Bajans kick back on holiday

Trinidadian-born Camille Alexander and her two daughters, who are visiting from Houston in the United States, were seen enjoying a swim at The Basin at Bathsheba. (Pictures by Lennox Devonish.)

Hardat Monilall, his wife Mary and son Vishal enjoying a game of ludo as they relax at Bathsheba.

Enjoying LUNCH are Barbados Electoral Staff Association members (from left) Michael Sealey, Latisha Griffith, Yvonne Babb, Sonia Holder and Allison Holland.

Tue, May 29, 2012 - 12:04 AM

IT WAS A DAY for fun, food, family and friends as Barbadians enjoyed various Whit Monday activities across the island yesterday.

The East Coast and Bathsheba, the picnic spots of choice, were crowded, as was Weston Resource Centre in St James where members of the community came out in their numbers for fellowship.

Sisters Rasheda Wood and Nikita Peters were among many children and adults who found the calm waters at The Basin, also known as High Rock, in Bathsheba, welcoming and relaxing.

While they were having a grand time frolicking to their hearts’ content, scores of students were taking CXC exams.

“We do it every Sunday,” said Nikita.

The popular Errol Barrow Park at East Coast Road also attracted the members of the Barbados Electoral Staff Association, who opted to enjoy their lunch from the luggage compartment of a minibus. The unusual looking bus, which works the Speightstown to Mile-And-A-Quarter route, was driven by David Selman, who said that the vehicle was the only one of its kind in the island.

Not all the action took place on the eastern side of the island for the Weston Golden Years Association’s Community Day was one event that helped to liven up the West Coast.

Organizer Heather Jordan said the association, in celebration of its first anniversary, decided to host the event under the theme Once Upon A Time to bring the youth and the older folk of the community together in an attempt to build a relationship between them.

The road tennis tournament, which had players registering from communities across the island, turned out to be the most popular event for the day, she said.

“The tennis court was recently restored and the men started using it so we decided to host a tournament to get people to come out and play because that is how it used to be once upon a time; that is where the theme for today came from.”

Surprised and excited by the day’s turnout, Jordan said both the young and the old came out and signed up for the events and she was pleased to see them playing dominoes together.

Entertainment for the community event was provided by vintage reggae band Rush and Blue Steel, a steel pan group led by Weston resident Basil Beckles.

“Even though the band has been in existence for the past ten years, it is the first time it will be performing in the community,” Jordan said.

Harry Husbands, the Democratic Labour Party candidate for the constituency of St James North, said several initiatives were being undertaken to bring back life to Weston. These included Weston Friday Night, an activity similar to the Oistins Friday night fish fry that would be launched soon.

He said there were also plans to repaint the tennis court that had been out of use for almost 20 years and to refurbish the basketball, netball and volleyball courts located at the back of the resource centre. (LK)