SLICE OF LIFE: Weston as one

By Wendell Callender | Tue, June 12, 2012 - 12:00 AM

The coming together of communities for positive endeavours is still very much in evidence as one traverses the various districts around Barbados.

Last Friday night, Weston, St James provided a great example of the gelling of community spirit.

The Weston district, which still relives the horror of a freak flood that brought havoc to the village and took the life of calypsonian Carew, of Snakes fame, is now manifesting the kind of community spirit which enabled it to quickly return to normalcy after that fateful day, August 3, 1995.

Residents of Weston, the Garden and Mount Stanfast in St James came out along with their friends and others, including Team Mikey, headed by current party monarch Mikey (Michael Mercer) to present an Oistins-type lime.

Three years ago, the Weston Experience group started this lime just in front of the fishing complex, adjacent to John Moore Bar and opposite Lucas shop. This year, the Garden Stars joined in the effort to create a bigger event.

Cardinal Hinds, a spokesman for the Garden Stars, said the group has been around since 1998 and served to keep the community spirit alive. Two of the key projects to which they have been contributing are a scholarship fund for St Albans Primary School and the trash can drive.

This year, Hinds said, the group was keen to help create an Oistins-type activity in Weston.

He explained that with the assistance of sponsors Mount Gay and Stag they had joined with the Weston Experience to lift the profile of the Weston event.

It was a boost for vendors to sustain their businesses and a kind of community tourism experience was being developed.

The food items on sale reflected a Bajan culinary experience.

We were attracted to the Bajan soup at Randy Murrell’s. He was pleased to note that it included okras, barley, sweet potato, carrots, and dumplings.

He called it Love Potion No. 9.

He offered us a sample. It was good – rich, but not too spicy.

Operating close by was Danell Hall, selling grilled fish. She expressed a keen interest in the culinary arts and told us she was involved with catering for weddings and other events. Hall said she had studied culinary arts at the Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute.

Among those who expressed a great appreciation for the Weston lime were Rosamund Nicholas, who is known as the original fruit vendor in the area, and Grafton Williams, who has been attending the event every night from the time it started.

Rosamund described himself as a “community man, right through”, while Grafton indicated his pleasure at seeing the community get together for this kind of activity.

The mood was great and the folks seemed to relish the atmosphere. The community involvement had made its mark at Weston.