By Michel Outridge

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the village of Belladrum, West Coast Berbice and spoke to residents about their way of life and developments in the village.

Being a rice-cultivation village, Belladrum has some residents who work with rice mills that are located in neighbouring villages on the West Coast Berbice corridor.

Colin Fraser is an operator at a rice mill. Although retired, he is still working as a way of occupying his time.

“I am 62 years old. I retired years ago but I am just working to pass time, because I really don’t have to,” he said.

As a local, Fraser reported that the people in Belladrum are very simple and they lead a similar life, doing what they must do and go about their business calmly and collectively.

“Around here people don’t waste time, we all have things to do and most people work on their farms, kitchen gardens and rice fields,” he said.

Fraser told the Pepperpot Magazine that the people of Belladrum are rice and cash- crop farmers; they own small businesses and rear poultry, pigs, cattle and they have a handful of fishermen.

He reported that some young people, mostly the men, are members of the Joint Services and they are based in the city but would return home on weekends.

Fraser disclosed that he was residing elsewhere but returned to his home village four years ago; and people would say Belladrum Village starts from Weldaad to the Abary Bridge.

“We, the West Coast Berbice people does say Belladrum start from Weldaad To Abary Bridge, because we know it as that because even though you from Paradise when people ask where you from you does say Belladrum,” he explained.

The Pepperpot Magazine also met a shop owner, Sherman Winfield, who was with another resident in his business place watching a cricket match.

He described life in Belladrum as good because he is earning and once one is employed, be it self-employed or in the private or public sector, it is a job.

Winfield is a shop owner in the village who sells groceries and beverages among other things. He said his wife is the village seamstress and they are doing well in there.

Cheryl Mingo is a roadside food vendor and a cheerful woman, who has some home-made fruit juices and snacks such as pholurie, egg ball, roti and curry, boiled channa and puri.

The 60-year-old related that she has been in the business for about a year and a half, having retired as a security guard from the rice mill at Burma Road, Mahaicony.

She stated that things are good in Belladrum because they have benefitted from developments within the years with good roads, drains and other infrastructure.

Stigfred Wilson, a local, told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is pleased with the progress of the village in terms of development, but the only thing needed is to strengthen the sea defence, which overtops during the spring tide when the waves are the highest.

He explained that last year when High Dam had flooding due to the spring tide, they had some flooding too; sections of the sea defence were breached.

Wilson added that the sea defence at Belladrum foreshore is void of mangroves; as such, there is a beach area,.

The team also met Troy Mitchell, a resident as well, who resides in an unpaved street and would like it to be asphalted since there is a kindergarten in the same street and when it rains it is very muddy for the children to traverse.

He works with a rice farmer and was with a group of men at a corner shop in the village having a friendly conversation over some drinks when the Pepperpot Magazine visited.