Hundreds of people from throughout Anguilla are expected to converge on the Welches playing field on the Whit Monday holiday, May 28, for the annual cultural festival in that eastern village of the island.
The Caribbean Commercial Bank threw its support behind the event on Tuesday this week, when its Senior Manager, Trevor Woodley, presented a cheque for EC$2,800 to help offset expenses, and expressed best wishes on behalf of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the Bank.
The Welches Fest is one of the calendar events on the island being widely promoted by the Anguilla Tourist Board. It also has the support and involvement of various other business organisations – and is an event to which many look forward each year.
Joseph Vanterpool, a member of the organising Welches Fest Committee, thanked CCB for its sponsorship. He said the event which began in 2008 was aimed at demonstrating to young people some aspects of the cultural life of the island in earlier days.
“We decided to feature the jollification-style aspects of traditional life. This includes outside cooking on wood and fire rocks and carrying of water,” Vanterpool explained. “We will relive those moments in terms of games we played such as the use of the board and bicycle wheels, jump the snake and ladder and nicking. We will be doing a variety of things of yesteryear to give the youth an appreciation of what we used to do back in those days. There will be the usual johnny cakes, various traditional dishes – and displays of artifacts of every description representing the early lives and customs of our people.”
He continued: “We have added to the event by inviting some of the older folk from the senior citizens’ homes, and will have string-bands to entertain themso that they can relive some of the things they were accustomed to.
“It is going to be a hectic day, but we are all set and ready to go.
We have seen tremendous leaps and bounds over the years. Last year was a bomber, and this year the crowd and event will also be big with a lot of activity and excitement.”
