TRINIDAD: Government Primary Boys R.C., Harris Promenade, San Fernando;

The Abbey School, Mount St Benedict (G.C.E.);

U.W.I. Extra Mural Night School, San Fernando (G.C.E).

ENGLAND U.K.: Southampton Technical College (O.N.D. Eng.);

Machine Shop aprentership: Tate and Lyle Ltd., Plaistow, East London;

Southampton College of Technology (H.N.D. E.E.Eng.)

+ W.E.A.: Astronomy & Space Research;

The University Southampton (Physics, Astronomy);

Plymouth Polytechnic (P. Dip. C.E.I. Exemption Part 2. E.E.Eng.) A.M.I.E.E. (1976)

A Decade or Two: 1996 to 2014

Around mid 1996; de Barry returned to Trinidad from the UK to pursue activities generally outside the technological areas of previous focus. The activities now moved to interests in the fauna, flora, culture and history of TT. In time, these interests gravitated towards the musical steelpan culture of TT. This was not a mutually exclusive change of interest; as de Barry had already been a musician in Trinidad since the late 1960's in the combo Interpreters, and by this time, had in the UK become a 'folk' musician/songwriter, albeit of some small but noteworthy context, within the Milton Keynes Art Society of the early 1990's. 'Pan' is the 'rootsey' call of 'home', and became a theme to which technologies experience could be applied.

A web site, www.tobago.org (2008) - previously www.seetobago.com (1997 to 2007); now www.seetobago.org (2014+) - was set up to illustrate various aspects of TT and it's culture. Running the web site engendered many of its own 'projects'; themes or matters of interest that needed to be portrayed, so as to give relevant body to the site. The web site now represents, to a large extent, The Steelbands of Trinidad and Tobago.

In keeping with this theme, and with music; de Barry joined the executive of Hatters Steel Orchestra in 1999 becoming the bands Public Relations Officer (PRO).

Pan and the Web have dominated de Barry's interests over the past decade, and some; together with Science Fiction and the theoretical physics of Astronomy, his other main interests.

The Panyard Experience.

Although officially the PRO of Hatters Steel Orchestra (2002 to 2019); de Barry has un-officially acted, at various times, as the co-ordinator (1999 to 2002) and acting as manager (various other intivals) for the band, performing these duties on a 'needs-be' bases, on behalf of the Hatters; as at these times, there was simply no one else there to do that function.

Summary - Around The Last Decade or so. (1996 to 2014)

TT, In the Panyard & On the Web

A Time - 1996 to Present

A Place

To make the 100 stony-step climb out of Pirates Bay, or feel the nibbling fish of a cloudy Canoe Bay, or see the giant silk-cotton tree, fabled 'home to the spirits of our ancestors', between Moriah and Castara, and ah - a Castara Sunset, or swim the treacherous currents of Toco, or view the angry swirls of the 'remo' from a fishing perague off Monos, or see the sad bobbing plastic waste pollutants around Gasparee's 'Paradise Island' resort, or marvel from the edge at the still crystal tidal waters of Gaspar Grandes' cool caves, or after sunset make the photo-plankton 'glow' with the swirl of an idle hand in the waters off the island's southern flank, or collect 'jumbie beads' from the spiny periphery around the bubbly mud of the Devils Woodyard, or to be swept adrift at Columbus Bay and to return ashore by swimming back beneath the sandstone arch at Los Gallos Point, or view the fossil foot-prints of past creatures in the uplifts near Moruga point, or to skin the mackawell sadly killed in ignorance of the habits of snakes at Guayaguayare, or be cautious around the pink-toed tarantulas that infested the eves of the long abandoned Point Radix house, or hunt 'donkey eyes' at the edge of the rustling coconut groves of a windy Manzanilla beach, or to listen at the foot of San Fernando hill to the kiskadees quarrel in the middle of the day; is to know that the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are a unique and fragile home. Yet this is but small comment to the many wonders of these islands; a lifetimes work to document, to touch the fauna and flora alone.

A People

To move around inside your home steelband that is playing on the Panorama stage, on a finals night at Queens Park Savannah, Port of Spain, Trinidad, as freely as if it were a normal nights practice in the panyard; is an experience unique and near beyond description. To there reflect on the efforts of the few to get it all there; having in the South seen-off the convoy of trailers of racks, the small-pan truck and the bus-loads of players on their way to arrive here. The off-load and set-up at the designated place on the road, that the bands refreshments are on time, that the player do not stray from the road-practice or drink overmuch. That the seasons decorations, all the banners and flags and the sponsors logos and stickers are in place; that every one has their 'T-Shirt'. The banner bearers lead as the thrill of a playing steelband begins its rolling demonstration trek down through the thick crowd on the barber-green; the traditional pre-stage pause for a prayer. The up-stage push as the selected order of racks come over the ramp to be positioned on-stage, the 'quadro' rack first, to mark centre-stage and the centre of the band, behind the mandatory, troublesome taught-stretched banner; that identifies our tune and playing position; grandises our sponsor, and shouts acclaim for the ever hopeful icon arranger. The nervous banner girls usually have trouble with it, smiling in stress as it catches a fleeting wind, but gamefully hanging on, surprised at how tricky it is to keep is taught. Not so surprising really, as they are usually cohered to duty at the last minute, friends of the panyard, of some prettiness, and are at this moment rehearsing in their minds, the instructions they have just received of where and how they are to go, when it all starts. It is noisy as the racks are cart-wheeled and 'bumped' into position, the calypso 'tune' announcing from the speakers, the players chatting excited last minute banter as they tend to their pans and enter their racks that begin to crowd the stage. The fit is tight as there is now only a narrow walk-way at the front and the back of the stage, as the wheels of the racks are given their final check for the placement of their 'stop-chucks', and the events recording crew cautioned where not to place their microphones; and the stage directives for the banner bearers and flag waver given. The noise fades towards silence as the judges indicate that they are ready; and the Captain gives his nod. From the blinking metronome, the arrangers tapping on a pan-skirt brings a deep rumble as the players feet stamp into synchronism with the beat. The final staccato flourish of taps brings the players to focus to start the music; they pan-dance and sway as the tune unwinds; and to ponder there, what still needs to be done, regardless of the result, to get all these players, all these pans and racks; back home to base, all safe and sound; is on one hand, an anxious moment of introspection. Yet, on the other, a thought forward to hopeful clockwork planning; that the trucks are over there, ready in place at the other end of stage-exit. That the players have a good play, that they are happy and remain co-operative, that they remember to hold-on to their valuable hi-pans when they finish, that the rolling dismount of the racks off the down-stage ramp is controlled so that no pans fall, and amid all this rolling iron and excitement that no-one is run over. That the hi-pans quickly find their place into the safety of the boxes of the small-truck, that the reload of racks onto trailers is swift and orderly. That the busses have now arrived; that the free-riders are kept away so that the bands members; and that group of young members, someone's precious children in you care; all get a safe ride home. It is still a chancy thing, because it all has to be off-loaded and repacked in the panyard at the other end; and some members have to be cajoled into promises to do it. It is all daunting to witness and tiring to the end; but at the close, after a very long and trying day; it has all been truly magnificent.

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Jeremy G. de Barry - Update May 2022