Acknowledgements

I owe so much to so many. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Stephanie Hackert, for having been my mentor for so many years, for sharing her enthusiasm about Old(er) and New(er) Englishes with me, for letting (and making) me grow and for her invaluable help in preparing the manuscript of this book. I am also grateful to my second supervisor, Hans-Jörg Schmid, for widening my linguistic horizons.

This book wouldn’t exist if Edward Minnis hadn’t provided me with copies of the recordings which he re-discovered in the late 2000s. I am incredibly thankful to Jeanne Thompson and Eddie Minnis for taking the time and effort to try and remember what was going on 50 years ago when The Fergusons of Farm Road was created. I also thank Alicia, Erin, Nunu and Tina for showing me Nassau, opening their homes, and making me fall in love with The Bahamas and rum cake.

I am grateful to Catherine and Melanie for being on this journey with me. The words that are needed to express my gratitude to Catherine for her incredible support haven’t been invented yet. Merci! I thank my fellow fire-fighters for forcing me out of my academic bubble on a regular basis. I am also deeply grateful to my family and friends, who were there for me every step of the way and who gave me food and comfort whenever I needed either one.