Carlyle Mason, Peter Mc Almont and Mortley Doris would meet up at the “Chill Spot” outside of Mason’s residence in Half Mile Village every day to sit and chat about many things, under a shed, where there is a large shady tree.

They are pensioners living out their golden years in the community they call home even though they came from different villages in search of work and settled in Half Mile. Mason told the Pepperpot Magazine that he came to Half Mile Village in 1958 in search of work. He was a woodcutter and he was squatting in the jungle-like area back then.

The 82-year-old added that he had a small house he lived in and also was renting a house and years on, he managed to construct a house after he was given a plot of land. Mason stated that back then, the place had large trees which were cut down for a housing scheme and they used to cut trees with rip-saw and he would sell wood to others and that’s how he earned then.

The senior citizen reported that it was then President Cheddi Jagan who visited the community and gave out land titles and in 1964, the then President Linden Forbes Burnham visited and gave out large lands to residents for farming. He remembered it clearly as if it was yesterday, it was three cents per square foot for the land to farm and whoever had money bought the lands quickly.

Mason added that they were told to erect temporary houses until they received their land titles and the village was developed with roads, drains and other facilities.

He is originally from Buxton, East Coast Demerara and left his home village in search of work when the aluminium plant was in operation things were lucrative in the mining town. Mason said when he first came to Region 10 he used to reside at la Harmonie, Demerara River and he went on to become a woodcutter and relocated to Half Mile Village.

The elder pointed out that he never worked with the bauxite company but also felled trees to make Wallaba posts which he sold. The father of seven is retired and during the day he would tend to his meat birds of 100 which he would pluck and sell and does buy eggs to sell, as well.

The village seniors added that during his days of felling trees, he had an accident in which a large pinned him and he had his damaged left leg amputated more than 70 years ago. The leg was crushed and there as nothing medical professionals could do to save the leg and it was amputated from just above the knee and he is today aided by crutches.

Mason told the Pepperpot Magazine that their “Chill Spot” is considered parliament for them because they would discuss everything under the sun even politics and whatever else is trending after reading the newspapers.

His friends, Mc Almont, 79 and Doris, 65, would meet in the morning and take a break for lunch and would return to the spot and stay there up until nightfall. Mason stated that it is there place to sit and talk and they would also see who is passing by and greet residents, they are a fixture in the community and their meetings are quite normal.

“We are pensioners and we find things to do to keep busy even though we worked most of our lives but you know what they say us old folk have to continue to work to stay active and we would meet here to gaff and nothing is wrong with that,” Mason said.

Mason and his friends however, seem contented with their lives which they describe as okay and they are very happy to be basking in relative peace and quiet of Half Mile Village. These elders are well-respected in the community and well-known because of their meeting spot and people are accustomed to see them under the shed every day so when they don’t meet up people get worried.

The meetings will however, continue according to the trio, who are very chatty and would even reminisce on yesteryear, the black and white days when they were young and fresh.