The hard court at the St Bernard’s Primary School came alive with music, food and games yesterday for the Errol Barrow Day holiday.
The Togetherness Social Group and Barbados Yuh Come From project converged at the St Joseph School, where popular radio personalities Larry Mayers and Ian Cupid Gill kept the crowd alive with a wide selection of music. A crowd enjoyed the sports and food in anticipation of a day of socializing into the wee hours of the morning.
The Barbados Yuh Come From project is a twice-monthly event held at a different location across the island and has been drawing crowds of between 2 000 to 3 000 persons for each event. Ian Cupid Gill explained that the project was designed to encourage greater community spirit while Shawn Taitt, brewery trade manager at Brydens, which sponsors the event, said the effort was aimed at reaching out to the community to bring back community spirit.
On the West Coast, members from the surrounding avenues gathered at 12th Avenue, West Terrace Gardens, for a day of food, socializing and road tennis. The day’s activities included the dedication of a road tennis court in commemoration of the life of Michael Philips, a former resident, who died late last year. Emmerson Browne, spokesperson for the community group, said: “We dedicated the tennis court in his honour because he was an avid fan of the sport.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Donville Inniss, who is also Member of Parliament for the St James South, in which the West Terrace district falls, joined in the action and engaged in a game with Browne. He said: “Today is a day to spend in the constituency with residents as we reflect on the contribution Errol Barrow would have made to the development to the country.”
Inniss pointed out that the activities indicated what life in Barbados really ought to be about when family and communities get together for wholesome activities. He added that because many neighbourhoods did not have the village setting of long ago, the residents did not actually get together for activities that allowed them to get to know one another. It was therefore really good to see such activities, he said, adding that as Member of Parliament he fully supported them.
Also in St James, the youth of Husbands Gardens joined together to host the inaugural Youth Fest, for which residents gathered on the Husbands basketball court to sell their products and exhibit their talents. There were performances from the Haynesville youth group and other individuals from the general St James Community.At Belfield Sports Facility in Black Rock, residents from the area engaged in a football tournament and fun day.
