger Roger from the visitors’ office in Holywell Park, up along the Oatley Trail to the neighbouring parish of Portland, and back down to St. Andrew, was an idyllic walk in mist and light afternoon rain. His detailed description of the flora and fauna in this reserve, making the distinction between indigenous and endemic plants, made the experience all the more memorable. Plants like the sponge moss, centuries old trees, ferns and orchids and of course, the lipstick plant, had our eyes darting from side to side as the trail meandered uphill and down. While there, you felt like a character in the Chronicles of Narnia. Go figure.

Lunch at Crystal Edge restaurant was mouth-watering and the coffee, Blue Mountain of course, along with the dessert from Cafe Blue next door, made for the perfect stop before going on to spend an afternoon being exposed to the finest of Jamaican art.

First was the Patrick Waldemar exhibition, 'Watercolours', at the Olympia Art Gallery, and then the private collection in the beautiful home of collector and dealer, Wayne Gallimore. Such a rich experience. I love being a tourist in my own country. Thank you, Karen.

Neita's Nest has been busy as a bee providing Spa treatments to our bed and breakfast guests; and The Tree House is the preferred spot.

Totally relaxed while light breezes lull her in the semi-screened Tree House after her Full Body Massage

Monument to Samuel Sharpe, a slave leader whose uprising directly influenced the abolition of slavery, can be see in National Heroes Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

Caribbean girl, Jacklyn who now lives in London, just returned to Ocho Rios after a whirlwind weekend in our capital city, Kingston. 

A childhood dream come true! 

I booked her on the early Knutsford Express bus and there began her city tour. We started with a drive-through of New Kingston, a brief stop at Tastee for a Jamaican Beef Patty and cherry juice, then a welcome stretch as we walked around Emancipation Park - a lush oasis in the middle of the business district. Joggers jogged while park benches provided the pause that refreshes; all this against the backdrop of the many mountain ranges that surround the Liguanea Plains on which our city lies.

On to Downtown Kingston, the original city centre, but not before we visit the National Heroes Park where the story of modern Jamaica unfolds as we stop at the monuments to each of our National Heroes, Prime Ministers past, as well as icons in the field of politics, sports, music and theatre. Along the way, we passed statues of Simon Bolivar, Queen Victoria, Alexander Bustamante, Norman Manley, Bob Marley, and Negro Aroused, a monument to the 1938 labour struggles; all weaved a story of who we are. The tour of Downtown Kingston ended with a visit to the National Gallery before heading off along the harbour's edge and the palisdoes to the Norman Manley International Airport and to Port Royal. Once the home of pirates, and sporting the reputation of being the wickedest city in the world, Port Royal is now just a sleepy fishing village aching to tell the story of the other half of the city buried under the sea by the 1692 earthquake.

Jacklyn opted for Fish and Festival at Neita's Nest instead of the famed Gloria's Restaurant, as we had a play to take in that evening. She was not disappointed.

A late Sunday morning brunch prepared us for a full day which began with a drive-through tour of the Hope Botanical Gardens and the University of the West Indies, starting at the Mona Bowl where the special Regupol Track was laid for Usain Bolt to train. A long meandering drive through the Blue Mountains on the way up to the Jamaica Defence Force training grounds in New Castle and Greenwich, took us past waterfalls and wayside lilies, coffee farms and country houses, the ultra fabulous Strawberry Hill Hotel and the idyllic EITS Cafe, before joining the Uletts for a typical Sunday family dinner at their home overlooking the city.

A visit to the Bob Marley Museum ended the tour of Kingston the following morning. The drive back to Ocho Rios via Stony Hill and Port Maria provided a peak into another side of our beautiful island, Jamaica.

Thanks for visiting Jacklyn. We hope you enjoyed visiting as much as we enjoyed sharing. 

As it was then, so it is now... Cascading waterfalls along the road to Newcastle in the Blue Mountains. A scenic Sunday afternoon drive.

Valdez Collection - Image from the National Library

When interviewed last year by BedandBreakfast.com, I said that one of the challenges in being a Bed and Breakfast owner is finding the right balance between being there for your guests and giving them their space. 

Recently, Jamaican-born Sharon Mathias, along with her husband John and their sons Joaquin and Jason from Texas, came to meet their Jamaican family for the first time. They had places to go and people to see, and naturally, I gave them their space. Only to find out when she was gone that we had an artist in our midst! And a published author at that! Her first title is "Rapid Deployment", a semi-autobiography that covered her time in Somalia with the U.S. Army.

So inspired was she during her week at Neita's Nest that she is going to write her second book this summer. It will be about her wonderful vacation in Jamaica, and that it can be enjoyed on a budget. 

Neita's Nest is indeed an Artist's Haven. Write on, Sharon!

Our Ever-Changing Verandah View

The Neita's Nest Bed and Breakfast website now speaks four languages, having just launched the German translation of our Home Page. After all, the bed and breakfast concept started in Europe and we need to speak your languages in order to entice you to a homestay vacation in Jamaica.

So, thanks to conference translators Daphne Adams, who did our French and Spanish pages, and Annie Rose Kitchin for the German, when you are looking for accommodation in Jamaica we will be speaking your language. 

Willkommen! Bienvenido! Bienvenue! Welcome!

Weathering the Storm.

Heavy rains, gusty winds, mist all around. That was the experience of the last 5 days for Rose and friends as their 2 week vacation in Jamaica came to an end recently. It was Rose, the owner of Plantation House B&B located in Bethany, Ontario, Canada who had recommended Neita's Nest to her friends for accommodation during the Kingston leg of their island tour. 

Having soaked in the sun and the sea as they traveled the north and south coasts, they experienced another side of Jamaica. Rainy days and rainy nights. Undaunted, they were in and out, up and down as they maxed out on this special reunion. 

It was our pleasure however, to know that they felt right at home through it all; whether led to curl up under the sofa blanket late in the night, find quiet time for reading, gaze at the ever-changing vistas from the verandah, take an early morning neighbourhood walk or just lazing around enjoying bowls of naseberries, yellow coat plums, blackie mangoes and sugar cane. 

Rose, thanks for your leap of faith. Glad you all enjoyed your stay.

When early summer flowers kiss spring rains, it looks like this...

Bed and Breakfast guest, Delroy Griffiths captured this view from his vantage point at Neita's Nest and poetically named his picture... 
         Fire and Smoke. 

Seven Up!
This parakeet, perched high up on the Pink Poui and way up above our Tree House, could not the escape the lenses of our house guest and veteran photographer, Delroy Griffiths. 

One of the many species which caught his keen eye.

Artsy and Charming features of the home and breathtaking views of the mountains invite you to idle a while on the verandah of Neita's Nest.

Step inside. Jamaican Art adorns an eclectic mix of old world and contemporary furnishings. Jamaican and Caribbean books on our library shelves are sure to entertain and educate guests of all ages.

Periwinkle and Pottery.

Surprise features pay tribute to Jamaican artisans.

Milk and Honey is the photographer's name for this piece of garden art.

Mama's old iron kettle gives a warm welcoming reminder that Tea is ready when you are.