Lockdown was announced in Barbados and rumour had it, it was going to be a tough one. Many gated communities such as the one we live in, decided to close everything including the swimming pool. Even walking on a deserted golf course was prohibited. It seemed there were eyes everywhere! It was then my friend the opera singer and satirist Melinda Hughes suggested we club together and rent a West Coast property with a pool. Visions of Big Brother flashed through my head; hanging out with friends is one thing but being thrown together in a house for two weeks is another.

Throwing caution to the wind, I rushed to pack my finest holiday clothes because it turned out, this wasn’t any old property Melinda had found - it was the iconic Nelson Gay House near Speightstown. A beautiful idyll nestled within an acre of tropical gardens with a 50 foot lap pool overlooking a deserted beach! Nelson gay became a hive of creativity; the Frenchman and the Viking would chat about philosophy, politics and finance while Melinda would compose satirical songs on her ukulele. Laughter, music and art thrived, aided by copious amounts of Petit Chablis.

I can’t remember the last time I took out my easel but I felt inspired to paint a Hockney inspired vista. Normally I’m covering myself in paint and rolling around a blank canvas but here I happily stood each day taking in the spectacular view of the gardens. In the morning as I sipped my coffee, I would often see a family of monkeys casually stroll across the garden or a mongoose dart across the path. Evening time brought another kind of magic; the roar of the sea, chirping tree frogs and bats dipping into the pool.

I hit upon the idea of a ‘Slim Aarons-esque” scene. We could drape ourselves poolside as we nonchalantly sipped cocktails and gazed into the middle distance. The designer Anya Langworthy Wheatley would dress us in her beautiful kaftans from Berber Marose. We quickly got to work adding the necessary props; cocktail shaker, drinks trolley, large hats and sunglasses. My other half, affectionately known as the Viking took to the pool and voila! We created the Slim Aarons-esque holiday scene.

Our two weeks at Nelson Gay was a fun way to stay inspired, remain sane and solidify a friendship. I wanted to relish every moment of this magical house. I hope I can return one day. In fact, I’d really like to buy it. Does anyone have a spare $18 million they can lend me?