Tony Cozier, the LEGEND
Posted by Sargeant
Tony Cozier
I haven’t listened to cricket on the radio in decades but the passing of Tony Cozier has stirred some long dormant memories.
I can’t remember when I first heard Cozier on the radio but my first memories of listening to cricket was the WI tour of Australia in 1960-61 when as a sapling I was able to stay up late at night to listen to Johnny Moyes in a colourful Aussie accent on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
Later during the WI tour of England in 1963 we were treated to the dulcet tones of John Arlott whose descriptive commentary of Cricket as well as the surrounding countryside provided a picture as vivid as any contemporary movie scene.
Cozier came on the scene sometime after that tour and I recall his voice on the radio as one of our own and that voice although lacking the timbre of some of the other commentators was very informative. I also remember his reports in that other media- newspapers- I believe he came from a media family as his family was involved with the Daily News (now defunct) and I seem to recall a column by his father EL Cozier which appeared under the byline ELC. The immediacy of TV has diminished the importance of the radio voice but those of the generation which came of age in the 60’s remember radio as our connection to the outside world and we relied on the eloquence of the person behind the mike to fuel our imagination and Cozier fit the bill.
An innings well played.
Barbados Underground 
Since the topic has wavered… I faced Graham a few times, 2 matches in U-15 and then later at Seawell at what I think was the Police training school. Something tells me he also played, maybe for Carleton? He was quick. Did he pelt? He had an action whereby he lowered his left shoulder, almost like Keith Boyce, and this is how he generated speed, and deceptive speed. The issue when when he needed bounce, he used to cock his right elbow. My truth is, you didn’t have time to worry about his action, just focus on the ball. He had a stinging in-swinging yorker, but as Seymour Nurse had taught us, just take guard a few feet down the wicket, and the yorker becomes a full toss.
WWD was faster, but wild as shiite. You only ever had to play 2 balls in most overs, and most edges went over the slips. But if you beat up on him, he would bowl at the body. I only faced him twice as he was older than me.
As far as the reverse discrimination thing went, to me it was all about perspective. Did I not get a pick because I was whitish, or because I was not good friends with the captain? there wasn’t a sport I played where the social element didn’t affect team selection. Many years later in Canada, in tennis, the summer is full of outdoor clubs, but in the winter they only winterize a few, so suddenly you get 25 summer clubs converging into one. If the captain of the A-team changed, I could bet the team members would change.
Not 100% sure, but I was 14-15. I had played U15 for HC for 3 years. An adult man who lived nearby asked me one to play for his 2ndXI team, they were “short”. So i did. It was at Bristol and I did OK, so they asked me back. A few weeks later, the match is against HC at HC. Don’t you know, Tank sets up shop outside the office, with Otto, just as I begin batting. I made a few runs. So Monday morning I get a note to see the headmaster. He says “you batted well, but then I realised you were not batting for HC. I don’t recall giving you permission to play for an outside Club? I lied “I didn’t know you needed permission”. He dismissed me. Later that same day I am summoned again. This time the games master was present. Tank asked him how come I wasn’t on the HC team, for it was Tank’s observation I had scored more than anybody on the HC team. The games master said I hadn’t been to the nets often enough. Which was true, I had only been once/week, but Tank also knew I played other sports as well. He asked me to step outside. When he recalled me, he handed me an envelope. And said nothing. The envelope contained a permission letter to play for an outside Club, back dated a few weeks to coincide with my first game with the outside Club.
To this day, I cannot buy into a race issue. I was younger, though I knew the boys on the HC 2ndXI team, I had likely played U15 with many of them. But younger and not within the Captain’s close circle was enough not to get picked, even if my skin was darker. If you wish to play a sport, go and play it. If you don’t like how you are being treated, go somewhere else.
I have a son who was a half decent ice hockey player. But he was smallish, a finesse player with speed. Once he was on a team, which played a bruising style. It clashed with his own. So I moved clubs. I wasn’t upset with his current Club, he simply did not fit their style. When he was placed with a coach who played his style, he did better.
And I think that was seen even at the WI level back then. Bim could have fielded a test team itself, but selection politics came into play. They should have pushed for 2 teams, because that so called Rebel team was all about opportunity. And they ended up banning an entire generation of potential stars.
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Wonder how Dave Cameron is feeling now that history will record how the WICB under his leadership curtailed Cozier’s commentating career.
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Not sure how many listened to the sports program Mason on Guest on VoB this evening. It was meant to be a tribute to the late Tony Cozier.
Then we had the further farcical situation of the the CEO Noel Lynch of the BCA claiming publicly that the Coppin, Cozier and Short Media Centre was named afer the late Jimmy Cozier, Tony’s father, and not Tony Cozier. This was later challenged on the other cricket program where it was clarified the media centre was named after BOTH Coziers.
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David, probably he feels not a worry. A-type personalities like him are almost immune to criticism. He probably feels empowered that he has outlived the ‘great’ Tony Cozier.
re BCL and club development over the years, of course all realize that life moves on. The BCL situation in particular tells that evolution story very well. All here seem to be close students of the Bajan cricket apparatus so surely those who were around can cast their memories back to the period when Estwick at BCL and the BCA big-wigs were having some issues.
I too recall the days when there seemed to be BCL team in every village but issues started to develop as 1) clubs were trying to get into the BCA directly, 2) not releasing their players to go up to Blenheim to play in the BCA competition and 3) BCL players started to enroll at the BCA clubs,
Those issues and more were bubbling for years way back when I was watching cricket on Saturday back in 90’s so it certainly does not shock me that the BCL has not fielded a team this year.
Time marches on and life dynamics have changed.
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NorthernObserver May 17, 2016 at 7:20 PM #
Nice anecdote
Who was the games master then?
What years were you at Kolij?
Can you remember any of the players in the HC 2nd XI then.
Where was the Bristol ground again Was it in St Peter by the rectory
They had a good team one time
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David May 17, 2016 at 8:22 PM #
Lynch continues to be an ass.
I cannot understand how he got that post in the BCA
i SUSPECT THAT THE ORGANISATION OF THE BCL IS NOT AS IT WAS IN ESTWICKS TIME
ALSO THE SOCIAL NEED TO PLAY IN THE BCA THAT EXITED IN 68/69 WHEN THE BCL TEAM FIRST PLAYED IN THE IST DIVISION NO LONGER EXISTS
ONE REMEMBERS THE ANNUAL BCA V BCL GAME WHICH ALLOWED BCL PLAYERS TO BE EXPOSED TO BARBADOS SELECTORS
A LOT HAS PASSED IN THE LAST 50 YEARS
NOT ALL GOOD
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The BCL ethos was an offshoot of village life. The social landscape has shifted to villagers migrating to built up areas.
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@Artax.
You mentioned Henderson Roach. For the few balls that he faced, his batting was a thing of beauty.
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@MB
I remember the BCL Teams from Victoria, Sam Lords, Oistins, Maxwell, Seawell, Bathsheba, St Augistine—– Timothy Callender used to write short stories about area rivalries like St Jude’s
+++++++++
There was a cricket team in Oistins? Where did they play? I suspect that Seawell team you are referring to is Providence.
Earlier I shared a memory about BCL teams in the general area where I grew up and these are all now history, Tino Terrace now covers the pitch in Warners Plantation Yard where Maxwell used to play many moons ago. There is a larger ground in the vicinity of Warners which is on the street now called Applegrove (in earlier times that road was called “Sugar Alley” but an older friend told me it was really ‘Chigger Alley” due to the Chigoes that people used to get if they lived in what was a marl road, I really miss CA and the conversations we used to have but he has gone to join the ancestors).
I think the team that used to play near the South Point Lighthouse was St. Christopher, there was also a team from St. Patricks area called Yorkshire, there was Boarded Hall and further afield Ellerton.
There is a book to be written about BCL cricket and someone should document the history of it before it is lost in antiquity.
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MORE CREDITS TO TONY COZIER
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/81350/thorny-issue-cozier-class
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/81342/editorial-preserve-cozier-legacy
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/81349/voice-spirit-wi-cricket
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Oistins used to play under the Hill behind the Esso Gas Stn. I remember a pacer for them called Dodson, 6ft 5ins and fast. In the really old days some white fellas would play Village/ BCL. Victoria from St Martin’s St Phillip usually had a strong team and supporters galore.
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when i was at HC there was a white fella a couple years younger who for whatever reason could not make the 2nd Div team, I dont know if he tried out or not. He played as a Leg Spinner for Carlton against HC and takes 7 for like 20. As Nth O mentioned there was always other reasons for team selection, and some black chaps played for outside teams.
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Does anyone know where Kent played?
I get the impression it was close to Oldbury Sugar Factory.
I am looking for the book I had on Sir Garry by Trevor Bailey which describes how Sobers came to prominence through interventions by adults, more specifically, Garnet Ashby.
There is a great anecdote about a young Sobers, small for his age and withdrawn, preferring to hide when time to batting came.
The captain, Garnet Ashby gave Sobers his own prized bat in a match which he reckoned would be lost with half the side down and told the boy Sobers “don’t come back in till the game is won”.
I reckon that was in the mid to late 1940’s.
Free secondary schooling robbed many young males of those rites of passage to adulthood.
Many spent hours of each school day with other children in the bus system going to and from school and missed out on the lessons they could have learnt from adults.
Now, no parent in their right mind would trust their child to an adult because the adults are nothing more than overgrown children.
It was different in the past, we grew up with giants.
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I don’t suspect that Kolig got that problem with boys needing letters from the Head to play for outside team dese days.
Nor do I suspect that any boy -white, black or transgendered – who wants to play wid de form-team for de lunch time inter-grade games (wait, dey still dus do that) got a problem to get a pick either.
Co-ed dus brek up things like that.
You guys had some fellas dat went and play for Windwards too as I recollect…one of dem in Parliament now too. And one was a big-shot in the BCA.
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All praise to Tony Cozier. A life well lived, He is a legend.
But this is off kilter to Cozier. Andi Thornhill has over the years been one of the columnists with very crisp and well written articles.
Whether on Horse Racing which I believe must be his first love or here with cricket he is very smooth with the written word. Props to him.
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@GP
I believe the games master was Orlando Greene of athletics fame. It was in the 70’s like 70-78. Yes bristol was in St.peter and always had competitive teams, with players who also liked alot of sport.
Today I would be guessing at the players. But I know one was ???? Rochester, not Peter from the CB but an older brother. And Sousy Lynch. I could call other names, but I would just be naming cricketers of the era, as I don’t recall exactly who played house, 2nd or Intermediate; plus I believe this was also around the time of the Combined schools in the Div1.
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@John
Kent was in Gemswick. I think it was formerly called Penny Hole.
The story as I recall. is Ashby used to pick up Sir Gary and take him to St.Philip where he would play on weekends.
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Seems you entered after I had departed
I had already sung the Hymn ” Lord dismiss us with thy blessing, Thanks for mercies here recieved” for the last time This hymn was sung on the last day to the tune “ETON”
On the first day of term the Hymn was Lord recieve us with thy blessing, once again assembled here……sung to the same tune.
Those traditions have long gone literally down the “drain”
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WILLOW CHANNEL CONTINUES TO SHOW THE WORLD CUP DAILY
What I can not understand is that there was no footage of English faces whether fans or players after the game.
The thing I laugh at most is the premature celebrations by the Poms.
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The story as I recall, is in those days there was an annual BCA vs BCL game, and Sir Gay was selected to play for the BCL after his performances for Kent. The game was played at Wanderers, which in those days was in the BayLand, where Sir Gary grew up. He was known to Dennis Atkinson, where he would bowl at him in the nets. Atkinson suggested to Wilfred Farmer, then Commissioner of Police, he should enlist Sobers to play for Police, and farmer did so by getting him to be a young member of the Police band. The rest is history, and Sir Gary would never represent any other Club in Bim. Old tyme loyalty.
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Wunna dun see why i does got my spiffs with de Blogmaster?
Look at 11.24 a.m.
One Brathwit open he mouf and cuss so whutessly and i repeat de man words “Andi Thornhill has over the years been one of the columnists with very crisp and well written articles….”
Surely this man should be banned forthwith!!
Andi Thornhill? “crisp” and “well written” ?
Whuloss, help de ole man nuh, I heah pun me back, jes tekking it easy, typing way pun de Ipad tings and jes so, whaplax, a beriffle up pup.
Jes because de groundman at Kensington, over 20 years of cutting grass and roling de pitch, has cumulatively spent more years on the Cricket Pitch than Brian Lara, Smitty, de groundsman, is now de “best cricketer” in de world!!
Why if we was to use dat reasoning more rampantly dat would mek de man “who does be in MP1 regularly (in this case the police chaffeur) the prime minister
Andi Thornhill and 7 UP sam is lovable characters whose attempts at hyperbole is legendary in truth but most people know, they lack the “je ne sais quoi”
Dem cant even tie Cozier’s shoes.
Steupseee (i get dat from Simple Simon)
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Braff
Co-ed at HC, which had far fewer boys than Cawmere, Lodge etc, was totally unnecessary as QC and HC could have remained separate without effecting sports. Hence why kolij has been fairly dominant in BasketBall since less boys are required. Some think this was a conspiracy by former Cawmerians, in high positions, who could not stand the competition!
How come Springer was allowed to stay all girls and now dominate athletics for obvious statistical advantage reasons? Actually it is reported, by me, that the real reason for Springer remaining girls only, was quick thinking by the Family Planning Dept who appreciated the potential for explosion in teen pregnancy. AH LIE?
In the 1970s Bristol was a dominant force in the Intermediate Div (as was Cable&Wireless, Wibix) I played against them in Aug 74 in the 5th/ 6th Round and they were top of table. I bowled pure nonsense the first Inns but redeemed myself in the 2nd with 7 wkts, the first 5 in 35 mins before Tea on the 3rd day. Dont remember the names of the players. C&W had a strong team including Big Bird Garner, Wes Hall, Alvin “The Finner” Greenidge and Alder, dont need to remember others as these 4 were the key destroyers.The game I played against C&W was one for the history books as they had us to kill at the start of the 3rd day, they thought it would 1 hr max BUT at 6pm they were fighting to draw the game with the last ball being 1 wk left for them and like 5 runs to win they managed a Draw with scores tied when bails pulled. I had to face Bird for an hour to keep him from running through the side, saw him off. Then i bowled 12 overs straight for 4 wkts. Real turnaround. Wes had bought tickets for the wife and himself to go out for 4pm, he was cussing in technicolour!
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Sir Gar was a trumpeter if memory serves.
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@ Piece
…and how about Les “Shell” Harris?
Was he to ‘Bajan’ to have the needed “je ne sais quoi” too..?
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Shell’s son was at HC a couple of forms below me.
Rejoiced under the nickname of Cashew …. a chip of the old block … just that he got the nickname of Cashew, not Shell.
I never saw his father Shell but I know why Cashew got his nickname.
I only heard his program on Rediffusion.
One lunch time Cashew decided to drop kick a wall and knocked himself out cold if I remember right.
Wrestling on a Friday night used to show on CBC and it took Barbados by storm.
He must have been trying out a move he saw.
I remember names like Bobo Brazil … and Mick McManus I think.
On a Friday night my aunt was glued on to the TV watching.
The good guy always got beaten unfairly in the beginning … then the tide would turn and the bad guy got the final beating … always.
Same with the tag teams.
I guess it appealed to my aunt’s sense of justice.
I figured out after a while it was probably rigged to appeal to an audience’s natural feelings of outrage when the underdog gets unfaired ….. but I still enjoyed watching!!
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Shell Harris’ sports show on Redifusion was called Sportlight? The late Don Norville was a regular.
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Shell’s commentary on Boxing was great with ones and twos etc
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David
So was the late Peter Short and the late Harold “Ricochet” Kidney
Show was started by the late Jerry Richards before he went over to CBC. I think 7 UP Sam Wilkinson also participated.
John
Didnt know that Shell had such a young son at H C , but we knew that the very thin fast bowler/long distance runner, now lawyer Noel “Arkie” Lynch was Shel’s son
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Shell had problems pronouncing Venkatarhagavan and decided to call him VENKAT. And so it was.
Then there was the commentary at the funeral of Sir Frank Worrell
Here Shell…
“The Cathedral clock is chiming 5………………….its a French clock………………but it chimes in English.”
On boxing ” 1,1 1-2, 1-2, 2 2 2 123 ……the ones were the rights the twos were the lefts and the three were the ones I didnt see
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Didn’t Shell have a daughter who was a decent cricketer?
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GP
When i arrived at Kolij in 1967, Arkie was long and tall BUT Burrows was in 5th, 5.2 and was massive with legs like tree trunks.
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Didn’t Shell have a daughter who was a decent cricketer?
Seem to recall the late Aubrey Corbin and George Shepherd?
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She was the Barbados female captain Angela Harris
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Was George Shepherd not a basketballer?
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Yes he is associated with basketball.
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Shell’s son was with my cousin two years below me that is how I got to know the origin of the nickname.
But like I say, I never saw Shell Harris, but, …. my cousin told me the two were very similar!!
I was told Shell was once commentating a cricket match on the radio and the batsman hit the ball up in the air.
…. and the fieldsman is running in to catch it …. and … and …….
…. oh shite ….. he drop it!!
The guy who told me used to tell some tall tales so he probably made it up.
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I can still remember the music that introduced Shell on Rediffusion.
CBC also had some classical music to introduce the sports with Gerry Richards so I guess Gerry Richards chose the music for the Rediffusion program too.
I can also remember the introductory music to “Music of the Masters” which came on in the afternoon when as young children we were put to rest!!
Often whistle the three tunes.
Seems like a whole era has passed us by … but it was fun to be a part of it.
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Now wait a cotton picking minute, that is not nice to say that – << the real reason for Springer remaining girls only, was quick thinking by the Family Planning Dept who appreciated the potential for explosion in teen pregnancy>>.
Fah real. Yo can’t say dem things bout the people girl children. But Jesus, it woulda been real trouble fah trute. Blouse n skirt.
But look at de udder fella pon here trying to fool de peep here that he aunt uses to watch de wrassling because de good peeps did get a triumph ova de evil.peeps. Don’t mek ma laff do.
De woman watching Macho Man Savage and Invader 1 and 2 and alla dem and feeling a certain warmth every Friday and he talking foolishness bout ethics/ Wha losss!
But to the brother who didn’t apprecaite my wutless language. I wud love to apologise but it don’t mek sense. Yah see I cud never cus home. I neva see my old man come out de bedroom as if he just do a thing nor even see he walk bout half naked nor nothing so.
All nice and proper. But here now my PM and all he cabinet walking bout half-naked showing all dem nasty underwear of lies and deceit and they cussing we in mind, in spirit and wid corruption.
So all the nicey, nicey upbringing in mean one shite. My expression wutless as it is come from the pain of this bad-word vasaline-less shafting I receiving.
Looka I ask a friend to create a facebook page de udder day and put all de posters dem pun it. Just now I hope that we can get the thing perkng.
So pleeze excuse de cussing.
Yah see. No pain right now…so no cussing,
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I was told Shell was once commentating a cricket match on the radio and the batsman hit the ball up in the air.
…. and the fieldsman is running in to catch it …. and … and …….
…. oh shite ….. he drop it!!
++++++++++
Have heard that story a few times but the culprit was Stanton Gittens only the language was more colourful.
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@MB
Oistins used to play under the Hill behind the Esso Gas Stn. I remember a pacer for them called Dodson, 6ft 5ins and fast. In the really old days some white fellas would play Village/ BCL.
+++++++++
I vaguely remember an open area there but can’t remember a cricket team with the name Oistins, but there was a family named Dodson that lived in the terminology of the day “under Oistins Hill” but the two brothers I knew were short so the fast bowler must have been a relative. Incidentally the older of the two was very mouthy as short people tend to be (BTW Bushy is probably short) and was always getting into arguments at school. One of the arguments was heated and Jack Smale (the Irish teacher) brought a pair of boxing gloves for them to settle the matter on the playing field (Jack was the referee).
That St. Martins team was a very strong team and had some decent cricketers among them the Coppin bros (I think Livingstone Coppin was the most successful) eventually the team entered the BCA but I can’t seem to recall the name it adopted in the BCA don’t think it was St. Martins.
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Pieceuhderockyeahright May 18, 2016 at 2:21 PM #
“Andi Thornhill and 7 UP sam is lovable characters whose attempts at hyperbole is legendary in truth but most people know, they lack the “je ne sais quoi”….”
@ PUDRYR
Yuh got muh laughing Piece, especially wid “7Up Sam.” I have not heard that name in years.
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St.Martins- St. Catherines
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LOL @ Sargeant
BTW Bushy is probably short
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Depends on the standard of comparison …. to a horse – perhaps…. 🙂
Wait ’til Islandgal writes her book and tells all…. you will then pay due respect,,,,,
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Sarge,
The team from ST Martins Church area was Victoria. Very strong team fah ears.
There was a Dodson family that lived in the Oistins area that was short, one fella was at Kolij in my year. A crazy lil light brown fella was a good friend of mind but tanta igrunt, pelted a compass at a teacher one afternoon.
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“This was later challenged on the other cricket program where it was clarified the media centre was named after BOTH Coziers”
What could have informed the decision to include Tony’s father in the naming of the media centre? Never heard of his contribution to game of cricket. Then we should have included Don Norville who was involved at all levels in sporting activities in Barbados..
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@MB, after the extensive debates here on BU re teacher-student relations and all the union-administrations issues it is interesting to catch this ball in the slips from your cricket tales.
I believe it is fair to say that if you went school at Kolig, Lodge (with its supposed coffin initiation) , Cawmere or any of those type institutions that you were ingrunt when you did things like throw compass at a teacher. Oh lawd.
Nowadays at any other school that is big union fight and the boy or girl is a vagabond.
So did the compass fall well before its target, reached but missed or was he corralled and received a Tank correction that saved him and his temper from going down the wrong path of life!
Funny how simple stories tell us so much about this life called Bdos.
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RE Sargeant May 18, 2016 at 10:08 PM #
there was a family named Dodson that lived in the terminology of the day “under Oistins Hill”
ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN ON THE RIGHT
RE but the two brothers I knew were short so the fast bowler must have been a relative. Incidentally the older of the two was very mouthy as short people tend to be and was always getting into arguments at school and at SUNDAY SCHOOL
HE SANG IN CH CH CHOIR WITH ME
OFTEN WONDERED WHAT BECAME OF HIM
MUST HAVE BEEN ANOTHER SIBLING THAT WENT TO KOLIJ AND WHO BOWLED FAST.
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http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/81382/complete-journalist
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@GP
Sunday School arguments too? Ah tell yuh , sounds like Bushie. As per MB’s description the Kolig student must be a younger sibling, I haven’t seen any of those guys in decades could be living overseas.
Throwing a compass at a school teacher? HC like it had its share of vagabonds, we in our wildest days never threw anything at a teacher although throwing something at each other wasn’t out of the question.
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“Shell” Harris spoke with a broad Bajan accent that one didn’t hear on the radio in any official capacity in those days. The only time that any of the announcers on Reddifusion spoke with a Bajan accent was Alfred Pragnell with his Bajan short stories. People enjoyed Shell because they could relate to him as he didn’t try to imitate English broadcasters with their clipped accents on the BBC.
Another voice on the radio with a distinctive Bajan accent was Sylvanus Broome of the Ministry of Agriculture, Broome’s reports were relatively short and they related to Agriculture conditions and crops.
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We have playing fields provided by Government, pavilions with the best of amenities spare time like we never had to play sport and nothing really happens in most sports in Barbados, Cricket included.
What are the preeminent teams in the various divisions of Cricket?
Does cricket even play any more in Barbados?
We have all sorts of honours sharing out for excellence in this and that field yet Barbados is owned by foreigners and excels at nothing much.
What is going on?
Like we need a Trump here!!
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sARGE
we used to laff at Gerry Richards when he would say on CBC “Tonight we have some RUSTLING”. He was the uncle of my buddy Ricky Richards who we learned eventually to be Lionel Craigg’s son when he started to make runs for Caw/mere
and yes David Dodson used to argue bout everything
We had lots of Foundation students in the choir and attending Sunday school, confirmation class etc
the reports of Sylvanus Broome of the Ministry of Agriculture, were usually well recieved
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Sarge/ GP
Dont forget Kolij had Bridgetown boys who had a tendency to be more aggressive than country fellas. Bayland, Eagle Hall, Carrington’s Village and other crazies! Some from those areas were known to bring cutlass/ whompers in their bags! There was one BadAss from Bayland who was real racial to me for absolutely no reason and I had to tell him that i could bring school one of my father’s guns if needed.
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But look at these wild boys with guns and cutlasses at HC from even back then … I never even knew
The only blood I saw shed was in 5.1 class room upstairs of the Hall behind the stage.
One student from Trinidad at HC for a term and a local boy … won’t call names … argued over horse racing of all things and came to blows.
There was probably some of the old discrimination based on origin … insularity … involved so they caught hold …. except the guy from Trinidad was a former student of QRC where I guess boxing was still practiced …. anyway to cut a long story short the Trini who was alot taller stood back and picked off the Bajan with jabs straight to the face.
I remember his head rocking back with each blow and was amazed to see who I always thought was a bad boy getting so soundly beaten.
He is a friend of mine too so I won’t call names … he admitted to me when we had long left HC that he realized he was going to get the his @ss cut and the sh!t beaten out of him so he went for a bottle to save his skin before he passed out from the blows.
He broke it over a desk and started swinging … blood all over the place.
Both ended up at Tank …. I don’t remember anything major happening …. I think a few lies were told … the broken bottle vanished ….. and then life went on as usual.
My friend learned an important lesson I had been taught from boyhood … a vagabond is a vagabond till he meets another vagabond and then there are two, …. and I add … one is usually badder than the next.
I also remember to humbug Tank one morning a couple of boys hung an empty bottle on the stage wire for the curtain and pulled it out to the middle so it was suspended over where he sat.
It was a surprise and he spent the whole prayers watching the bottle wondering what would happen.
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Bush Tea May 18, 2016 at 10:57 PM #
LOL @ Sargeant
BTW Bushy is probably short
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Depends on the standard of comparison …. to a horse – perhaps….:)
Wait ’til Islandgal writes her book and tells all…. you will then pay due respect,,,,,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I think the lady doth protest too much!!
Sargeant, …. yup …..I think you hit the nail on the head.
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@GP
Glad you could recall the Christian name his brother was Wayne, wunna grew up under the tutelage of AI Johnson @Ch Ch Parish Church I even attended Sunday school there in the building that eventually housed Christ Church HS under Rev. Crichlow (now don’t ask for my name I believe in the anonyminity of the blog although people of that era who read this may deduce who I am).
Dem old time boys used to get around, I think Lammie also had a son who went to BFS and the same Shell also had a son (initials MC) who went to BFS who had an unforgettable nickname.
@MB
Stop blaming the usual suspects “Carrington Village” and “The Bayland’, I spent a little time in Carrington Village (one of my best friends who went to Cawmere is from that area) and the group that I hanged with were some of the best.
BFS had a chap who took a Collins in his bag to Inter School Sports, it was no surprise that he later served time in jail on a gun related offence. At the time we used to say he was real igrunt or mad but people usually steered clear of him.
@Bushie
Always was a fan of short stories and when the subject is short……
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errata “anonymity”
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Sargeant May 19, 2016 at 10:52 AM #
@GP
Glad you could recall the Christian name his brother was Wayne, YOU ARE CORRECT
wunna grew up under the tutelage of AI Johnson @Ch Ch Parish Church CORRECT AGAIN
RE I even attended Sunday school there in the building that eventually housed Christ Church HS under Rev. Crichlow (now don’t ask for my name I believe in the anonyminity of the blog although people of that era who read this may deduce who I am). CANT PLACE YOU BUT IF YOU ATTENDED BETWEEN 62-68 YOU MUST KNOW ME, AND I YOU. SMALL WORLD
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Sarge,
Had a situation at Waterford Inter school Athletics @Ntl Stadium once where I was in the company of an igrunt white English fella who was Big and a touch crazy. Whole gang of Cawmerieans started to get mouthy and crazy with us as we were on the fringe of the Kolij section and this English fella called dem out,”so U think U bad which one of U wants to go down on the field right now to fight me?”
Total silence everything done!—I was worried cause we were out numbered 10-1 and I thought I may have to enlist the nuse of my trustee Dagger strapped in my boot.
BFS were not likely to really get into the real trouble as it was always Cawmerians or Lodge fellas wanting at HC. We had trouble at Lodge after a Soccer game in like 1972, but those Lodge animals were clever and waited for the majority of us to leave on the bus. One Lodge boy cracked our Headboy over de head wid a lead pipe. Dont know more details but the HB was a massive fella who was certainly not someone to attack without a weapon, although he was a peaceful type.
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John,
that sounds like Sluggo was involved. There was also a Brazilian guy, Sergio, that came in that was a bit crazy. Strangely I cant remember the Trini or the situation. Only Trini in your Yr was Antonio Griffith (think he had Trini roots) but he was with U fellas for years.
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John,
that sounds like Sluggo was involved.
OR WAS THAT NOW SIR MICHAEL STOUTE………Trainer of The Queen”s racehorses?
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GP
M.Stoute was years before John and was gone long time! Even his brother “Joe” was only with us for a couple years, he must have been ahead of U!
I did’nt know Michael, was he a Bad/ Violent Boy?
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Not Sluggo!!
I hear he is a corrections officer in an American Jail!!!
I would never have imagined that.
… and the Trini’s surname was Wellington!!
Had a brother in the lower school too
…. and you mean Carlos Alejandro Izzo Pueblo, the half mad Brazilian guy!!!!!!
I did not even know he came from Brazil.
He brought a dimension of imagination to being wutless that superseded anything any Bajan I knew at school could dream up.
He was responsible for the bottle over Tank’s head … Chinese torture!!
Once he came up with the idea to put a piece of candle wick on a knockout as a fuse, light it and put it in the drawer of the master’s desk.
Mr. Walker, who taught Spanish, known also as Oy!!!
When it let go Mr. Walker did not flinch, must have been army training as he was from England.
…. buuuut ……. Tank was passing or heard it from his office!!
He hadn’t bargained on that …. or maybe he did!
I could never understand that guy … good fun … but just different from any Bajan, black or white.
Joe Stoute was a good boy!!
And I remember the confusion over the lead pipe … both were “white” boys …. I knew the perpetrator well in later life, sadly he is dead now.
He was a good guy too … just made a bad mistake.
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Griff became a Vet, I seem to remember his family came back from the UK …. but you are right, Izzo was just different … operated at a completely different level
But he was not bad, just different … and bare fun
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Griff was with us since L1A … a footballer par excellence
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John,
I knew Izzo but this chap I am thinking of was a much larger, hairy Brazilian that always had a scowlish expression on his face, mean bastard, Serge or Sergio.
Izzo was different but looked friendly enough.
Griff was a good Soccer player who I had to mark in house matches he was Armstrong and I was Dalton. A handful he was, but I kept him from any goals or even a high % shot, had to focus 100%.
The lodge perp was a Johnson? or was a Clarke involved?
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Sarge
Do you know what became of the two Callender boys from St Lawrence who both attended BFS with the nick name Bake Fowl or Bakie?
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Johnson, did not hear Clarke
I knew a Clarke from Lodge when I was growing up …. from Kendal
Johnson was the most deadly practical joker I have ever known …. if he came in your house you always knew … but a while after because he would do something out of the ordinary you would only notice after he had gone.
One time he caught a blackbird and put it in the post box for when his wife opened it …. then he and his friend waited to watch what would happen!!
He is gone now but it was a pleasure knowing him.
Bake Fowl ….. Bajan nicknames are out of this world and deadly accurate ….. the most recent one I heard was Wring Neck because the guy held his head funny so Bajans decided he had a wring neck
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The elder Callender turned up at BFS with baked fowl in his lunch boy and was accordingly named. When his younger brother joined him at BFA he was Bakie too……….or 2! We sang in St Lawrence choir before we started to go to the Parish Ch
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John,
That was William from Kendal. The other family was from 4 Roads, StJ, El Red, Basil (gone now) Eddie, Sagicor CFO.
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I just can’t remember any hairy Brazilian at HC when I was there.
What form was he in?
Clarkes (St. John), Shepherds (Drax Hall), Corbins (Charlie, Claybury), Whiteheads (Fortescue, Allie), Croneys (St. John) and Fentys (Steve, Roy, St. John) were often visitors when I was growing up in my mid to late teens.
Had more to do with the ages of the boys and the girls at the time than any sinister “white” plot!!
In any case, these families. like mine, are of mixed descent!!
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Asked the old cane cutter if he had ever heard of Garnet Ashby.
Told me he knew him and described a feat of strength he used to perform at the “Oistins Fish Festival” when he was a young adult, long before the politicians claim to have started it!!
Garnet Ashby used to lie down on a bench, put a towel over his chest and torso and have two strong men lift a soft (sawed?) stone block and place it on the towel under which he lay.
He then had a “big able man” with a sledge crumble the stone.
When it was fully crumbled he would get up and dust off himself.
When I think of the puny, little men (some short too) who masquerade about this place I quickly realize why Barbados is in the mess in which it finds itself.
We clearly once had lions walking bout here!!
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John,
The Brazilian was at HC for a year or so, probably 1972. I thought he was in your year. It is tough to remember everyone that was at HC for a year eg Maybank, Smedley, David Southerland,Ian Senior—most of the fellas in my year might not remember these short timers who were in our year.
Socialising in Bim is much like anywhere else you end up with friends that are approximately like you in terms of father’s career eg plantation guys stick together, school ties, home area etc. I was different in that i used to run away down in the village to play Cricket and Soccer whereas most parents would not want their child with the lower classes, who in Bim were mostly darker people. In England or Africa, it is the same class/ income status system where it had no relationship to skin tone. The majority of my friends were not white but as I started to go out to dances etc it was with the higher “class” ie children of DRs, Lawyers etc, it was not my village playmates, besides the villagers did not have cars to drive about. I used to go to the Marine to hear The BRC and Troubadors dont think I ever saw another white face.
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Bajans have become “soft” eating nonsense at Cheffette versus proper Cuckoooo– green bananna, cornmeal, Breadfruit etc–I still look forward to eating a good stew pun top of a cuckooo—would eat dat wid de devil! Split pea soup which is more a stew as it thick with provisions and drops/ dumplins/ water welps! OMG!
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You go where your interests lie and grow up with people you come along knowing through your family or who you meet along the way.
I have lost contact with most of the people I grew up with, doesn’t mean I don’t remember them and the fond memories of shared experiences.
.. and you are right, I just remember a couple of the names you mention of students who passed through HC for a year or two.
I think that was a aspect of HC … QC too … that made going there so great … you always met people who came from backgrounds as different as imaginable from yours.
You remember Mr. Bosey and the son?
I felt for that boy … his father was Canadian and just could not get on with Bajan boys and they took it out on the son.
I hope he did not leave HC with a complex!
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Bosey was the very first guy I put in Detention, the very day I received my Prefect Badge, damn idiot was rude to me!
Bosey the father took an exercise book to Dodson’s face and then Dodson’s Dad put a gun in Bosey’s face at the Supermarket the next Saturday! Crazies all!
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Just got it from an ex of mine that Vibert Greene told him that it was Tony Cozier who got him into Wanderers Club. I told you guys not to speak about things you obviously know NOTHING about. I knew you were wrong. I just knew it!
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I realize now why there are two classes in Barbados.
Some children had chauffeurs and some did not …. I think it is as simple as that.
So I googled “children need a” and came up with “children need a champion”
The chauffeur/champion does not need to be a member of the family.
Garnet Ashby was Garry Sobers’ chauffur/champion for a while … then there were others, Wilfred Farmer, Dennis Atkinson etc etc. …. and he had a mother.
I found this clip enlightening.
All children who have chauffeurs/champions do not necessarily turn out well and the lack of a chauffeur/champion does not necessarily doom a child.
But, chauffers/champions are the ones who create the class into which we should all try to enter.
I realize sitting here that I had easily a dozen adults I came into contact with on a daily basis who provided positive influences for me when I was growing up.
… and when I was at school, that number rose.
I also realize now there were a few adults/children who meant me harm but they failed because they could never penetrate the shield my chauffeurs/champions had built around me.
The need for some Bajans to poke fun at people who were driven to school by chauffeurs reflects I realize a deep emotional void they have because they never had many chauffeurs/champions for an extended period in their childhood or the chauffeurs/champions did them harm.
… and that’s why there are two classes in Barbados.
We all need to be chauffeurs/champions whenever we can.
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One of the wisest human beings I ever met was a former labourer on a nearby plantation who came to work in her retirement with my family in the house and around they yard.
She had green fingers, could make anything grow.
She came to work one day shaking with laughter … a tractor driver on her old plantation had told her and others that his philosophy on life was …. “what is the point of having a good mind when a bad one will do !!!!!!!
I realized there were people in this world who could do you harm and not think twice about it and that just because I had the benefit of numerous good chauffeurs around me, not far away there would always be people who set out to do me harm.
As I grew to manhood I became more and more adept at spotting them and the chauffeurs with whom I grew up kept sending information my way that identified the threats.
That’s the thing with chauffeurs, they will always help you.
It is in their nature … God put it there.
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John.
There are so many variables, internally and externally, in a person’s life that contribute to who they become that the mere complexity is far too much for most to comprehend.
I know fellas that went to HC who not only did not have chauffeurs they did not have FOOD, even proper shelter. Several such chaps are Managing Directors of major organisations today, some are Bdos Scholars who are the very most brilliant Lawyers/ Doctors etc.
On the other hand there are total failures among those from elite homes where both parents are highly educated and well off. In the mid 1970s the preponderance of Scholars were from well off homes but this was not true in many periods.
Much of the time people react to Psychological factors:
1 gent had a very dominant Mother so she determined he must be a Doctor which he was not keen on. He finally had the courage to act when he received his Medical Certs he tore them up in front of her and refused to ever practice!
2 chap refused to come first at school because his mother would expect that all the time if he did. At Uni he was given a Scholarship after 1st yr by which time he did not care about Mother’s dominance.
3 some parents are ridiculous especially Chinese who will ask why U missed the other 3% and only got 97% in your Calculus exams.Impacts differently depending on the child, my son would say I will not kill myself to receive 100% surely 85-90% is adequate.
4 people are motivated in various ways, some are very greedy for Power/ $$$$$ others not, some it is religion, some it is having several sexual partners etc.
Humans are very interesting, I just love watching individuals, groups and interactions even among those that are highly educated far less those that are average in most respects. This is why BU is of interest, to witness the various characters on exhibit and I must say some are very clever, write brilliantly and some still reach the wrong conclusions (usually when things are emotionally charged)
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Humans are very interesting, I just love watching individuals, groups and interactions even among those that are highly educated far less those that are average in most respects. This is why BU is of interest, to witness the various characters on exhibit and I must say some are very clever, write brilliantly and some still reach the wrong conclusions (usually when things are emotionally charged)
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Could not dispute this.
Humans can be totally illogical, myself included, regardless of their background.
I have a friend from Germany who lives in Canada and who is at the moment trying to apply German logic to the Trump phenomenum!!
A professor at a University … expert in his field.
He just cannot make sense of it.
I told him it is a waste of time!!
Sit back, relax and enjoy the “Greatest Show on Earth”!!
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I recently stumbled on this piece. I really enjoyed the comments about cricket and life in Barbados back then. I suspect that I should know Georgie Porgie and Sargeant. Seems like they were BFS alumni like myself
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