Growing up, we were always enthralled by the Bandstands that were a part of scenic Georgetown, back then there would even be Bands playing in those bandstands. You can find these at the Promenade Gardens, the Botanical Gardens and at the Georgetown Seawall.
What prompted this post was a conversation that we had today with a gentleman (probably more accurately described as a concerned citizen), at the seawalls. He saw us with cameras in hand and wondered if we were members of the local (or maybe international) media, since he wanted to highlight the destruction being carried out on the Seawall Bandstand by others. One railing is completely removed, apparently sold as scrap iron, and he also claims that other portions of it are removed by others for their personal gain in one way or another.
Other than the vandalism, it is sad to see another part of our Historical Georgetown being neglected by the relevant authorities, at this stage I am not sure who is in charge of something like this. Does it fall under the National Parks Commission? City Hall? The Guyana Government? Would the Guyana Heritage Society consider a decades old (most likely more than a century old actually) structure of enough historical importance to come to its aid?
I would even dare suggest that the Pegasus Hotel assist in some small way to the restoration and maintenance of this landmark, it is on their doorstep and an attraction for tourists. Consider it a bit of social responsibility.
What we found funny, not necessarily ironic, and I don’t mean laughable funny, is that this bandstand is part of the scenery NEXT to the Felix Austin Police College, I believe that many policemen live in this portion facing the seawall, so vandalism, theft, and destruction of property is being committed right under their noses.
Before everyone thinks that all the bandstands are falling to pieces (well, at least the ones in Georgetown), they’re not. The one in the Botanical gardens is very well kept, and thanks to Republic Bank in their collaborative effort with the Mayor and City Council, the entire Promenade Gardens is very well kept, including the Bandstand that is a centrepiece for that Garden.
So, what is with the title of this post? Why call it 666? I wanted to say something about this image that I posted here, and as fate would have it, the walk today and the conversation with the concerned citizen provided just the idea for the post, but the title of the post comes from the fact that this image is the six hundred and sixty-sixth image that I uploaded to my site. That’s all it is, just a number, nothing more or less significant than that. Someone asked how many images I had uploaded to the site and I thought the milestone worth mentioning 🙂
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You and I have had this discussion before. With all of our heritage going up in smoke or being dismantled for expediency and perceived necessity it is really up to us to try and do the best we can to keep memories alive.
We don’t have control of what is done with these monuments to our past, but at the very least we can do what we have been doing (but maybe with more vigour) and keep the records.
Good shot Mike. What happened to the grassy area that once surrounded the band stand. I think paving the area makes it look cheap. What a pity. What could you expect from a population who has been thought to hate all that the British stand for. They have no respect for them selves much less Historical sites/places.
Nice Memories of this place. I remember seeing bands in the bandstands on rare occasions. Funny that you would be assumed to be members of the press. Do you have any pictures of the seawall one?
Rise and fall of Civilization? 666 the number of the Beast?
I love bandstands/Gazebos, I wonder if my Dad played in this one when he was in the Blackwatch band in the fifties when he met my mum,
There were probably other bandstands previous to our immigration to Canada but I don’t remember them, a promenant memory is in Mohawk Park In Brantford Ontario, where we spent most of our growing up years, every year during the Highland games we would go to watch the pipe bands, the highland dancers, the pole tossing, the ice cream, the wading pool, the summer heat, and the cool shade of maples, oaks, and chesnut trees. In later years after I left “home” The Festivals brought Carribean cuisine, and Guyanese cuisine to a formerly wasp Ontario backwater. Now here in another backwater, Albertan this time, this tiny hamlet is building a bandstand, made of concrete floor, steel supports, wooden beamed roof, supporting plywood roofed with a forest green metal roof summited by a much smaller raised octagonal roof. Not as gaudy as the one in your photo, but then we are near two rivers and not near an ocean.
I think it is sad how present day factions have made hatred a pride, and history an enemy, in the country of my mothers birth.
Yet I know in the end hatred destroys the hater, leaving those who love unconditionally, with sorrow, but with strength to rebuild, reinvigorate, learn, examine, and discard that which does not benefit all Guayanas peoples.