Montserrat in England

The people of Montserrat are very proud of their cultural heritage. Originally of African descent, a strong Afro-Irish mix is evident in their local dialect, the cuisine, music and folk dances practiced locally. This book gives the reader an insight into the impact of out-migration on a fiercely protected culture for those who left Montserrat after the volcanic eruptions started in 1995. It highlights some of the main challenges experienced by Montserratians in England and the impact on their socialisation, personal and career growth and development. Written in short story narrative with the support of third party feedback this book captures aspects of the local folklore and customs which have shaped Montserrat over the years. A number of Issues related to schooling, employment and relationships have determined the status and personal esteem of Montserrat folk in England driven by a range of intentional and circumstantial experiences. The extended family unit, social and intimate interactions are of great value to most, the disruption of which has been a huge loss to the migrant Montserrat community. Destruction of the main tourist attractions on the island including the Soufriere Hills Volcano which provided great sightseeing in its dormant state and the popular Hot Water Pond with its bubbling sulphur springs thought to have numerous health benefits; have led to new sourced tourist attractions for the continued interest of nationals and visitors alike. While struggling to blend into Metropolitan England and maintain appearances, Montserrat folk try as best as possible to hold on to their culture. Speaking the island’s dialect at every opportunity while sharing tips related to the cuisine and music loved by those associated with the island has become an ongoing trend for many. This book captures the virtues of Montserrat with morale boosters and references to the way Montserrat used to be prior to the volcanic eruptions. Personal experiences are sited as a means of capturing the impact of life in England in candid narrative. Also known as the other Emerald Isle as a result of its relationship and geographic imagery of parts of Ireland, Montserrat is often fondly referred to as a paradise where its people remained virtually unspoilt to some extent by sub cultures and outside influences. It is interesting how the author of ‘Fire from the Mountain’ summed up the general environment in Montserrat following the major eruption of 1997 as being: ‘symbolic of an old fashioned, God fearing society in which the values of an emancipated peasantry –individualism, independence, devotion to land and home triumphed over the circumstances,’ of that particular period. The island of Montserrat has been trying to recapture its previous state of development but continues to experience extreme financial challenges due to its small population. Its current population of approximately 5000 is said to currently include more migrants from neighbouring islands than natives. There are genuine concerns among some folk that the culture of the island will fade away as a result of its current circumstances and the influences of sub cultures. Has Montserrat become the melting pot of the Caribbean? Has the fact that Montserrat now has an open door policy so impacted on the culture of the island with its reduced population that Montserratians are now concerned? Some schools of thought suggest that the term loss of culture is a non existent state and argue that the constantly adapting and changing of environments and circumstances is the most significant determinant of what the ever evolving culture of a people is at any given time. Therefore it is arguable that the influx of migrants eager to replace the fleeing Montserrat folk has only speeded up the inevitable cultural shift. The other real argument could be that the island folk are more tolerant to influences of western cultures such as that of New York City, rather than that of those islands which have chosen to dig in while the island is at its lowest ebb. Since change is inevitable no matter how intense the arguments or strong the resistance, one cannot discount the need to document the details of current traditions as a source of reference for future generations since culture in its purest form cannot remain stagnant. Many visitors and migrants in their attempt to speak the Montserrat dialect often distort its pronunciations in a way that is painful to listen to. As a result a chapter in the form of a travellers guide has been dedicated to our dialect or Creole proudly referred to as Montserrat English of which the words and phrases are not found in any dictionary. For those purposes among others I felt it pertinent to ensure that this book did not emerge as a solely academic resource deeming it inaccessible to the majority but rather as a multi-purpose tool of short story accounts of current times and a recount of the way things used to be. Just as the nights of jumbie story telling brought tears to the eyes in its construct of tales of suspense of dead ancestors making their presence felt among the living, so too should this book keep alive the essence of the culture of the Montserrat people. As Montserrat is not an independent state as it remains a British Overseas Territory the term Montserratian used throughout this book is merely a symbol of the way we island folk describe our national existence. Many of the islands natives would happily describe themselves unreservedly as being ‘proud Montserratian’ as a means of establishing their position in the world and their perceived sense of self.