– By Geoff Burrowes
Georgetown was British in its lack of pretension, its laid back style and the laid back lifestyle.
So the Brown Betty was different and exotic with its long silver bar, running down the whole length of its North side and the red leather seats, perched on shiny poles, in front of the bar and red leather booths running down the South side and with a stair case running up to a landing against the back (West) wall with a shiny silver and red Wurlitzer Juke box dominating the landing and stairs from the lan.ding to the next floor. I never mounted those stairs and imagined unseen delights up there! Continue reading →
– By Geoff Burrowes
In today’s world he would probably be called an imperialist and an agent and a defendant of imperialism. He was, in fact a soldier who was an original thinker, one prepared to adopt his enemy’s strategies and the lessons of the people indigenous to the region.
His name was Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout Movement.
He was born in 1857. He joined the British Army after school and fought in India and Africa. Continue reading →
By guyaneseonline
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Posted in Arts / Culture, Associations, Guyana, Guyana Diaspora, Guyanese in Canada, Military, Personalities, Philosophy, Politics
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Also tagged Boy Scout Movement, Boy Scout Uniform and Badges, Guyanese Online, SHORT STORY: The Impact of an English soldier on a colonial boy! - By Geoff Burrowes
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Musings on being indolent during the pandemic – By Geoff Burrowes
The talking heads on TV are frequently saying that enforced idleness during the pandemic is resulting in mental problems. (See after many years in Canada I can talk like a real Canadian, eh?) People are going nuts not being able to socialise normally and with the threat of a killing disease.
“Dat ehn’ me!” I have developed in my later years a hammock mentality. I could spend hours at a time in a hammock with a good book! Continue reading →
FOB (Continued from ‘Ya tink it easy’)
By Geoff Burrowes
When I left school my first job was at B.G. Insurance Agencies. My boss was a friend of my dad’s, a big strapping man called Clarence Hill and my manager was Ayube Khan a kind, gentle young man (we were all young then) who taught me the job. We were an Insurance agency representing, among others, Lloyds of London. We insured shipped cargos and when clients requested insurance we has to calculate the premiums. One of the categories was F.O.B. which meant “Freight On Board”! The FOB I’m telling you about was not that!
It meant Fresh Off the Boat! All immigrants experience this regardless of how they got here! In a new country the food is different, customs are different, the patterns of speech are different and we had to know that yachtins are referred to as sneakers and singlets were wife-beaters or tshirts! Continue reading →
– By Geoff Burrowes
By Geoff Burrowes
Short Stories: Chapter 8 – Immigrants! – By Geoff Burrowes
Rugby was my sport – never played soccer competitively, but when my sons’ soccer coach said “Would you help me coach the team?” I said “Sure!” figuring I could learn on the job!.
Frank, the coach was a tall, lean Englishman who did know soccer and I was learning on the job. I knew what constituted an off side by this time and a foul tackle and would harass the referees when I felt that they weren’t giving our boys a fair shot. Not knowing the game properly I coached by encouraging the boys when they played hard and made good plays. Continue reading →
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