NOTABLE BAJANS....
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
By Allan Chandler
Dedicated to reconnecting readers with notable Bajans, wherever they are.
B.B. CONNELL (Bertram Benson Connell)
Here's a Bio of Bertram and photos of his life activities...
CHILDHOOD
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I was born in Colleton, St. Peter, Barbados (next to Sixmen`s) on August 10, 1948. I would say I had a great childhood. Living by the sea in a fishing village, there were lots of things kids could do. Swimming, fishing, huddling (belly surfing), beach cricket, making sailboats and racing them etc. Sea egg hunting was great. We didn´t even have to dive. You could pick them up straight off the shoal. We would wait impatiently for the fishing boats to come in, to get flying fish to roast right there on the beach, and for what was left of the Grub, (the food the fishermen cooked for themselves while out to sea). It was country life, looking after livestock, milking goats, cows, picking peas, digging potatoes etc.
SCHOOLING I attended Half Moon Forte Primary school in St. Lucy. First it was located just beyond the Fort. People used to call it the Blackbird school. Why, I don´t know. Anyway, later a new school was built at Clinketts, (so it was bye bye Blackbird). They still kept the name Half Moon Forte Primary. For me it was great there, lots more room, kitchen garden, and a big playing field. Well, the world kept turning, and soon it was time for 11 plus exams, or whatever they were called. I was selected for Coleridge and Parry Secondary. I have fond memories of CP and had great times there. Notable fellow students were Owen Arthur, who would later go on to be Prime Minister of Barbados, Keith Boyce, a.k.a. Bama, who went on to play cricket for the West Indies, and many others. Well, moving on, after doing my O levels at CP, I went on to Harrison College to do A levels. Harrison College was very interesting. It had a high class reputation, but I found it was just like any other school, or at least I didn´t notice anyone coming of as being elite or anything of the sort. It was cool. Erskine Sandiford was my English teacher, he too later became Prime Minister of Barbados. I enjoyed my time at HC. I remember that one day I was writing my A level exam. The venue was somewhere down by the Harbour. I had just given in my paper, went out the door, only to be greeted by Band manager Franklin Greaves telling me to get into the car because we must hurry off to North Point hotel to play. The guy was waiting at the door for me. Those were the days! Really
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