I can’t believe anyone would have a bad thing to say about winning this inscription. The answer is yes, people do go on holiday to places which have these sorts of awards.
The immediate question is whether Town & Country Planning will now refuse the application for the race-track floodlights because of this new status for the Garrison, or whether they grant it on the basis that it doesn’t matter any more.

All involved are to be congratulated. We however ahev a habit of making statements without the require research. There are countries who did not proceed with the process to World Heritage status, because when the cost/benefit analysis was done the TOURISM benefits were not major.

Could some objective findings of the economic and social benefits be shared with Barbadians.

Sometimes living in a forest,can cause you not to see the trees.

Maybe “civil servant” ask for opinion first .. no? Maybe “civil servant” use cal in program program first …no? Maybe political party include in manifesto before election and gauge importance to people no? No no, run off and spend money with many many travel arrangement for useless Culture Ministry and now this velly important achievement …

Re. Bajan in Tourism post of June 26, 2011 at 8:28 PM;

Dr. Watson has indicated that the costs related to campaigning for the world heritage inscription were minimal. Hence I suppose that the costs, of which the countries which did not campaign were frightened, were down-the-road maintenance costs.

Barbados is a tourist destination. The costs of maintaining Bridgetown and the Garrison in a reasonable condition should be standard everyday costs. Of course there may be other opportunity costs that might be involved and that would have to be weighed.

Re. the economic benefits. You should be well placed, as you are in tourism, to identify at least the outlines of such. Re. social benefits, I am not too sure. Would significantly more tourists coming here because of the listing negatively impact our society? Would the types of tourist who would be interested in a Garrison Heritage site be the type of persons we want to attract? If there are no significant increases in tourist arrivals would there be any measurable social effect? Is it likely that measures put in place to maintain the site would create serious problems with some sectors of the society? Would one effect of the listing and improved maintenance of the site be a positive spinoff re. jobs?

I’d be also interested in seeing any cost-benefit analysis that would have been done for the Barbados campaign.

Government should invest in the preservation and upkeep of the Designated Heritage site and market it as a site for tourist attraction.

Example

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g155019-d184809-Reviews-Fort_York-Toronto_Ontario.html

@Hants

Not only government, but the hoteliers as well who stand to derive benefit as well, Government cant do everything, the private sector must play its part.

The above is the cost to visit Fort York Toronto.

Historical sites generate income to help defray the maintenance

Notwithsatnding Dr Watson’s comments, I feel that there is a very large dose of hypocrisy involved when our government seeks out such an award. Surely the country will be worse-off when vistors to Barbados, attracted by the World Heritage status, actually get here and see the neglect and destruction of our heritage that is still on-going. What about the projected development of the wharf area? As far as we have been advised, it will involve the complete destruction of the historic warehouses along the wharf. How does that fit in with the notion of “historic Bridgetown”? The old dry dock, one of only 2 or 3 similar docks in the world, actually in use less than 30 years ago, now allowed to deteriorate beyond repair. Dr Watson “hopes” that this designation will encourage developers to think twice before destroying old buildings. Surely such action should be illegal, not voluntary. We cannot have a World Heritage Site without the necessary legislation in place to ensure its existence. Check how “tastefully” the Boatyard has treated the “three sisters” on Bay Street. Is that what we call “preservation? How many more buildings in Bridgetown will suffer a similar fate before government actually acknowledges the World Heritage Award. It’s an honour to receive it. It will be a disgrace to ignore it, but we will.

Peltdownman and Heart attack …… what you have stated is true to the bone. Remember the Harbour Police? Now that was a sight to behold in the sixties around Bridgetown. They are all long gone along with their headquarters. Now that would have been a heritage memory any Tourist would love take back home. When I travel as a tourist the first things I notice is the cleanliness of the place. Tell me how would a Tourist describe Bridgetown? I live here and I find it utterly filthy. I enjoy seeing Bridgetown from the very top of the car park near Lower Broad St. The building which houses Butterfield Bank I think it is called the Mutual building, is a sight to behold. But looking at the dilapidated rooftops of the surroundings says a lot about us as a people. We have no pride in our heritage and surroundings. Getting listed means very little to the population at large. If we cannot maintain and keep our surroundings clean now how the hell can we in the future? We live in a pull down and build up society and we have very little regard for the past. I lived in the Garrison for over 20 years and tell me why the Museum’s car park is still in the state as it was 20 years ago? Bay St is a disgrace, Jemmotts lane a disaster, historically beautiful buildings that were once elegant and attractive are now on the verge of collapse. What is the point of being promoted to the top of the class when you don’t care to put in the hard work to get there and stay there. Yes I am angry, angry about how we treat our Heritage. I say when you drive or walk around this island try to see it in the eyes of a tourist.

@Duppy Lizard: “Your comments are becoming rather tiresome. Take a pill and chill.

I sincerely appreciate that my comments on this topic may not be entirely welcome.

I stand by them.

Deal with it.

The Britishness of the Barbados and Bridgetown is mainly responsible for the UNESCO Award. I do hope that some of those now shouting and celebrating are not the same ones who we often hear asking for the removal of Lord Nelson’s statue. The changing of the name of the QEH and other regal names in the City and Bank Hall,and the sacking of HM QE2.
There is monument on the waterfront in Roseau Dominica which states, Thank God the British were here. We should 10 -Four that.

@Duppy Lizard: “You simply come across as someone who is full of themself. And that type of individual is usually full of sh–. Frankly I could give two hoots for your quasi pseudo intellectual mumblings.

Easy to say for an anonymous coward who doesn’t even have the balls to put their own name behind their own words.

Stand up and be counted. Or get out of the way for those who will be and can be….

The only ones who are celebrating this World Heritage are only seeing what’s in it for them and not what’s for the country if before fasttracking to the garrison they would have been more concerned about preserving the bulidings that at one time was of great service to the peoplethat would have said more and meant more But then again we always take the easy way out and pretend as if we have done sometime so great.

@All…

Some might find it funny how two men with Irish assents can stop a blog cold…

“You said…

“I didn’t say that…

“Yes you did.

“No I didn’t

“Yes you did.

“No I didn’t…

This can go on for hours.

Some find it funny.

Some don’t….

jack spratt | June 26, 2011 at 3:48 PM |
Can anyone name the other heritage sites in the world? Have you had the urge to leave home and visit them?

I have had the honour of visiting many a Heritage site abroad, and without a doubt they attract a huge amount of visitors,and are heavily patronised by cruise ship passengers if they happed to be near the port of call. The Garrison has great potential ,I first got to know the Garrison as member of the Regiment,and subsequently worked in the area for 3 decades,and still find it an attractive place that many would like to see. When I first joined the Regiment, the then Adjutant Major (later Colonel) Leonard Banfield made sure that every recruit received a sound knowledge of the History of the Garrison, and this is something that appeared not to have been passed on to the average Bajan.Except for Bush Hill and the Grand Stand, many are unaware of the role played by the Garrison,which was home to the West India Regiment.
The book Empty Sleeve by Brian Dyde tells the story of the Garrison and other Garrisons in the Caribbean.
Fort Shirley in Dominica was also home to one of the West India Regiment Battalions, many of whom were black. These black soldiers as freemen were relatively well looked after,and during the days of slavery were the envy of slaves. The slaves in Dominica started a malicious and unfounded rumour that the British Army was disbanding the West Indian Regiment and returning the redundant to slavery. This led to a revolt where many of the solders were killed by the Brit Marines,and those who survived were jailed.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=2685325516&searchurl=an%3DBrian%2BDyde%26ph%3D2%26sortby%3D1%26tn%3DThe%2BEmpty%2BSleeve

Certainly Dame Billie Miller and Noel Lynch (Min of Tourism) deserve a pat on the back for the transformation of Bridgetown during the last decade or so,since in the last few years nothing has been done to enhance or continue the re-development of the City.
But this will not stop the Hi-Jackers from operating.

I am not a party faithful, Yardfowl or Paling cock, Sir!

Mr Stevesn – what is beach tourism? Where is the statistical evidence to support your point that Heritage Tourism is more lucrative than what you call beach tourism. Last time I checked our beached, warm weather and other simialr attribute motivate Visitors to our region.

Please bring supporting evidence when you speak. The lsiting is an achievement, but do not get carried away. Please inform readers. You may want to speak to CTO’s Research and Information Technology Specilaist before you write.

The ball has already started to roll.

Tune in to cbc.bb tomorrow night (Wednesday 29 June)8:3O and watch a documentary which features the Garrison.O and watch a documentary which features the Garrison.

Blamelessly cursing the past for our problems of today, necessitating the reckless borrowing to uphold the lifestyle we thought we deserved, knowingly shackling the children of tomorrow into the very same servitude we borrowed to escape from, just a different master.

Forty-five years of Pride and Industry is all it took.

Is It Dr Watson or Peter Stevens that we should be appealing to about the preservation of historical sites in Bridgetown and the island in general ? We have elected members of parliament who we should be presenting our demands to. Everyone of them live in Barbados and are fully aware of the decay that has set in .They are not there to jump on the band wagon after the job has been done. But as I’ve mentioned before, sometimes living in a forest prevent you from seeing the trees.
On Christmas morning Bajans parade in Queen’s Park in their finest,and could not care a damn about the rapidly decaying main building which once was the quarters of the General Officer Commanding the West India Regiment, but behind this building and next door to Harrison College are some dilapidated buildings that are deplorable to say the least.
I have a number of photos of decaying buildings on Flickr, which I intend to remove soonest.
But who really are the
Strict guardians of our heritage ,and firm craftsmen of our fate?
I salute those who are making their contribution

We are all guardian of our heritage and we must play our part. Successive governments have promised to restore the Empire Theartre and evvery time i look at that building i cringe.

Nice contributions from mr. steven and dr. watson. I support the view that most of those persons who would be interested in heritage tourims would have more disposable income. has anyone spared the thought to reflect how our tourism peoduct has changed overtime. Very early, we used to have the very wealthy who used to generate the bulk of our tourism dollars, before the shif was made to mass tourisms, more tourists, but considrably less revenure per tourist.

I know it is a part of our history, however unpleasant, and I don’t mind it being featured in an honest manner. My question therefore is why does the contributions of our enslaved and non-enslaved African ancestors consistenly get written out? The two sites are being celebrated as “supreme examples of British architecture”. True enough and I don’t have a problem with that, but those military garrisons didn’t build themselves, and those colonial buildings in Bridgetown didn’t build themselves either.

Also I looked at all of the sites that are on the UNESCO list and to answer an earlier question – yes, there are definitely some featured there that I was not aware of at all, or that I was only vaguely aware of, before I saw them mentioned on the UNESCO list. And now it has only peaked my curiosity to visit them even more, after seeing them featured.

What we are all hearing in the media are just snippets from the application dossier, submitted last year. This dossier took more than a year to prepare and contains more than 330 pages of information about the site. It is much more than just about British architectural influence and does include much about our African ancestors. However, this Dossier has not been read by many and should be published for all to see as it puts Barbados in an international perspective not previously revealed in such a comprehensive manner.

So, just keep in mind that we are not hearing anything like the whole story about what our World Heritage inscription has been all about.

On the issues raised about the state of the Empire Theatre and all those other dilapidated historic buildings. Again, the full story on many of these structures is not in the public domain. The Empire has gone through a process of assessment and redevelopment which stopped because the redevelopment of the exiting building was inappropriate. Town Planning recognized that fact and refused the development. The Barbados National Trust has been involved in all this process and are at one with Town Planning. We are going to have to wait this one out for both the funding and redesign, but we must insure that what is done is done properly and within the good practices of preservation and conservation.

It is unfortunate that much of the work done by the National Trust has to be behind the scenes. This means that there will always be the perception that nothing is being done by either the Trust or the politicians. In many cases the politicians are doing the best they can under very exasperting circumstances. The Trust works hard, has to keep its mouth shut, more often than not, and then take on the chin the myriad of complaints from the public. For every instance that there is the appearance of failure, there are probably ten other successes than cannot be publicised for one reason or another. I think this will change as the country begins to understand what is at stake and the Trust tackles it PR is a much better fashion.

Remember, the politicians are there because we put them there – We are responsible. If we don’t like it, then we can change it. We each try to have an effect in the best way we can. Sometimes this goes unnoticed but that doesn’t alter the reality that something is going on. It may be that the best thing we can do on any particular day is tell someone “good morning”, then the next we have to test our conscience and see what we are made of. What I am saying in a very round-a-bout way is that it is not up to Dr Watson and myself and any of the other hard-working conservationists, or the politicians, it is up to the whole country. We can only suggest possibilities, but that means nothing without back-up, and plenty of it!

Does the designation of “World Heritage site” create any enforceable burdens on Barbados other than a moral responsibility to preserve artifacts and spaces associated with the so designated area? To date, Barbados doesn’t appear to me to be doing a very good job at preserving our cultural and natural heritage. Does this designation provide access to resources (financial and/or technical) that will assist in the preservation and enhancement of Bridgetown and the Garrison area that was not available to the country before the award of the designation?