A Brit from Belhaven will say “Bon Voyage”
Posted at 12:00 PM on Saturday, March 11, 2023
- Peter Walkley has spent the last eight months at Belhaven and has quickly become an honorary resident. He enjoyed his time there and made “really good friends”. Walkley plans to leave by the end of next week. (Holly Morgan/WDN)
The warmth and friendliness of the people of Belhaven is what makes them unique compared to people around the world, says Peter Walkley, and he should know. Originally from England, Walkley is a world traveler who has visited Saudi Arabia, Dubai, the Caribbean, Spain and many other countries.
Walkley found himself in Belhaven and in the arms of its residents last July when his 52-foot 2019 Carver yacht needed repairs after it hit a sandbar. Soon the Briton was in the spotlight. He was quickly adopted by a group of six ladies who made sure his social diary and belly were full.
“There’s a group of ladies looking after me,” he laughed, “they’ve just adopted me.”
Both he and a group of ladies like to cook so they cook dinner for each other, forming a little supper club.
“It has come to the point that on Monday I will go somewhere for lunch, on Tuesday somewhere else, for my 94th birthday, for the pastor’s birthday. The social diary was packed every week, Walkley laughed.
When he wasn’t in the city, Walkley painted watercolors of boats and architecture. Some of his work can be found at the RiverBend Cultural Arts Center in Belhaven. He enjoyed painting townhouses because of their beachy design.
“It’s nice to be able to leave something in the city with the paintings,” Walkley said.
Walkley really enjoyed his time at Belhaven and said he made good friends there. He plans to return in the future. “I’m going to miss Belhaven…I’ll be back this summer, I’m sure. “I always got invitations to come back and see very, very good friends.”
He plans to leave Belhaven by the end of next week.
Walkley returns to south-east England to go to his native Kent. His formal residence is in Spain, where he has lived on and off for the past four years.
Walkley has 30 years of experience in the oil industry, so Belhaven was not his first trip to the US. He has been to Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Massachusetts.
While in North Carolina, however, he visited Raleigh, Wilson, Washington, Greenville, Morehead City, Beaufort, and even made a trip through Elizabeth City to reach Norfolk, Virginia. One of his many future adventures he is planning is a trip to Kitty Hawk and the rest of the Outer Banks.
While on the yacht, Walkley collaborated with a media company in Spain. He said the appeal of yachting is visiting places like Belhaven, meeting the residents and learning about other cultures.
