By Eion Jardine
THE sports world was a sadder place when he died. The man who was known and loved by everyone in sport for his untiring energy and was as feisty as he was lovable with his closing theme….“and remember folks, it’s not the game, but the way you play the game that counts” was no longer with us. His passing marked the end of an era, one that began at Wismar, Linden, Demerara River when Sir Cecil Clement was Governor of the Country. The date was October 22nd 1911, and eleven years after he was working at Fogarty’s Stationery store in Water Street.
Adversity, like George Legree, is a severe taskmaster, and in those formative years young Brinsley snatched his education from books and pamphlets in between hasty lunches in Fogarty’s dimly-lit storeroom. Like most healthy youngsters, be evinced an active interest in all sports and because of his sturdy build was nearly always elected to lead the firm’s cricket and football teams. Later, he played Cup Cricket for the Y.M.C.A. and represented Infantry at football when they won the Garnett Cup in 1934.
While the top floor of the Y.M.C.A. building was used exclusively for Gymnastics taught by such exponents as Dr. Cephas Whitney, Stanley Chee-a-Tow and later Tommy Wheating, the bottom floor was devoted to religious and social activities and so after punching some of his sparring mates silly, Brinsley would go downstairs and pray to be a better boy.
When he left Fogarty’s as floorwalker to open Bookers cycle and sports department 24 years later, B.L. had firmly established his image with the sporting public. It was a happy augury for sports, for previously less popular games had been receiving little attention from the press, despite the fact that B.L. was covering all aspects of sport as a freelance sportswriter for the Graphic.
Now he saw a chance to reach a wider audience and in 1950 Bookers sports flashes with B.L. Combie reporting went on the air with the full approval of the directors. Never before had the country’s sports events been so widely publicised. Soon after, B.L. was chosen to serve as an official of the Amateur Athletic and Cycle Union and the Guyana Olympic Association.
Later, he became Honorary Secretary of the Guyana Olympic Association and a member of the Guyana Football Association. His knowledge of the games and his forthrightness on the various bodies on which he sat, ensured his position as Team Manager of the Guyana Team to the British Empire Games in Vancouver. Guyana brought home a bronze medal for weightlifting at their first International Sports meet.
Then followed a series of visits to foreign lands and meetings with foreign personalities all in the interest of Guyana sports. In 1955 he accompanied the A.A. and C.U. Athletic Team to Trinidad as a delegate. In 1958 he was again selected as manager of the Guyana Team – to the British Empire Games at Cardiff. This time Roy Me Arthur came a close second to a Barbadian in the weightlifting department.
Naturally, B.L. Crombie was one of the overseas officials invited to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. In 1958, B.L. jetted to a Caracas Conference to help finalise plans for a Central American and Caribbean games which took place early in 1959. Guyana won a gold and bronze medal in weightlifting and a silver medal in athletics. In 1960, he went to Jamaica as a delegate of the A.A. and C.U. Championships. The outstanding performances of Brenda Archer, youthful B.H.S. star and Moses Dwarka helped Guyana to win six medals at this meet. And in 1961 B.L. tied the nuptial knot with English girl Marjorie Maries.
The couple first met at the 1958 British Empire Games in Cardiff when Marjorie represented Canada and was a finalist in the Ladies fencing championship events. In 1962 he again visited Jamaica, venue of the Central American and Caribbean Games as manager of the Guyana team. Brenda Archer was again outstanding winning a gold medal for the High jump.
B.L. became President of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association in 1972 and was the driving force on the Board. He went to Germany in 1975 and was again selected as Press Reporter of the Guyana Team to the Pan American Games in Mexico. B.L. will also be remembered for his Radio programme, a Salute to a Champion, an entirely new concept in broadcasting sports celebrities from every field.
He received the A.A award from the Guyana Government for long and meritorious service to sports. The likeable crusty “voice of boxing” who could always deliver a few thousand well chosen words finally ran out of drive at age seventy-one. His final walk went “all the way, down to the wire.”
Yvonne Stephens – Never say die
The Small Businessman
CHRISTMAS is the only time of the year I make flowers on a large scale basis.
For the rest of the year I make them on order.
Yvonne Stephens sits comfortably on a wooden stool at the corner of Regent and King Streets surrounded by brilliantly coloured artificial flowers in boxes, making them. “About four years ago I learned to make flowers after watching a girl who worked at Mohan’s store making them.” Her daughter-in-law sits assisting her. The flowers are made out of kite paper, crepe paper, duplex paper and wire and paste. Most of the raw materials Yvonne buys from Phagoo’s store. She complains about the shortage of duplex paper, the stiffest paper for making flowers.
Along with the flower making business Yvonne has a sweet stand and also sells cards all year round. At Easter, she makes kites to sell. Before she decided to make flowers to sell Yvonne was a trader but, she says, it is becoming increasingly difficult to trade and unfortunately she lost her two stalls in Stabroek Market.
The constant blackouts, Yvonne says, hamper her because it is difficult to make the flowers by lamp light.
PROBLEM
Transportation also poses a problem since she lives 12 miles out of Georgetown, at Buxton, and has to rely on public transportation.
“Some days I am out on the main road at 5:30 a.m. and I do not get transportation until 11 a.m.”
“I sometimes would hire a taxi but it is uneconomical to do so every day.” Yvonne has never sold her flowers to any store and plans to continue making flowers as long as she is able to because she has four children to upkeep.
