By PETER GREEN
There were those who were concerned that the Independence Day Parade would not come for a second consecutive year. There are those who are objecting to the Parade taking place in another location at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
There are those who are objecting to what they called paving over the grass. There are those who are objecting to makeshift structures being built. Then, there are those who are against fireworks in the night.
But the Independence Day Parade is on! I was passing and saw the commotion. So I stopped and took it in. I was impressed with what I saw on Friday.
On Friday morning, the Queen’s Park Savannah was alive with the troops and other groups, ready for the first rehearsal. Despite the damp conditions, there were more persons on the outside interested in what was happening inside the Savannah.
Traffic sometimes crawled as the rehearsal shifted from in front of the Grand Stand to opposite President’s House.
The persistent rains in the week made parts of the Savannah ground slushy, but that in no way prevented a full rehearsal with Chief of Defence Staff, Don Polo, on horse back, in charge.
On the parade, there will be 1,195 marchers, I was told. But when they take to the street, the numbers increase to 1,554.
There is a Mas Band for the parade comprising officials from the Police Service, Defence Force, Fire Service, and Prison Service, under the command of Supt Wayne Guerra, of the TTPS.
The Parade, carded for August 31, begins at 8 am sharp with the arrival of Her Excellency, the President Christine Carla Kangaloo. By that time, all other dignitaries and invited guests, should be seated on the platform built especially for the occasion.
Today – the public got a glimpse of the troops on the road. After leaving the St Ann’s roundabout, they marched along Queen’s Park East before being dismissed at Victoria Avenue.
But on Independence Day, the troops will start at St Ann’s roundabout, along Queen’s Park East, then south along Frederick Street, west along Park Street, onto Tragarete Road, all the way to the St James Barracks.
Later that morning, there will be a Toast to the Nation at NAPA. In the night, there will be fireworks.
