Mr. Jonathan Gumbs
The large Anguillian community in Slough, England, is keenly following events back home and is generally pleased about the way things are going.
This is with particular reference to the recovery of the island from Hurricane Irma, and the opportunity the Anguillian Diaspora had to provide some well-needed assistance.
The positive message was delivered by Mr. Jonathan Gumbs, formerly of Blowing Point, who has been residing in Slough for over forty years and is involved in the work of the Anguillian community there. Mr. Gumbs, who was due to return to Slough this week, was at the Alwyn Allison Richardson Primary School on Monday, August 27, where Minister Curtis Richardson was distributing schoolbags and books. There he also met with Mr. Cardigan Connor, the Elected Representative for West End ad his former cricket mentor in England.
“We, in Slough, are always thinking about the welfare of the people in Anguilla, and I am part of the community group there,” he told The Editor of The Anguillian newspaper. “We are always looking to help wherever we can. We think that Anguilla has made much progress over the past forty years from when we left here. There is obviously continued improvement, and we are all very happy to come back home for holidays and help wherever we can. I have been in Slough since 1977 – forty-one years. Some of my family, including my brother and cousins, live in Anguilla. I was here for a month and will be going back on Wednesday.”
“What message are you going to take back to Slough?” Mr. Gumbs was asked.
“I will take back to Slough that Anguilla has made excellent progress in its recovery from Hurricane Irma,” he replied. “I think it is a work in progress. Obviously, we still need help in Anguilla and we are encouraging our fellow Anguillians in Slough to do as much as they can to help their people back home.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Cardigan Connor spoke about the relationship between him and Mr. Gumbs. “Johnny and I go back a long way,” he recalled. “In fact, we go back from Junior [Cricket] League here in Anguilla so you are talking about over forty-plus years ago. We competed against each other for Road School and then for High School, and we went to England in the same year. We ended up playing for the same club in Berkinghamshire and moved on to Slough; then from Slough into the Hampshire team.
“Jonathan has always been there to support me even at times when I felt I couldn’t stand up. He kept reminding me that I was even better than the majority of the players at first class circuit. After sixteen years as a cricket professional I have to say that he was right.
“He plays a key role as part of the Anguillian Community Association in Slough, and was very instrumental in the fundraising that was done whereby barrels of supplies were sent to Anguilla after Hurricane Irma. Whenever we go to England as a Government team we have meetings with the Slough Community Association, and he was at the function at Lords when were raised some money to help rebuild the facilities at the Ronald Webster Park. He is now prepared to help the Anguilla Cricket Association with whatever needs he can source in England.”
Mr. Gumbs replied: “I recall what Cardie was saying about those long years back. I was saying to him that we of that generation had great respect for each other. When I come back here I go to look for some of them. Cephas Webster of Island Harbour is a prime example. We are in our fifties and still have love and respect for each other. Cardie is a genuine person with no ulterior motives. He just works for his community whether it is West End or Anguilla on a whole. By that he can’t lose and will attract people.”
