Ten receive New Year Honours

In what could be the last event of its kind, as Barbados is set to cut its ties to the British monarchy and become a republic, Governor General Dame Sandra Mason on Friday presented insignia to 10 recipients of the 2020 New Year Honours.

During a brief ceremony at Government House, the awardees were honoured for their sterling service and contributions in various sectors, from education, to sport, health, and the civil service.

Dame Sandra thanked them for their tireless work and congratulated them on a job well done.

“Today is, I am sure, a very significant day and memorable day for you and your families, because Government has found it necessary to offer you congratulations for all the work that you have been doing over the years.

“In each of your fields you have excelled and we are rightly and justly proud of you. Continue to do the work you have started and continue to be proud Barbadians,” the Governor General, the island’s ceremonial Head of State, said during a brief address.

Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge, one of the most destructive and intimidating opening batsmen to have ever played Test cricket, was the first recipient awarded during the ceremony.

He received his insignia as Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for his exceptional contribution to cricket and the development of sports.

The cricket great, now Sir Cuthbert, reminisced about his career. He said the camaraderie and his hunger for the game made his time in the sport a memorable one.

“I enjoyed every moment of it. The group I associated with was very professional and that was something that was always enlightening every day in every game; [they] were so professional in how we went about the job. We all blended in because people felt – and I think it’s still something people think of – that players from different parts of the Caribbean can gel so well together and be so successful,” he said.

Medical Director at Sandy Crest Medical Centre and consultant for pre-hospital care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Dr David Byer, was bestowed the honour of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his outstanding contribution in the field of emergency medicine.

Dr Byer said it was an honour to be recognized, but insisted the work was not over as he and his peers were still on the frontline in the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It has been a tough year, a tough 18 months or so, but I suppose it’s what you have trained for so it’s a matter of coordinating our training and executing and operationalizing,” he said.

“Certainly, the [COVID-19] cases are down to a minimum now; however, we should not really rest on our laurels. As the ports open up and different things happen, there is still the threat of escalation so we still [have] to do what we need to do in terms of sanitization and mask wearing.”

Also receiving OBEs were: Sandra Rosemary Bernadette Field-Kellman, for her sterling contribution in the field of Early Childhood Education and the Girl Guide Movement; and Condé Riley, for his significant contribution in the field of sports and, in particular, cricket administration.

The honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) was bestowed on: Professor Velma Eudora Newton, for her outstanding contribution in the field of legal education and the development of law libraries; Bernell Llewellyn Arrindell, for his outstanding contribution to the international business services and the private sector; and Margrita Marshall, known as Sister Marshall, for her outstanding contribution to the development of local gospel music and the promotion of Christian values through music.

Those receiving the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) were: Arthur Henry Ricardo Blackman, for his significant contribution to broadcasting and mass communications; Desmond Ralph Crichlow, for his dedicated service to tertiary education and his contribution in the development of information technology; and Jean Margaret Holder, for her sterling contribution to nursing, particularly in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology. (SB)