It’s more insights into the past and celebrating the present in the Brac this week.
On Wednesday, 8 June, from 3-5pm at Brac Reef Beach Resort, Weekender’s friend Saskia Edwards will be leading a scrapbooking session.
“Scrapbooking is really the art of preserving memories. A scrapbook is basically a collection of photographs that are embellished with decorative items. Scrapbooking has become a popular and very rewarding hobby. It is also an excellent way to document personal and even historic events.
“I personally took up scrapbooking a few years ago and I am quite passionate about this creative art. This particular session will be informative and fun as we will be learning about the Silver Thatch tree and participants will get to try a hand at thatch plaiting. The idea is for them to create a wonderful keepsake and scrapbook page on the silver thatch, to include their plaited item and document their experience working with and learning about this remarkable tree.”
Demonstration Day
Saskia adds that on Friday, 10 June, at 10am the Heritage House will be putting on a Live Demonstration Day, the last scheduled monthly one until September.
It will be once more twisting thatch rope from the Silver Thatch Palm, part of Cayman’s natural landscape and an important part of the islands’ history and culture.
“In earlier times our Caymanian ancestors gathered the leaves of the silver thatch palm at every stage of development to make things to sell and to use at home. Our people quickly discovered the strength of the tree and the dried leaf’s incredible resistance to saltwater. From this discovery came the production of thatch rope and it was one of the most important industries in the Cayman Islands.
“Thatch rope was highly prized in Cuba and Jamaica in the shipping, fishing and sugar industries. While the men were away at sea or busy with their farms the women and children would make rope. Thatch rope was a way of making a living for some families as the finished rope could be sold to purchase basic needs such as clothing, flour, medicines and so on. Twisting the thatch rope was a skill and the rope making process involved a number of different stages,” explains Saskia.
For more information on all activities and about the Heritage House itself call Saskia on 948-0563 or email [email protected]
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