What’s in ah name

Shakespeare might have left us ah real Jig Saw wid his Romeo and Juliet quotation “What’s in ah Name.” Could you imagine de uproar in de class-room when de Teacher asked Johnny way he come from, and lickle Johnny, no wiser, said: “Miss ah come from “Stinking Hole” up in Marriaqua?”

When de late Hon. John Horne took office as de Rep for West Kingstown, de folks living in Monkey Hill called on him to change dat name to “Upper New Montrose.” De same thing had to be done for de folks ‘up in’ Bum Bum dat became Upper Cane Hall. Trust me, de people from Pepper Village and Ginger Village have lived up to dey name… well, dey uses to at one time.
My Yard, “Murray’s Village” was named after de Colonial Administrator, Charles Gideon Murray (1909 – 1915), no relations to Dr Wayne Murray whose lands Go-venom-mint acquiring foh Pull-it-tek-all Purposes… oops, Public Purposes! I dare anyone to even suggest changing dmy Village Name because it was in honour of de White Man.
We might ask what’s in ah Name, but dey’s over 5, 000 roads in de USA named after outstanding Athletes. Dey must be some form ah respect or honour when ah country decides to name sites, structures, streets etc. after its outstanding heroes. Immediately me mind run pon de Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) in honour of our First Prime Minister; and me mind dey pon de now decommissioned E.T. Joshua Airport at Arnos Vale. Lie-Za asking how do we plan to remember E.T. Joshua. Not Argyle foh sure, de AIA will soon be renamed R.E. Gonsalves International Airport. She is adamant it was no Sporting gesture, but rather ah serious piece ah Pull-it-to-call calculation, when dey hurry-hurry name de unfinished playing field in Diamond, de Sir Vincent Beach Stadium. She say wid no disrespect to Sir Vincent, dat Stadium should ah been more appropriately named after an Outstanding Sports Person. And de AIA renamed Sir Vincent Beach International Airport. Dat girl loves Trouble!
While Lie-Za feels dey’s nothing in ah name, she still begging de question, what will happen to de name E.T. Joshua Airport when we build ah new Milton Cato General Hospital on de E.T. Joshua Airport site? Will de whole New City in Arnos Vale be named de “E.T Joshua City?” No way! Cato will object to being de proverbial Trojan Horse.

WE GETTING DEY

Ah good sign was when we appropriately renamed de Rabacca Recreational Park de “Chatoyer National Park.” So also de George Mc Intosh Centre in Paul’s Lot dat had ah ‘nick-name brand’ de Slum. George Mac Centre however, is next to de real site dat was de former Headquarters of Mc Intosh’s “St. Vincent Workingmen’s Cooperative Association,” As ah youth ah remember dat large two storey timber structure, known den as de “Sussiation (Association) Hall” used foh everything like ah “Town Hall.” Unfortunately we lost a valuable piece of de Workers History when the Headquarters was sold, demolished and replaced wid a Warehouse. What tangled webs we weave eh!

Very inspiring is de Naming of our School, using names of outstanding Educators e.g. C.W. Prescod, Thomas Saunders; Yvonne Francis-Gibson, Doris Mc Kie to name only ah few. We could do much better wid our Sports Personalities. In Cricket is less dan ah handful: Michael Findlay and Frankie Thomas Pavilion at de Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Ah wish de Squash Association would officially write de Naming Committee, and demand dat dey remove de name “Nah-shun-all Squash Complex” and go back to “Cecil Cyrus Squash Complex.” Ah remember when de energized Dr Cyrus returned to SVG, he built ah Squash Court at his home and introduced de game of Squash to SVG. It was ah social club thing at first. Den Tony Sardine built a Court at Grand View Hotel and Erica Mc Intosh one at Prospect Racquet Club. De Game was still ah Society Thing, so Doc Cyrus bought lands from de Anglican Church in Paul’s Lot, next to de Slum, built de Complex, he adhered to international standards, and de year it was finished SVG hosted ah Carry Beyond Youth Championship. On de invitation of Cyrus, ah number of Youths from de Slum were taught de Game, and rose to national standard. Ah believe dat maintaining de Complex was ah struggle and Cyrus sold de Property to de Na-shun-all Lottery.

Not even de name Cyrus Squash Complex dey thought of retaining, as an act of appreciation and respect. Shakespeare was bang on in his Love Story Play: “Romeo and Juliet.” Romeo didn’t like his own surname. But Juliet wid all de Love, asked him: “What’s in ah Name?” And wid dat is gone ah gone agin.

One Love Bassy

l Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor,
folklorist and social commentator.