Trinidad Express
Patrons seen at pan-semis at the Queens Park Savannah on Sunday.
No seats
At 2.30 p.m., there was a meagre crowd at North Park. But by 3.30 p.m., spectators began filling out the two sections.
Patrons in both zones had to bring their own seats, which some only discovered when they arrived. “I didn’t know there’d be no seats, or I would have walked with a portable chair,” said a woman clad in high-heeled boots.
“This is not value for money at all. We paid $400 to be here and I’m very disappointed that we have to sit on coolers for the duration of the competition,” said her companion in the “covered” section of North Park.
‘Give more cover’
On the grounds, one posse tried in vain to find a shady area.
One of its members, Rickie, felt patrons were given a raw deal.
“There’s no shade, no vibes and no rivalry with the rhythm sections. Look, it’s 3 p.m. and not one rhythm section blazing.
Replies
When we will get a Carnival Theatre built? it has been in the pipeline, I think, since the turn of the century.
Was a survey done before constructing or designing this North Park? Did planners ask people what they would like?
Can they circumvent the land agreement and just keep the north stand permanent already? After all, just across the stage is one permanent structure, why is the North Stand so different? It seems ridiculous that the central staging area which is clearly important to this national festival is having its hands tied by such semantics.
Panorama and Carnival are so important to Trinidad's culture and visitor economy, seems that far more money comes in than the expenses of staging the events? I think they could find the money for the North Stands, if they cut some things less vital?