Both Sides of The Coin: The Story of The Central Bank of Barbados 1972-2017

188 seminars and sometimes appeared at press conferences where they responded to queries about the topic. The lectures were recorded and later televised for the benefit of the general public. The wide variety of subjects chosen by speakers since 1976 has underscored the Bank’s commitment to exposing the Barbadian public to a range of interesting and topical issues. By the time of the tenth lecture in 1985, the presenters had touched, inter alia , on energy, the computer, sub- Saharan Africa, health and religion. Prior to the construction of the Frank Collymore Hall this Lecture had been held at two locations, the CDB and Harrison College (in 1985). Accordingly, there was much anticipation before its first production in the Hall. That honour went to Dr. Worrell, then divisional director of research and information. His lecture, delivered on December 17, 1986, was entitled The Caribbean Economy in the Nineties: Challenge and Response . In introducing Worrell, Governor Blackman described him as “… a driving force in the development of the economics profession, both in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean”. Worrell’s lecture was one of nine (the largest number for any topic) that dealt directly with economic matters. Three lecturers explored health issues. Sir Kenneth Stuart, did so in 1983 when, inter alia , he extolled the benefits of preventative action in combating disease. Similar advice was evident in presentations by Dr. Therman Evans (1995) and Dr. Frances Ashcroft (2014). In 1987, the outstanding Barbadian poet, Professor Edward Kamau Brathwaite, C.H.B., was the lecturer. In his introductory remarks, Dr. Brathwaite warned the large audience, which included Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford, (later Sir Lloyd) that “…this is not going to be one of your formal lectures. There is no way that I could come here and deliver something formal when in fact what I am trying to say is so complex and so shifting in meaning.” And he kept his word, as he hummed, recited and tapped, occasionally speaking in Bajan dialect with telling effect. Brathwaite’s lecture was the first with a focus on the arts but thereafter several other speakers explored this field. Professor Paule Marshall, born of Barbadian parents, spoke on Language is the Only Homeland: Bajan Poets Abroad , in 1994. Professor Gordon Rohlehr, critiqued the work of Barbadian writers George