Two Cabinet Ministers of Barbados for one tour, what gives? It seems John Boyce, who handles Health, was asked to attend a special tour in Newton recently as he was a former Engineer there… Donville Inniss, who deals with Commerce, was invited as the brewery was launching a new product… Or maybe, both were there to assist Richard Cozier look at ways to amend the Municipal Solid Waste Tax, many will recall, Donville Inniss suggested the tax be revised based on public outcry, the tax is compiled using real estate values – is not the Newton facility larger than Banks Beer’s previous Wildey Complex? Well, I didn’t get to ask it, since from the outset, strict guidelines were laid down for the media gathering which took place after the tour!
While honeyed-like mead tasting “Vex Yellow Monkey” created waves of a racial nature among some Bajans, it is expected the Hardears Golden Ram with heat sensitive labelling, a dark ale similar in taste to the USA’s Samuel Adams microbrew will gain a better reception. The Vex Yellow Monkey was just too sugary for me, any racial connotations attributed is just oversensitivity as far as I am concerned…
Don’t take my word for it, listen to Banks’ PR Manager, Mrs Sophia Cambridge tell Media about the do’s & don’ts when interviewing the Barbados Government representatives, while the rules are not necessarily hard and fast – it is clear what the original intent is for how these reporters are expected to behave {PLEASE CLICK ON FOLLOWING ICON FOR FULL AUDIO – SMARTPHONE AND TABLET USERS PLEASE CLICK ON Mrs Cambridge’s NAME INSTEAD}
Granted it may be understandable to keep questions brief, yet why limit the questions only to the tour or on the brewery itself? Is this Zimbabwe or some other destination of democratic paucity? This is rather ironic when one considers that Mrs Cambridge is also President of the Barbados chapter of IABC and would know how Media operates elsewhere, especially when as a fellow Anchor at CBC, she had an internship at CNN with no less than Christiane Amanpour, noted for her fearless and tough interviewing skills.
Chief Commercial Officer Ray Chee-A-Tow explains how the majority of pallets and cases at Banks are recycled even by providing 30% of plastic pellets for cases to be made in recycling as this lowers the cost sent to consumers…
As for Boyce, after the conference I was going to ask about the seven cases of Chikungunya fever in Barbados, and told him so – he said hold on a minute, then he disappeared faster than any card from David Blaine or coin from Criss Angel! A colleague from another media house remonstrated me for trying to do so, they summed it up when they quipped; “Chicken gone? Yeah!” Making a verbal play on the name of the dengue-like virus…
This is the point where the Press Conference guidelines were laid down to the reporters, who did not even comment except for me – when Boyce suggested I could be removed for daring to question it? I replied that’s great as then I’d have a lead for the story, at this he shut up…
As for the other Minister, while Donville and I attended the same secondary institution, it does not give him the right to accuse me of being author to all or any of what is said at Barbados Free Press or Barbados Underground – a false accusation like that is dirtiness akin to pornography… The next time I am accused and I am able to record Inniss attempting to deliver such naked news of an inaccurate nature, I may take the recording to a lawyer and see how much money I am entitled to for the assault on my reputation?
Since beer once made needs to be kept chilled, refrigeration is the main expense – the brewery hopes to lower the cost by using solar electricity to bring down this expense, these panels seen between stored beer are the first wave of more to come on board…
Anyhow, during the same
muzzled
conference I asked Inniss since Food Security for Barbados is crucial, then isn’t it time for the little sugar which is grown, rather than export it – isn’t it better to keep it her and use for local consumption? Between Bajan users and both Banks Beer & Rum Distillers?
The guard hut at their entrance is made from the very first “Tun” or vat where the beer was brewed back in 1961
Inniss made reference to the proposed ideas of mostly quiet David Estwick as a means of emphasising his own view that perhaps it’s time Barbados should consider not exporting the once prodigious crop and make better use indigenously as not just a food source but also a means of creating alternative energy… {PLEASE CLICK ON FOLLOWING ICON FOR FULL AUDIO – SMARTPHONE AND TABLET USERS PLEASE CLICK ON Minister Inniss‘ NAME INSTEAD}
Donville would recall, if I have anything to say to him, I will ask directly – like this Facebook chat 3 years ago which he is yet to reply to? (CLICK FOR BIGGER)
Meanwhile, CEO & Managing Director Richard Cozier bragged how Banks is ready for Crop Over and in fact is glad for any competitor available since the demand for beer may exceed all manufacturers this Kadooment {PLEASE CLICK ON FOLLOWING ICON FOR FULL AUDIO – SMARTPHONE AND TABLET USERS PLEASE CLICK ON Mr Cozier‘s NAME INSTEAD}