Ever mindful in the UK of Bajan culture and heritage

Barbados Heritage UK is an organization with different and new objectives. Its primary focus is to protect and enhance the culture of Barbados. Founded in the summer of 2019, it was launched with a poetry competition in November 2019 with the theme A Bajan Abroad But We Gatherin.

Second and third generation Barbadians are the main target for recruitment as the organization seeks to remind and enlighten all Bajans about the traditions of our way of life. It believes that the culture and tradition could easily be cast aside and perhaps be lost forever if steps are not taken to educate younger Barbadians in the UK and further abroad on these vital areas of identity.

The launch was held at the Barbados High Commission in London in the presence of High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency Milton Inniss.

Barbados TODAY recently caught up with some of the contestants at the poetry competition and firstly spoke to Miss Izzie Clark-Headley, the winner in the 16-25 age category. The 21-year-old Clark-Headley is a second year undergraduate at Girton College, Cambridge University where she is studying politics and International Relations.

The young student was born in the UK and I was therefore curious to know what she thought about an island which surely must be a foreign land to her. Miss Clark- Headley was very positive about the island and displayed a sense of excitement as we spoke about Barbados, its values and culture.

She said: “I feel the place is in my DNA. I am passionate about the people, its traditions and culture and other things that define them as a nation.” Warming to her views, she continued: “I have a commitment to the island and all that it stands for and would not like to see all the wonderful things jettisoned as we move towards 2020. These things must be treasured and passed on to young Barbadians, particularly those who live abroad.”

I detected more than simply a romantic passion for the island by Miss Clark-Headley. She looks further ahead as she urged all Barbadians to use the skills and expertise gained overseas to repatriate them in an effort to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. Although Izzie has lived outside of Barbados for most of her young life, a burning sense of nostalgia still captures her imagination.

Next, we spoke to Miss Veronica Farrell, the winner in the under 16 category. Veronica is a student at the prestigious St Dunstans School in South London and is keen on English and Maths. Despite her early leanings towards academia, Veronica has her eyes set on maintaining the traditions of Barbados and hopes one day to be involved in, according to her, the rich culture of the island’s art and music.

The young Farrell has visited the island on a number of occasions and says she loves what is on offer. Of course, the food – macaroni pie – comes bounding to the front of her thoughts as she expresses the hope that the old disciplines of respect for one’s elders, particularly towards grandparents, are not lost on a new generation of Barbadians.

She said: “There should always be a strong bond with families. That practice is a part of Bajan culture that I like and I recommend it to members of my generation who now live in the UK.”

Finally, I met and talked with Ms Karen Small, the winner in the over 25 age category. Ms Small is a life coach and mentor of some repute. Her commitment to help those on the lower end of the ladder is unconfined.

Karen was born in the UK and has maintained ties with Barbados through regular visits to the island from an early age of seven. Unlike Izzie and Veronica, Karen has lived through the facets of Bajan life and has seen the many changes that have taken place over a great number of years. She dearly wishes to preserve the old, tried and trusted habits of the older generation, particularly those of her grandmother with whom she appears to have had a closely knit bond.

She said: “My grandmother taught me many things but I particularly remember her teachings about helping one’s neighbour and always putting the community uppermost in one’s thoughts and deeds. She was also a dab hand at making fishcakes, pone, souse and sweet bread and it would sadden me if those skills are lost to the newer generation of Barbadians.” Finally she said: “We are in danger of losing the Bajan flavour of life. It would be a sad day if this were to happen.”

There is no doubt that second and third generation Barbadians in the UK intend zealously to guard their heritage. Have a look at the musings of Ms Small: “It is about absent mangoes, missed cou cou and flying fish, grandma’s style, sour lemons complimenting the pickled trotters, the fresh pepper sting, grandma’s breakfast of cocoa tea and sweet bread, the sugar cane gangs emerging for lunch… stewed chicken and coconut turnovers with the cry – ‘Miss Clarke, gimme what you got and wash it down with a quart of rum and a glass of mauby.’”

Or Miss Clark-Headley’s look to the immediate future as she says: “We gatherin’ from de hills, de valleys and de plains from the north and the south and the east and the west, everybody from the children to the pensioners.”

It all seems as though there is a concerted effort to rekindle the spirit, culture and sense of heritage of Barbados.

Vincent ‘Boo’ Nurse is a Barbadian living in London who is a retired Land Revenue Manager, Pensions and Investment Adviser. He is passionate about the development of his island home and the disapora.