MORE than 300 guests assembled in the ornate chambers of Croydon’s Town Hall in southern London two Saturdays ago to witness the first ever award ceremony at which 21 persons of either Guyanese origins or extract living in the United Kingdom were honoured for their outstanding achievements.

Among eminent British personalities to have graced the august event with their presence were Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Valarie Amos, who herself is of Guyanese heritage, and television personality and journalist, Mr. Trevor Phillips, who performed the duties of Master of Ceremonies.

The presentations were made by British-born First Lady, Varshnie Jagdeo.

According to Guyana’s High Commissioner to London, Mr. Laleshwar Singh, whose office hosted the event, the objective of the citation is to promote, recognise and acknowledge the positive contributions and achievements made by Guyanese in the United Kingdom in a number of areas.

He said that it was for this reason that the awards were divided into three categories, namely Category ‘A’, which is in recognition of those who gave service to the Guyanese community in the United Kingdom and/or Guyana; Category ‘B’, which is in recognition of those who distinguished themselves in their profession, vocation or calling in the United Kingdom; and Category ‘C’, which is in recognition of the Outstanding Guyanese of the Year.

In his address, Singh paid tribute to those Guyanese who migrated to the United Kingdom in the early 50s and 60s and maintained the same industrious spirit, which saw them through struggles against many odds and the sacrifices they had to make, to eventually evolve into a flowering of talent and skills.

He attributed the large turnout of Guyanese at the event as being “representative of the diverse ethnic and cultural background of our homeland and a true reflection of our objective to be One People, One Nation and to have One Destiny.”

He reportedly assured those Guyanese who were not privileged to have received an award this round that they would have the opportunity of doing so eventually as the event would be a biennial feature.

Heading the list of the five awardees in Category ‘A’ is Dr. Edward Emanuel Adams, a General Practitioner who previously served in several posts, including Senior House Officer and Registrar, at nine hospitals in the UK.

In addition to being Chairman of the Dr. CC Nicholson Memorial Foundation UK, he is also Vice Chairman of GUYHEALTH, an organisation involved in disseminating information on health needs here, and raising funds for the same purpose.

The second awardee in this category is Pandit Hardeo Tiwari, who is well known for his untiring religious and social work in the Guyanese and other West Indian Hindu communities in the UK for the past 40 years.

Reputedly one of the most revered Hindu priests in that community, Pandit Tiwari is said to be a founder member of the Caribbean Hindu Society which was launched in 1958, to which he has given dedicated and selfless service as priest and member of its management committee until his retirement last year due to ill health.

Third is Mr. Abdool Alli, who is reputed to be “dynamic and tireless in his endeavours to serve the Guyanese communities in London,” and to give of his service irrespective of race or creed, thus earning many citations from the London Borough of Haringey and other agencies for meritorious service.

Said to be one of the most highly regarded among Guyanese Muslims, he is also founder member and President of the London Islamic Cultural Society which constructed the first purpose-built mosque and cultural centre in North London.

Described as a remarkable woman, the fourth awardee is Ms. Balmati Pooran-Singh, a retired nursing Sister and former President of the Caribbean Hindu Society of South London, which latter position she held for two terms, 1989-1991, and 1997-1999.

Currently the Vice-President of this same organisation, Ms. Pooran-Singh is said to stand out in the Hindu communities as the only female in a role that is still recognised as a male preserve, and is well known for her leadership in religious and social work in general. She was recognised for her efforts by the London Borough of Lambeth with a 10-year certificate for voluntary work in the community.

The final award in this category went to Mr. Rudolph David Grant, known for his versatility in the arts, particularly music and costume making at carnival time, which latter feat is said to have “provided great enjoyment to millions of people, including tens of thousands of Guyanese in the UK and Guyana” in the last 35 years.

Among venues at which he has performed are the Royal Albert Hall, Brighton, Birmingham and Leeds. He is also co-founder of the group, Beeraahar Sweet Combinations Soca Mas Dance, and is currently an advisor to the Guyana Government on cultural matters.

Heading the long list of 13 nominees to Category ‘B’ is renowned Guyanese writer and poet and former Guiana Graphic (now Chronicle) reporter, Mr. John Agard, who has the distinction of being a winner of the prestigious Casa de las Americas Prize and the Paul Hamlyn Award.

Currently a Writer-in-Residence at the South Bank Centre and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) whilst working on the Windrush Project, Agard is said to be “a felicitous blend of poet and actor, as thousands of schoolchildren will attest.”

Described as a “master power lifter and record holder,” Mr. Narendra Bhairo is said to have 75 trophies to his name in a power lifting career spanning close to 30 years. Twelve were won in Britain and five in Europe. He is also recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for lifting eight times his body weight.

Next in the line-up is Air Commodore David Case, who migrated to London when he was just six and exhibited a self-discipline, willingness and ability to learn at such a tender age that was soon to develop “into an intelligence well beyond his years.”

Described as “rare and exceptional achiever in the Armed Forced,” Case’s “uncanny sense of purpose” saw him win a Royal Air Force (RAF) scholarship which was the precursor to a highly successful career in the military.

With his commissioning a year ago as Air Commodore, he became the highest ranking ethnic minority in the British Armed Forces.

Looking forward to a world title fight before yearend is budding middleweight boxing champ, Howard Eastman, who is already European and Commonwealth champion in his weight division.

This Category ‘B’ awardee is also ranked number one in the world by two boxing associations and has his sights set on vying with ‘Six-Head’ Lewis to bring Guyana the World Championship belt.

“A distinguished rarity” is a term reserved for Professor Ian Hall, an Oxford graduate whose taste in music ranges from obscure renaissance and baroque to Afro-jazz and Caribbean rhythms.

It is said of him that while there may be those who are gifted instrumentalists, vocalists and composers, and yet others with an aptitude for devising and directing musical and dramatic entertainments, to find a single person endowed with all these qualities must be exceedingly rare.

If ever there is anyone that is deserving of this accolade, it is the enigmatic Dr. Wilson Harris who is said to be still writing as prolifically as ever at the age of 80, and is currently on his 24th novel.

Listed among the top Guyanese literary greats, Harris is the first to admit that some find his writing difficult. But it is this same difficulty of writing, he says, that has earned him the following he now has.

Published by the same publishing house, Faber and Faber of Britain, for the last 40 years, Harris is the recipient of five honorary doctorates, the latest being as a birthday present this year from the University of Liege.

Synonymous with the character ‘Porkpie’ in the British sitcom ‘Desmond’s’ is the name Ramjohn Holder, a man reputed to have kept the Guyana flag flying on stage, television and in films in Britain for going on three decades.

His credits are said to read like a roll call of British Black theatre, from Playboy of the West Indies, to The Lenny Henry Show, and My Beautiful Launderette. With the late Norman Beaton, another distinguished Guyanese actor, Holder is credited with putting Guyana in the psyche of the British public and in the minds of theatre and cinemagoers.

Probably the world and Guyana’s foremost female classical composer is Ms. Joyce Ferdinand-Lalljie, who has been living in the UK since the 60s and taught music in schools there as well as in her native Guyana.

Among her most notable compositions are Odyssey of the Demerara River; The Water Lily Canal by Moonlight; Three O’Clock at Bourda; Song of the Blue Sakkie; and The Legend of Katie.

Sportsman, Mr. Herman Nurse, has no regrets giving up a career in mechanics back in 1976 to pursue powerlifting, a field in which he has since excelled. He currently coaches weightlifting and hopes to one day lend his expertise to athletes here.

“Financial wizard” and “guru” aptly describe Mr. Avinash Persaud, who has the distinction of being one of the world’s foremost experts on currency fluctuation.

Former Global Head of Currency and Vice President of JP Morgan, and visiting scholar/consultant to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Persaud is currently Managing Director of State Street Bank’s Global market Analysis and Research Department in London.

Ms. Daphne Steele created history with her appointment as matron back in early 70s London, the only Black person to have held that position at the time in the National Health Service (NHS). She later became a trained health visitor, a position she held until her retirement.

A former Sergeant in the Guyana Police Force Band, Keith Waithe is credited with being the first policeman to have ever studied composition and conducting as a classical scholar.

Said to be a talented flautist and clarinetist, he also has the distinction of being an internationally-acclaimed jazz musician.

There’s a familiar ring to the statement: “Literature is in his blood; he bestrides West Indian writing and the study of Caribbean culture in the UK like a colossus.” Sounds very much like David Dabydeen, twice winner of the prestigious Guyana Prize for Literature and Head of Caribbean Studies at the University of Warwick.

The three nominees for the title of ‘Outstanding Guyanese of the Year’ were bio-technologist, Dr. Mahendra Persaud Deonarain, who distinguished himself in the area of cancer research; Dr. Rajendra Persaud, who is often referred to as the ‘Sigmund Freud’ of his generation; and race relations advocate, Lord Herman Ouseley.