She was a legal and political Bermudian figure doing her bit for girl power and racial equal rights - as the first female barrister and Attorney-General, the first back female MP and the first women to become leader of the opposition (the Progressive Labour Party which is now in power) British Commonwealth. She received a knighthood from the Queen but was pro the independence of Bermuda. She died in 2007 aged 79.
This public holiday is only three years old. It was created in 2008 and originally planned to replaced the Bermuda Day holiday on May 24 but following public outrage (What! No lining to the streets eating fried chicken to watch the half marathon?!) it was later agreed that it would replace the Queen's Official Birthday holiday still celebrated in the UK as the spring bank holiday at the end of May. This would seem quite fitting in honour of a campaigner for Bermuda leaving British rule.
Since the holiday was created with the assumption that different heroes would be celebrated each year, debate has raged on about who they should be. Adrian Robson put the case forward for various sports heroes in The Royal Gazette, there has been talk of a public vote, then earlier this month (although not in time for Heroes' Day 2010) the Government announced a panel to decide upon some other national heroes to honour but since debate is now raging over who should be on the panel I think it's quite likely that Dame Lois will be the name in the frame for Heroes' Day 2011.
Unlike other national holidays the annual activity for today is yet to be determined. So how did us expats celebrate? Well it's been a busy weekend of raft ups, beach parties, camp fires and sunbathing. I'm always a fan of a public holiday even if this one is a little undefined!!
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