Author: Tyrone Roach
London Q in the community
October is Black History Month in the UK, and there are so many events around that we don’t have the space to publicise them all, including the Barbados Independence events. – In town soon will be Lil Rick in Wembley, so he might end up on the Independence Boat ride – Edwin Yearwood will also be in town in Clapham South London – Just in case you didn’t realise and to answer your question, the UK Barbados Deputy High Commissioner is a fellow called Mackie Holder, former Consul General in NY and the Diaspora attaché is Betty Lewis formerly of BTMI.…
Iconic Racehorse Trainer Announces Retirement Iconic racehorse trainer Sir Michael Stoute, 77, has announced his retirement at the end of the season. The ten-times Champion Trainer has accumulated over four thousand winners in Britain since his first success and was knighted in the 1998 Birthday Honours for promoting sports tourism in Barbados. A visionary who saw the benefits of international horse racing, including victories in the Dubai World Cup, the Breeders Cup, the Japan Cup, and the Hong Kong Vase. Despite more than half a century of accolades and sustained success for such an institution of the British racing scene,…
Sunshine came out for the Revellers By Tyrone Roach London’s Notting Hill Carnival concluded on Bank holiday Monday after a week of frenetic activity and sunshine. Although there have been no Bajan bands in recent years since the demise of Bajan Revellers, Barbadians are represented on the road in sections of more prominent outlets like band leader Steve Clarke in United Colours of Mass (UCOM) Credible and Chocolate Mas Bands, while UK-based bajan entertainers like Devine, Ms Desire, Admiral, and Terrah Dah performed on local stages throughout the festival. Throughout the week, the Holland Park Opera Marquee was a hub…
A man who viciously attacked another man who was visiting the UK from Barbados, leaving him for dead at a Reading nightclub, has been found guilty and sentenced to 27 years imprisonment for attempted murder following a trial at Reading Crown Court. Krisma Anthony, aged 23, of Repository Road, Greenwich, London, was found guilty by a majority verdict of attempted murder after he pleaded guilty to possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed object in a public place. His friend, Jahlil Charles, who was 23 and at the Walkabout bar at the time of the incident, was acquitted of both charges.…
The mother of Tharel Thompson, who sustained life-changing injuries following an attack in Reading, has today (21/8) released a statement after Krisma Anthony was convicted of his attempted murder and jailed for 27 years. “I now know, first-hand, what the saying means ‘Your life can change in a split second.’ “The call I received; no mother ever wants to hear. “It caused my blood pressure to go through the roof, from all the crying and screaming. “My body went through something it never did before. I had to borrow money to get on the first flight out from Barbados to…
The UNESCO Heritage site in central Edinburgh is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, and seated in one of its dining rooms are members of a local group called Business Friends Of Barbados (BFB). Scottish National Party (SNP) Councillor Sean Wilson is the host and shares the group’s objective of informing local businessmen about investment opportunities in Barbados. In his response, businessman John Jackson, a fellow Scot and BFB board member, gave an overview of the group’s achievements so far. Expatriate Barbadian Ian Gittens is the Chair and founder of the group. He immigrated to the UK in…
Inspirational community leader and Ipswich’s first Black Mayor, Barbadian Albert Grant OBE, age 89, died on Tuesday after a long-term illness. Albert Grant was a trailblazer and served as the first Black Mayor and Councillor for 26 years in the Suffolk town of Ipswich, where 2.7 % of the population originated from Barbados (2011 census). It is here that Albert dedicated his life to public service and quickly made a name for himself in the community as he fought against the injustices and prejudices encountered. Albert was born in 1934 in The Bayland in St Michael. Like many others before…
“To do so would provide an opportunity to strengthen social cohesion in the country.” Rev Guy Hewitt, a former Barbadian High Commissioner in London and the Church of England’s Racial Justice Director, has recently made an impassioned plea to recognise Emancipation Day in the UK. His influential role and experience lend weight to his call, which he made during an inaugural commemorative Emancipation Day Service in London. In his address, Rev Hewit said, “As we approach the ten-year countdown to the bicentenary of the Slavery Abolition (Emancipation) Act, which took effect on 1 August 1834, I urge for the recognition…
Barbadian Shane Thomas told his audience that Barbados has ambitions to become a “digitally enabled nation” and is well on track to achieving the goal of one hundred per cent renewable energy generation by 2030, delivering a carbon-net-neutral target. He updated them on the various exploration sectors, including niche manufacturing, global banking, information and computer technology (ICT), global education, food and drink, wealth management, insurance, renewable energy, and medical tourism.