Enshrined in stone

Acclaimed poet and author George Lamming was immortalised at the school which was named in his honour back in September 2008.

Lamming’s life and work were placed in four plaques which are etched on the school’s, Welches, St Michael compound. The idea to have the plaques at the George Lamming Primary School was conceptualised by teacher Cheryl Beckles as she believed the students should be knowledgeable of the person who the school is named after.

“It was clear that some of the children did not know who he [referring to George Lamming] was although our school is named after him. So, I came up with two projects- one was the George Lamming Merit Awards and Honour Roll and the other one was an initiative to put signage around the school. The signage includes his personal life and his achievements and excerpts of his works,” Beckles told Barbados TODAY.

Beckles was speaking on the sidelines of a recent cultural presentation held at the school. In relation to the George Lamming Merit Awards and Honour Roll, she said it was designed to allow students to strive always for excellence.

“We wanted to encourage the children to strive for excellence in their academic work. If we look at George Lamming himself, he came from very humble beginnings and he has achieved a lot in his lifetime. So, we wanted the children to always strive for that excellence as well,” she said.

Beckles said that when the plaques were unveiled at the school, she wanted to have George Lamming in attendance but was reliably informed that he was ill.

“We were aware that he was not well, but I guess in the future we will invite his family members to see it,” she told Barbados TODAY.

George Lamming is a 91-year-old poet and author who rose to critical acclaim after his 1953 publication In the Castle of My Skin received multiple awards across the world. (LG)