New Kadooment route gets the support of some vendors and spectators at Haggatt Hall

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Today’s new route for Grand Kadooment got the thumbs up from the scores of spectators and vendors who assembled at Haggatt Hall, St Michael.

And even though they admitted that some tweaks were needed to improve the experience, those who spoke to Barbados TODAY said they hoped the route which saw revellers jump from Warrens down to Haggatt Hall and then onto the National Botanical Gardens would remain.

“It’s nice and it’s open. You can see a lot more and you can see more people, it’s more spaced out and you can see the bands from further down coming up.

“My only issue is that it’s one o’clock and I’ve only seen one band so far so something needs tweaking. But people seem to be enjoying themselves and enjoying the route,” a woman who gave her name as Tara said.

“I like Bank Hall, it’s the old route and that’s what we’re used to but I always welcome change and once you tweak the change and make it better then it’s fine.”

Richard Williams told Barbados TODAY this was the first time he had come to watch the bands in over five years.

He said while he was a bit skeptical because of COVID-19, the new route allowed him more personal space.

“Definitely as a spectator I prefer this new jump up. There are a lot of people down here but it doesn’t feel as congested because there is a lot more room and there are a lot more vantage points,” Williams, who was one of the few persons who wore a mask explained.

“If this was the normal route I wouldn’t have come because it would have meant I would have had to leave home early to get a proper vantage point because Bank Hall is packed with people. I still wanted to practice social distancing even though it’s Grand Kadooment.”

For Jonathan Sealy, the change was a welcomed one.

He said the old route had gotten “boring” and he was glad it had been “spruced up” to keep spectators interested.

However, Natalie Reid said as a spectator she preferred the usual route.

She complained of having to wait too long to see the bands pass.

“We’ve only seen one band from the time we’ve been here and that is it. As a spectator I like the Bank Hall route. I like to be down by Mapp’s side at the four cross just taking in all the action,” she said.

Vendors also had high praise for the new move, with most of them saying it was more comfortable and profitable.

Ricky Harrison of Seminar System Lawyer’s Bar told Barbados TODAY he was “pleasantly surprised.”

“Things are going good so far. In fact, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how good things have been going.

“I actually prefer this new route because Spring Garden used to be a bit of a challenge and down here is much easier to manage,” Harrison said, while revealing he had returned to Grand Kadooment for the first time in over 40 years.

Meanwhile, the owner of SJ’s who gave her name as Consuela said while the season had had its “highs and lows” today was proving to be quite good.

“I like this new route and setup. It has to be tweaked but it is much better and much more spacious and business today has been very good so far,” she said.

Sancia Padmore, the owner of Sammy Desert, told Barbados TODAY this was her first time working as a vendor on Grand Kadooment.

She said gaining access to the venue and setting up was much easier and there was much more space.

She said she was looking forward to see what would be done next year to improve the experience. (randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)