From one bay to another

(Singing - traditional lullaby)

"When I was a child in Grenada my mother would sing this lullaby about La Baye in patois ... a pot-pourri of words from spirits of the past, a language in which all the women would conduct their gossip, share their joys and pain and friendly banter.

Hands on hips, gestures and facial expressions and laughs from their bellies that would wake the dead before parting with... (recites a few words in patois).

I would often wonder, where on earth is La Baye? The mystery was revealed when I went to school...

1954...My School, sitting majestically in the little bay where the hills looked down upon the sea. Outside, the sounds of waves merge with the smell of corn roasting, fish frying and me thinking of cake and sugar plum. Inside, desks creaking from years of wear and books of people from far away lands... Colombus, the Bedouin tribe, Wordsworth, African slaves and God save the Queen... all hiding in the cupboard at the edge of the stage... The stage where I sang Boby Shaftoe; ribbons in my hair and little white socks and black shining shoes...

1969... I travelled far and wide and opened many cupboards along the way...

(music - steel band) 1981... "this is the Paddington to Swansea train; this train terminates here"...and I stepped out of another cupboard, another bay...

Dylan Thomas, Penny Windsor, Colin Charvis, Naz Malik... Praise sir to La Baye Abertawe!"

Please tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in the Caribbean in Grenada, where part of the story is set. I am of mixed heritage and maybe that is why my interest in travelling is so much a part of me - the hidden desire to seek out my past. I came to Britain to train as a nurse and then later in Social Care. My mother was strong, a little frivolous and tended to take a socialist political stance, imparting knowledge in a light hearted and practical way. This was balanced with my father's more conservative ideals and religious and educational aspirations through the medium of books and academia.

When did you come to Wales?
I first came in 1974 and have always maintained links here since. It is where I found a people whose culture was not too different from that of my own.

What's your story about?
It's about my Primary school in Grenville (La Baye) in the parish of St Andrews in Grenada. It is an Anglican school built at the beginning of the 20th Century. The building is made from natural stonework and built in a small bay and framed by two peninsulas and a hill. This is still a busy market town and fishing port. The school is under threat of being demolished.

Why did you choose to tell this particular story?
It is a part of my childhood and a fundamental part of my life. It represents my past in the historical aspects of the bay and cultural inheritance. I spent so much time learning about the world through readers and through books about different cultures in the school. Swansea bay is not dissimilar to the bay in my homeland and I hope to pass on to future generations the importance of La Baye and I dedicate this film to St Andrews Anglican Primary School.

What was the most rewarding aspect of making your digital story?
This was an emotional, exciting and reflective experience. I started something I had wanted to do for a long time. The workshops enabled me to tell a story in a safe environment and it was an opportunity to share space with a group of fascinating people as they became part of the story too.

Some words used in the story and meanings:

• La Baye - a name for the capital of the Parish of St Andrews which is Grenville
• Do do petit popo - sleep my little one
• Makome- a term of friendship amongst the women
• Ale - I am leaving now