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

90 Banking , which was moderated by the governor. Panellists were G.K. Bouey, Anthony Hughes and Dr. Euric Bobb, respectively, the governors of the Bank of Canada and the Central Banks of the Solomon Islands and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Alan Crawford, an adviser from the Bank of England. The next day the Bank presented a Gala Premiere at the Frank Collymore Hall, featuring leading Barbadian artistes 55 and highlighted by a special tribute to Frank Collymore in the form of a drama presentation. Thereafter came a week of performances called City Nights , which drew large audiences and rave reviews in the media. The City Nights event effectively diffused much of the hostility to the Central Bank headquarters by making a top class cultural facility easily accessible to ordinary citizens. The Hall featured prominently during the celebrations for the country’s 20th Anniversary of Independence later in the year. The staff had mixed views on their new accommodation. Positive comments were made about the design, general surroundings, spacious offices, lighting and the ability to house everyone under one roof. Conversely, they raised concerns about the comparatively long distances between offices, the open office concept that limited privacy and the lack of recreational facilities. Within a few years of its opening, the Frank Collymore Hall established a reputation with the general public and persons going there would be dressed in their “Sunday best”. With the passage of time, the Hall became the preferred venue for the production of high quality musical and other presentations. It is safe to say that it was mainly as a result of the popularity of the Frank Collymore Hall that the entire Central Bank complex became acceptable to the public at large. 56 Carl Moore conducting a tour of the complex.