Bridgetown, Barbados gets a gong for recycling and reusing.

It had a huge historic parade ground. Called the Garrison Savanah, it was in use throughout the 1800's when the British army ruled the Winward and Leeward Islands from its massive base in Bridgetown. The Garrison Savanah is surrounded by ornate and stately colonial buildings and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing, but rather than just restore this area to its former glory for the benefit of tourists, the whole area is in current use.

The parade ground, four or so kilometres out of town, has become a very fine race course, cricket oval, jogging track and children's playground. The surrounding colonial buildings are all in use as government and business offices and the raised dias for the "brass" to review the troops is now a racecourse grandstand. Great recycling. It did make it a little difficult to find though. We were seeking directions to a historic area but if we had known of its current uses it would have been easy!

Cannons are displayed around the Savanah area but here is the recycling bit again - used cannons have become bollards, fence posts and have found there way into many buildings for all sorts of reasons in and around the city.

We spent our time in Bridgetown on foot viewing its old colonial English charm and listening to clipped English spoken with a Caribbean edge. Cricket is the passion here and many street names are very English (although check out the pics, we thought we'd found Avan's lane! (really Cavan's Lane)

AIDS seems to be a problem that is very much to the forefront, with a huge fundraising rally taking place in Independence Square while we were there and many posters and banners urging the use of protection, fidelity and abstinence.

It's been a short but enjoyable visit to a very English part of the Caribbean.

Footnote: Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison are UNESCO World Heritage Listed.