Belizean ladies in Harlem Square, Belize City in 1969
Harlem Square, the corner of Church, West and Glynn Streets. All three corners are connected. Church street changes its name to Glynn right where it narrows. Plues Street ends at the junction of Bishop Street. You had to make a left into George Street and then from the corner by Happy Hour, you could see that house. Used to be Camberbatch and his brother's Pulu house.
The woman seems to be carrying a pail which indicates she was going to fetch water, perhaps from the street faucet! Mel's Barber shop near the corner of West St was my favorite barber! I can remember going to that Barber shop to get my hair cut especially when College was going to open. The women wore dresses all week long. Belize did not have plastic buckets in early 70s. Lard Pan, Pig Tail wooden barrel and Metal butter bucket. As to where that lady was going for water, there were stand pipes in front of Percy's just outside of Glynn St. The other by Shoe Doctor beside then Batty Bus terminal and also Batty tortilla factory. Then Roque bar room after.
This is just opposite Jack Usher's machine shop. The house in the foreground, in the late '50s Wilton Camberbatch (CAMMA) and his brother Pullu use to live there.
Years later the wood structure was replaced with a concrete building that was a club that we use to play pool n skittles n the barber shop to the right of it.
The U-BAD Party held several Public Meetings at this location.
Note the distance the signpost was located from the curb. With most of the houses built of timber and locater so close to each other it is understandable why we had so many major fires in the city. Also there were no Fire Hydrants. The British Honduras Fire Brigade (later the Belize Fire Brigade) had to source water from the Haulover Creek, the canals and the sea.
Suzette Zayden:
Harlem Square! My mom (Burgos) grew up in the two story house on Glynn St. right behind the center house. You can see it in this pic. And the tree in Harlem yard to the right. The houses are not there anymore. The middle one had been long gone and turned into a club. The others burnt down in the fire that began in Harlem yard I believe in the 80s. There was a large fig tree near the Burgos house. They had a good slant for climbing on the one that overhung the shed where my grandmother did her laundry. Then they all burnt down and were not replaced.
Photograph courtesy Delvith Retreage
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