Saturday 30th November marked the inaugural SVG Expo UK, as part of the UK Diaspora’s celebration of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ 40th Anniversary of Independence. This years’ expo was held at the Holiday Inn Hotel, High Wycombe and sponsored by Kestrel Liner Agencies.
The expo hosted the international Hairouna Film Festival with Vincy film makers led by Festival Director Aiko Roudette; a fully booked creative industry presentation from SVG’s Int’l Ragga Soca Monarch 2019 winner, Hance John; UK based Vincentian, Dale Davis - one of the UK’s top session bass guitarists, he was musical director and arranger for Amy Winehouse.
A selection of works from other exhibitions included on display were from Nadia Huggins – ‘Circa No Future’, SV2G – ‘Coming Back Home, Migration project and current project on Vincentian George Alexander Gratton, the first known Vincentian to live in the UK in 1809.
Nationals and friends were also treated to the Vincentian services and products on offer along with opportunities to participate in steelpan taster sessions with the School of Steelpans and Wycombe Steel Orchestra as well as carnival mas workshops led by Vincy Alliance Mas.
Andy Thorne, CEO of Kestrel Liner Agencies said “We are delighted to have sponsored the inaugural SVG Expo UK. Kestrel has specialised in shipping from across the world into the Caribbean since our doors opened; we are very proud to have a local office in St Vincent run by Marlon Gibson and an ever-expanding team of local Vincentians. The growth of the St Vincent and the Grenadines economy is dear to our hearts, as is supporting the Vincy population both here in the UK and back home in the Caribbean. Having spent my life living between the Caribbean and the UK, I understand how reliant the Caribbean is on bringing cargo in from overseas and how much it affects day to day business and life, hence our motto - Global Reach with Local Focus.”
