Guyana is indeed well known for its many exotic villages, and many of these pristine locations are often not known of because persons never regarded them with deserved importance, or may have just missed them altogether because of the their geographical locations.

Whatever the reasons, Yeovil on the West Coast of Berbice is indeed one of the quaint locations in Guyana that reeks of pleasant serenity that seemingly soothe the senses, even as it exudes a somewhat

comforting awe at its quiet existence.
Located at just about over 50 miles from the Garden City of Georgetown, Yeovil is a very small village with a population that has not yet reached a thousand, according to residents. With no more than thirty households, this village is a brilliant fusion of lush green pastures, vast open fields, healthy looking rice fields, abundant fruit trees and a cluster of colourful houses lending a pleasant picturesque aura to the location.
This village is predominantly inhabited by people of African descent, but a sprinkling of East Indians and mixed races can also be found there. They all live together in quiet harmony, filling the sunlight skies with their mirthful laughter, and their cheery chattering as the sun fades majestically in the evenings.
Yeovil, is said by many to be a large commercialised agricultural landholding with associated buildings and other facilities in Guyana. Its centre lies at a latitude of 6.4488600 and longitude of -57.6421100, and also has an elevation of one metre above sea level.
Residents of the closely-knit community, who are all related, earn their living mostly from rice, cash-crop and livestock farming, while some operate businesses, including a grocery, general store and a beauty salon.

Our arrival
We arrived in the village just around 11:00 hours and were somewhat taken back by the almost eerie silence that seemed to envelope the village. Though there was a definite brilliance and ‘country shine’ to the location, it was very disappointing to note that there hardly seemed to be anyone moving around.
The unnerving stillness was broken occasionally by the passing of a few vehicles or the sudden roar of motor cycles as they coughed and chugged along the roadside spewing foul smelling smoke in all directions. Just a sprinkling of youths passed occasionally on bicycles, while in two areas of the village men were seen relaxing lazily under plum trees, shielding themselves from the blistering rays of the sun.
All around cows and sheep were chomping gleefully on juicy looking grass and other vegetation while a few horses galloped freely in an open field, causing some ‘stray pigs’ to dash off squealing in shock and surprise at the sudden intrusion.
I was lost as to where to turn until a smiling young man got off of his motor cycle and curiously asked of my reason for visiting. We struck up a conversation and in no time were both laughing our head off like old pals.
Winston Murray, as he is called, led me to a makeshift stool under a mango tree and even pelted down two of the juice-laden fruit which he offered to me with a smile.
Enquiring on the almost solemn ambience of the village he related that the village was maybe one of the quietest in Berbice, explaining that residents existed by humble

means.
“Yeovil is the land of the forgotten… (giggles) Nothing really goes on here and no one seems to remember us. As a matter of fact, many people are unaware that this small village exists. We do not have any facilities here to keep us properly entertained, and as such we have learnt to make do with what we have and most certainly have to be contented…… This village is a really nice place and we are okay with our little farming and other odd jobs that we engage in to survive…. This village is very quiet, and is certainly suited for persons who desire the softer side of life…..”
Exploring the very breezy village we encountered the aged and very cheery farmer, William Thomas who took us into his backyard as he narrated his tales on issues surrounding the village.
His lush looking kitchen garden, a short distance from the roadside was thriving with various vegetables and plantain suckers. He told a stirring story of toiling in the broiling sun to develop and level his land to have it fit for gardening purposes. He said since drainage still bothers them from time to time in the village his feat of raising the land above flooding level was not easy.

He cultivates a wide variety of vegetables and ground provisions for home consumption and sale in the village.
One who has traversed the area will certainly remember the days when most of Yeovil featured wide pastures, dense foliage, and the many farms and gardens owned by the few settlers and persons from around the village.

Self Help Indulgence
What struck me and was very pleasing to the eyes is the manner in which villagers exuded a ‘ready to go attitude’ and seemed ready to ‘fix things’ in the village and not wait on the relevant authorities who sometimes seems to drag their feet on issues.
As we walked about the village, a few young men could be seen cleaning up their yards, overgrown with bushes, while others were observed executing alterations to their homes.
We were very surprised when we were told that some of the more magnificent buildings in the village were built by villagers. Some villagers noted that instead of waiting for ages for the relevant authorities to ‘fix things in the village, residents would often join forces to clean up and beautify their surroundings
We were indeed amazed at the contentment and simplicity of almost every villager. Throughout our entire visit there was no unnecessary fuss and bitter complaints like we may have experienced in several other villages visited.
Residents seemed more prone on ‘fixing things’ in their village than on waiting on related authorities or for miracles to happen.

Chatting with Sherman James who was visiting residents in the village we learnt that persons there are quite contented with their ‘self-created professions.’
Yonette Graham has been selling at her food stall inside her yard for the past seven years and her ‘countryside delicacies’ are greatly anticipated by persons traversing the area.
“I have been doing this job for over 17 years, and trust me, I do enjoy it. I mean sales can be up and down at times, but I know ‘every day is not Christmas.’ This is what I do and it pays me also. Our entire country has an unemployment problem and if everyone come up with simple ways of earning an honest dollar, then it would not impact on them so significantly”
Philip Nedd a rice farmer was almost equally assertive of James’s statements.
“This has been my profession for over eight years, and I am content with what it brings me. It doesn’t get me a big fortune or anything like that, but it keeps my head above the water. I mean…. All over the world people have to work to earn, and it would be a stupid thing to sit and frown about the unemployment crisis in one’s country when there are so many things an individual could do to earn legally.”

Yeovil in times gone by

PEOPLE in the western Somerset town in England are familiar with Yeovil.
But many do not know that 10,000 miles away in South America, Guyana lies another small village of the exactly the same name.
As history would dictate the existence of Yeovil, in Guyana, was brought to light not so long ago by a foreigner, Michael Clark, who spent time in the country for work several years ago. As he would have mentioned many people have no idea about our country’s colonial history – that the British Empire once included Guyana, where the people speak English and that there are towns here named after English places.
He noted that the history of Guyana is greatly linked also with that of Mother Africa
Villages such as Yeovil are now traditionally based on sugar plantation names given at the time the plantations were set up. The Berbice area of what is now Guyana was formally named as British Guiana in 1831. And history suggests that the original British migrant owners were either from Yeovil, Somerset, or had some connection to these areas.
Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Bath are similar examples of plantation names in Berbice, Guyana.
The very camera-shy and elderly Dorsette Gibbons was ready to shed light on the makings of Yeovil before its gradual transformation which is still transcending today.
“Just after the days of slavery Yeovil was just a scatter of houses in the centre of vast pastures. We had no lights really and some areas were really muddy. The roads and dams were really bad. It was quite difficult for farmers to get to their rice fields and provision farms. Often times we were flooded when rain fell heavily, and we had no proper drainage here. In my time as little girl we would use trench water sometimes for cooking and washing , since the few stand pipes would only give water when the pressure is good. The bottle lamps were quite popular then, and we would even use them to catch crabs at nights or to pick up mangoes in the wee hours of the morning during mango season.”

Mrs. Gibbons explained that the donkey and horse drawn carts were popular forms of transport, but that the train was also a main feature. She noted that many lived in logies (thatched roof houses) for many years before the arrival of the many impressive buildings that are there today.
Today the village has a nursery school, a single church for worship and a lone shop that sells groceries and other necessities. Despite the lack of entertainment facilities and other amenities, Yeovill however boasts a distinct pleasant ambience that relaxes the mind upon your very first visit

Interacting with residents

Yeoville does not enjoy the many luxuries present in other villages we have visited, and residents were more than ready to expound on this issue.
Yonette Williams was adamant that there is absolute need for improvement in the areas of sports and entertainment.
“This is a very quiet village with very simple people. But it appears as if the world has forgotten about us. We have so much wide open land spaces, yet we do not have a proper playground for our youths to engage in leisure time activity. The children are more than bored because there is really nothing here to entertain them. We have no nightclubs, hardly any shops, or boutiques… There is really nothing here when you come to think of it. To get proper entertainment we have to travel as far as Hopetown, or hose distant villages. Why can’t we have at least a few facilities of our own? There is really nothing for our youths here in this village…. While there may be at least one area set up for playing of basketball, we definitely need a large play ground where we can have sporting events, horse races, and other stuff like some other villages”
Bumping into a group of young men munching on genips by the roadside we learnt that the lack of a health centre or hospital in the village was also an issue of great concern
They noted that it’s quite gruelling for pregnant mothers having to travel a great distance for medical attention, as well as persons with other ailments. They were also appealing to relevant authorities to make available sporting gear for talented sports oriented youths, since there is no scope for development in the areas of sports and entertainment.

Employment
While there seems not to be an employment problem in this village, some residents are actually hoping however that an industrial entity of some sort can be erected to offer long-term employment for many.
As it is right now, many villagers are rice farmers are engaged in the cultivation of rice. There are just a few farmers remaining in the village, and a sprinkling of poultry farmers engaged in the rearing of chickens for meat and eggs.
That aside a few have gotten jobs as teachers at the nursery school in the village while others have taken up jobs in stores and administrative offices outside the village. Everyone in Yeovil is industrious and as such residents are engaged in jobs of every imaginable nature to sustain their survival.
Conclusion
Yeovil may not have much to offer in terms of entertainment and economic boost, or may not be a village bustling with activity. But after visiting this location you will admit that the love and good spirits that exist among residents has surely added a dazzle and certain ‘countryside sparkle’ to the otherwise almost dismal village.
And while we are at it, and may debate the fact that Yeovil is a village forgotten by many, with a little sprucing up and alteration it can become one of the most exotic spots in the lineup of very impressive villages on the West Coast of Berbice.
Do pay them a visit folks; you will love the peace and serenity that exists there…

(By Alex Wayne)