Entertainment
We Gatherin’ UK Event in Reading Celebrates Barbadian Culture and Community with Deputy High Commissioner's Insight
The We Gatherin’ initiative in Reading, UK, strengthens Barbados-UK ties, emphasizing the need for collaboration to bridge historical knowledge gaps. Community events showcase Barbadian culture, history, and products.
3 min read
Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
READING, England — The We Gatherin’ initiative has sparked renewed interest in Barbados among the UK diaspora, with recent events fostering community connections and enthusiasm for the island, according to Mackie Holder, Barbados’ Deputy High Commissioner in London.
But he has highlighted the need for greater collaboration between agencies to address gaps in knowledge about Barbadian history and recent developments.
Speaking after the second We Gatherin’ UK event, held in Reading, about 40 miles outside London—home to one of the largest Barbadian populations in the UK—Holder described the response as “fantastic,” with attendees expressing interest in further engagement and follow-up programmes. The event, titled For the Love of Barbados, attracted notable figures such as Reading’s Mayor Glen Dennis, Councillor Wendy Griffith, a Barbadian, and other local officials.
Organised by the Barbados High Commission in partnership with the Barbados and Friends Association (BAFA) Reading, the event featured a mix of cultural and community activities. These included a Passport Clinic, health checks, vendors showcasing Barbadian products such as Ju-C drinks and Shirley biscuits, and traditional Bajan food provided by Dolphin’s. Attendees also enjoyed presentations by Holder and Stacey Hutchinson of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), screenings of Barbadian films, and a quiz on Barbadian history.
There were interviews with vendors and attendees, presentations by Holder and Stacey Hutchinson, Senior Business Development Officer, BTMI; video presentations on Barbados and St. Peter, highlighting its history, and a quiz.
Two films by Barbadians, Camouflage and The Esthetics of Love, the former shot in Barbados by Jonathan Temple and the latter by Rodney Victor Wilkinson, were also screened.
There were prizes for the quiz winners and impromptu gifts to Marlene Walrond, who was marking her 60th birthday, the oldest person in attendance, Peter Small who will be 80 in a few weeks, and the three youngest members of the audience, Shawn and Aurora Dunbreaker, and three-year-old Cairo Collymore who came up from the southern coastal city of Bournemouth with his parents.
The event was described as informative and fun, with a diverse mix of seniors and younger Barbadians attending. But, it also revealed that many participants lacked knowledge about Barbados’ history or had not visited the island in years despite having family connections. Some attendees had never been to Barbados at all.
