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From the Trinidad Guardian Features Section, dated November 30th, 2009:

A big part of the traditional T&T Christmas festive expressions has always been parang groups and or groups of friends and relatives moving from house to house in a village, sharing music, drinks, food, fun and more. So much merriment is derived from that practice of small groups moving from one home to another and another—and then another. Try now to compare and comprehend that experience, to several villagers from different villages, travelling from their various individual locations across the country, and gathering at one central location. Now exercise your imagination further, to envision the widespread variations of food-preparations and music to be concentrated in one place!

That and much more is anticipated when the first-of-its-kind Christmas In The Village event takes place on December 5, at Queen’s Royal College, located at the western end of the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain. The villages of Paramin, Lopinot, Arima, Brasso-Seco, Sangre Grande and Siparia will all congregate at the venue, which will be transformed into an enormous village setting, befitting the concept of the occasion. What’s cooking in the Village? Organisers Village Friends say patrons can excite their taste-buds with pitch-oil pan ham, wild-meat with provision, pastelles, paime, roast beef in mushroom sauce, longtime bread, roasted suckling pig and braised ham. Stuffed chicken breast, festive rice, pigeon peas in coconut milk, sponge cake and black cake are also among the extensive outlay of mouth-watering dishes that will be available for Christmas celebrants in the Village.

If you are already salivating, add some tasty dashes of humorous anecdotes from respected comedian/storyteller/actor Paul Keens-Douglas to that menu. Keens-Douglas will be the Village host. Now mix all the preceding ingredients with the music of parang soca king Scrunter and parang soca innovator Crazy, the Lara Brothers, Los Alumnos de San Juan, Carib Santa Rosa Parang Group, Voces Jovenes, Los Parranderos de UWI, 2009 Panorama champions Silver Stars Steel Orchestra and the St James Tripolians, with DJs Roger Simpson and Crosby Sounds. Funds accrued from the public’s support at this chance-in-a-lifetime event will be utilised for the refurbishing of buildings on the compound of the century-old Queen’s Royal College.

Tickets are available at:

• QRC’s Box Office 622-1671
• Savvy Traders Ltd, 674-9065 or 372-6232
• Crosby’s North & South,
• Flowers 137 Tragarete Road
• Simon’s Music Supplies, St Vincent St, Port-of-Spain
• Kenny’s Sports Centre, and
• Sincerely Yours in Grand Bazaar.

According to Village Friends, general admission to the “village happening”, which starts at 5 pm and goes until midnight, costs TT$150.00.  VIP (Inclusive) guests paying TT$350.00 will be entitled to a dinner plate consisting of three meats and at least four sides, together with six drinks – three premium and three non-premium.

Facebook users can register there attendance at the event page for Christmas in the Village.

The Express’ Garth Wattley writes a fantastic article on ancient rivalries, tradition, and that which binds us together as Royalians. [Link]

Sometimes, what happens on the field is not as significant as what happens off it. That can be true even when a title is at stake. So it was last Wednesday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium at the North Zone final of Coca-Cola InterCol.

They may have had a sense of it, but I’m not at all sure that the jubilant Queen’s Royal College footballers-jumping in a tight huddle on the field after prevailing in kicks from the spot against St Mary’s College-realised just what they caused in both halves of the near-to-packed main stand.

In the blue-and-white CIC section, the pain and disappointment of losing to that team would have been keen and as annoying as being bitten behind the ear by a bloodthirsty mosquito.

In the royal blue section, though, the smiling just didn’t cease, the Scout band played on, and big men for whom school is now but a very distant experience, hugged and embraced each other.

It was quite a scene, this meeting of the tribes.

Read the rest of this entry »

In 2009, the QRC Old Boys’ Association celebrates 75 years of existence with the annual dinner at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre.

In 2009, the bells of the clock tower sound the hour again, raising the pores of every Old Boy who last heard them ring many years ago while at school.  It is a fact that many young men of more recent vintage have never known the clock to carry the correct time but twice a day, nor heard it sound the quarters and the hour.

In 2009, the Main Block refurbishment project is complete, and it is said Queen Elizabeth II herself may visit the College commissioned in the name of her forebears.

In 2009, members of the QRC Scout Band of the 1980′s reassembled to sound iron and drum and brass, raising the spirits of the young and not so young.

In 2009, young men in QRC’s blue took to the field at the National Stadium and, under the watchful eyes of their fellows, teachers, parents, assembled alumni and myriad other supporters, with heart and determination brought home the North Zone Coca-Cola Intercol title.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Royalians had to fight to come back from 2-0 down at the half in their semi-final encounter versus St. Anthony’s College at the National Stadium this afternoon.  Strikes from Tiger nemesis Dwayne Muckette and Akil Morris brought the score level, and it would remain so at the end of regulation time.

Penalty kicks immediately followed, with both teams netting all five of their opportunities.

Our keeper became the hero of the day in Sudden Death, saving the Tigers’ sixth spot kick and permitting our boy the opportunity to take the game.

The evening’s second game also went down to penalties, Fatima and CIC standing level with one goal a piece at the end of ninety minutes.

Fatima though was unable to keep up with their Frederick Street brethren, falling 5-3 from the spot.

QRC meet ancient archrivals St. Mary’s College one week from today, Wednesday 11th November, to contest the Coca Cola North Zone Intercol title.

It’s been many a year since last a Royalian heard the clock tower sound the hour.  And of late, it have been raising the pores of past students who will have left the College decades ago.

The chimes herald the return of other things – the finalization of the Grand Old Lady’s refurbishment, a renewal of the Royalian spirit… and this year, an old staple of the QRC calendar, the October Affair.

Taking the handle “CHIMES“, the event is carded for Saturday 31st October, 2009.  It runs from 11:00am to 6:00pm and will feature all of the old bazaar staples of past October Affairs, and will be held on the College Grounds.

The entrance fee is just TT$5, but holders of the following tickets enter the venue for free.

• Chicken Barbeque $35
• Fish Barbeque $40
• Afternoon Tea $50
• Dance $40 (SOLD OUT!)

Tickets are available at the College Office, and all Royalians are encouraged to come out, support and spend some money on the stalls and games.

QRC played today to a three-nil victory over Trinity College.  In the day’s other matches, St. Mary’s defeated last year’s champs Mucurapo by a two-nil margin while  St. Anthony’s fell one goal shy of their first round trouncing of newcomers Woodbrook Secondary, pounding seven unanswered items on the French Street side.

After today’s games, the standings are as follows:

1. QRC 22 pts +11 GD
2. CIC 21pts +12 GD (Game in hand)
3. St. Anthony’s 19pts +19 GD (Game in hand)
4. Fatima 19 pts +4 GD (Game in hand)
5. East Mucurapo 17pts +7 GD (Game in hand)
6. Trinity 2 pt -25 GD (Game in hand)
7. Woodbrook 2 pt -28 GD

We remain at the top of the table, but the position is tenuous.  We have one more game to play versus St. Anthony’s on their ground.  One would remember that the first round meeting was a virtual stalemate decided by a strike which caught the St. Anthony’s defence and keeper unawares.  This is a must-win for us if we are to have any claim on the league crown.

St. Mary’s next two games are against table proppers Trinity and Woobrook Secondary in turn, teams that they defeated 6-0 and 3-0 in the first round.  For them to lose a chance at the crown, we need for them to drop a minimum of three points.  A win and a draw will still see the Saints equal to use on points, but they already possess  superior goal difference.

Fatima and St. Anthony’s are both three points behind us, however we are supposed to close the latter out in our next meeting.  Fatima have tough final encounters versus neighbours Mucurapo and St. Anthony’s, having lost to both teams by 0-2 and 1-2 margins in the first round.  They need wins in both games to equal QRC on points.  Their combined margin of victory must be eight plus our margin over St. Anthony’s in order to pass us on goal difference.

Now five points adrift of the top of the table, East Mucurapo is pretty much out of championship contention.  They have two matches left to play versus Fatima and Trinity in turn.  Even if they win both of their matches, and they are expected to given first round results, they are already too far behind the top two.  If the downright impossible were to happen though, they still have a mathematical chance of retaining their crown.

In our last match on the North Zone league calendar, QRC faces St. Anthony’s in Westmoorings on Tuesday 13th October, 2009.  We must win in order to maintain our seat on the top of the table, and then await the results of games on October 16th to decide our fate.

QRC’s 2-1 victory over Woodbrook Secondary yesterday saw the Royalians back into first place in the league table on points.

In the day’s other results, St. Mary’s battled to a one-nil victory over St. Anthony’s, and Fatima put three unanswered goals past Trinity College.  East Mucurapo Secondary had the bye on the day.

Match results caused several movements in the first five positions of a very competitive North Zone, just three points still separating first from fifth.

1. QRC 19 pts +8 GD
2. Fatima 19 pts +4 GD
3. CIC 18pts +11 GD (Game in hand)
4. East Mucurapo 17pts +8 GD (Game in hand)
5. St. Anthony’s 16pts +12 GD (Game in hand)
6. Woodbrook 2 pt -21 GD
7. Trinity 2 pt -22 GD (Game in hand)

With a bye on the final match day, QRC needs to be at least three points ahead of all contenders to be sure of a League title. Consequently, wins in our last two games versus Trinity at home and St. Anthony’s away are crucial.

Fatima, equal with us on points, have Compre and St. Anthony’s to deal with.  Those are harder games and they’re less likely to close both successfully, having conceded two goal to each opponent in the first round.

CIC, a point behind and a game in hand, play Mucurapo, Trinity and Woodbrook.  Mucurapo is a likely stumbling block for them, but St. Mary’s has scored a combined nine unanswered goals against the table proppers.  Two wins and a draw will set them level on points with potentially superior goal difference should we win both our last games.

Mucurapo, two points behind and a game in hand, play CIC, Fatima and Trinity.  With QRC picking up maximum points, they will need to secure three wins to be sure of retaining the North Zone crown.  Fatima and St. Mary’s though will surely give Compre a run for their money, and we will need for them to drop points in at least one of those games.

St. Anthony’s, three points adrift and a game in hand, play Woodbrook, Fatima and us, all on their home ground. Our greatest challenge will come from the Tigers who can secure games versus Woodbrook (8-0 first round win) and Fatima (2-1 first round win) to meet us on points and pass us on goal difference. In this case, a draw against them will not be sufficient to seal the title.

Clearly, the league champion will not be determined until the last whistle is blown on October 16th.

QRC next faces Trinity College on Saturday 10th October on our ground in a must-win encounter.  Match time is 3:45PM.