Researched, Edited, Produced and Distributed by Leigh Bourne and friendsContact : 07960 048071 - leigh_bourne@hotmail.com - Facebook

31st Mar 2013

EDDOES

Let’s hear it for the boys !Two Bajan owned foodbusinesses have hit

the market ….literally !If you dont know whothey are by now then findout more inside !

INSIDE DEH !

This guy has been on the Bajanentertainment scene sincebuying an iffy twin deck at a

shop on the Edgware Road way backin the year dot … and he’sstill going strong ! Youeither know the name orknow who he is … read hisstory inside !

You are what you eat ! Did yousee that TV programme wherea meat curry bought from a

London takeawaycontained flesh thatscientific analysis failedto identify ? …and justwhen you thoughtthings couldn’t get anyworse ! Stick to tradition folks …readour opinions inside !

A Nation rep was in the UKrecently touring Bajan enclaveslistening, talking and gauging

opinion on the publication and itscontent - do we have any advice to

offer the good peeps at thenation ?Well…yes we do … inside !

A special audit ofBarbados’ Embas-sy in Venezuela un-

covered several “serious”operational breaches in-volving the misappropriation of funds,looking in from outside we wonderout loud what costs are involved in ususing our embassy … inside !

Two year oldKelvin Santosd e v e l o p e d

pneumonia .. sadlyDoctors in Belem,Brazil later declared him dead andhanded his body over to his familywho organised a funeral. But then…read what happened next !

We’ve done a double pagespread Ralph Straker’s lifeand the invaluable

contributions Ralph and many of hisilk made to black UK life ..but hispresent incapacitation isnothing short ofinexplicable …so we ask ..Where’s the fairness ?

So …Freundel and co now havethe people’s mandate to rectifyand reactivate Barbados’

economy .. If you’re feelingbrave ..then take a sip uhstrong drink ..sit down andread Dalrymple’s opinion ..Inside !

Job applicant being interviewed : "What would you say was yourgreatest weakness?" "Honesty." "I don't think honesty is a weak-ness." "I don't give a damn what you think."

A 2p coin met a pound coin andsaid, "Hey, where've youbeen? I haven't seen you

around here much."

The pound answered, "I've beenhanging out at the casinos, went toIreland, did the rounds in themidlands, back to London for awhile,went to a couple of football games,to the supermarket, that kind of stuff.…How about you ?"

The 2p answered, "You know, sameold stuff... church, church, church."

Prime Minister Freundel Stuartmay have won a victory and evenI one of his more honest critics

must warn him, don’t let this victorysnatched from the jaws of defeat go toyour head. Do not be fooled, it was morethe divided and disgruntled opponentsthat allowed you the sight of the winningline. When it came right down to it, youare and is a much more decent sort ofchap than that so and so Owen Arthur.

Barbadians by and large are a fairand honest people, and theytrusted you in preference to a

bullying rogue and economic villain.However if you want to be rememberedor leave any form of legacy, then now isthe time to show some spunk, someoomph, the problems are many andsolutions evaporate by the day.

Let me tell you, it is not enough tospeak of European countriesbeing in the same boat. It is not

enough to invite pity and hopelessness.You are the head honcho and regrettablythe buck stops at your door.Now is the time to show what you aremade of. Let it not be said that you arethe captain that took the Bajan titanic toa watery grave. Your economy needs acomplete structural change, a root and

branch reorganisation. Are you preparedto bite the bullet or are you merelyaround for the ceremonial looking goodbut not prepared to solve the problemsand challenges that confront this islandstate?

Many of the institutions need aproper overhaul, none appearfit for purpose. As an

example, it is the job of the police tofight crime and bring the criminals tojustice. Why should the population atlarge not be able to wear their jewelleryas and when they please? Strong boldleadership demands when something isnot working we fix it. Get rid of some ofthe blockages. Tell the leaders in thepolice to get on their bikes. For themoney being spent, please demandresults. Get rid of the Governor of theCentral Bank, his reports are a joke toserious economists. The entire civilservice is a joke. Housing, education,health, transport, tourism, agriculture allneed new visions and serious work beingdone. The last administration’s recordcould not get anyone elected asdogcatcher if the truth be told. ThankOwen for his timely intervention thatsaved your bacon.

But all is not complete doom andgloom; the stimulus package is astart and if spent wisely could

assist the economy. Since Barbados doesnot have a bank of its own, on no accountshould this money be used to sure upforeign owned banks. The Minister ofFinance must think carefully and notallow the hustlers of Broad Street dictatehow that money is spent. Until

WAKE UPCALLFORPMby Dalrymple

BOCFA IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEHEALTH & WELFARE GROUP

presenta

Saturday 13th April 2013at the

Barbados High Commission,1 Great Russell Street,

London,WC1B 3ND

between1.00pm – 5:50pm

PROGRAMMERegistration

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONH. E High Commissioner

Hugh Anthony Arthur OBE

FACILITATORJerry Hall

CHANGES WITHIN THE NHSHOW WILL THESE IMPACT YOU ?

Dr Nola Ishmael, OBE

DIABETES AND ITS COMPLICATIONSEdla Rouse

PROSTATE MATTERSVasco Stevenson

Group Sessions - Feed back fromgroups and way Forward.

Refreshments And Networking

CLOSE

HEALTH SEMINAR

PLENARY SESSION

politicians in Barbados realise that whatis good for the mercantile class is notnecessarily good for all of Barbados, wewill forever be force to live on our knees.

Chris Sinckler was clearly thenatural successor to DavidThompson, and unless the DLP

wants to suffer its worst defeat in 2018,the PM will hand over to him by 2016so that he can get his feet under the tableproperly. The others who see themselvesas potential leaders are a bunch of jokers,none of then can walk, chew gum, andshake hands at the same time, and sowhat chance we have for progress?

Mia Mottley is desperate toprove a point and withoutOwen she is going to be a

very powerful competitor. Stuart will beno match for her and as far as I’mconcerned the only challenger to her Isee is Chris ..he can take the fight to her.If Freundel through pride goes up againstMia at the next election he will beslaughtered. In my next column I shallbe looking at individual sectors of theeconomy and suggest where the newadministration should be going.

To register call Keith on 07870 290373

Face Painting, BouncyCastles etcAnd starting at 5pm thebig musical finale withfeature Bajan artistes.

Win two tickets to Barbados by regis-tering at Barbados Family andFriends - entry to this competitioncloses in June 2013.A LIL BIT OF BIM starts at 11.00am and finishes at 9pmCome and enjoy your day with Fami-ly and Friends the BAJAN way !

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS !

Traditional Bajan fare …everywhere ! The majorityof us know of at least one

hidden away London Saturdayspot where you can find and buyBajan food - but here are someguys doing it legitimately andright out in the open. Literally.Our Carlston launched Meddy’sBakery a few Saturdays ago inRidley Road Market Dalston

..then a couple weeks later Markand Karen …aka Pikkle Londonwas up and running in DeptfordMarket South East London. Wevisited both and came home ladenwith goodies - sweet bread andturnovers from Meddy … souseand pickle vegetables from thePicklers… and we going back forseconds real soon !

We are off and run-ning for this yearsBarbadian family

Cultural Funday A LIL BITOF BIM - on Sunday 26thMay 2013 at Blossomfield Sports clubWidley Road Solihull Birmingham.Please download the flyer for details andcontact information. Concessions, Spac-es for Food, Arts and Crafts, businessopportunities and SponsorsCoaches from all over EnglandDancing all day in the Ball RoomRoad Tennis, Rounders, Cricket,

TINGSRUNWE

First impressions were good. Wewere greeted by an accordionplaying elder of the Indian sub-

continent community, belting out tastefulcontinental tunes. However, as I lookeddown to lift the skirt of my very longevening gown and ascend the stairs, myspirits lowered. Shabby and un-hooveredcarpets looked up to greet me …and thatset the precedent for the evening.I could almost forgive being seated at anover spill, make shift table in the bar, thecold wind whistling down my spine andwhipping around my leg every time thedoor was opened to admit lady patrons tothe toilets. I could almost forgive theabsence of wine on our table and not beingable to hear the sound system. But, thebattle lines were drawn when it came tothe bad food.I am not one of those stick in the mudswho only want to eat Caribbean foodwhen I go out. I like to try differentcuisines and when I realised that the venuestaff was catering for the event was quiteprepared to sample the many amasingvarieties of food I am lead to believe comefrom India.What we were given was a Hodge Podgeof packet or frozen foods, badly cookedcurry and rice, some rancid fish that hadnot been touched by a lime or lemon andno vegetables or salad in sight.

By Pauline Rouse.

Don’t get out much these days, so you can imagine myexcitement when Mr Q suggested we treat ourselves andattend the Barbadian Families Memorial Group’s

fundraising Annual Dinner and Dance.Decked out in newly acquired outfits, matching silver shoes andhandbag in my case, if you please, we arrived at the strangelynamed Palm Dhoom restaurant and function room, Forest GateLondon.

Along with the snaking queue that addedto the already cramped conditions, I didnot have much of an appetite.Mr Q was not pleased, which is a massiveunderstatement, and wanted to leave.However, I am made of sterner stuff andwas determined to stick it out to the bitterend.There was a funny moment when the badlystocked bar, no gin OR tonic, informedsome well-known champagne drinkers,who shared our table, that they did indeedhave champagne, but no champagne flutes.Oh, how we tittered when Pierre andfriends proceeded to drink their bubblyout of tall juice tumblers !I would like to know what happened to thelive entertainment by J’Marie that waspromised. DJ Nile did his best to get theparty going, but most people stayed seated,probably worried about bruising theirlimbs on the tables and chairs, as noclearly defined dance area was prepared.I conceded defeat and agreed to leavebefore the end. This was after I wonnothing on the raffle and a crack head gatecrasher was unceremoniously ejected.I suppose it was a ‘fundraising’ event afterall and at £30 a head, the minimum spenton food and wine, venue packed tocapacity and basic entertainment…..You do the maths.

Unity AssociationIn support of the Diabetes Association

of Barbados

celebrate their10TH ANNIVERSARY

with a

Saturday 3rd August 2013

Anerley Town HallAnerley Road

LondonSE20 8BD

Tickets - £40.00Doors open 7. 00 pm

Music by Daddy Vince & Guest DJAppearances by

Davina Rae (Vocalist)Renato Paris (Singer)

MC/ Comedienne Hortensia

Licensed Bar

BAROQUE TO BROADWAY

A concert of diverse songs, ariasand duets including pieces byHandel, Hanh, Coleridge- Taylor,Rowley Bishop, Brahms, Britten,Faure´, Gershwin, Coward andKern.

Helen Duxbury - Mezzo Soprano

Bobby Jeffrey - TenorNicholas Bosworth - Piano

at7. 30 pm

ST AUGUSTINE’S CHURCHBROADWATER ROAD,

TOOTING,LONDON

SW17 0EF

In aid of the refurbishment of StAugustine’s Church organ

Tickets : £10.00 includes aninterval drink

DOORS OPEN AT 6. 30 pm

SATURDAY 6 APRIL Anerley Town Hall

For further info call Daddy Vince07950 634893

is when de lady find out de man did doingbad wid de udder lady from work, she getmad and talk out de fam’ly bizness. Cu’dear,you would feel vex too if yuh had a man fuh26 years and had two trildrun and he turnround and stepping out on you.Not just dat. No. De new woman like shedid cuffufle too. Ah hear ‘bout mens likingmens and ah hear ‘bout womens likingwomens. But I nevah hear that they gotsome who does like men AND women!Lord, wha gine on? De Father soon comingfuh he world yuh hear?So, de judge did right. Both a dem knowwha duh did doing. Nuh body coerce nuhbody. They plan de whole ting together, butVicky change she mine.Looka how much munts tek up wid this tingand how much uh wanah tax money use up.Now de two uhdum in prision,using up moretax money andfuh wha?Revenge ?Stuppse !When Miss Pryce come up here I gine findshe and speak to she plain. I gine tell she

‘my lady, when yuh in a marrage yuh got totek de rough wid de smood. Men does dowha dem does do and yuh caan’t stop dem.If you and de man caan’t gree, then go yuhown way before yuh get vex and do sumtingshtooppid ! Now ‘de childrun shame … duhhearing ‘bout wunna bizness cos it all ovade place and dat is wrong.

Readers ! …walk awayfrom foolishness andleave it to karma coslike de ole peepul doessay… evah pig got aSarda.

Amen.’

SHOULD BE

WhatPryce

Revenge ?

I in a real cuffufle ‘bout the MPand he ex wife dat dey had ontrial the udda day. I caan’tunderstand dis ting ‘bout

‘ m a r i t a lcoercion’. Whadah supposed tobe? De papersay dat when aman force he

wife to tell lies den da’s um. But thequestion I got is this, ‘which part MissPryce come from?’I had a man deh one time and he could nevahbe suh foolish as to mek me do sometingagainst my will. He did know me suh gooddat de time when he want me do sometingand I tell he no, he try to put he hand pun me,I tell he ‘stop right deh !’. He just lower hehand and went long. He could only be a idiotto carry on. Women in Bubbadus in demdays did haaard.So how come a women like she can try andfool de people in court to believe dat one lilman frighten she? She did suppose to be abig time economist. Dat is some body whowork in money andknow what de moneymarkets doing. Daten nuh job fuh nuhOssie Moore. Shenevah get day byackin like a micie.Coerce what?I feel all dat happen

By Angel Lou

Vicky Pryce

Something hadto happen -we’d been

complaining longand often enough - afire had to be litunder the ample sit-upons of the Nationn e w s p a p e r ’ s

management for them to do somethingabout their perceived lackadaisicalnessand almost dismissive attitude towardswe UK Bajans.

So action …in the form of VivianAnne Gittens arrived on our

doorsteps knocking and asking in short..what it is we want from thenewspaper… and we told her…sometimes in very plain languageexactly what we required… basically…we want relevance ..more UK based andfocused content. Simples !

Bajans here in London, Manchesterand Birmingham have been

promised action …you are our customersso steps are to be taken she said - but inturn and soon …the newspaper’s ownersand management has to sort out some

‘hindrances’, look seriously at its methodof operation here in the UK, plusimprove its circulation and increaseincome from advertising. No pressurethen !

Though we don’t expect immediateresults …we’ll be checking regularly

to see what improvements and oramendments are made and of coursetelling whoever cares to listen cos intruth - Its in all our interests to have arelevant and thriving Nation !

Vivian Anne Gittens

Benefits are too generous . Really?Could you live on £53 a week as Iain Dun-can Smith is claiming he could if he had to?Benefits are going up. They're not. A1% "up rating" cap is really a cut. Inflationis at least 2.7% .Jobs are out there if people look.Where? Unemployment rose last monthand is at 2.5 millionThe bedroom tax won't hit army fam-ilies or foster carers. Yes it will. Per-haps most cruel of all, the tax will notapply to foster families who look after onekid. If you foster siblings, then tough.Social tenants can downsize. Really,where? Councils sold their properties – andOsborne wants them to sell what's left.Housing benefit is the problem. In factit's rental costs. Private rents shot up by anaverage of £300 last year.Claimants are pulling a fast one. No.Less than 1% of the welfare budget is lostto fraud. But tax avoidance and evasion isestimated to run to £120bn.It's those teenage single mums. Aneasy target. Yet only 2% of single mumsare teenagers. And most single mums, atleast 59%, workWe're doing this for the next genera-tion. No you're not. The government'sadmitted at least 200,000 more childrenwill be pushed deeper into poverty becauseof the welfare changesWelfare reforms are just about bene-fit cuts. Wrong. The attack on our welfarestate is hitting a whole range of services –privatising the NHS, winding up legal aidfor people in debt and closing SureStartcentres and libraries.

10 MYTHS ABOUT WELFARE CUTS

WM of Epworth Lodge No. 3789and his

extend their most cordial greetings and invite you to join themfor an enjoyable evening

at this year’s

President M. A. Augustin

Lady Bina

Ladies’ Festival Gala Dinner and DanceBlack Tie | Evening Dress

at the

www.londonrussellhotel.co.uk

HOTEL RUSSELLRussell Square

London

Saturday 27th July 2013 Tickets: £55

For further information contact : Phil Sealy 0208 205 6134

THEPOISON

YOULOVE !

byMercedes

Of course, the tea could not be'barefoot'; it needed a carbohy-drate sheath, so two slices of

crusty, white bread, the depth of steps,would be hacked off a loaf and smoth-ered indiscriminately with creamy, salt-ed butter. I would slip into emotionaleuphoria for the duration of the heaven-ly, crusty, mastication process.

Half an hour later, tired, and witha distended stomach looking asif I had swallowed Texas, my

eyes would feel tight, and soon a head-ache would be forming, as my mindplunged into a fog, and I became shiveryand depressed. My joints would stiffen,and I would creak upstairs, roboticallystiff and jerky, with vision so poor thatI would be seeking my glasses when Iwas already wearing them.

Unknown to me, I was reacting towheat. This was discoveredthrough a medically supervised,

elimination diet, when I stopped eatingall wheat products, then slowly reintro-duced them, singly. Cutting out bread,pasta, cakes and biscuits was easy, butwheat was also hidden in sauces, evensoy, and in ice creams, thick shakes, and,apparently, even in some medications.

The improvements to health wereinstant and dramatic. I lost waistinches, pounds fell away, there

was greater mental clarity, I could seebetter and my joints were fluid and agilein movement. I had no idea I had beenslowly poisoning my body and brain bybread, cakes, biscuits and pasta, ourdietary staples.

Experts tell us wheat was alteredgenetically in the seventies (notmodified until the eighties) to

increase and stabilise yields; but, sub-stances which act like opiates and appe-tite stimulants were also producedinadvertently. Alarmingly, wheat hasalso been found to raise blood sugardramatically. Two slices of wholewheat bread will raise blood sug-ar levels the same as six teaspoon-fuls of sugar, so wheat is now beingregarded in some medical quarters as amajor culprit in the endemic explosionof diabetic, and pre-diabetic, conditions.It can also contribute to weight gain,migraines, cramps, IBS and Crohns Dis-ease and is capable of blocking the nor-mally protective barriers of the intestine,creating inflammatory diseases by al-lowing its poisonous elements to enterthe bloodstream. This is alarming, asgood health usually begins in thedigestive system. We are what weeat !

Fibre is better from non-GM plantfoods you grow yourself, be-cause carbohydrates from com-

Invite you to their

Anerley Town HallAnerley Road

SE20 8BD

8pm till lateMusic by :

Mista FIX IT£12.00

Raffle Prizes

Food and License Baravailable.

Further info from :

mercially grown potatoes, rice and cornare also subject to more recent geneticmanipulation, with questionable, longterm results to man and tragic laboratoryanimals. Gluten free foods made withstarches from rice, potato and tapioca,fare no better. They also raise bloodsugars, though may appear less diges-tively aggressive, and are very costly.Furthermore, the agri-industries, includ-ing GM giant Monsanto, and many pop-ular food companies in the US,spend billions of dollars to PRE-VENT proper labelling of themodified foods they sell to us.WHY?

We need a food revolution toreclaim good health: Grow andmake your own foodstuffs, be-

come organic ... and drink your tea bare-foot.

MODERNITES UKFormerly

Modern High School Old Scholars Assoc.Celebrates its

22ND THANKSGIVING SERVICEOn

Sunday 19th May at 5.00pmdelivering the sermon

MINISTER DAVID HOYTEAt

St. Andrew's ChurchChurch Lane

Kingsbury NW9 8RZContact: 07769 940869

Email:modernites @gmail.com

FOUNDATION (UK)ASSOCIATION

SATURDAY 25TH MAY 2013

Isn’t it wonderful to know somepeople will never become too old ?

Roses are red,Violets are glorious,Don't try to surprise

Oscar Pistorius.

Morris ..82 went to the doctor for aphysical. Later the doctor saw himwalking down the street with agorgeous young woman. The doctorsaid to him, 'You're doing well, aren'tyou?' The man replied, 'Just doingwhat you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mammaand be cheerful.'' Doc says..'I didn'tsay that. I said, 'You've got a heartmurmur; be careful.''

BIRTHDAYS

Sandra

Alwin Trevor

Julie

Bev

Phil

Lois

Mercedes

Dana

Tash Arlene

Shirley

MARCH

This is James AdolphusMayers …the man most ofyou know as Count

Dolphus - you may have beenpresent eons ago when these pics

were taken - but just how much do you know about the man ? The Q and A belowoffers a few revelations.

What district and parish do you come from ?St Andrew

What school did you go to ?The Modern High School, Roebuck St, St Michael

What was your first job ?Apes Hill Brick Factory - St James - lost half a finger working there !

How did you hear about immigration to UK ?It was common knowledge at the time

When did you come to UK and where did you settle ?Arrived 19th September 1960, and settled in West London,

What was your first job ?Fulham Hospital (Which is now Charing Cross) as a maintenance engineer

When did you become Count Dolphus - who thought up the name ?About 25 years ago, it was given to me by a friend from Reading

Do you remember your first gig ?It was a cricket dance at St Thomas Hall in Ladbroke Grove

Were you always interested in music ?Yes, started out with two decks that worked sometimes

What is your favourite type of music ?Reggae, Country and Western & R & B

Of all the records you’ve played do you have a top three and why ?It's impossible to say,too many years and too many good tunes - love to see the

crowds enjoying themselvesWere you involved in music before coming to the UK ?

Yes always, I have an extensive collection of musicWhat was your biggest gig numbers wise ?

Playing at an event for Owen Arthur when he first came to power as PrimeMinster of Barbados

You’re still in demand – what do you put this down to ?The love of music and people,

What do you think of modern music …rap, bashment etc ?It is important to play music that caters for all tastes

Any thoughts on retiring ?I will play music for as long as people want to listen

Ostensibly - the party .. was held to celebrate Ralph’s 76years ..but it became much more than that as speaker afterspeaker revealed the moments in time when the magic of

Ralph Adolphus Straker BSM, OBE touched their lives.Personally it was as a member of the Commonwealth Offices Cricket Club that Ifirst met Ralph - that was back in the eighties sometime at a dinner dance we hadorganised. Bedecked in some very formal looking attire this guy strode onto centrestage, did not need a microphone ..and just like a Master of Ceremonies should ..hetook complete control. Meeting and speaking with him afterwards it was hard tobelieve that this affable unassuming guy was the same man. It was instant respect.

We heard a dozen or so speeches of thanks, love andappreciation - all on a person level - but because ofhis work as a Race Relations advisor ..nearly everyperson of colour in the UK owe him and a handfulof others at least a thank you for doing so much tohelp improve race relations.

In the booklet created for the event there is a pictureof a young Ralph on horseback -its almost a step to farto imaging that that young man is the same person nowsat immobile in a wheelchair. You would think that aman who positively touched so many lives, served asan inspiration to many more, lived an unblemished life,served his god and been a true believer all his life…would deserve better than the existence he now has.I know he wouldn’t so I’m asking …why ? What didhe do to warrant what most perceive to be nothing morethan punishment ? …and if not punishment …whatpurpose does his predicament serve ?

Calm down Leigh …back to the event. It was good forRalph to hear just how much he’s appreciated - toooften those words are lost on the recipient as they’renormally reserved for funerals - thanks then to Oliviafor the hard work she and others put in to make theevent possible. Thanks for the tributes from Phil SealyOBE, Professor Gus John, the Rev Doc RosemarieMallett, the witty contribution by Arif Ali …and therabble rousing speech by Deputy High CommissionerDonville Johnson.

So Ralph Adolphus’ ,lets hope we’re allaround to celebrateyour 77th – We’ll keepthe date free !

Later buddy !

Ping Yark have andwill always letanyone know that

our target audience are Bajans over fifty- and to re-emphasise this from nextissue we will be making a feature onpage five … titled “Fabulous and over50”. …and lads - since we’re not evenremotely concerned about being PC …you’re not invited. Typically we’ll wanta pic of our chosen subjects in eveningwear, casual wear, a favourite pic and afamily pic - and again .. sorry lads …nopage three type poses or exposes ! Wehave approached four lovely ladies whohave all agreed - wanna join in ? Its allfor fun …so why not eh ? Holler then !

We all do it ..weep wailgnash teeth and

grieve out loud when a loved onedeparts wishing it never happened - thensomething like the event in Belem

Brazil hits the headlines ! Two year oldKevin Santos waspronounced dead andthe body handed over to

his family to make the necessaryarrangements. A few days later all weregathered at the funeral service whenyoung Kevin sat bolt upright …lookedat his Dad and said “ Daddy I’m thirsty”Well - were we at the service wewould’ve done two things …the secondof which would be to run like frig in thegeneral direction of away ! A laterre-examination by specialists againconfirmed death - but, no reason orexplanation, medical or otherwise, wasever offered about the occurrence.

SNIPPETS

There was much confidence inBLP circles .. so much so thatspeculation here was rife as to

who would be the next UK Deputy HighCommissioner. Thoselooking back through rosetinted glasses wanted thereturn of Herbie ‘Wyatt Earp’Yearwood and was ready to

mek nuff noise to get him back- but other names were in theframe first of which was Vince

‘Boo’ Nurse - present UKbranch leader …for life itseems ! ..and Ken R Smith …a

former Berkshire resident whowas quite vociferous leadingup to the election - both wereconfident of a positive

outcome ..but since the people ofBarbados thought otherwise its back toshadows for at least another five years.

It didn’t happen until a specialist atthe University of Mississippi saw themovie “Lincoln” and started research.

He discovered a clerical error and toldKen Sullivan, an anatomical materialspecialist. It turns out that lawmakersnever notified the Archivist of the UnitedStates. Sullivan contacted the MississippiSecretary of States’ office and the Senateresolution was sent to the federalgovernment. On Feb. 7 this year, theFederal Register responded: “With thisaction, the State of Mississippi hasratified the 13th Amendment to theConstitution of the United States.”Slavery in the state of Mississippi wasfinally outlawed.

The following article was prompted by a story published in anedition of Barbados Today where it was alleged …that an audit ofBarbados’ Venezuelan embassy uncovered ‘serious’ misuse and

misappropriation of funds …funds to the tune of $174, 000. The investi-gation also revealed that some staff members working for Barbadosthere did not have the necessary security clearance from Venezuelanauthorities.

o, we wondered …what aboutembassy staff here in the UK ?We understand that ..in order to

work in or for the Barbados Civil Servicethe minimum qualification is five CXC’s- but several sources here have allegedthat our mission staff is made up of exchamber maids, ex supermarketcheckout staff, an unqualified accountant,an unqualified accountant’s assistant,nephews and nieces or just ‘friends’ of

‘known’ Bajans. You’d be hard pressedto find an A level among them !

on’t get us wrong - they are alsosome good sensible and helpfulfolk employed at the mission -

we don’t know if its because theyreceived training or if their attitudes arethe result of good commonsense and orexperience. You know who you are !

e can’t claim to haveuncovered anymisappropriation or misuse of

funds - but we can point out a few areaswhere waste is endemic. For example -they are Bajan organisations that use themission to hold meetings. Not AGMs oremergency meetings ..but ordinarymeetings that could easily be held in afront room somewhere. We can think oftwo organisations who both spent the

better part of a year holding monthlymeetings to plan a dinner dance and aBBQ - and would you believe…after allthat planning …both events werecancelled mainly because the orgs didn’thave two red cents to rub together.Meanwhile, security and other staff werepaid overtime to accommodate theseorgs ..at a minimum of £200 per meeting.Waste.

ame thing with the after workdrinking sessions - overtime hasto be paid - time taken to drink a

£10 bottle of rum and or wine means thatovertime has to be paid to drivers andsecurity staff …again in the region of£200 per session - and these are regularsessions. Why cant the booze be drunkin the ample comforts of any of a numberof living rooms ? Again - Waste.

n the last edition the split betweenthe HC and his Deputy was

‘highlighted’. That is a ridiculoussituation that is noticed by everyone. Weare now told that staff are split alongsimilar lines - supporters for and against.What’s going on ?

ight must also be cast onindividuals whose meddling andwheedling is nothing short of

insidious. …but next time.

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