It was a beautiful day for Saturday’s (12) Landing and Float Parade. The sea had calmed down just in time for the two galleons full of marauding pirates to make their annual invasion and capture the Governor complete with loud explosions and the demolition of the fort. The float parade was one of the very best I have seen and full marks to the organisers.

The fireworks display on Friday (11) was spectacular as usual and once again the weather was perfect.

It is a great pity premier Hon. McKeeva Bush has not been present, either last year or this year, to witness the thousands of spectators on both days with at least a third being children. I say this because Mr. Bush announced he was going to end the Festival and then gave it a reprieve for two years because of the huge wave of dismay that descended upon him immediately afterwards.

The sheer delight on the children’s faces on both days would have melted anyone’s hearts and there were many visitors present as well. The detractors of Pirates Week must have very cold disposition not to have been moved.

There was also speculation this year whether the Seattle Seafair Pirates would be invited and I was relieved when I saw them arrive on the strange looking boat that landed them almost in the water on the Hog Sty Bay Beach as part of the landing pageant. They have been very much a part of our festivities and the Cayman Islands get a lot of free promotion because of their participation in Seattle from both print and television in their hometown. It was a nice touch for the Governor’s redcoats to actually capture them before the main pirate ships arrived with reinforcements.

On a personal opinion I wish the gallows with hangman’s noose had been omitted. One year when I was involved the very suggestion of having a gallows was immediately shouted down being in very bad taste especially with the large amount of children being present. I sincerely hope this does not become a permanent part of the landing scenario. It was the only thing I heard any complaints about, apart from the always problem of spectators not being able to see everything that is going on.

The Pirates Week Festival brings a lot of positive publicity to the Cayman Islands, not only during the week it is held. The District Days are always well attended and they are a showcase for our Islands heritage to visitors and residents.

Well done to the Pirates Week office and all the volunteers who do so much work, most of whom don’t even get their names mentioned. It takes months of preparation. I salute all of you.