Arnos Vale still de most picturesque

In as much as ah have my res-ah-vere-shun, my patch-rat-is-him dictates dat ah write only positive comments pertaining to de Arnos Vale SVG leg ah de ICC Men’s T/20 World Cup. And why not! Ah would ah known Arnos Vale foh all ah my four score and two years.

From when de Cassons owned de estate dat was formerly owned by de Porters, (from Massah “P” to Massah “C”). Dey was de King George V Playing Field on de eastern side way Cricket and Horse Racing took place, and on de west was Agriculture Est. wid rice, tobacco and ah cigarette factory. Den de E.T Joshua Airport was built around 1960 literally confiscating both sections.

But somewhere at the south-eastern corner of de airport, bordered by de sea and the river bank, was ah triangular shaped parcel of abandoned reserve land, ah swamp covered wid manchineel and grape trees, and occupied by ah colony of sea crabs, infested wid mosquitoes and sand-flies! It was like ah “Big Laugh’n’ Squawk” joke when draining and land-filling work on de site began in 1969. But by April 1972 when ah New Zealand (NZ) Cricket team toured de West Indies, and played in SVG, de new Arnos Vale Playing was ready wid ah bran new Turf Wicket, Players Pavilion, P.H. Veira Stand, de Michael Findlay Stand, Broadcasting and Press Booths, ah couple temporary stands and bleachers; Glen Jackson’s Guiness (people’s) Posse Stand ( dat’s way Chris Gayle uses to hang). It was during de first match at Arnos Vale dat de visiting Cricket commentators were in “ Shock’n’ Awe” in dey praises and compliments foh Arnos Vale. Men like Tony Cozier, Reds Periera, de touring New Zealander and ah Bajan were in one accord, dat Arnos Vale Playing Field was one ah de most picturesque of all de grounds dey had visited. Dat was Fifty-two (52) years ago. Today we are happy dat our Arnos Vale Playing Field is in excellent maintenance and still one ah de most picturesque.

But who were de men wid de original vision foh Arnos Vale back in 1969? Ah doh remember de names ah all de players in Act 1 Scene 1 of dis Play: “ De Building of ah Nah-shin-all Gem, de Arnos Vale Playing Field”, but some dat ah remember are Doctor Cordice; Frankie Thomas; Arthur Dalrymple; Ceford Providence; Lennox John; Sam Brown. Vividly ah remember dey was also dah youngster named Mike Findlay, den Sports Officer, public servant wid ah junior clerk’s salary. Money was not de essence, dem men gave freely of dey skills, dey talent, straight from dey heart, wid an abundance of Love of Country. Thank you gentlemen. Lie-Za is quite adamant dat if dem guys had de equivalent of 38 million dollars to spend back in 1969, she knows fuh certain dey won’t ah bin any lights or pool, but certainly ah number of double decker stands would ah bin in place. And finally she has ordered ah shipment of Elephant Grass seedlings to plant. How she was looking at ah Wild Life Doc-yuh-men-tarry on CNN and dey’s dis breed of White Elephants dat eat only Elephant Grass grown from White Elephant

Grass seedlings. She is very funny dis week, she is trying to get permission to put down Solar Panels at Arnos Vale, she is seriously thinking of providing ah Nightly Sun Tan treatment foh patrons using de swimming pool during de night matches.

And wid dat is gone ah gone again,

One Love Bassy

•  Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.