Matthew Patay's
Note of the Month

 June 2004

Map and flag images provided by Graphic Maps

This month's featured note is from the country of Barbados.
The denomination is 5 Dollars and the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money (SCWPM) Number is P-47.

The note is not dated but was issued in (1996).  

(front)

The banknote is dark green on multicolored under print.  Sir Frank Worrell (August 1, 1924–March 13, 1967), is at right.
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The following information was obtained from:
CaribbeanCricket.com

Sir Frank Worrell
(1924 - 1967)

by RONALD AUSTIN

Sir Frank Worrell died very young at the age of 42. March 13 this year was the 37th anniversary of his death. It was an event that passed almost unnoticed. This was unfortunate because the events surrounding Worrell's life still hold precious lessons for West Indies cricket. Consideration of his captaincy of the West Indies Team would have brought focus to the question of leadership, character and vision: attributes, which are sorely lacking among the denizens of our cricket team.

Frank Worrell was the first black captain of the West Indies cricket team for an entire series. He was graceful, poised and dignified. Worrell embodied all that was noble and deeply attractive in the West Indian character. Articulate, sensitive and West Indian to the core, he gave substance to the view that unity should be the hallmark of the region and its cricket team. Towards the end of his life, contemplating his life's work, he could say that he transformed a bunch of talented and individual players into a unified team.

Early in his life, Worrell's qualities as a batsman and a bowler were recognized in the region. His batting was a model of elegance. An anecdote recorded in Ivo Tennant's biography of Worrell captures this well: an Englishwoman got into an elevator with West Indian cricketers and said "you're from the West Indies, aren't you? When I think of your country I think of Frank Worrell. Watching him play was like going to the ballet."

Worrell was also a thinker. He recognized that Barbados and the Caribbean society were flawed. Worrell spoke against these wrongs, including the meager financial rewards for players. But none could deny his leadership qualities. And in 1960 the West Indian cricket authorities bowed to the inevitable, and appointed him captain.

Worrell's exploits as a captain in Australia are well known. He helped to transform the approach to Test cricket and won recognition for the West Indies. Under his calm and thoughtful leadership, the talent of the young West Indians, such as Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai and Wes Hall, ripened and flourished. Even though his team lost the series to Australia, half a million thronged the streets of Melbourne to say farewell to Worrell's team. No greater accolade could have been paid to the men of the Caribbean.

And when Worrell led the West Indies to victory over England in 1953, it was the apotheosis of a fine career. He retired and other qualities shone.

Frank Worrell became a Jamaican Senator and a Warden at the University of the West Indies. But he did not forget the game that gave him so much joy and fulfillment. Worrell is the author of what is today termed Youth Cricket. In his appreciation of his contribution to West Indian cricket, CLR James said that his was 'the ultimate expression of a most finished personality, who knows his business, theory and practice, and knows modern men.'

That is a good epitaph!

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(back)

National Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square), Bridgetown, is at left center.

The following information was obtained from:
AreaGuides.net

Bridgetown, Barbados

Bridgetown is one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean. Its rich history identifies it as the origin of colonial trading activity during the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and how it developed into the modern commercial city it is today. The controversial statue of Admiral Nelson, erected in 1813, some twenty-seven years before the London monument, reflects the importance of Barbados as the "jewel in the crown" of British colonialism during the Imperial Age. The statue has recently been the subject of national controversy and debate as it is thought to link Barbados too closely with its colonial heritage. First Nelson was turned around 180 degrees so that he no longer looked down Broad Street, the main shopping hub. Today he is to be removed altogether until a suitable home can be found. There is little irony in the fact that it was erected in the heart of the city's major crossroads, Trafalgar Square. Signaling the increasing awareness of Barbadian national heroes and the cultural identity of the island's people, Trafalgar Square was renamed National Heroes Square in 1999.

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For more information about Barbados visit:

The Government of Barbados Website

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