(History & Heritage Committee) – St. Kitts and Nevis, March 3, 2017: History and Heritage activities are going well, says General Manager of the Brimstone Hill Fortress Percival Hanley.
Brimstone Hill spearheads the annual events with the support of the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society and the St. Christopher National Trust.
“It’s been going successfully so far. We are grateful to the public for their response and look forward to their continued support for the remaining events,” Mr. Hanley said, as February drew to a close.
Traditionally observed in February, History and Heritage activities this year are spilling over into March.
History and Heritage Month was officially declared open on February 1st by Minister of Culture and Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards at an intimate ceremony at Matheson House, the home of the Brimstone Hill offices.
Committee members attended church services in both St. Kitts and Nevis, worshipping at the Seventh Day Adventist church in Sandy Point (St. Kitts) and at the Charlestown Methodist Church.
February also saw the staging of the popular Heritage Trail organized by the St. Christopher National Trust. This year the trail went through the recently-cleared, historic Charles Fort to the Brimstone Hill Lime Kiln. Several dozen trekkers participated.
The UWI Open Campus hosted a lecture on Statehood by Queens Council Charles Wilkin. Unfortunately his planned presentation on Nevis was postponed due to rough seas. The one in St. Kitts a couple of days later however, was one of the best-attended History and Heritage lectures in recent years.
Mr. Wilkin took an eye opening, no-hold barred look at where St. Kitts and Nevis has come as a nation in 50 years of self-governance, and he fielded a number of probing questions from attendees afterward.
A Cultural Fair organized by the CFB College’s History Club was held on Friday 24th, the same day that the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society promoted its Heritage Wear Day.
The seniors were not left out of the activities. Dozens enjoyed an afternoon social of singing, poetry and storytelling, on the grounds of Matheson House.
This year saw the addition to the calendar of activities, a High School Writing Exercise focusing on the importance of history and heritage. The top essayists in the two age categories were Abigail O’Flaherty in the 1st&2nd Form Category and Shuwaun Joseph in the 3rd&4th Form Category.
Meantime, the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School team emerged winner of the 11th annual “Know Your County” History and Heritage Month Primary Schools Quiz. The Finals were hosted on Thursday March 2nd.
The National Archives and the St. Christopher National Trust opened an Exhibition on Statehood at the National Museum in Basseterre on the 50th anniversary, February 27th. The Exhibit, which is open until the end of March, includes original documents, photographs and other memorabilia from the period.
Still to come is the much anticipated ‘Stepping Stones’ theatre arts production on the evening of March 11th at the ECCB auditorium. Also on the 11th, during the day, is a panel discussion on the legacy of Statehood. It will broadcast from WINN FM from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., and carried simultaneously on Freedom FM and VON Radio. Panelists are Richard Caines, Stanley Franks and Spencer Howell.
The 2017 History and Heritage Activities will culminate with the CFBC History Club’s now iconic Roots and Culture Pageant on March 26th.
