WE LIVE IN very interesting times, my dear. Who could’ve imagined that you could increase your ratings on the social circuit by being able to boast about your trips to Corrie? Which Corrie? See that now, you don’t even know the in-word for Coronation Market…yes, the same one which higglers and country people once regarded as the centre of the universe. That was before the endless possibilities were discovered among the dreams for Downtown Gentrification (more of which anon).

These days, Corrie is the jewel of the crown, rejoicing in its new status as an A-list social talking point. It is quite a fashionable thing to casually let it be known that you have been shopping at Corrie. The rich and the famous now find it deliciously amusing to speak of one’s favourite vendor and the thrill of bargaining over the peas and the pumpkin, not to mention the Trelawny yam and the St Elizabeth sweet potato.

And as to the prices, dearies… it is such an adrenalin rush to discover that one can get the veggies so much cheaper there than Uptown. Corrie is so vital now to the social scene, it is a wonder some enterprising event planner hasn’t staged the cocktail party of the season amidst the gungo and the skellion. (Please remember where you saw this idea first).

I have to confess, however, that I have a bit of a problem with the Corrie-mania. With all the excitement and the great post-Dudus dream for the rebirth of West Kingston, the sober fact is that not much has happened in the surrounding streets and lanes. True, it takes time for things to come to fruition, but after the trauma of last May, it would have been a little more encouraging to detect urgency in tackling some of the really difficult conditions which prevailed then and continue now.

Okay, okay, I know that it takes time, but the reality is the conditions which have accounted for the years of bitterness and disillusionment have not changed and it is still easy for unrest to foment. Downtown dwellers seem condemned to live their particular nightmare over and over again, but don’t take that for complacency. Things are no longer what they seem. People are more aware than they used to be.

THE CORRIE PHENOMENON is simply fabulous, but delightful though it may be, with the latest designs of Dolce and Gabanna, and Louboutin stepping out amidst the cabbage leaves, eventually that might not be sufficient. There is always a wick waiting to be lit. Some people still don’t get it. Don’t be surprised if right now, someone, somewhere, is saying that the really great thing about Downtown excursions is that there’s always Uptown to return to. It would be good to reflect on the reality that some have no such luxury. Jammed as they are into a crumbling, restrictive environment, it doesn’t take much to try to break out by any means. But all is not lost…

There are various projects in the making for communities where dreams of improvement and upliftment are still being maintained, despite the long wait to get into the starting block. This makes it all the more important that at least some of the speed and the urgency which went into the rejuvenation of Coronation Market should be channelled into moving dreams to accomplishment. Lives cannot be put on hold indefinitely.

THE OTHER EVENING, at the invitation of police officers assigned to a community project to promote effective parenting and wholesome family life, I met with residents of a community not far from Corrie. Street lights are few and far between. The shells of burnt-out buildings are stark reminders of the events of the recent past. The people continue to try making a life of their own.

There was none of the Corrie glamour, but the women and a few men at the meeting were responding to the messages with almost evangelical fervour. They prayed, they sang, they shared experiences and hopes and dreams for the lives of their children and themselves and were as welcoming and gracious as anyone you would find anywhere. The team in charge of the programme was very optimistic and heartened by the responses. “Where there’s life, there’s hope.”

BUT BACK TO MARKET STORY. Corrie is not the only market success story of these times. The minister of agriculture will tell you that the farmers’ markets (FMs) should be on the list of successes too. After the bumper crop of vegetables – cabbage and tomato especially – the dreaded word “glut” made the rounds, with sellers outnumbering buyers. To save agriculture, the ministry jumped in and launched the farmers’ market initiative, to assist farmers in selling off the over-abundance. The early kinks seemed to have been eliminated and with the markets now thriving at their various locations around the island, the farmers can breathe a little easier.

Not everyone is ecstatic, however. The FMs benefit from the ministry’s support including media access for promotion, location, etc. All well and good, however, but the traditional market cannot match the “rock-bottom prices” which the FMs are able to offer. This means that even loyal customers defect for the day, with serious implications for earnings of the “traditionals” who are not amused. They’re calling for special attention too.

The bigger question remains the unresolved issue of how to deal with glut in highly perishable commodities. The promises of establishing more food processing and cold storage solutions around have not been realised as yet. Something’s got to give. One man’s glut is another man’s famine?

CRUEL FATE – that Holmwood Technical’s joy at the incredible performance of their girls at Champs should be dimmed less than a week later by the nasty road accident which claimed the lives of another set of girls yesterday. Fate is cruel, indeed. All sympathy to the Holmwood family.

gloudonb@yahoo.com