Latoya Grindley, Features Writer

Prince Charles

March 2000 was the year Veronica 'Star Liner' Barrett got the opportunity to show off her craft to Prince Charles, on his last visit to the island.

A craft lady at the Trench Town Culture Yard, Barrett said the day the Prince of Wales ventured into the Trench Town community was one filled with excitement and fanfare.

"People from all over gather outside the community centre where he was. It did nice man people did glad fi see him."

Warm welcome

The Rastafarian says the respective persons at the Culture Yard were made aware of his visit prior to his arrival and, on that day, the group went all out to give him a warm welcome.

"Mi say we carry we drum and tings dem and go stand up outside and chant down the place. We did have to do it outside, though, because dem did block it off with iron bar."

Apart from the Prince, among the dignitaries present at the community centre was Rita Marley.

According to Barrett it was Marley who gave her the 'big break'.

"I never did even make the dreadlocks hat for the Prince but is Rita Marley send down here (Culture Yard) for the hat. I hear dat him did all wear the hat that was made here in Jamaica by me," she boasts.

Her only disappointment was that she did not get to see the Prince wearing the hat.

"I did want to see him, I mean him did have mi hat and I never see him. The crowd was just too much and worse, dem did block off the place".

Community tour

Prince Charles is expected to tour specific areas today and among them are some inner-city communities.

Barrett says she hopes that he will visit the Culture Yard for her to get a chance to meet him or, at least, get to see him.

Very excited that he is returning to the country, she says if she meets him she will have a gift for him that is "made in Trench Town at the Culture Yard".

Over in Rose Town, two days before the Prince's visit, there was work being done on a community centre that formed part of the Kingston Restoration Company (KRC) development project, which was sponsored by Prince Charles.

Residents were seen painting the centre as well as patching roads leading to it.

Blessing for community

President of the Rose Town Benevolent Society, Michael Black, says the project has been a blessing for the community as it has brought residents together.

"North and south was divided for over 30 years and, because of the project, we have come together and we have even formed a community-based group which is aimed at redeveloping the community," he says.

Black adds that more work is expected to be done in the community as part of the KRC's Construction Assistance Skills Transfer and Learning the Environment project, supported by Prince Charles by way of his Foundation for the Built Environment.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com