The Welches Fest, an annual cultural event – in the small village west of Island Harbour – depicting the traditions, customs and social life of Anguilla in yesteryear, was not held this year as a result of the Covid-19 virus.
But on this Whit Monday holiday, although there was not the huge celebration on the Frederick O. Harrigan Playing-field, with large crowds in attendance from throughout the island, the organising committee was nevertheless busy with a partial arrangement. It was a sumptuous breakfast largely prepared at the Vanterpools’ family home and taken to the residents at all the senior citizens’ homes. By and large, it is for the elderly folk in Anguilla, for whom the Welches Fest is a national celebration – in the first place – crediting them for helping to create and shape the cultural life and customs of Anguilla, and passing them down to the younger generation.
Mrs. Melsadis Fleming, her siblings and a group of villagers and friends, worked tirelessly preparing the breakfast comprising a variety of localfood and refreshment in abundance. They were not alone as Belmond Cap Juluca, a long-time contributor to the elderly at the Welches Fest, also made donations of food, while Blanchards Restaurant, another benevolent donor, contributed supplies of ice-cream – a welcome delicacy in these hot days.
Mrs. Fleming spoke to The Anguillian newspaper about the event. She said in part: “In the past years, we have been accustomed, on this special day, to prepare a big feast and extravaganza of traditional dishes for people within the community and other parts of Anguilla.
However, due to Covid-19 this year, rather than having the big festival, we prepared traditional dishes for the residents of the various homes. We have done Johnny-cakes, bush tea, flour pap (porridge), cornmeal porridge, guinea corn porridge, head and foot soup, chicken soup, pea soup, shark and stewed old wife, among other dishes. We are making sure that all the residents of the senior citizens’ homes are served.
“Belmond Cap Juluca will be assisting by sponsoring the lunch for all the homes, and Blanchards Restaurant will be providing all the ice-cream. So we are having a Covid-19 Welches Village Fest this year.”
