All’s sweet in Barbados

Barbados created the perfect tourism storm last weekend with a number of events coinciding at the one time. Such was the power of the storm that many hotels on the south coast were putting up the ‘full’ signs and it was reported that there was not one single rental car available on the island. This, in a time that traditionally is a ‘shoulder’ period for the islands tourism economy, must be seen as a triumph for all concerned.

Sir Garry Sobers and Graham McKenzie (TravelMole)

First and foremost for those with sporting interests were the celebrations of Sir Garry Sobers 80th birthday. The world’s greatest living all-round cricketer was treated to a trio of high profile happenings starting with a celebrity T20 match at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown.

Playing under lights a Sir Garry XI took on a Brian Lara XI and, of course, as he most often did during his playing days, won the match. Prior to the game a number of high profile individuals paid homage to the man including Lara himself.Most significant perhaps was the contribution from the Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart, who not only detailed Sobers playing statistics but also gave the man credit for helping with the country’s push for independence in 1966. The same year Garry, as he was then, took apart the England test team almost single handled, in England, when the West Indies won the series 3-1 and he averaged over 100 with the bat, took 20 wickets and many catches.

On Friday at a Gala reception we heard from the man himself as he was interviewed on stage for over an hour. We also heard eulogies and some banter from former team members and Bajan greats Sir Wes Hall and Sir Everton Weekes. On Sunday a golf tournament at Sandy lane took place with many former cricketing greats from around the world taking apart. Needless to say, the first player to turn up and great ready was of course Sir Garfield Sobers AO, OCC .

So what else was going on? Well throughout 2016  Barbados is celebrating its 50th year of independence from the United Kingdom and almost every week there is some recognition of this fact with an event or two.

The biggest and overriding feature of the weekend for the majority of visitors to the island was however Crop Over. This annual happening is a celebration of the end of the sugar cane crop. If you think Mardi Gras without the beads but an overwhelming Caribbean style then you more or less have it, but what you don’t have is the extent to which the island is subsumed into the event. A litany of happenings from the Friday till the Tuesday of Crop Over weekend seems to dominate every human, under the age of 50, that walks the planet Barbados including celebs like Rhianna and Lewis Hamilton. Magnificent costumes adorn magnificent bodies, lots and lots of loud Soca and Calypso music is played, Bajan Strictly comes alive and of course lots of recreational alcohol is partaken.

Pic courtesy of JSS Pastille

The finale is called Grand Kadooment when large bands and their followers, depicting various themes, parade around the island competing for the coveted Designer of the Year award. Great fun is had by all, hotel rooms are full, bars do business, restaurants sell food and Barbados does very well thank you – Tourism in Action.

Graham was hosted at the Turtle Beach Resort