In the 1970s and early 80s I worked in the Talks & Features Department of the BBC World Service.

In 1982 I was given the chance to travel to the Caribbean, though it happened almost by accident. I was producing the BBC's Business Programme and suggested to my Editor that I do a feature on tax havens - thinking I might wangle a trip over to Jersey or the Isle of Man if I was lucky.

"You always think small scale," he replied to me. "Why don't you do a feature on the Cayman Islands?"

"Err, a slight problem of having too small a programme budget?" I ventured. "That's never stopped you yet," came back his reply.

So I rang the Cayman Tourist Office; I rang a new charter airline called Arrow Air, that was starting flights to Miami; I rang Cayman Airways who flew the short hop to Miami from Ceorgetown and in no time I had got myself a week in the Caribbean, courtesy of all these wonderful people.

The Cayman government allocated me a minder - a sweet girl with a most memorable name: Mitzi Mecedes! And they looked after me superbly well.

The resulting interviews formed the backbone to an Assignment Special that was broadcast on 26th January 1983...