… adding colour to your Easter

With just a few days to go before Easter Monday, characterized by the ubiquitous kite-flying activities, the sale of kites is definitely picking up, and commercial areas in central Georgetown are already abuzz as vendors daily display their ware, transforming the landscape with colorful and uniquely designed ‘paper birds’.
But even though not restricted to any particular vicinity, over the last few days there seems to be an ongoing hive of activities along Camp Street, bounded by Robb Street in the south and Regent to the north.
So far some four of the more popular vendors around town have already commenced setting up their establishments on a daily basis at strategic points: two outside of Republic Bank car park on the western half of Camp and Regent Streets; and two more outside of Teleperformance on the eastern half of Camp and Robb Streets.

The vendors have been plying their trade at those spots for almost 90 years collectively. But 54-year-old Ras Trevor Smith of William Street, Campbellville, who can be referred to in local parlance as the ‘Original Kite Man’ claims he has has been associated with kites almost from his mother’s womb.

“Since I was a child I just had this love of getting pointer together with a fine pin, and design a kite. At that time we called it ‘Kadeo Punch’ Kites – made from newspaper or just whatever was available.”
In fact the first kite was placed in Trevor’s hands eversince he was a toddler and by age five he began experimenting with kite-making. He first started thawing around with that pointer ‘Kadeo’ as a little boy, and as he grew and became more sophisticated, Trevor recalls he developed a taste for colorful imported kite paper displayed on slender wooden strips … and that was the real thing.
“To be honest I just had this joy of playing with kites, as every little boy would.” His parents had 12 children 6 boys; 6 girls and they all looked forward to Easter so as to be able to experience the thrill of kite-flying.

Before he learnt to make the perfect kite, he recalls he had a brother-in-law (now living in the USA), who would make kites for him and his five brothers.
“But the problem is that, in those days, you couldn’t see your kite before Easter Sunday night,” he recalled. “My brother-in-law used to put them away and then give us late the Sunday night. So like that, we couldn’t fly our kites before Easter Monday and that used to take away from the fun and excitement of kite-flying. Then added to that, it used to take away from the period left for the activity.”

He likened it buying Christmas gifts for your children, then locking it away from them until Christmas morning. For Trevor, that couldn’t work and so it motivated him to start making his own kites.ssion”al kites.
But it was fun in the home around that period. “I recall that on Easter Sunday we all had to go to Church and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then on Easter Monday mom would take us out kite-flying we’d have our lunch basket and she would be with us from morn until midday when she would take us back home and after that we were allowed to go back as boys and fly kites until 6:00 p.m.

By age 16, having finished school, and desiring to earn an honest living and be able to help his mom “with something” his first option was to go into kite making as a business, which he did systematically, consistently and perfecting in the trade with each passing year. Kite-making was his passion and his yearning was to take it to another level.
And so, 38 years ago Trevor began making kites for sale. He started selling outside of the then Barclay’s Bank on that same corner and each year, as the season comes around he continues to do so religiously – rain or sunshine.
Designing and constructing the kites single-handedly, every year, the ‘Original Kite Man’ would make just over 1,000 kites of various sizes and designs for sale. . As the saying goes “Is not everyday fisher man does ketch fish,” and neither does he expect that every day there will be booming sales. But he is confident of making ‘good sales’ for the last three days leading up to Easter and Easter Monday as well.

He describes the holiday as a fun time. “It brings so much joy and every member of the family can partake. If the family goes into the park, the older ones who are not mindful of flying kites, can sit under the trees and read; eat and drink; play games or even help the younger ones raise, or on the other hand retrieve their kites if they burst away or get stuck in a tree.”

Other sellers in the Camp Street vicinity include: Carlyle Dainty, 45 of Craig Street, also in Campbellville who is also excited about making and selling kites, but claims that business this year is not doing so well. People approach them – rather enthusiastic about the kites, but seem not to have the money. Kites cost from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the size. However he is optimistic about getting sales during the last week preceding Easter Monday.

Then there is Morris Prince of Duncan Street Campbellville, selling for the last 25 years you – no matter what, is proud to be of service to particularly the younger ones desiring to fly kites. Considering it a lucrative business and now refers to it as a family tradition.
Not least, there is Trover Gonsalves, also of Craig Street Campbellville who, full of optimism says: “Even though sales have not yet picked up, we’re getting that Easter feeling and we feel confident that sales will be booming before Easter Monday.”