COLVILLE PETTY

It was on 6th February 1969 that Anguilla declared itself an Independent Republic. The declaration followed the holding of a plebiscite in which 1739 persons voted in favour and 4 voted against. The people were given two choices: Independent Republic or rule by St Kitts under Robert Bradshaw. But they never wanted independence.

In the run up to Christmas Day 2006 the commercial banks in Anguilla were on the verge of closing their doors. They found it difficult meeting the people’s demands for hard cash. Not only did the banks run out of US dollars but EC dollars as well. I understand that new supplies of banknotes were flown in by chartered flight to relieve the situation.

“Christ was born in a cow pen.” A very apt description by the Honourable Hubert Hughes (1994). It was that humble event in Bethlehem which was the origin of Christmas and its celebration throughout the ages. Actually, Christmas is a combination of two words: “Christ” (the Messiah) and “Mass” (a religious festival).

Death is a leveler. It recognises no class or caste system. Death is the purest form of democracy: one man, one death. That explains the sad passing of our beloved Lord Anything (also known as Eric Saunders) on Sunday 12th November 2006 as he laid in a hospital bed in Puerto Rico. He was only 40 – a young man with plenty to offer. Actually, he had already offered plenty.

The last quarter of the 1900s saw the commencement of Anguilla’s transformation from a society of own-account workers, like independent fishermen, farmers and shopkeepers, into a society of wage-earners. This came about with the development of our tourism sector in the 1980s. It breathed life into what was basically a subsistence economy where, among other things, major tasks were undertaken by jollification which involved no money, only food and drink. The small farmers and small shopkeepers have virtually disappeared and have given way to cashiers, maids, store clerks, typists, waiters, bartenders, beach boys, security guards and a host of other occupations.

The rift between the two members on the opposition side of our House of Assembly seems to be widening rather than narrowing. When the House met on Tuesday 31st October, Hubert Hughes moved two motions: one called for the next Attorney General to be an Anguillian. The other called for, among other things, the cessation of the importation of labour from Asian and Latin American countries and the employment of labour from Caribbean countries instead. And Edison Baird (Eddy), the other opposition member, refused to second both motions.

There is joy in heav’n...
When the soul that went astray
Turns to Christ, the living Way,
And, by grace of heav’n subdued
Breathes a prayer of gratitude;
Oh, there is joy in heav’n.

Early to bed and early to rise. That is what I did in preparation for accompanying Sam Webster on a fishing trip: to haul his fish and lobster pots. I had planned to wake up at 5.00 am on Monday 11th September. But I awoke at 4.00 am. In a fright. I dreamt of Jonah and the whale and how the whale swallowed both of us but it let out Jonah and not me. With that, I thought about calling off the trip but I had already given Sam my word and therefore told myself I must keep it. So I packed my bag with a sandwich for lunch, a bottle of water, two bananas, toilet paper and a camera.

The Constitution and Electoral Reform Commission has completed its work. Its report is in the hands of Governor Andrew George. I wish to commend its members highly for sticking to their tasks despite the odds. Regrettably public support was lukewarm. The Commissioners were not deterred by the small turnout at several of their village meetings. Instead, they proceeded as though they had told themselves that ‘wherever two or three are gathered there we will be in the midst.’ It was a courageous group which took the process to a conclusion.

I don’t seem to get Carnival 2006 off my mind. Every now and then I have flashbacks. And I could still see Ijahnya dancing at Landsome Cultural Centre to the songs – the music – of the five veteran calypsonians from Trinidad: Lord Nelson, Sugar Aloes, Black Stalin, the Baron and Shadow. I always saw Ijahnya as a socio-cultural pundit and therefore never ever associated her with dancing, but she certainly gave a good account of herself with her fancy movements. That night, only the dead would not have danced or moved to the rhythm of real sweet calypso.

The best bit of pre-carnival news to reach us is that the Honourable Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming was released from a Miami Hospital where he had undergone a successful kidney transplant operation and that he was doing fine. And all of us were glad to hear his voice, over Radio Anguilla, saying that his doctors had advised that they needed to keep him under observation for a month. After he had spoken, I said to myself that his voice sounded as powerful as it sounds when he is on his political campaigns and that he seems well on the way to a speedy and complete recovery.

I extend a warm welcome to Governor Andrew George and to his wife when she joins him later. May they have a most rewarding and pleasant stay among us. They will, indeed, because of Anguillians’ love for British Governors. An aberration was when Governor Alan Shave (an atheist) rode his bicycle, perhaps inadvertently, through a Palm Sunday parade.

I am back from CHIC (Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference) 2006 that was held in Miami. I went via St Maarten because of the cancellation of the American Airlines flight that I was to catch in Puerto Rico. So I had several hours at the Princess Juilana Airport.

(The following is the text of an address that I was supposed to have delivered, some weeks ago, to the young people of the Methodist Church in Anguilla. I was unable to do so because only four or five of them turned up. It occurred to me recently that I may be able to reach them via this medium, thus the reason for this shortened version of my address.)

De Upsetter composed and sang We Love Boat Racing, one of the better calypsos for Anguilla Carnival 2001. But I was most amused when I heard Belto (Albert Hughes) singing the said song a hundred times better than Upsetter himself. He sang it when the ANSA opened its election campaign, on the grounds of the Ruthwill Auditorium, on18th October 2004. I can still see his body movements, with a little jig here and a little wiggle there, as he sang:

I was at St Andrews Anglican Church in Island Harbour for the Palm Sunday mass on 9th April. There was one minor distraction: Sonia and Lynette balancing on their high heel shoes. I asked Andrea how they managed it and she told me that after a time it becomes natural. Thereafter, I gave my full attention to the mass except for the occasional chuckle, by members of the congregation, when 94-year-old Louisa Smith would start the hymns without waiting for the piano.

An important aspect of the upbringing of children of yesteryear was the advice given to them by the elder folk, particularly grandparents. Their advice, most often, was through the medium of local proverbs. Much wisdom emanated from those proverbs which have stood the test of time and are relevant even in today’s times. When yer play with puppy he does look to kiss yer. Old fire sticks ain’t hard to ketch. It was from Wallace Rey (1970) that I learnt this one: You don’t catch sailor’s choice with dead bait.

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book with seven seals. And I saw when someone broke one of the seals.