Bakeries and other sources of ready to eat food
One of the prominent establishments which is located on the Western Main Road, St James, Linda's
[18] represents a chain of bakeries which offer for sale: salads, pastries, dough products, cakes, and breads. The pastries and dough products are either savoury or sweet and are a mix of international and local items. Some of the sweet products are coconut turnovers (dough, filled with grated coconut cooked with spices and brown sugar), sweet bread (a bread made with coconut, dried fruits and other ingredients), banana bread, currant rolls (a flaky pastry with currants, with a rolling technique being used to prepare the product). The savoury products are slices of pizza, minced beef pastry pies, curry potato pastry pies. Cakes of all sizes and varieties are offered for sale. There is a choice of cup cakes which are elaborately decorated, eight inch sponge, chocolate or marble cake which are available as plain, frosted with buttercream or with icing applied to the cake.
Another chain of bakeries of excellence is Freddie's
[19] which may have been in existence prior to the formation of Linda's and which offer almost all of the products which are offered by Linda's. However when it comes to bread, Freddie's is in a class by itself. The outlets offer white breads of different sizes, prices and textures. There is the "original" range of breads which are available in loaves of which there are at least two (2) sizes which are priced under TT$10.00. There are also whole wheat breads, hops bread, white and whole wheat and garlic bread which are available for sale.
Groceries, meat shops, green grocers, and markets
Over the years, there have been several groceries which have either closed after a number of years, changed owners and, or have been rebranded, and, or remained open. As of 2000, several of the groceries are located either on the Western Main Road of St. James or on one of the side streets. Some of the older establishments are Woo Lings (1970's)
[20] and The St. James Meat Cottage, which has changed location and the size of its floor space over the years. St James Meat Cottage opens from around 7:00 am and closes at 11:00 p.m. throughout the year, except for Christmas Day, Carnival Tuesday, Easter Sunday and possibly one or two other days
[21]
Given the cultural mix of persons who reside in and visit St. James, meat shops have been popular as a source of economical suppliers of this staple over the years, with some of them offering meats which are halal for the Muslim and other sectors of the population. Green grocers have set up shop either off of pick ups or at the front and sides of person's homes over the years.
The St. James market which is located near to Vidale St. was rebuilt during the last twenty years and offers on a Saturday the sale of ground provision, fruit and vegetables, meats and fish.
Businesses, Places to visit & Other Tourism activities
Malls
St. James spans a wide geographical area stretching from the St. James Crematorium via Long Circular Road to Fatima College on Mucurapo Road in one direction and from close to the overpass by Peakes to the Police Barracks along the Western Main Road in another direction. In this area, there is at least one large mall, Long Circular Mall
[22] and several mini malls or plazas, which are scattered throughout the district. A mini mall is classified as being either a one or a two storey building with several small stores, each of which sells a different range of items.
The Long Circular Mall has been in existence since the late seventies (1970's) into the early nineteen eighties (1980's) and while it has evolved over time, there are services which have remained constant over the years, such as the repair of shoes, suitcases, the sale of shoes, the sale of flowers and books.
Attached to the Mall is a large grocery Tru Valu
[23] which belongs to a chain of supermarkets which provides excellent products and services. Currently, there is a doubles vendor instore to offer a quick and affordable snack, prior to shopping. There is also an instore bakery which provides pre packaged items along with freshly baked breads, pastries, cheeses, and rotisserie styled chicken which are available either by the quarter, half or whole. Also available in the supermarket are fresh fruit, vegetables, seasoned chicken, other types of meats which are to be prepared for cooking, tinned and b
Manufacturer & Pharmacies
St. James is the birthplace for the successful Trinidadian-based soft-drink company Solo.
[25] During the 1970's, this soft drink company was located at the corner of Western Main Road and Long Circular Road. The operations of this company were moved close to Aranguez, where the soft drinks are currently manufactured. From the Highway, the factory is visible if one is heading towards the Piarco airport.
There are at least four (4) pharmacies which operate in St. James and are scattered along the Western Main Road. Many of these have diversified their product lines into: stationary, food items such as teas, milks, juices and cold drinks. Several of these pharmacies open from 7:00 am and close at around 9:00 p.m. for seven days. They cater to those needing medicine late in the evening or an emergency supply of stationary either for a project or for school for the next day.agged products.
NALIS -St. James Public Library
The St. James Public Library is operated under the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) and is one of twenty five (25) public libraries which offers services to the public free of charge from Monday to Saturday every week.
[26] The St. James Public Library is located on 31 Church Street, St. James. Church Street runs parallel to the Western Main Road, starts on George Cabral Street and ends on Bombay Street.
[27] The St. James Public Library was located at the corner of Bournes Road and Western Main Road for many years and within the last five (5) years moved to its new location on Church Street.
There is a Children's section and Adult section in the Library, like in most of the Libraries in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to all of the services which are offered to walk in patrons such as the borrowing of books and movies on cd's, photocopying, internet services, available to read items such as books, magazines and newspapers, the Library also offers online services. These online services are as follows:e-books via EBSCOHOST and Overdrive, Student Research Center, EBSCOHOST full text databases.
Art Gallery
Since the 1990's, St James has been home to Horizon's Art Gallery which is located on Mucurapo Road
[28] This gallery offers for sale paintings from local artists such as Louison Dermot, Boscoe Holder, Leroy Clarke, Glen Roopchand, Neil Massy. There are at least six open nights per year where new works from artists are exhibited and the public is invited to view the paintings or artwork, mingle and meet the artist.
The St. James Amphitheatre
The St. James Amphitheatre is located along the WMR and offers its services to the residents, groups and those wishing to host activities in St. James.
In June of each year, WEBEAT is hosted by the St. James Community Improvement Centre. "A new feature has been added to the 2015 edition of WeBeat St James Live, to be held from June 5–13. Staged by the St James Community Improvement Committee, the new event—Rum Street—will be held in collaboration with Angostura."
[29]
In the 2015 WEBEAT, regular attractions included "We Film Night (June 6), in collaboration with the T&T Film Festival, WeTreat (June 7), Health Day (June 8), in conjunction with the PoS North Lions and the North West Regional Health Authority; and, WeTalk Historian Talk Show with emphasis on Youth (June 8). These events were free to the public."
[30]
For several years in August, the RC. Archdiocese of POS - St Mary's parish hosted their fundraising event "Toute Bagai" which was one of their main fundraising events towards the restoration of the church building at 3 George Cabral Street, St. James.
During the year, at the Amphitheatre there are several performances by various Evangelical groups which last for a week and are open to the public. Otherwise, the area is open to the public to walk in, sit on the benches or gather informally. Due to the availability of ice cream vendors, and other food sellers which operate in close proximity to the Amphitheatre, many persons use the area as a place to congregate to enjoy ice cream cones or the food which was purchased.
Tourism Activity
Within the last ten years or so, at least two casinos or member's clubs have opened in St. James. These have attempted to replace the recreation Clubs of the 1970's which operated in bars.
Bars, located on the Western Main Road (WMR) have been a source of revenue and activity for many years. Two of the famous bars operate opposite to each other on the WMR, with patrons frequenting their bar of choice. Over the years, these two bars were joined by Smokey & Bunty, an establishment that catered for the younger crowd who patronised the establishment after work on many evenings, especially on a Friday evening. Of course with the ability of the youth to lime on the pavement, this establishment became quite a competitor to the other two spots as it was also located near to a fast food outlet which provided food quite quickly and reasonably, thus attracting another crowd of persons into their business. The fast food establishment offered food for almost sixteen hours daily and extended into the night, hence you were sure that the food was fresh, hot and tasty. Sadly, between 2014 and 2015, a fire destroyed most of the historic building which housed Smokey & Bunty and the food outlet.
During the life time of Smokey and Bunty, additional entertainment was offered on the pavements and on the road space of the three bars, with Parang being offered close to Christmas and the Carib girls liming on the Carib Truck in late July into early August when the "Great Race" was held.
On one of the weekends leading up to the morning of the "Great Race", a parade of some of the boats which would have entered the Great Race would pass through St. James as part of the build up to the day. The "Great Race" was a boat race which for many years was sponsored by Carib Brewery, a subsidiary of the ANSA McAL group. The race was open to several types and sizes of boats, which allowed for the creation of "classes". The race started in the waters of Trinidad, in the Gulf of Paria, went through the "Bocas", down the islands and ended in Store Bay in Tobago.
Roman Catholic Priests
Over the years, there have been at least 3 Roman Catholic priests who were born in St. James. They are: Fr. Ronald Mendes C.S.Sp, Fr. Alan Hall and Fr. Robert Christo, Vicar for Evangelisation (at May 2016).
As Vicar for Evangelisation one of the areas of focus of that ministry has been "Catholic Church goes after sex workers (By Cecily Asson Monday, February 23, 2015) "Also weighing in on the interview was Vicar of Evangelisation Fr Robert Christo who told the Catholic News that the aim of the outreach ministry to sex workers was to provide an “alternative path of reintegration of their sexuality in a holistic way.”
[36]
Fr. Hall was "ordained a diocesan priest on Sat Dec 18, (2010) at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain. Archbishop Edward Gilbert was the main celebrant and preached the homily."
[37]
Fr. Ronald Mendes C.S.Sp was the last priest to serve as principal of St. Mary's College. "Layman to lead St Mary’s College After 150 years of priests as principals..."
[38]
Other Influences
Most of the character of St. James came about through the Anglican and Catholic influence on primary and secondary schools. For many years, for the catholics Mucurapo Girl's School and Mucurapo Boy's School were the only option with respect to educating their children and grandchildren, just as St. Agnes was the school for the Anglican boys and girls who resided between Maraval and St. James. In the 1970's and before, many of the entrants for the convent schools and colleges which were located outside of St. James (Fatima College) and in between the Queen's Park Savannah (QRC, Holy Name Convent), Belmont (Providence, St Francois Girls'), and Port of Spain (St. Joseph's Convent, Bishops' Anstey, and St Mary's College) came from these three primary schools. Thus church and attendance at either the Catholic or Anglican churches was the main activity for many families. Support of the parish via youth activity, fundraisers and other events shaped the character of many young persons well into adulthood, as they were exposed to the Works of Mercy, such as feeding those in need, visiting the sick and the elderly and developing a sense of care for those other than themselves and their families.
Here is the link to St. James, Trinidad and Tobago, if you are interested in reading the entire page as there is more to the subject than that which I have written.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_James,_Trinidad_and_Tobago
