As a budding travel influencer (given to me by SM..lol), I find myself drawn to the often-overlooked villages and districts that hold the roots of our ancestry. These are the places where our parents and grandparents ventured, seeking opportunity abroad in the UK, USA, and Canada, mostly many are now returning for their final rest.
This past Saturday, (Feb 10 2024) I seized the opportunity to both support a friend bidding farewell to her 94-year-old mother and revisit my childhood village, Garden Hill, St Catherine, where I attended primary school. Walking the corridors of Garden Hill Primary School, memories flooded back with overwhelming joy. The classrooms, divided by an open section used for worship and various functions, seemed unchanged over time.
As I drove up to the school for the Thanksgiving service, the winding, narrow, hilly roads presented a challenge – how did the buses navigate these bumpy roads without mishap in the past? I recalled getting off the bus at the bottom of the hill, where the sign read "Garden Hill Primary School," and making the steep climb to the teacher's cottage, often carrying some load as a child.
The transformed hall, adorned with white chairs and flowers, provided a beautiful setting for the service. Surprisingly, there was even a designated spot for photos – a testament to the attention to detail in honouring the departed.
The interment at the church lot on the hill posed a challenge for me, with inappropriate footwear and the physical demands of climbing. Reflecting on the schoolyard, I marvelled at how well Garden Hill Primary School has been preserved, with memories flooding back of my Aunt Daph, the headmistress during my time there.
As a special child at Garden Hill, being the 'daughter' of the headmistress, I was showered with fruits and held to high standards of discipline. Life in the village revolved around church, with Sunday school followed by the 'big people' service.
In memory of Miss Vie, Violet Duhaney Flowers, nee Blake, I am grateful for her descendants' cherished memories and countless tributes, a testament to her enduring impact. Though gone, she will never be forgotten.
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| The awe-inspiring hills of Garden Hill. |
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| Lanse Whittingham-Lyons remembering Miss Vie. |
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| Lois Grant trying - will not take the chance up that hill to the church. |
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| Friends in support of the bereaved. |
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Parish Council Elections
Furniture Needed
WIN TICKETS TO HAVE LUNCH ON
FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1200 - 1300 HOURS
9A CHELSEA AVENUE, NEW KINGSTON, JAMAICA.
THE DEADLINE FOR ENTERING IS
MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2024.
,
It's Just a Click
- Click to register your birthday, and I will mention it on air.
- Click to report a problem such as flooding, accidents, no electricity, and no water. You can send other information using this link if you are seeking a job for example.
- Click to join my group of supporters.
A caregiver from 50 to 60 years old with caregiving experience and willing to reside with the client is needed to work in Kingston. Interested persons should be able to prepare healthy meals for an elderly person and be highly recommended by past employers.
A gardener is also needed.
Click HERE and fill out the online form for yourself or for someone else.
You can also send a WhatsApp message to 876 816-5261.
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Violet Edwards Scholarship
If you are having financial challenges and you are unable to finish your degree at the UWI; you want to enter the UWI, but you cannot afford it; you had to drop out of school due to family commitments; you feel that you are too old to go back to UWI, then CLICK HERE and submit your information so that we can tell you more about the Violet Edwards scholarship.
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Nice😀
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