Alfred Pragnell

IT WAS 28 YEARS AGO THAT THE BRILLIANT IDEA OF COMMEMMORATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF SETTLEMENT OF HOLETOWN WAS BORN.  WITHIN A YEAR PLANS WERE DEVELOPED AND EXECUTED SO THAT DURING THE WEEK OF 13^TH TO 20^TH FEBRUARY, 1977, HOLETOWN WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A SPECTACULAR HIVE OF ACTIVITY NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED.

ALFRED PRAGNELL HAD CONCIEVED HIS LATEST IDEA, HAD ENTICED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS INTO JOINING THE EFFORT, HAD PRESIDED OVER ALMOST EVERY PLANNING MEETING AND IN THE END, ENJOYED THE SWEET SUCCESS THAT ONLY HARD WORK CAN BRING.

ALFRED WAS A TIRELESS WORKER FOR THE HOLETOWN FESTIVAL AND FOR HOLETOWN. APART FROM INSISTING THAT HOLETOWN SHOULD BE DESIGNATED A SITE OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE; HE WAS ALWAYS COMING UP WITH VARIOUS IDEAS TO MAKE THE TOWN A CENTREPIECE OF THE HERITAGE AND CULTURE OF BARBADOS. FOR HIM THERE WAS NO JOURNEY TOO FAR, NO SESSION TOO LONG IF THEY MEANT IMPROVEMENT OF HIS BELOVED FESTIVAL AND OF HOLETOWN.

HE SET AN EXAMPLE OF SELFLESSNESS AND WORKED HIMSELF TO THE LIMIT TO ENSURE – NOT ONLY CONTINUITY, BUT – GROWTH AND CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE FESTIVAL.  THE COMMITTEE’S DIFFICULT WORK WAS ALWAYS MADE EASIER OWING TO ALFRED’S IRREPRESSIBLE WIT, THE READY QUIP, AND THE NOT UNEXPECTED “LET ME TELL YOU THIS LITTLE ONE” WHERE HE WOULD PULL ONE OF HIS VERY APT ANECDOTES OUT OF THE SEEMINGLY BOTTOMLESS MAGICIAN’S HAT.

ASSOCIATES OF THE HOLETOWN FESTIVAL WHO HAVE MET WITH THE COMMITTEE FROM TIME TO TIME, HAVE BEEN QUICK TO COMMENT THAT WORKING WITH ALFRED’S COMMITTEES WAS A PLEASURE BECAUSE HE MADE THEM FEEL SO AT HOME.

THE FACT THAT HOLETOWN FESTIVAL HAS NOT ONLY SURVIVED, BUT HAS SOARED FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, IS LARGELY A TESTIMONY OF THE COMMITMENT WHICH ALFRED PRAGNELL HAS INVESTED INTO IT. WHENEVER THE NAME “HOLETOWN” OR “HOLETOWN FESTIVAL” WILL BE MENTIONED, THE ICONIC FIGURE OF ALFRED PRAGNELL WILL BE REMEMBERED.