Sweet life in Eden Lodge

The Knights of the Silver Table relaxing in Eden Lodge. Behind them is the nursery school. (Lennox Devonish)

Fri, July 20, 2012 - 12:03 AM

IF THERE ARE NICE PLACES to live in Barbados, then Eden Lodge, St Michael, must be the nicest.

“Barbados is the sweetest place in the world and Eden Lodge is the sweetest place in Barbados,” said a man called Cheddar Bob.

Bob and company, a group called the Knights Of The Silver Table, lime under a tarpaulin near the Eden Lodge Nursery School.

“We all are brothers and sisters here, don’t mind all the bullets you hear ’bout,” he said.

The men told Street Beat there was a lot of talent in the area, from singers to carpenters to “the best footballers”.

“We got multitalented people here. Me, I sing and we got people here who play instruments,” said Dexter Reid.

Reid washes cars and fixes roofs when he isn’t singing at a karaoke session or in a friend’s studio but has plans to further his career once he gets more money.

Bob, however, said he was just “chillin” and living until he decided to go looking for a job.

“When I ready, I will get a job. Right now I just relaxing and not stressing about anything,” he said.

Some people may be concerned that the men lime so close to young children but the group said they had a good relationship with the nursery and had given and received nothing but respect.

“You can ask the girls in there about we. [After all,] we got children in there too,” said Bob.

As Street Beat was interviewing the men, Joyann Branch and her little daughter Sheldeane stopped by after being picked up from the nursery. Branch said she had no problem with the knights.

“I know they enjoy themselves and they don’t trouble anybody. They are cool fellows; I have no problem with them, and my li’l girl enjoys herself with them,” she said.

True to her mother’s words, Sheldeane hopped up on the lap of the oldest man in the group, 70-year-old Michael Ward, the “elder” of the area.

As sweet as it is in Eden Lodge, it is not without a few things the men want changed. Andrew Bowen said the parliamentary representative for the past 15 years, Ronald Toppin, was not doing anything for them.

“All they do is pass and wave,” he said.

Reid said he wanted politicians to consider that people make up a country, not Government, and suggested a state ruled by one person with no political parties vying for positions.

David Harris complained he kept getting turned down for jobs but people would still cry down the youth.

“It dread out there but you hear ‘youngsters doing this and that and not working’, but you can’t find jobs,” he said.

Not far away a group of youth, some still attending school, were roasting breadfruit.

They said they got together on a daily basis to play football and ride bicycles and motorcycles – well, at least Kemar Williams rides a motorcycle.

The others are either too young or too scared. However, Williams said he has no fear and liked to do stunts. He said his only problem is work, adding he was a mason and would welcome any offers.