All bodies found in Brittons Hill tragedy

Well it’s been a week since the Brittons Hill tragedy. It came to a close on Friday when the remains of a child were recovered from a cave which claimed the lives of his parents, a brother and a sister.

Recovery crew at work in cave.

It was around midday when the recovery team, which had spent five days in treacherous conditions searching for Donavere and Cassandra Codrington and their three children, sounded the alarm that they had found the fifth and last body.

Minister of Home Affairs Dale Marshall appealed to Barbadians not to enter the site at Arch Cot Terrace, Brittons X Road, St Michael, where the Codrington couple and their children, Shaquanda, 7, Shaquille, 3, and Yashiro, 1, perished when the apartment building they were in collapsed and was swallowed by the 100-foot deep cave.

"We have put security systems in place for the site," he said. "That's another avenue that is very important, and I really want to plead with members of the public that this area is not an area that they should enter into, and we are really asking for their cooperation."

Brittons Hill disaster

By now you would have all heard the sad story of the collapse of an apartment block with a family of five last Sunday morning in Brittons Hill.

Well last night night (Wednesday) two of the five bodies were recovered. When I saw the photos of the lovely neighbourhood I shudder and wonder how many of our homes can suffer the same fate.

I expected that something like that would have happened in St. Andrew – or the Scotland District where land slippage or not uncommon but never in my wildest dreams thought that something could have happen in St. Michael.

Now I wonder what’s going to happen next - if there was a mortgage, would you still owe the bank? Would the Town and Country Planning department be responsible? Can you sue the contractors? If your building was insured would you be compensated – or is there compensation for such an act of nature or was it an act of nature? So many questions – so few answers.

Dean's gone!

Well Dean has come and gone. There were high winds and some rain last night. CBC television did a fantastic thing in covering last night's events, there were live discussions, updates etc. This morning there was lots of rain but this afternoon the sky has started to clear up some.

Tropical storm warning

This is my first posting for quite some time.

Woke up this mrning to find Barbados under a Storm warning. Judy Thomas, who is the head of our disaster services was on Mornin' Barbados TV programme telling the public what to do.

The sun is shining but there are some fuller than average clouds in the sky. There is a slight breeze, the birds are singing.... who would think anything is amiss.

Melinda Doolittle is better than Jordin Sparks... take that!!

My American Idol 2007

Watched American Idol tonight and I was delighted to see Melinda Doolittle singing with CeCe and BeBe Winans. Now is she fantastic or what?

She is much better than Jordin Sparks and how in heaven's name did Blake Lewis make it so far.
Only America would know.

Umbrella

Umbrella Lyrics

The Super Eight begins

The Super Eight of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 is finally here.

West Indies will be playing the mighty Australians in the first match of the series at the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. I wish I could be there to experience this historic moment in West Indies cricket history - but I have to be content with watching it on the tele at home.

At 6.30 a.m. tomorrow I will be leaving home for the gym, coming back and having breakfast.

Still going to miss getting up at 4.30 a.m. in some hotel to prepare to go to the ground, and lugging around my 10 pound Toshiba computer, along with my camera and another bag full of equipment. Not to mention another bag with my cosmetics, purse, cell phone, and assortment of items for myself and other colleagues - from bubble gum to paper towells and pain-killers.

Anyway I am not complaining at all. At 8.30 a.m. I am going to prepare my cricket-watching/working room with complete with a big jug of water - with lots of ice in it, along with a dish of fruit - mandarins, grapes, apples and am not moving until 15 minutes after lunch time.

I don't want anyone calling me - unless it's to celebrate a wicket, a six or a four. And forget my number if we are on the back foot.

I hope West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle power-hit some runs today (at least half ton); that Chanderpaul does what he did in that last match against Ireland; that we don't have to use the bowlers to bat; that Denesh Ramdin take more catches like in that last game; that Dwayne Bravo, Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Smith - play like what they are young and bubbly; that Lara sets the field well; and that West Indies fans keep REAL NOISE!

You know, I wonder how many people are going to turn up for work today?

World Cup Cricket Is Here At Last

I can't believe that six years have gone already and the years of preparation is coming to a close as we host the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.

At left: The beautiful cricket ground at Arnos Vale, St. Vincent.

Now warm-up matches in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent & the Grenadines got underway on Monday. The tournament will officially start on Sunday with the opening ceremony at the new stadium in Trelawny, Jamaica.

Well it seems that I will be watching from my home with lots of food and drink. I am going to miss Jamaica though...

All I want the West Indies to do for is WIN.