标签： Barbados

For decades, the quiet residential neighborhoods of Bay Land and Bank Hall in St Michael, Barbados, have held a special place in the island nation’s sporting and cultural history: they are the childhood stomping grounds of two of cricket’s most iconic figures, national heroes Sir Garfield “Gary” Sobers and Sir Frank Worrell. On Friday, longtime local residents reacted with overwhelming joy and pride to a formal government announcement that will turn these unassuming historic properties into permanent, state-protected heritage landmarks, honoring two men who put Barbadian cricket on the global map.

The groundbreaking initiative was first unveiled last Saturday by Minister of Pan-African Affairs and Heritage Trevor Prescod, during the official launch of Heritage Month at the Cricket Legends Museum. Prescod used the occasion to outline the government’s new approach to preserving national history, emphasizing that this project moves far beyond fleeting, temporary tributes to safeguard irreplaceable pieces of Barbadian cultural identity. The state-led preservation effort will kick off first in Bay Land, centered on the childhood home of Sobers – a living national hero universally hailed as the greatest all-rounder in the history of international cricket.

In his remarks, Prescod stressed that the state has a responsibility to act proactively to honor national heroes while they are still alive to experience the nation’s gratitude. “We can’t have a national hero like Gary Sobers still very much alive… and the state not contributing to having that home that he grew up in symbolically as a representation of his greatness,” Prescod told attendees. “We want to change that… trust me, we’re gonna make sure we do that.”

From Bay Land, the project will expand to the eastern edge of the Empire Cricket Club ground, where the former family home of Sir Frank Worrell stands. Worrell made history as the first Black man to serve as full-time captain of the West Indies cricket team, cementing his legacy as a trailblazer both in sport and in breaking racial barriers in international athletics. To deliver a restoration that honors both properties’ history and structural integrity, the Ministry will partner closely with the Barbados National Trust, ensuring the landmarks are protected for future generations of Barbadians and cricket fans worldwide.

For locals who have grown up alongside these historic sites and shared neighborhoods with the legends before they rose to global fame, the government’s plan is a long-overdue recognition of the community’s deep connection to Sobers and Worrell. Eudine Miller, who lived next door to Sobers as a child, said she could not be happier with the designation, arguing the honor should have been granted decades ago. “They should have done this ever since,” Miller said, reflecting on her childhood memories of the young cricket prodigy. “Fun, loving, loving family, yeah, kind. That’s how I remember him: playing cricket, a lot of cricket. He was a friendly guy.” Miller added that she hopes the heritage designation will pave the way for local authorities to rename the street where Sobers grew up in his honor, a change many local residents have long supported.

Michael Welch, a lifelong resident of Walcott Avenue, framed the initiative as more than just a preservation project – he called it a critical investment in inspiring Barbados’ next generation. By making Sobers’ childhood home a public landmark, Welch argued, young people will have a tangible, accessible example of how talent and hard work from a small Barbadian neighborhood can change global sport. “I feel that’s a good movement, that’s a good movement because he is a big builder for a lot of people to follow him in cricket and stuff,” Welch explained. “Not only cricket, but sports. It gives the youngsters something to do instead of just being on the block and stuff like that. It was using him with encouragement. A lot of people love him; he was a well-loved person.”

The plan to preserve Worrell’s former home has also earned strong support from the property’s current caretaker, even as formal planning details remain in early stages. For years, the home – which once had an official commemorative plaque that has since fallen off – has been an unassuming draw for cricket tourism from across the globe. Even locals who do not follow cricket closely acknowledge the undeniable impact of Worrell’s legacy. “I ain’t really a cricket fan, but the contribution—he deserves it. So that’s as far as I could go with that,” local resident Gregory said of the late legend.

Rodney Bushell, a member of the Belle family who currently maintains the property and has historical ties to the Worrell estate, moved into the home after it sat vacant for years following renovations ahead of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Bushell noted that formal discussions with the Barbados Cricket Association and housing authorities have moved slowly, but he welcomes the prospect of protecting the site for future generations. While he clarified that all formal decisions about the property’s future must be approved by his cousin, who manages the Worrell estate, Bushell said he is fully open to opening the home to cricket fans to experience its unique history.

As the Caribbean island nation of Barbados accelerates its preparations for the annual Atlantic hurricane season, the country’s main power provider Barbados Light & Power (BL&P) has issued a critical public safety alert, highlighting the life-threatening risks that improperly installed or unregulated solar energy systems and backup generators pose to line crews working to restore power after storm-related outages.

The warning was delivered by BL&P’s Renewable Energy Business Unit Manager Robert Harewood during a hurricane preparedness exposition and press briefing held Friday at the utility’s Garrison Hill headquarters in St. Michael. The event brought together representatives from the Barbados Meteorological Service and multiple relevant stakeholders to educate utility workers and the public on proactive risk mitigation for the coming storm cycle.

Currently, around 3,500 BL&P customers have grid-tied private renewable energy systems installed at their properties, a number that reflects the island’s growing transition to clean energy – but also makes this safety reminder all the more urgent, Harewood emphasized. He explained that post-hurricane power restoration efforts are already notoriously dangerous work, as crews navigate chaotic landscapes filled with downed poles, tangled fallen wires, and damaged infrastructure that can obscure system connections. When private renewable energy sources remain connected to the grid, they can keep power flowing through lines that crews assume are fully de-energized, creating unseen shock hazards that put first responders’ lives at severe risk.

“In the past, especially during restoration, it’s a difficult time because you have poles down, you have wires on the ground as well,” Harewood said. “Sometimes when the guys go to restore, it’s not always easy to understand what is connected where because of the chaos out in the field.” He added that even with careful pre-work checks, unmarked private systems can lead to unexpected danger: “In the effort to get customers back on, sometimes it’s possible that our crew could go and work on a line and be impacted by power from a renewable system that they may not have realised was there.”

Harewood noted that properly permitted, BL&P-approved renewable energy installations are required to include a dedicated manual isolation switch that allows homeowners to disconnect their private system from the public grid before a storm makes landfall. He urged all customers with grid-tied solar systems to activate this safety switch whenever a severe weather event is forecast, as a straightforward precaution to protect responding crews.

However, the manager voiced growing concern over unregistered renewable energy systems that have been connected to the grid without BL&P’s knowledge or oversight, many of which lack the mandatory isolation switches and other required safety features. “We’ve realised in recent times there’s some customers that have renewable systems without our knowledge, and they may not have that isolation switch,” he said.

While most grid-tied solar systems are engineered with an automatic shutdown feature that disconnects them from the grid when public power goes out, Harewood stressed that this automatic safeguard is not infallible. Equipment damage from storm surge, wind, or debris can cause the mechanism to fail, leaving dangerous live power flowing through public lines.

The safety warning also extends to improperly connected backup generators, which carry many of the same risks for utility crews. Harewood advised homeowners to always verify that all private power equipment is safely disconnected before a storm, and to consult a certified professional to inspect installations after a storm passes if there is any uncertainty about their safety and connection status. “Otherwise, you really should contact your installer, whoever installed the renewable system, to have it checked and make sure that everything is okay,” he added.

On a celebratory Friday held at Bridgetown’s Cheapside General Post Office, 16-year-old Athena Browne, a second-form student from St George Secondary School, walked away with the top prize at the annual Barbados Postal Service National Letter Writing Competition. Her thoughtful entry, which explored the enduring value of in-person human connection amid an increasingly digitized communication landscape, captured the full attention of judging panel and secured her first place. Following Browne in the rankings were Knela Walcott of Harrison College, who took second place, and Olivia Dean of The Alleyne School, who claimed third. A special honor was also extended to 9-year-old Xachary Haywood of St Mark’s Primary School, recognized as the competition’s youngest participating competitor. In post-award remarks, Browne shared that joining the contest was a deliberate step to hone her written communication skills, marking not her first attempt at competitive writing. When describing the creative spark behind her winning work, she explained that she framed her letter as a casual conversation with a close friend who had relocated abroad, centering the narrative on how digital tools can complement, rather than replace, genuine human connection. Browne went on to encourage other young Barbadians to lean into writing-based activities, noting that strong writing proficiency opens doors to a wide range of creative and professional career paths from poetry to narrative storytelling. Addressing the gathered attendees, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Gregory Nicholls emphasized that the annual competition extends far beyond simply distributing awards to top performers. “Today we are not just handing out trophies—we are lifting up the voices, celebrating the intellect, imagination, ambition, vision and untapped potential of Barbados’ next generation,” Nicholls told the crowd. He stressed that this year’s theme, “Why Human Connection Matters in a Digital Age,” struck a particularly resonant chord at a moment when technology has become the default mode for most daily communication. Unlike quick digital messages, Nicholls noted, traditional letter writing demands intentional thought, genuine empathy, sincere expression and quiet self-reflection, making it one of the most meaningful forms of communication ever created. “Your words matter, your ideas matter, and your contribution to building the future of Barbados matters most of all,” he said, urging all participants to continue nurturing their writing talents. Barbados Postmaster General Joann Busby added context to the long-running competition, revealing that the Barbados Postal Service has partnered with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to bring the international contest’s national round to the island’s youth for nearly 20 consecutive years. “This year’s call for young writers to explore the importance of human connection in a digital world could not have been timelier,” Busby said. While she acknowledged that modern technology has revolutionized communication by allowing instant contact across long distances, she stressed that digital platforms are unable to fully replicate the empathy, understanding, warmth and depth of in-person interaction built around shared experience. “A handwritten or carefully crafted letter demands intentionality, effort and unique personal expression that cannot be replicated by a 280-character tweet or a quick text message,” she added. For the competition’s youngest honoree, 9-year-old Haywood, the draw of the event was simple: writing is fun, and participation brings its own rewards. When asked what inspired his entry, he shared that his work also centered on the value of human connection, and he joined simply because he was excited to test his skills. His advice to other young prospective writers is straightforward: “Writing is fun and you will win a prize for writing.” Haywood’s mother Natasha shared that her son had been thrilled from the day his school told him about the competition. He poured hours of work into his letter, with extra support from his teachers, and could hardly contain his excitement, jumping for joy, when he learned he would receive special recognition at the ceremony. Natasha Haywood urged fellow parents to prioritize their children’s creative growth, saying “The best thing we can do is encourage our kids to keep reading, keep writing, and stand by them every step of the way.” Organized annually by the Barbados Postal Service in partnership with the Universal Postal Union, the competition was created to foster core skills among the nation’s youth: literacy, creative thinking, independent research and intentional communication that connects people across divides. Now in its 20th year, the event continues to draw hundreds of young participants from across the country’s primary and secondary schools.