Studies in thatch
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from October 2000.
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As a child, Mr. Tennson learnt the art of thatching from his father, Eddison Leonard "Papa" Bodden, who was an East Ender. For Mr. Tennson, learning how to thatch was a necessity: he grew up in a thatched house in the days when everyone knew how to make roofs and plait baskets and hats from palm-thatch leaves. Together, the pair worked as a father-and-son thatching team for as long as Mr. Tennson can remember, until Papa died earlier this year.
The Bodden thatching tradition continues, however, as the new generation is ready to aid Mr. Tennson. He taught his nephew, Chucky Bodden, 23, to thatch a while back, and Continued on page 2 from page 1
Chucky worked alongside Mr. Tennson and his father for several years. Joining Mr. Tennson and Chucky now are Chucky's brother, George Hicks student John Bodden, 13, as well as Mr. Tennson's son, Sean Bodden, a pupil at Red Bay primary. They work as a family team.
Last Sunday, the foursome was tackling a new thatching project - a seaside cabana in Pease Bay. Young John Bodden got his first lesson in how to tie thatch-palm leaves onto the roof struts, and he and Sean helped to pass up thatch leaves to Mr. Tennson and Mr. Chucky, who were busy tying down the leaves. Mr. Tennson sported a wide-brimmed thatch hat made by his mother, Phyllis, who taught him how to plait when he was young.
Mr. Tennson, whose main job is as a senior constable with the CI police service, forsaw no shortage of thatching jobs in the near future. There was plenty of working coming in from hotels, condominium complexes and private individuals who needed the services of thatchers, he indicated.
