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Lifestyle

Sisters of Bowling Alley Hill

Mona and Beverly Grant,
Sisters of Bowling Alley Hill, 1979

I never really knew Mona Grant, but in a fraction of a second she became someone I have loved for the last 47 years. For me she has become the girl in my photograph, loving and caring for her sister.
We are sad to say goodbye, but wish Mona well on her eternal journey.

We knew the kids on Bowling Alley hill, but only recently learned Mona and Beverly's names. Jackie and I would often be going that way to Bathsheba and would stop so the kids could meet the dogs. We also knew Arthur 'Happy' Clark who lived in the gap near the Grants / Cumberbatches ??

And further down the hill Mr. Carrington baked the sweetest coconut breads and salt breads – I can still smell them now!

This photograph won a prize in the Nation Newspaper's 'International Year of the Child' competition 1979.

Lifestyle

Early Days Barbados Light Airplane Club

Early Days of the Barbados
Light Airplane Club

Barbados Light Airplane Club fly-in approx. 1963

My father had done a little flying while living in the USA at the end of the war and got back into it at The Barbados Light Airplane Club in about 1961.

This was when the club was a building made with telephone poles and galvanise sheets on the North side of the tarmac about where the current arrival terminal is now - actually tried lining it up with Google maps and Police Training School using this photo for alignment - probably quite a ways west of current main terminal.

On many afternoons of the week we would be at the flying club – it was great getting to go up with many of the pilots flying during those days - Stan Toppin, Arthur Carrington, Charlie Peterkin, Leroy Alleyne, Dr. 'No' Ralph Malone, Gordon Butcher, Maurice Jones, 'Sam' Sampson, Dr. George Emtage, Gotch Atwell and so many more.

The flying club was really the first properly integrated group that I experienced (apart from secondary school which was fully integrated). Of course it was kind of the more successful people - doctors like Ralph Malone and business owners like Gordon Butcher, Maurice Jones and Leroy Alleyne.

Barbados Light Airplane Club fly-in approx. 1963 club house

On a ride with Stan Toppin the CFI (chief flying instructor and I think he had flown in the war) I remember him coming over the end of the runway at about 10 feet at full speed and cutting the power right as we crossed the threshold and we just coasted all the way up the runway until finally the plane set down - pretty cool.

The Cessna 140 VQ-BAB at the top of the page was one of the club's first planes and had a storied history. Barbados' most famous weatherman was Evelyn “Bob” Reece who was the factory manager of Three Houses and warned the island of the approach of Hurricane Janet in 1955 saving numerous lives.

Mr. Reece (or old man Reece as many knew him) was a pilot and loved to fly - one day he was flying and must have had a heart attack - he saved the plane by landing but died as the plane coasted off into the grass at the side of the runway.

The Flying Club had a large 'fly-in' in approx. 1963 with many planes coming from the other Caribbean islands, the USA, Venezuela and other locations.

I photographed this 'my first special event' with the box brownie.

One of the events held was a 'round the island' air race and I was able to photograph from the top of South Point Lighthouse as the planes banked around this last pylon before the finish line.

1963 fly-in round island race shot from south point lighthouse - last pylon before finish

1963 flying club fly-in - my mother poses with the old Seawell Airport tower in the background

During the fly-in The US Air Force aerobatic team 'Thunderbirds' came down to Barbados and that was pretty special to get to watch real aerobatic jets - they were flying F100 Sabers at the time. I do remember the guys were staying at the Hotel Royal and we gave a few of them a ride back home after the event.

The photo here shows the previous modern airport - built in the late 50s replacing the original wooden buildings. All of this was replaced in the early 80s with the current modern airport.

I remember getting 'jacked up' in that tower one afternoon for walking across the runway when the red light was on - got called up into the tower and cussed out properly!

The new flying club building and the Aero Services hanger at left. These were a bit west from Seawell Plantation house which was just west of the Police Training School.

I remember swinging a pick-axe digging the foundation around 1965. The lady who ran the bar at the club was Velda and she had worked at the club from the early days on the other side of the runway.

This photo from Jan 1973 is of the Piper 140 8P-BAF doing circuits and bumps. I got to solo in this plane in early 1970, but never got my licence as I left for photo school in England and continuing to fly wasn't practical.

The new flying club built on the south side of the runway with the Piper 140 practicing circuits and bumps 1973 mp29 730109 0010

Lifestyle

Early Motor Sport Island

Driving fast was the order of the day!

Andrew 'Tenderfoot' Philips at Turners Hall hill sprint aug 19 1969

The early driver's I knew in the mid 60's were the wild guys from the Rockley area - Andrew 'Tenderfoot' Philips, Harry and Basil Watkins, Richard Rose, Michael Atwell and so many others - driving fast was the order of the day!

Tenderfoot was my older sister Lois's first boy friend. I remember some exciting rides from Rockley to DeFreitas for soft serve ice cream with Tfoot driving his Dad's red Austin A40 – more excitment! I also remember his frog eye Sprite, but that car was not long for this world!

The first Rally Club event I experienced, when I was about 8, was a dexterity test held on the main tarmac in front of the old terminal at Seawell Airport – there was lots of burning rubber and squeeling tires and a car rolled – more excitment!

So it was a given that my first photos with my father's Nikon (somewhat old and injured) would be of motor sport – the Turner's Hall Hill Climb of August 19th 1969 fit the bill.

Once processed I would show contact sheets at the driver's work or home or on the side of the road – I was now a professional photographer!

Harry Watkins at Turners Hall hill sprint aug 19 1969

Chris Alleyne Testing the Limits! Woodburn, 1980 #5

Over the years 1969-70 and 1974-81 I photographed most of the Rally Club events - hill climbs, rally's, dexterity tests and of course the beginnings of circuit racing at Bushy Park.

https://barbadosislandlife.com/lifestyle/chris-alleyne-a-tribute/

It amazes me how much motor sport has progressed in Barbados since those days. Racing at Bushy Park has been greatly developed with international stars like Lewis Hamilton visiting to partake in what Barabdos has to offer. Stage rallys have also progressed to an incredible degree with drivers coming from all over the world.

We now have a strong contender in international single seat racing -

Zane Maloney 'The Boy from Barbados'

is racing in his second year of Formula 2 and is amoung the top contenders and a powerful voice promoting Barbados worldwide!

Wishing Zane the best of luck going forward!