Bassy - Love Vine
June 4, 2004

Fitz was a human dynamo

Sir James is today listed among the great Caribbean leaders, but there was ah time when he was literally locked away in the pull-it-tek-all dog house.
In those days, he had five friends, just ah hand full, Senator Robertson, Ambassador Kingsley Layne, John Smith, Herbie Young and one Fitz Richardson. While all five had their functions, the name Fitz Richardson represented two significant groups then, the business community and the middle and upper class family. {{more}}
Fitz was like the vanguard fuh these groups,when he got on board and openly identified with Sir James; and soon after that, things really started looking up fuh NDP.
But the family name Richardson has always been a popular and respected brand thru-out SVG as ole man Charles. F. Richardson was at one time this country’s only Land Surveyor fuh over forty years; he was really “ah monarch of all survey”. So that in the late 1960’s when Charle’s son Claude Fitz-William had returned to SVG from the UK as ah qualified Motor Mechanics and getting his Motor Establishment off the ground, he had no choice but to add “better” to the established “good name” his father had already instituted. And how well he did his thing; in ah few short years, the name Fitz Richardson was accepted as the authority on motor vehicles, he was competent, experienced and knowledgeable, and in all his involvement whether personal matters or national concerns, Fitz functioned from ah position of honesty and integrity.
It was rather metaphorical that Mr. Cyrus, ah specialist surgeon should refer to Fitz in mechanical term as ah Human Dynamo. For indeed he was, he was not just energetic but disbursed his energy freely, be it his time, his expertise and his money, lots of that too.
Twenty-nine years ago Fitz and his brother-in-law Dick Gunn were responsible fuh organizing the Fisherman’s Day now ah national festival designed to bring dignity to all Fishermen. They gave generously from their business, and very early lifted the level of the competition by donating an out-board engine annually as the prize fuh the “fisherman of the year” .
It is I-run-ache that Fitz chose to leave these parts on the Saturday before Fisherman’s Day . The Big Man up there seemed to have had ah vacancy fuh ah mechanics to fix his chariots, so he ask St Peter to get him one; and yuh know St Peter mek sure and tek the very best we had. Show them how to do it Fitz and while yuh do it, have ah peaceful rest!
RAISE YUH HAND IN DE AIR
Queen Shows were never my thing, ah have some negative vibes bout those kind ah shows. Ah feel there is an element of exploitation to have girls go up on stage to perform, having to expose their bodies in swim-wear fuh judges to determine who win first, second and third.; even though the prize is ah University Schol.
The country owes every eligible candidate ah school, if the money is available. But like all them hippo-crate pastors ah does still listen or watch the show on Radio or TV and even pick winnwer too. Lie-Za doesn’t miss ah show though, she picks her girl and goes stage side and shout fuh her girl, and when yuh see her girl ain’t win, my phone busy fuh ah week. The standard this year was quite high. Lie-Za picked Miss Allen who came in third, so is all week she balling fuh robbery. Listening on Radio Miss Allen was my pick. She sounded the most talented but ah rather liked the talent the Queen did. Lie-Za is annoyed that the judges gave Best Talent to the lady who played the pan solo that was accompanied by taped music.
This is what Lie-Za said she saw. Just before the end ah the song the contestant raised her hands in the air in jubilation, sticks in the air as well, but pan music was still playing. Remember that’s Lie-Za’s version, normally ah would give her statements ah fifty percent discount, this time ah giving she ah hundred percent discount!
And with that is gone ah gone again!