From garbage dump to ‘Best Lit Garden’ – Browne

The Roseau Recreational Park, which once was used as dumping ground for old trailers, vehicles and abandoned containers, took the top prize in the VINLEC National Nine Mornings Lighting-up Competition, Best Lit Garden category.

Luke Browne, one of the driving forces behind the Roseau Recreational Park Project, told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday that as first-time entrants, there is a feeling of satisfaction on their achievement.

“I have a feeling of real satisfaction of what we’ve been able to achieve in this first year of participating in the Nine Mornings Christmas light-up event at the Roseau Recreational Park.”

Browne, who is also the Unity Labour Party’s caretaker for East St George, stated that the preparation for the lighting-up took quite a toll on him.

“I mean, I must tell you that while we were preparing for this light-up, it exacted quite a toll on me, from physical to financial to otherwise, because it required deep input and intricate input as well. We had to pay attention to every detail and…it was very demanding,” he said.

Browne noted the win is not only for him and those involved in the lighting-up process, but the community of Roseau as well.

He noted that the project of the Recreational Park has always been one that is near and dear to his heart.

“…I applied a lot of personal dedication to it because I wanted to see it develop in a holistic way and in a sustainable way and I think that we are seeing the signs that, that is exactly what is happening. Because beyond just the light-up, you have to probably pay some attention to the whole story of the park, because we brought it from a garbage dump to basically the Best Lit Garden…that is a transformation that speaks to itself.”

The Recreational Park also won the top prize in the ‘Best Nativity Scene’ category, which Browne says tied perfectly into their theme of “The Gift of Christmas”.

“First of all, there are several ways of interpreting this theme itself …starting with first of all the gift of Christ to the world and this brings us to nativity scene, because it was an important set piece because of what Christmas itself means, we are in fact celebrating the birth of Christ… so we put a lot of emphasis on the set piece.

“Thankfully, there were some characters that I was able to use within my reach and we deployed them. We had local craftsmen involved in putting together the structure that constituted the manger and then we put our characters in there and we dealt with the lighting… and we are happy that it went down well,” he added.

Brightly lit gift boxes are also displayed at the park to add to their theme, along with hearts, since love in many instances is seen as one of the greatest gifts.

Browne said that he believes that their attention to detail and ‘very clear theme’ set them apart from the rest of the competition.

“I think we paid attention to detail, I think we were quite neat and well organized, I think we worked with…a very clear theme.”

He noted that with their winnings, they intend to settle some of their incurred debt, as well as donate a portion of the money to two families whose homes were recently destroyed by the trough systems which affected the island.

“So, we are going to make a donation for them to help them sort of the feel the spirit of Christmas and the New Year a little bit more, even though it is hard to do that after you have suffered the displacement associated with losing your house.”

‘Ces for Wes’ in Arnos Vale had the settle for second place, with Richmond Hill Gardens taking third and Fitz-Hughes taking the fourth spot in the Best Lit Garden category.

Second place on the Best Nativity Scene went to Town Hill, with Belvedere taking third and Olivia DaSilva of Cane End in fourth place.(CM)