The opportunity was taken of the Queen’s Official Birthday Holiday in Anguilla to hold another successful social and cultural function called “The East Village End ‘Ting” on Monday, June 17.
Now in its 7th year, the mass crowd event was held by the Hope Centre Group, working with young people and adults in the District 2 constituency. Among the throng of people were members of the visiting DJ Morrishaw Sports Club of the Bronx, New York, now touring the Caribbean region.
The event, which took up the spacious old East End School yard and part of the pond fill, was the scene of multiple tents which provided shelter for a large assortment of cultural foods and drinks as well as a domino competition and musical bands. A Deion Richardson bicycle race, for various categories of cyclists, was also a prominent part of the social and cultural event which began at about noon and continued well into the late evening.
The winners of the cycling race were – In the Benjamine category: 1st Demetri Niles and 2nd Kamari Ruan. In the Minime category: 1st Hector Rogers and 2nd Kaydn Bryan. Juniors: 1st and only contender, James Morris. Cadets: 1st Deanthony Niles and 2nd Cailan Fleming. Masters: 1st Patrick Niles and 2nd Carl Avery Thomas; and Elite: 1st Sherwin (Shortman) Osborne, 2nd Denroy (Chickie) Gumbs and 3rd Joseph Hercules.
The Elected Representative for District 2, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, one of the persons intimately involved in the event, spoke to The Anguillian newspaper.
“The East End Village ‘Ting has been operating fo
r nearly seven years and among the events is an annual domino competition,” Mrs Richardson-Hodge, Minister of Home Affairs, stated. “Usually, Joey Gumbs has been the person organising the competition every year. This year, we are especially pleased to have members of the DJ Morrishaw Sports Club in Anguilla – and we hope all of you had fun and we are looking forward to welcoming you here again.”
Commenting in general on the East End function, the Minister told the newspaper: “We are really grateful to the many persons who have come out to sell their food and drink – and others in attendance. We usually have a signature dish at every booth. Our signature dish from the Hope Centre, for the last seven years, has been the roast pig and it is already finished. At the other booths there are crayfish, lobster, fried fish, pork, whelk soup, fried and baked Johnny cakes and other available delicacies.
“It is always a fun day for families to come out, bring their children and to enjoy themselves. We also have a domino competition and the Deion Richardson’s Cycling Association’s race that takes place every year. Today we have the steel pan band out of St. Maarten; and the North Sound Band. We will end the night with the Small Axe Band out of St. Kitts. As the sun goes down, more people will come out to enjoy themselves, dance and end the night in a good mood. It is a community effort and the Hope Centre Group is the brainchild behind the entire Village ‘Ting.”
The Minister added: “Today we had an island-wide power outage from 7 am -2 pm so a number of people came out a little earlier than usual.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Jefroy Morrishaw, President of the DJ Morrishaw Sports Club, said that he and the other members of his
organisation had thoroughly enjoyed the East End Village ’Ting. “We are grateful to the National Team of the Anguilla Domino Association, represented by Joey Gumbs, for accepting us from the Bronx, New York, for a lovely day,” he stated. “We also had a lovely day of cricket at the Ronald Webster Park against the Anguilla Cricket Masters, and it was a fun day. Joey Gumbs has been inviting me to Anguilla for some years now and I am happy that I finally took the opportunity.”
Mr. Morrishaw, who was born in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, and grew up in St. Kitts, added: “My heart is filled with joy coming here. I grew up with the National Anthem – ‘Great Trinity of Islands St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.’ So we are part of Anguilla, and Anguilla is part of us. Joey, you owe me a return trip to New York. This plaque is presented to you from the DL Morrishaw Sports Club by the former Commissioner of Police of St. Kitts-Nevis, Mr. Austin Williams.”
