The Conway St. Lucia

My name is Clement Springer, my Conway name was Sonny Boy, and I was the little boy sitting on the step of the Anglican Infant School then. My mother was Florence Williams and her Conway name was Ms. Florence. My father was Francis Fitz Springer and his Conway name was Mr. Fitz. Having lived in Conway from a tender age gave me a feeling of belonging to the Conway. It was there I grew from infancy to adulthood. It was there I became a shipwright, a carpenter, a joiner, a fisherman and a musician. Conway gave me an appreciation for intrinsic beauty, for divine revelation in things like the rising of the morning star and the bright and luminous beauty of the evening sunset. I am always thankful for having a front seat at these spectacular scenes. To me, these are events of profound importance and grace. I deem them appropriate to behold.

In my view, the transformation of the new Conway is acceptable. To have incorporated a complex for cultural presentations within its walls is a divinely expressed and inspired venture. I developed a keen interest in folk music, because I was exposed to folk culture in the Conway at an early age. The inception of the Helenites of St. Lucia was to commemorate and celebrate the works of Mr. King, Mr. Larwa, Mr. Henry and Mr. George (Do or Die), for their story telling and folk songs. However, in the Conway these men were fishermen. Conway was predominantly a fishing community and fishing was my joy and my pastime. I am still hoping to see in a changed Conway, a boardwalk at the waterfront. There people would gather not only to buy fresh fish but to sit at a table and enjoy all kinds of fish, prepared from the menu and served especially on feast days (feast of St. Peter and St. Paul).

Sometimes I say “Conway” and sometimes I say “The Conway.” These names are not in contrast with each other. The Conway is a definite and specific place. Conway is the name of a building, or place, or house, or city, or community. If you are walking along the water front, when you arrive at the traffic lights just look up and there it is.