I AM Brendon Grimshaw – Twelve Grains of Sand
Greetings my friends. I am Brendan Grimshaw. It’s a strange thing, speaking from this side of Life’s existence, but I’m so glad to be able to share my tale of Moyenne, my little patch of paradise.
It’s a story of a dream, a friend, a family, and a choice that shaped my life and, I hope, the lives of many others too.
Back in 1962, I was a newspaper editor, 37 years old, restless, bored and fed-up in the newsrooms of East Africa. I could see that the world was changing, and felt it was time for a new chapter in my life. I’d always dreamed of a place by the sea, somewhere untouched and unspoilt.
I took a holiday in the Seychelles, and was all ready to leave, disappointed that every island I saw was priced for millionaires only. Then, on my second-to-last day, a young lad in Victoria approached me. “There’s an island for sale,” he said, “Moyenne, just off Mahé.” I went to see it—a wild, forgotten place, 9.9 hectares of tangled scrub, no birds, just rats and silence. But it sang to me, that island. I felt it in my bones. On the last day of my trip, minutes before midnight, I signed the papers for £8,000. Moyenne was mine.
I didn’t know then what I was in for, but I met the man who would assist me to make it possible: Rene Antoine Lafortune, a 19-year-old Seychellois with a fisherman’s grit and a heart as big as the ocean. Rene became my brother-in-arms. Together, we tackled Moyenne’s chaos. The undergrowth was so thick, coconuts remained hung up, suspended in the air, never reaching the ground. We hacked paths, planted trees—16,000 of them, from palms to mangoes. Every day was a battle against thorns, storms, and doubt. Once, a fire nearly took half the island; another time, rats ate our early saplings. But Rene’s laugh, his stubborn optimism, kept me going. He’d say, “Brendon, we’ll make this island sing again.” And we did. Over decades, we turned Moyenne into a green jewel, alive with birds, over 2,000 of them and 50 giant tortoises that we raised like family.
In 1981, after neatly 20 years on the island, my father joined me. He was in his late years, but he absolutely loved Moyenne’s wildness. We would sit by the shore with him telling me his stories of Yorkshire, while I dreamed of what the island could be. He lived with me until he passed, and we buried him there, under the trees we’d planted. I marked a spot for myself too beside him, knowing Moyenne was my home, in this life and beyond.
As the island bloomed, so did its fame. People came, tourists, scientists, even a few developers with fat checkbooks. I got several offers to sell, some as high as $10 million. Then, in the ’90s, a Saudi prince (or so they said) wanting to pay me $50 million. Fifty million! Can you imagine? They wanted to build a hotel, turn Moyenne into another playground for the rich.
But, I said no. Every time, I said no. That island wasn’t just another island, it was my life’s work, Rene’s sweat, my father’s resting place. Money in the bank couldn’t compare to the legacy of a living, breathing paradise. I fought for years to make Moyenne a national park, and in 2008, it happened. The world’s smallest, but mine became protected – forever.
I left this world in 2012, buried next to my father just as I wanted, under Moyenne’s canopy. But the island lives on without me, its birds, its tortoises, its trails open to anyone who’ll walk them with respect. I’ve no regrets. Moyenne was my purpose, and Rene, my father, and that stubborn little island gave me a life fuller than any bank account.
Now, I would like to gift you with 12 Grains of Sand, my principles, hard-earned from my years on Moyenne. These are what I’d tell anyone who wants to live a life that matters:
- Follow Your Heart’s Call
When Moyenne whispered to me, I listened.
Find the place or purpose that stirs your soul, and chase it, no matter how wild it seems. - Build Bonds That Endure
Rene was my rock, my friend, my family.
Find someone who shares your dream, and together, you’ll conquer anything. - Work Hard for What You Love
Planting one tree is nothing; planting 16,000 is everything.
Sweat and struggle are the price of a dream worth having. - Let Nature Be Your Teacher
Moyenne taught me patience, resilience, and balance.
Listen to the land, and it’ll show you how to live. - Stand Firm Against Greed
I turned down millions to keep Moyenne pure.
Protect what’s sacred, even when the world tempts you with gold. - Start Where You Are
We began with machetes and a few seeds.
You don’t need much to start, just the Will to begin. - Think Beyond Your Lifetime
I set up a trust so Moyenne would outlive me.
Build something that lasts for those who come after. - Find Strength in Simplicity
A shack, a shovel, and the sea, that was enough.
Strip away the clutter, and you’ll find what’s real. - Overcome Setbacks with Grit
Fires, rats, storms—we faced them all.
Every failure is just a lesson in disguise. - Share Your Paradise
I opened Moyenne to visitors, not for profit, but to share its beauty.
Create something others can cherish. - Honour Those Who Walk with You
My father, Rene, they made Moyenne possible.
Treasure the people who stand by you, in life or memory. - Believe One Life Can Change the World
I was just a man with a dream, but Moyenne’s a national park now.
One person, one choice, can leave a mark forever.
That’s my story, friend. Moyenne’s still there, singing with birds and swaying with palms. Go see it, if you can. And live your own dream, whatever it is.
