Peering through spectacles perched on the tip of her nose, Rose Mary Miller nimbly threads a satin cord, millimetres thick, through the holes of a set of ‘healing beads’. Then, with a couple of skilful sailor’s knots, she fastens them in place and burns the cord’s edges for good measure.
“Voilà!” she cheers upon completing the bracelet in under three minutes.
“It would have been sooner if I wasn’t talking,” she playfully explained as she sat beneath a spacious outdoor tent which has been erected on the site of the former bus depot, off what is now Seafarers Way, George Town.
The tent, which is located a stone’s throw from Parliament’s backdoor, is the new home of the Cayman Craft Market, and, by all indications, it is likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future.
“It’s better than what we had a couple weeks ago,” said Williams Jean-Louis, who has sold his handmade souvenirs at the craft market, alongside Miller, for the past 15 years.
For some of that time, the craft market had been located on the opposite end of Seafarers Way, at the intersection of Boilers Road and South Church Street.
However, in mid-2020, the market shut down following the collapse of the tourism industry after Cayman closed its borders as part of its COVID-19 suppression strategy. Then, on 31 Dec. 2021, the lease expired for the land on which the market was located, and the Kirk Freeport group, which owns the property, chose not to renew it.
Since then, the market has largely sat on a patch of dirt no larger than 100 square feet, under a much smaller tent.
“This is an upgrade. I mean a lot more room than how it used to be down by the other market,” said Miller.
She added, “It’s even better because we are actually in the walking path of the tourists and that big ol’ sign that they placed out front makes it easier for people to see us.”
But the new location is not without its drawbacks. No running water or plumbing means vendors and visitors must relieve themselves in portable toilets or use the facilities of nearby stores.
“When the rain falls, we are still getting wet, and so are our products,” said Jean-Louis. “I mean it would have been nice if we actually got to go to the location they had promised.”
He added, “But I must stress that I am grateful for what we have.”
The proposed new North Church Street location for the craft market – half-a-mile away from where it is currently located – is an overgrown plot, which is expected to be called ‘The Waterfront Experience’ when completed.
When it was first proposed, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said he was hopeful that the property would provide an authentic Caymanian experience with a ‘White Glove’ delivery.
However, given the latest development, it is not clear whether this will be the case.
“I’m 58 years old and I have been doing this for more than 35 years,” said Miller. “I am not going to hold my breath on the new property.”
The vendors’ doubts aren’t the only thing that has arisen as a result of the relocation of the craft market. It also calls into question the development of Seafarers Park which was slated to be located on the same site. A groundbreaking ceremony for the park was held in February 2021, but there has been no new development on the project since then.
Government has made no mention of the future of either the Waterfront Experience project or Seafarers Park.
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