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64 65 BEST OF BARBADOS of LOCALLY DESIGNED, LOCALLY MADE J immyWalker, a successful Barbados-based ar- chitect, and his artist wife, Jill, opened their first Best of Barbados gift shop in 1975, at the Sand- piper Inn in Holetown.“There was a niche in the marketplace that needed filling,” says Chris Trew, the Walker’s son-in-law and present-dayManaging Di- rector of the family-owned company.At the time, just as tourismwas beginning to blossom on the island, there was a dearth of locally-made gifts and souve- nirs, as well as high unemployment. So the couple decided to combine Jill’s artistic ability with Jimmy’s business skills and open a store selling unique prod- ucts designed or made in Barbados. Chris Trew recalls,“Jimmy and Jill were offered the shop at Sandpiper Inn by the owner who was a close WHAT: A chain of family-owned gift shops WHERE: Bridgetown, Barbados WEBSITE: www.best-of-barbados.com AT A GLANCE BEST OF BARBADOS