Roundabout named in tribute to veteran lawyer-politician

A roundabout in St Patrick’s, Christ Church, has been renamed in honour of legal luminary, former government minister and parliamentarian, Sir Richard Johnny Cheltenham, recognising his decades of public service and community commitment.  

Residents, supporters and family members attended today’s renaming ceremony where Sir Richard, accompanied by his wife and children, unveiled the sign bearing his name.  

Reflecting on his years in public life, Sir Richard said his service was always rooted in improving the lives of Barbadians.  

“It was an extraordinary privilege for me to serve, and it gave me the greatest satisfaction,” the former Christ Church East MP said.

He also thanked those who supported him throughout his political journey: “I want to thank some remarkable people in St Patrick’s during my time as a politician. We call them loyal lieutenants.”  

Prime Minister Mia Mottley praised Sir Richard’s lifelong commitment to service, noting that his impact extended far beyond ministerial office. 

She described him as “a man who has given service and who has, from his early days, determined that it was his mission to make other people’s lives easier and better”.

Many of Sir Richard’s contributions were made while serving as a backbencher and opposition MP.  

“Some people believe that the contributions made by Cabinet ministers are the only things that count in a country such as ours…. Whether in government or opposition, whether in Cabinet or as a backbencher, you have been focused always on how best to make things work better in our country,” the Prime Minister said.

She also credited him with helping to shape key policy initiatives, including the establishment of the Rural Development Commission and the Urban Development Commission, now combined as the Rural and Urban Development Commission.  

“What we now have today… allowed us to focus on the realities of ordinary people in their communities in ways in which large parts of macro government activity did not,” she noted.

Mottley pointed to tangible improvements such as road works, wells and repairs to derelict homes, adding that refurbishing existing houses improved the quality of life for many citizens.  

She also underscored Sir Richard’s deep connection to St Patrick’s and his commitment to community institutions. “Too often in our country, people forget the roots from which they have come and do not spend sufficient time nurturing and taking care of those who helped them get there… and the institutions that support that community,” she said.

PM Mottley added that institutions remain the backbone of nation-building.  

“We often take for granted the importance of institutions in building our society…. We will come and we will go… but the institutions remain.”