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| Where it all started- Oil Well Number One |
It was built from scratch for the oil workers back in 1940 so is on an American grid layout, and has everything provided for the expats who live there. It's like a little toy town, and some parts have not changed over all those years. I love showing people around when they visit!
So here is the first blog I wrote about Awali back in June 2015.
Having now written 5 blogs on places to go in Bahrain , I realised I had missed out one place that I love spending a lot of time,the town that has been my home for the last 5 years, Awali.
First for my overseas readers a little background to the place I call home.In 1920 the main income for Bahrain was from Pearl fishing with 2000 boats, each with 30 crew, setting sail for 3 months at a time to dive for Pearls.Then in 1931 oil was discovered in the Awali Oil field to the south of the island. To extract this oil a joint venture was set up between Caltex of America and the Bahrain Government and the first oil well was spudded in 1932. ( see picture at the top of the Blog)
Many Americans and their families were bought to Bahrain to assist with this process and so they needed accommodation and so the town of Awali was built. Over the years it has grown but it contains approximately 400 houses (single bachelor accommodation like mine up to family homes), and in the old days there was a school (which closed in 1985), a cinema (which was demolished in 2009), and the Bapco club (which has been extended and had a new entrance built but otherwise has stayed much the same!)
We also have all the sporting facilities one
would expect (2 swimming pools, gym, Pilates and yoga studio, tennis and squash
courts, rife range, horse riding stables, football pitch, running track and a
cricket pitch).
On the health front we have our own hospital
and dentist. a fire squad and ambulance crew. New additions include Princess
Sabeeka Park opened in 2010 on the site of the old cinema, an Esquires Coffee
shop, and the latest addition is now under construction, a 46million BD state
of the art Cardiac Hospital.
There is also a Supermarket, Launderette,
Hairdressers, Spa, Bank, Post Office, Church and Mosque.
The Iconic Awali water tanks holding the fresh water from a natural spring at Zallaq
On the technical side we have our own water supply from a spring on Zallaq beach, two air conditioning plants (initially all the air conditioning was run off two central plants but the new buildings now have their own AC units and a reverse Osmosis plant which desalinates the water).The whole town is lovingly cared for by the team at Awali Services who, in response to a phone call or email, 24)7 will send someone out to repair whatever has broken from Electrical Sockets, to plumbing or Air Conditioning issues.
The town is secure having only one entrance gate now which is manned by Bapco Security assisted by the Ministry of the Interior
One of the lovely things about Awali is they always do a great job celebrating all the festivals in the Kingdom. Soon the Ramadan lights and signs will ' appear and then Eid and later in the year the town will be a sea of red and white lights (and plants) to celebrate the Bahrain National days in December.
Due to the American influence when Awali was built it is laid out on an American block system and so it is very pleasant and easy to walk around. In the cooler winter months many people come to Awali to take their evening exercise.
For me the best thing about Awali is its history and I have spent many happy hours researching this. I found many old pictures, and read about the town and the way of life in many books.I managed to get from our PR department (who handle the Bapco archives) a booklet about the school for example, and Awali was also mentioned in a book called "Letters to Bahrain "by Aisha Yateem.
There was also a programme on Bahrain TV called "Memories" and they interviewed several people who lived in Awali in the old days. Of course the best way to learn about Awali is to talk to the people who have lived and worked there all their lives (many close now to retirement age or who have left Bapco in the last 5 years).
They have wonderful stories to tell of the Crematorium, the skateboarders, coming to the Delmon cinema in Awali (a special night out when it was the only cinema in Bahrain) and the Dinner dances that took place on the terrace at the back of the Bapco dub.
I remember the hopeless interviewer on Bahrain
TV .(apparently her claim to fame was working in a chip shop in Northern
Ireland). asking a long term resident of Awali in the 1960's about her trips to
the capital Manama. The lady quickly corrected her saying something like"
but dear, we did not need to go to Manama, we had everything we needed in
Awali".
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| Sunset at the Bapco club ( my photo which featured on the Bahrain Confidential website) |
It is also interesting as you walk around Awali to see the changes over the years- some of the very old houses remain in West Awali. The 2 old gates at the West (where the oilmen went to the oilfields) and East (where they went to the refinery are now closed and there is just the one entrance.
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| Al Dar, Bapco's Hotel in Awali |
Up on the hill you can see splendid new houses with accommodation for Maid's built for our Senior Managers and up near the water towers you can look out at the oilfield from where 85% of the Kingdom's wealth comes.It is amazing to think it all started in 1932 with Oil Well number one (which you can still visit next to the Oil Museum) and by 2011 when the oil fields were handed over to Tatweer Petroleum there were 100 wells. With their superior technology and increased investment in the last 4 years Tatweer has drilled a further 1000 wells and added new offices, several gas and water treatment plants and an electricity power station to power the wells.
The landscape that you see from the far end of Awali is constantly changing. In fact although the country is now producing far more oil and gas the space available for Bahraini's to camp in the cooler winter months has been dramatically reduced.It is also interesting to see the view from the water tower's in different weather conditions. I remember well going up there at 6 a.m. to get a spectacular picture of the oil field covered in mist.
Of all the places I love to go in Awali I will describe just three here. Firstly the Bapco club Friday Brunch. This is open to the public and you can eat as much as you like for just 6 BD (9 pounds sterling). It is held in the ballroom and 200 people attend each week starting at 12 noon, so it is best to book.
Anis at Bapco club Brunch back in 2010
The Expats tend to go early and the Arabs later . There are always two soups, a huge range of salads and fish, a roast of the day. salad counter and a wide selection of Asian, British and Middle Eastern food. The best part is the huge selections of desserts (including Um Ali or Bread and butter pudding) and cheese. The photo shows my friend Anis who used to regularly come for Brunch with me.
Princess Sabeeka Park is open to Bapco employees, Awali residents and Bapco club members only and was opened by Princess Sabeeka (wife of King Hamad and a great Environmentalist) in 2010, soon after I arrived in Bahrain. It is used regularly for events such as the Family days, the visit of the British Ambassador and many school visits. It is a joy to walk or sit and read among the plants and trees.There are two lakes, streams and fountains, a maze, a Dove house and at the back of the park are the Library and Esquires Coffee House.
Pav in my garden at House 775B in 2013
House 775B- yes you guessed it, my house. One of the great joys of moving to Bahrain for me was being home every night at 4 pm. I love sitting in the garden reading and have acquired a swinging seat and a set of benches, chairs and tables. I have just had the chairs repainted and we got some material and foam from Isa Town market (covered in a later blog). My friend Corleen made covers for the foam so now I have some very Arabic looking cushions.
I managed to get some paving slabs and my gardener Shji laid them for me in a secluded part of the garden surrounded by hedges and so now I have a lovely area to sit and eat with my friends in the cooler months.When I first arrived the garden consisted of sand all around the house so I had to buy many tubs and pots and plants to brighten the place up a hit. I also managed to buy well established plants from departing expats and had some shade netting erected to keep the fierce sun oft Later I started my compost and then created beds for the vegetables and in recent years have grown potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, purple broccoli and Chillis.
I also hold Barbecues and parties every two years and it is great to have all my friends visit. For these special events I add flaming torches and fairy lights and for my secret birthday party last year my friend Patrick decorated all the tables with rose petals and floating candles as well.
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Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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