ALTHOUGH the area hasn’t been regularised, the scores of people that reside in the back dam section of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, enjoy the benefits of potable water supply and electricity.

The village of Plaisance runs deep from the roadside to way down into the backlands and it is a very populated area, the home of people from all walks of life and some very influential people, as well.

During a recent visit to the village, some residents regarded the place as blessed with talented people and it is also an oasis for many with their ‘street lime’ every Thursday night on the Line Top (Railway Embankment) a feature of the village that first conceptualised the local dancehall (‘passa passa’) scene which was popular a few years ago.

Today, Plaisance provides relaxation for many and it is also a place where you can get creole foods at any given time since there are so many food vendors, plying their trade way into the night.

It is the place for good souse, black pudding, fish and chips, cook-up-rice with all the ‘obstacles’ and not forgetting chicken and chips., hot off the stove, all prepared right in front of you.

Plaisance is the village you stop by on your way home when you don’t feel like cooking and the folks there are friendly and welcoming so there is no need to feel unsafe.

The Plaisance Market comes alive every Sunday when people from all over, visit to make purchases making the ‘Line Top’ almost impassable or there is a traffic jam.

The Pepperpot Magazine encountered Charles Mendonca, who is a mason by profession but was ‘sitting-in’ for a relative at her roadside food stand.

The food stand is located at Plaisance back dam where they vend cold fruit juices, pastries, egg ball and puri among other eatables.

The business has been in operation for four years and it opens twice weekly for customers, who are mostly villagers.

He describes the area as being “like any other village” and it is the place of many small businesses and shops.

The Pepperpot Magazine went further down into the village and met some young men, who were at a fruit stand in the community engaged in a ‘gaff’.

One of them, Anthony Gittens said that the squatting area has been in existence for more than 19 years and they have all the basic infrastructure except a good bridge, which is at the main entrance to access the area.

He related that most people in Plaisance have their own small business, an indication that they want to be self-reliant. Others work in offices, while some are farmers, and a lot of folks, who are members of the disciplined services.

“You know some people give Plaisance a bad name but this village has people that work and it is not a haven for wrongdoers. People try to make a living here and as you can see it is a safe place to be,” Gittens said.