BT heritage displays culture

By Jewel Levy, jewel@cfp.ky

> Comment on this story

Showers in the week and even flooding in some areas did nothing to dampen spirits of Pirates Week’s revellers at Bodden Town Heritage day Wednesday.

During the day visitors and locals congregated on Coe Wood Public Beach and enjoyed local seafood dishes such as turtle, conch, whelk, lobster and crab while listening to steel pan music.

Students at Bodden Town Primary School, under the guidance of visiting arts and crafts persons in the community, did their part to learn more about Cayman cultural heritage.

At the school seniors demonstrated how Caymanians made a living from the silver thatch plant by making and selling rope, baskets, slippers, hats and brooms. They also displayed a number of Caymanian artefacts such as an old time flit can, drinking goblets, whomper shoes, zinc grater, oil lamps, jewellery boxes and clothes iron for students to see.

Students also took part in other traditional pastimes such as bead stringing, traditional games, cooking demonstrations, thatching with Rose May Ebanks, storytelling with Twyla Vargas, quadrille dancing and cat boating with Kem Jackson.

At the Josie Solomon Seniors Home visitors were astonished at the fine quality of arts and crafts works on display.

They also got the chance to sample local dishes such as salt beef and beans, rundown, fried fish and fritters and coconut tarts cooked on the caboose.

A replica of an old time outback kitchen fully stocked with local produce was the pride and joy of seniors. They never missed a chance to show and tell how it was used.

Bringing plenty of heat to the night – high impact Trini carnival band Imij had partygoers dancing later in the night.

It was no problem with finding food stalls, whiffs of tantalising home cooked food and jerk filled the air.