High Street, San Fernando, Trinidad, 1969

 

GOLCONDA LEVEL CROSSING, SOUTH TRINIDAD 1990, CARONI LOCOMOTIVE D6 RUNS OVER THE CIPERO ROAD AS I CAPTURE THE ACTION FROM THE STEPS OF THE FORMER SIGNAL BOX

In the late 1980s I spent many happy days filming and photographing the cane haulage operations of the railway at Usine Ste Madeleine. 

The railwaymen soon came to know me and I was always made to feel very welcome while taking photograph of recording video. 

I must have over two hours of video recorded in 1990, just before I left for England. This Locomotive is No D6 built in 1956 by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds, England.

I first posted many of my Caroni railway images over a decade ago in my album “Images of a Lost Railway, Trinidad W.I.” however, since the images have been lifted and re posted by others without credit of context, I decided to remove the album and re post each with appropriate watermarks and updated information. Over the years I have been able to learn much more about the railways of Trinidad so thought that it was a good time to update the information for those who appreciate such detail.

This is a still image taken from one of my video recordings, hence the poor quality. Here we see locomotive D6 (Hunslet# 5131 of 1956) running “light engine” (railway term for engine only, no train behind) towards the “Valley Line” over the level crossing at Golconda. 

The loco is beginning to pick up speed as it is about to climb up “Cutting Hill” which got its name because it quite simply a cutting at the top of a hill. I also have a few photographs taken of trains at the summit.

This shot was taken from the ex-Trinidad Government Railway (TGR) signal box at Golconda where I spent many happy times watching trains running to and from Sainte Madeleine. The box contained a large wheel built by Messrs Tyer and Co of London & Carlisle who supplied the TGR with all signalling equipment. This wheel controlled the raising and lowering of the crossing gates. The signal Box at Golconda contained a 12-lever frame which at one time operated signalling and point work in this area. Golconda was once a very important junction between Siparia bound trains and Ste. Madeleine bound trains.

It should be noted that all trains to Ste Madeleine ran “bonnet first” or “boiler first” (if steam) with full wagon loads of cane towards the factory and “Cab First” with empty stock back towards the fields.

In my book, ‘The Railways of Trinidad’, there is a photograph on the top of page 60 showing locomotive No.8 ‘KITCHENER’ pulling away, “boiler first”, from Golconda signal box in the early 50s.  In this photo one can appreciate the original timber crossing gates and magnificent bracket signals which once graces this junction where the Trinidad Government Railway (TGR) was once joined by the Ste Madeleine estate railway network.

In this scene, D6 is running “light engine” to Monkey Town sidings where it will meet a heavy train bringing 20 fully loaded wagons up from Barrackpore. At Monkey town, at a place known as “The Cutting” the load will be split into two trains of ten wagons each in order to negotiate the heavy gradients just south of Golconda. The 204 hp Hunslet locomotives were ideal for hauling these loads in this heavily graded section of railway. In TGR days, the larger 21 Class locomotives were used to carry heavy passenger trains over this section and on to Siparia and Penal. It must have been a fine sight indeed, that of these locomotives working hard over the gradients. What a sound it must have been to hear the heavy TGR trains as they began to charge the gradient. 

Goldonda was a very important signal box back in the day and was one of seven new boxes built south of San Fernando when the Cipero Tramway was taken over by the Government on 1913.

The level crossing at Golconda, the signal box and the railway activity there are now a part of the Trinidad we once Knew.

Glen Beadon 20 January 2023

 

TEXACO ADMINISTRATION BUILDING - POINTE-A-PIERRE, SOUTH TRINIDAD circa 1961.

This photograph was in my late grandmother's collection.

Originally, I had no idea who the photographer was or when it was taken. Since that time following extensive research and through a process of elimination, I now believe that this photograph was taken by M. E. Zaiffdeen, official photographer for Trinidad Leaseholds Limited and later Texaco Trinidad. I have credited the photograph accordingly in this post.

Mr M.E. Zaiffdeen worked closely with Anthony (Tony) Davenport who was the editor of the company magazine. During the period of Trinidad Leaseholds Limited the magazine was called ‘Regent News’ and during Texaco, after 1956, it became two different publications ‘Texaco Star’ and ‘Texaco Caribbean’.
Incidentally, Tony Davenport was a close relative of my wife.

This is my third such post about the old TEXACO administration building. Since my first post I have had several very interesting pieces of information from many people which I will now incorporate into this post.

Trinidad Leaseholds' Limited (TLL) was taken over by Texaco in 1956 and according to Geoffrey MacLean, the "Administration Building" was opened in 1959, which made it 64 years old in 2023.

It has been widely reported in history that the name Pointe-a-Pierre is derived from the Spanish who named the area “Punta de Piedras” (Point of stones). The area would eventually become settled by a series of sugar plantations and several estates established themselves along the coast and the Guaracara river.

The area had its own tramways before the arrival of the Trinidad Government Railway (TGR) in 1882, the most notable being the Guaracara Tramway which was eventually purchased by the Government in 1879 for the expansion of the TGR into Princes Town in 1884.

Several sugar estates across the area were purchased by Trinidad Leaseholds Limited (TLL), a British Oil Company, in 1913 (see one of my previous posts about the history of TLL). But although there was some oil prospecting the decision to purchase the site and build a refinery there had nothing to do with the presence of oil underground.

As far back as 1808 following the fire that almost destroyed Port-of-Spain, erecting a new capital at Pointe-a-Pierre was indeed contemplated, then on the site of La Carriere estate. This was considered both on account of the depth of water and the direct line of its position South and North with the Bocas or Dragon’s Mouth.

In 1884 the author L.A.A. de Verteuil remarked again on this idea; “ If this district (Pointe-a-Pierre) and the adjoining country ever become thoroughly settled, a town built in that locality would possess advantages, of which San Fernando must for ever be deprived, viz., a good port, excellent building materials, and the proximity of good water”.

This early prediction would eventually come to pass but not quite in the way that Mr de Verteuil had envisaged. Instead, in 1916 the emerging oil industry would take the first step in buying up the area to build a refinery and in due course a modern port that would sound the death knell for the Trinidad Government Railway.

The refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre was completed in 1917 over lands that were hitherto cultivated with sugar cane, coconut, and cotton. Some of the streets through the staff camp at Pointe-a-Pierre still carry names of the old sugar plantations which preceded the refinery.

Trinidad Leaseholds Limited (TLL) was taken over in 1956 by Texaco. At the time the oil refinery was the largest in the British Empire, capable of refining 80,000 bbls per day.
By 1961 refinery output had risen to around 360,000 bbls per day at a time when Texaco, on its own, was producing an average of around 60,000 bbls of crude oil per day in Trinidad.

Pointe-a-Pierre refinery was nationalised by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in 1985 when the oil industry in Trinidad was producing around 240,000 bbls per day (figure for 1981). The government of T&T bought out Texaco and appointed Trintoc as their operators in 1985. Seven years later Trintoc and Trintopec were merged, and the new company was named Petrotrin.

I visited this building on business both in Texaco days and during the Trintoc period.

Trintoc was an excellent company and I remember the professionalism with which it carried out its land drilling operations where, as a contractor, I was always treated as part of the team. I worked with many excellent Trintoc company representatives in the late 70s and 80s.

Back to the administration itself, a comment by Norton Dorset confirmed that according to the February 1960 issue to the ‘TEXACO STAR’ (a company magazine), the office block was started in November 1958 and covers an area of 57,880 square feet. Cost of construction and furnishing has been close to two million dollars. The article reported the following: “Moving to the new office. The general exodus of office staff from various parts of Pointe a Pierre into the new office block has been going on over the past fortnight. Departments which were formerly scattered are now brought together under one roof in the modern air-conditioned office which is seen above”.

Geoffrey MacLean commented that he worked at the admin building as a young "office boy" in school holidays. He recalled too that Ronald Fraser-Reekie may have been involved in its construction and said: “Fraser-Reekie is well known for his books on drafting which most architectural students used at English Architectural schools. He had strong ties to Trinidad”.

Bruce Locke remarked that he “much preferred the huge sprawling piles of lumber that served as the field offices for Apex and Forest Reserve and TPD. Lovely old buildings”.

This remark by Bruce prompted me to look up a passage in George Higgins book “A History of Trinidad Oil” where he makes mention of these old colonial buildings and the changes brought about by the new era buildings. Mr Higgins remarks: “One of the features of the early oil industry in Trinidad was the old wooden buildings used for offices, with large open window areas, sometimes covered with anti-mosquito copper mesh, and with equally large shutters to lower when the rains come down, and to lift when the air and light were needed. In the humid rainy season, the office papers, maps, etc, often stuck to the writers’ arms; in the dry, but often gusty season, papers and maps were not infrequently scattered around the desks, to the frustration of many, but it was the way of life

The late Ram Maraj commented, in 2020, that when he first knew when the building it was under construction in around 1958. He went on to say: “The Old Main Office at UBOT Point Fortin was a wooden structure. Very cramped outlived its usefulness. Nice Turning the clock back in time. I am now engaged in reading a book; ”POINT FORTIN, The Shell Company and a Trinidad Village by Ellis Lewis 2016”. This is a book I have not yet seen but would someday too like to own.

George Higgins also refers to the change of culture brought about by the new buildings in 1960 when Textrin (Texaco Trinidad) moved all of their departments into “the most prestigious office block yet built in Trinidad. It was a T-shaped, two-storey block, and housed offices for all central functions of the company; it included a public relations and information display room, library, fire-proof filing vaults, refreshment and lunchrooms. The offices were air-conditioned throughout by a central system, and it was not long before management banned the old ‘colonial’ dress of shorts, stockings and open-neck, shory-sleeved shirt, demanding long-sleeved shirts, ties and long trousers for the office staff. There were minor revolts but a compromise allowed long trousers, short-sleeved shirts, no ties for the non-American staff.”

Long before the Solomon Hochoy highway was built, travel by road between north and southwest Trinidad was via the "Southern Main Road" which passed directly in front of this building. Over the years, beginning in the 1960s, I have driven past this building countless times and never gave it a second thought. I remember the massive standard drilling derrick on the roundabout with the congratulatory message in celebration of Trinidad and Tobago’s Independence. There was also a great sign which read “God Save Our Queen” posted on this same derrick at Pointe-a-Pierre for the Royal visit in 1966.
This derrick, as I recall, remained there for several years and at Christmas time would be beautifully decorated with lights. I have old photos of this roundabout somewhere.

Mr Sadru commented that he grew up in Gasparillo just next door to Pointe a Pierre, and went on to say: “My father worked up until retirement in the transport department. He started as a driver and retired as transport foreman. My other brother served in the Pointe a Pierre police department. He rose to the rank of sergeant before he sadly passed away at a fairly young age. Many people from Gasparillo have worked there. Before moving to the UK, I worked at the staff social club. So, this is why PaP holds wonderful memories for me”.

When I found this photo in my grandmother’s collection a few years ago it really caught my eye. First because I had not seen the words TEXACO on the building for such a long time but then I began to realise just how impressive it was back when it was built. I took note of the three flags flying high above the building. If you look closely you may be able to discern the flags, left to right, of the now defunct West Indian Federation, the British Union Jack and the Company Texaco star. This points to the pre independence period of this photograph.

There are many people alive today that don't remember this building with the Texaco sign above it. I wonder what happened to the sign. Perhaps it was purchased by the "American Pickers".

Petrotrin’s sad news reported in 2018 that the company had lost around $58 billion tt in the previous five years and company production has fallen to around 40,000 bbls per day leaving 100,000 bbl required to maintain refinery production was a sad and bitter blow to many.

Like those in Trinidad’s sugar industry before, we in the Oil sector never thought we would be witnessing the day. Having personally lived within sight and sound of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery for many years during my early life, it came as a bitter shock.

My heart goes out to all those people who were affected by the refinery’s demise, and I hope that some of this historic lookback may help to remind us of the sweet Trinidad we once knew.

Glen Beadon 21 January 2023 (First published by me in 2018 and again on 1 March 2020).

 

 

 

 

The soundtrack to the 1994 motion picture, "The Crow", set a new bar for various artists movie soundtracks, much in the same way that the film itself did for comic book adaptations on the big screen!

"The Crow" soundtrack was quite simply an abundance of awesomeness, with songs recorded mainly by contemporary Alternative Rock acts such as Nine Inch Nails, Rollins Band, Rage Against The Machine, Medicine, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, The Jesus And Mary Chain & The Cure. The inclusion of the latter band is most significant since "The Crow" creator, James O'Barr, had actually included the lyrics of The Cure's 1982 single, "The Hanging Garden" within the pages of the original comic book itself...

When The Cure were first approached to contribute a song to the 1994 film adaptation, the makers requested "The Hanging Garden" for inclusion on the soundtrack just as James O'Barr had incorporated lyrics from "The Hanging Garden" into his comic book. It seemed like a natural marriage of song & film (with the comic book being a literary engagement ring). But The Cure's frontman/lyricist, Robert Smith, had other plans...

It turns out Smith was as big a fan of the comic book as O'Barr was of his music & Smith decided it would be best to serve up an original song specifically for the film. That song would ultimately become "Burn".

The genesis of "Burn's" sound was unmistakably influenced by "The Hanging Garden". Both songs share a similar tribal purcussive rhythm & of course those familiar dangling, jangling guitars. But as Burn begins to blossom into it's own beastly entity the music itself would go on to influence yet another Cure song several years later! That song was of course, "Where The Birds Always Sing", from 2000's "Bloodflowers" album...

Upon hearing that "Bloodflowers" highlight for the first time, longtime Cure fans will instantly recall the melodic guitar solo from "Burn". A song cut from the same mould as the "Dark Era" classic, "The Hanging Garden" which itself would go on to form the basis for a future classic in "Where The Birds Always Sing" (and YES I do wonder whether the "bird connection" was intentional or just a happy coincidence 😂).

Another standout track was Nine Inch Nails' electrifying take on Joy Division's "Dead Souls".

The creator of the original Crow comic book, James O'Barr had long been a fan of the band fronted by the tragic Ian Curtis & had initially wanted Joy Division's music to feature in the film. O'Barr would later say that he got at least 75% of the artists he had wanted for the film's soundtrack. Joy Division may not have been among them, but the strength of Nine Inch Nails' take on "Dead Souls" is such that O'Barr himself would concede that the film Alex Proyas made had the appropriate version of the track...

Joy Division's eerie original version of "Dead Souls" chugged toward a crescendo which never came. And that was the beauty of the composition really! A track consumed by claustrophobia the more it circles the chilling lyric, "THEY KEEP CALLING ME!". "Dead Souls" took on a greater poignancy once Ian Curtis himself became one of the "THEY" he was referring to, following his suicide in 1980...

Nine Inch Nails' version of the song retains the claustrophobia of the original, but is otherwise an altogether more charged affair. Whereas the original was simmering, the cover is scintilating & while Joy Division's version was defined by it's gritty guitar strains, Nine Inch Nails' version is driven, almost purely, by an electronic pulse without losing the soul of Curtis' lyrics in the process!

My personal favourite song from "The Crow" soundtrack was actually the only non-Rock song to appear on the tracklist. That would of course be Jane Siberry's sensitive ballad, "It Can't Rain All The Time". An achingly beautiful song which never fails to tug my heartstrings & there has never been a single occassion when I have not cried to this song. 

As I hear the words... "IT CAN'T RAIN ALL THE TIME...THE SKY WON'T FALL FOREVER...AND THOUGH THE NIGHT SEEMS LONG...YOUR TEARS WON'T FALL, YOUR TEARS WON'T FALL FOREVER!"... I feel a sense of comfort that however much I miss someone I loved who will never return, I will make it through the pain of grieving for that lost love!

"It Can't Rain All The Time" speaks to all forms of love, whether it be that of a friend, a child, a parent, a sibling, a pet or indeed a lover. Alot of people will associate this song with the story of "The Crow", itself a romantic tragedy dealing with the pain of lost love. This is entirely understandable & an accurate association to make but even those who have never seen the film or read the comic will take away the same core message of Jane Siberry's deeply moving song.

"The Crow" remains my favourite Comic Book movie of all-time. That may sound controversial to some considering that the film is a fairly loose adaptation. But the comic book itself is not simply a "Superman" or "Batman" or "Spiderman" type affair following the adventures of a sole protagonist. "The Crow", throughout it's entire comic book series, features many heroes (and heroines!), but unlike the distinctly individual "X-Men" or "Fantastic Four", the protagonists in The Crow all share the same quest & don the same facial make up for the duration of that quest (to exact revenge on those who killed them, "set the wrong things right" & reunite with their loved ones in the afterlife)...

The most popular character of the comic book is arguably Eric Draven & it is he whom the 1994 film adaptation follows from his death, resurrection & journey as the dark angel of vengeance.

"The Crow" is also one of the most moving films ever made & that is not simply because of the real life tragedy which taints the soul of the picture! "The Crow" manages to be more romantic than a lot of "so called" romantic films, without losing sight of the reality of death & that Eric's path of destruction carries an inner torment for his dead man walking who yearns to be at peace with his buried bride to be. And it is a testement to the late great Brandon Lee's lead performance that Eric's pain is felt so severely by audiences. Even if tragedy had not struck the production this film would still be as moving as it continues to be decades after it's release!

Film maker, Alex Proyas', also deserves significant credit for the successful transition of the comic book to the big screen. Poyas' striking visual direction grab viewers eyes from the opening shot of a burning Detroit, Michigan on "Devils Night" (the night before Samhain aka Halloween). And while those who do not like flashy MTV-style visuals will likely bitch about the film's heavy reliance on them or that they date the picture, there are more than enough moments in the film which take the breath away without making use of any real optical effects. Whether it's the flight of The Crow, Eric running/jumping across rooftops or the expert use of framing, Proyas makes it known time & time again of the talent he weilds. Talent he'd once again display in his highly recommended, Gothic-Noir Fantasy a few years later, "Dark City" (1997).

💖 In Memory Of Brandon Lee 💖

"WE WALK THE NARROW PATH BENEATH THE SMOKING SKIES...

SOMETIMES BARELY TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DARKNESS AND LIGHT...

DO WE HAVE FAITH IN WHAT WE BELIEVE?

THE TRUEST TEST IS WHEN WE CANNOT...WHEN WE CANNOT SEE..."

 

 

 

 Katenu ikusa ni ikigirashi

Anata ni mi wo kogashita hibi

Wasurechattara watashi ja naku naru

Oshiete tadashii SAYONARA no shikata wo

 

PENAL, CIRCA 1958

Indentured labour from India began arriving in the colony in 1845. In order to establish and propagate a local source of cheap labour, they were offered a cash incentive of five pounds in lieu of a return passage between 1860 and 1880. The incentive programme was abolished since by 1880 , Indians were fully 30% of the national population and therefore were established. Many Indians made use of their five pounds to purchase crown lands at one pound per acre. In the sugar rich Naparimas, the south border comprised a series of marshlands which were poorly drained and mosquito infested. These lands were surveyed by Warden of Siparia, Otto Radcliffe Clarke and sold to Indians who were expert at draining the marshes for the cultivation of rice. Watercresses were also grown in abundance and in a drier area of the swamp called the Pengyal (a Tamil word I am told) , a small agrarian settlement had sprung up with enough Indians to warrant the Presbyterian Church’s Canadian Mission to the Indians, setting up a school and chapel here in 1905. A mosque and cemetery also existed in the village in a place called Batchiya. The area was adjacent to hilly places to the south and east, being just four miles from Siparia. In these hills, small plots of cocoa cultivation began and soon flourished as a cash crop. Cocoa spread as far as a track laid out from the settlement to the Rock River in Moruga. Since the settlement had become Penal on government ordinance maps in 1910, the track was called the Penal Rock Road. On this road were several significant cocoa estates. One was owned by a Scotsman named McIntyre who established a prosperous holding, and constructed a lovely residence, complete with indoor plumbing (a marvel for those days) and archetypal gingerbread fretwork in 1918. His descendants, sired with an Indian woman, still live in the old family home. Another important estate was the property of the German , Wilhelm Meyer, who was stripped of his lands under the Enemy Alien Ordinance of 1914 which saw Germans in the island pressed into a concentration camp at St. James during the hostilities of WWI between Germany and England. Meyer’s estate also had a quarry for gravel in a hilly area off the Penal Rock Road in an area called Morne Diablo or Devil’s Mountain. This became the present Morne Diablo village. The estate was advertised for sale by Siparia warden, Otto Radcliffe Clarke in 1914. Along the Penal Rock Road, a Canadian Mission School was erected in 1920 for the children of the dozens of Indian families who settled and grew cane in the area. The peasant cane farmers had their cut canes carted to a scale in nearby Barrackpore where a terminus of the Usine Ste. Madeline railway existed. Back in Penal, development came when the Trinidad Government Railway extended its line from San Fernando to Siparia in 1913. This was no mean feat of engineering since it meant pushing the line through marshy areas near the hamlet of Cooliewood (now called Ghandi Village) and Debe. The line had to be laid on a bank of gravel to raise it above floodwaters which rushed over the lowlands during the rainy season and two strong bailey bridges were constructed over the Godineau and Curamata Rivers. Since the trajectory of the line passed a bit north of Penal, the Penal Railway station was almost a mile east of the main settlement on a road which led to cocoa and sugar cane growing areas in San Francique. The coming of the railway meant that vast quantities of rice and vegetables could reach the market in San Fernando and Penal flourished. In 1930 oil was discovered around Penal and in Barrackpore. A large tract of land on Clarke Rd. (named for Otto Radcliffe Clarke) was cleared and offices, bungalows, a medical centre, clubhouse and mess hall were constructed by United British Oilfields Trinidad (UBOT). Oil was secured in tank farms at Barrackpore , Penal Rock Road, San Francique and Clarke Rd. and then piped to the refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre. A small power plant supplied electric lights and a large dam was built in 1939 to supply the facility with water. Since the almost completely homogenous peasant Indian population of the area was inadequate for the brute labour of the oilfields , hundreds of negro labourers flocked in and formed a distinct neighbourhood in the area of Penal Rock Road ½ mile mark. Unlike Pt. Fortin where UBOT shared the better amenities of life with the native population, its presence in Penal had no impact whatsoever on the locals who continued without electricity and pipeborne water. In 1939, Sunbeam Cinema was opened , powered by a Delco generator, and was followed by Regent on Clarke Rd. in the 1940s. The latter catered mainly to the white expatriates of the UBOT installation (later assimilated by Shell) by showing the latest Hollywood flicks while Sunbeam aired primarily Indian movies. In the early 1950s, a market was constructed for the large number of produce farmers in the area. Previously, a makeshift market had occupied the triangle of land formed by the SS Erin Rd., Clarke St. and Penal Rock Road where a mall exists today. In 1962, Penal broke from Siparia Parish when the Penal RC. Chapel and School were opened along with the prestigious Holy Name Convent for girls. Nearby on Clarke Rd. the state constructed the Penal Junior Secondary School while a mile northwards in Abdool Village, a government primary school was established. Penal grew by leaps and bounds in the 1960s and 70s both as a centre for the nearby oilfields and became famous for its Saturday market which became something of an attraction. In 1965, the railway closed , but the SS Erin Rd. had already replaced it as the main artery into the village. In 1990, Penal became its own municipality and ceased being part of the Ward of Siparia, when the Wards and Counties system of local government was dissolved and the Penal Debe Regional Corporation came into being. In 2001, the Shiva Boys’ Hindu College was established on Clarke Rd. Today, Penal is a bustling and growing commercial centre and is a far cry from the sleepy village pictured in this 1950s photo.

 In 325, at the Council of Nicaea, Constantine the great creates the Catholic Church after a genocide of 45.000 Christians, where he tortured them to renounce Reincarnation. At the same time, religious books of all the villages of the empire are compiled and thus create THE BIBLE.

In 327, Constantine known as the Emperor of Rome, orders Jeronimo to translate the Vulgate version into Latin, changing the Hebrew names and adulterating the scriptures.

In 431, the cult of VIRGIN is invented.

In 594, PURGATORY is invented.

In 610, the title of PAPA is invented.

In 788, worship is imposed on Pagan deities.

In 995, the meaning of kadosh (subpar) was changed to saint.

In 1079, the celibacy of priests is imposed>> totally Catholic.

In 1090, the Rosary is imposed.

In 1184, the Inquisition is perpetrated.

In 1190, indulgences are sold.

In 1215, confession is imposed on priests.

In 1216, Pope Innocenzo lll was invented, the tale of terror of bread (a god of Greek mythology), which turns into human flesh.

In 1311, the batty is imposed.

In 1439, the non-existent PURGATORY is dogmatized.

In 1854, the immaculate Conception is invented.

In 1870, the absurdity of a infallible pope is imposed, inventing the concept of hiring

There are more than 2500 things made up by this religion to enslave human beings with Christianity...

Religions and their Gods were created as a means of MANIPULATION and BUSINESS. As part of the EVOLUTION of human being is the RELEASE of these means of manipulation. Therefore human being are in the era of WAKE UP.

Young people each day are LESS RELIGIOUS two more generations and Catholic religion will be on its sunset.

Muslim religion will prevail for a little more time but in the end its fate as all religions and their Gods will be the same. DISAPPEAR.

It will all be part of our EVOLUTION.

 1974

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THE TRINIDAD WE ONCE KNEW

DAYS BEFORE SELF SERVICE GROCERIES AND SUPERMARKETS

THE VILLAGE SHOP ERA

When one examines the past, it can often be broken down into specific eras. In each of the eras there are clearly times when both types of food retailing existed. For example the village shops though still in existence today began fading away gradually , making way for supermarkets and groceries.

Food retailers of long ago tended to be small corner shops spread throughout an urban area or village. The owners of these shops knew all their customers as in many cases the travel distance to the village shop was only a few blocks and most people walked. The shops carried basic non perishable items and grains , which were exactly what the clientele wanted back in the 50s and 60s. These village shops mainly sold non perishable food items and grains which did not require refrigeration . These items they brought from wholesalers.

Usually, the shopkeeper and his family lived in the building over or behind the shop. This was the era that customers , including young children will walk with their lists and would ask the shopkeeper for what they wanted . The shopkeeper served them over counter.

Instead of glass doors the village shops had two large wooden doors which when opened served as the main entrance and exit points. When it was closing time the doors will be pulled in and a long , heavy wooden bar would placed into two heavy duty metal clasps at each end across the doors .

A must in every village shop was a scale like the one shown in the photo. Today most of these ancient village shops have been replaced by groceries and supermarkets.

This photo was taken inside a village shop in Grande Rivierre in 1970.

Can anyone explain why village shops were closed half days on a Thursday of each week?

 This is my story: 

 In April of this year get the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine, then in May I receive the second shot.

After receiving the first shot I spent about 10 days with a mild fever, mild headache and alternating periods of being too hot or too cold.

In May I received the second shot and starting about 1 hour hour later I started experiencing joint pain and weakness in my muscles. while shopping I fell down in the store because my legs just gave out, something that’s never ever happened to me before. This progressed for about a month until I was barely able to stand, walk or use my arms. I have spasms at the neck and shoulders and twitching in my face. My hands and feet are swollen and I can barely hold a pen to write.

Went to the doctor and they did a few blood tests’ and the only thing the blood test shows is elevated calcium levels, my A-1 C is high and my cholesterol is a little bit high. 

I’ve been put on muscle relaxers(Tizanidine) and A mild pain killer(meloxicam), but these are barely helping.

 The only thing it may be considered a positive is that the symptoms haven’t gotten any worse, of course though they’re pretty bad right now.

The doctor keeps saying that it may be my A-1 C it’s affecting my parathyroid glands which is causing the elevated calcium levels and that is causing the issue with my muscles. She did also say that the vaccine may have triggered this since there are documented cases of it affecting people negatively.

All I know is that I’m in that lot of pain and it is extremely difficult to move I still have to get up and go to work and stand on my feet for 10 hours a day.

I don’t see an end to this suffering in sight and I don’t think I’m going to make it through.

 

  "8/3/21: Nasa finds a mirrored Earth, opposite gravity, physics, motion."

."9/14/21: A Category 6 hurricane hits South Carolina, the worst in history."

"10/20/21: 8 humans receive superpowers from extreme energy of the Sun."

"12/14/21: 3 Teenagers find a T-Rex egg and a device to open a portal to an alternate universe."

"2/2/2022: Atlantis is found in the Atlantic Ocean, housing human-fish life."

 In Full: The ‘Independence Day’ Speech 2021 Needs

“Good afternoon.

In less than a week, we hope to fire up our grills,

And launch one of the biggest Fourth of July celebrations

In the history of the United States.

The United States. Those words have new meaning for us all today.

And whether you drive a pick-up or a hybrid,

You live in the heartland or on the coast,

Or whether you pronounce it ‘America’ or ‘Murica,’

We’re all Americans.

Seldom on the same page but reading from the same book.

On holidays, anyway.

Perhaps its fate that this Fourth of July, we gotta’ once again come together

To lend a hand to those less fortunate.

To those whose fate still lies in the balance.

We’re fighting for freedom for all.

Not from alien invaders.

From separation.

From being cooped up while baking bread.

And ignoring basic hygiene.

The time has come for us to get fresh,

Gather the crew, and eat veggie and meat burgers until we sweat.

And then, let’s work together towards a future

Where everyone can come to the party.

And should we win the day,

The Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday,

But the day when the world declared in one voice:

‘We will not go quietly into the night!’

We will fill the sky with so much light and freedom,

This thing will rue the day it ever messed with us.

Together, we celebrate out Independence Day.

Go Forth, America.”