Carolyn Brown (Anguilla’s Tourist Board representative in the UK), Bankie Banx and Blondell Cluff.
ANGUILLA--Bankie Banx joined top artistes on Sunday, January 7, for a hurricane relief concert in Soho, London. It followed months of planning and preparation by Ada Lo with Ronnie Scott’s answer to New York’s Cotton Club, which presented jazz performers including Morcheeba, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Rosie Gardner, and Acantha Lang. Bankie and his fellow artistes donated their time and energy to raise funds for Anguilla’s recovery.
Guests were treated to cocktails and a delicious dinner. Many had queued in the cold weather the length of Fritz Street in order to attend. There were two short films presented showing Anguilla during the 185-mile-an-hour onslaught of Hurricane Irma that reminded the audience of the mission in hand. Commentary included remarks by survivors who felt “this could be our last day” and “it felt that there was no life.” It also included remarks that the geography of the island has now changed with some beaches lost and some expanding.
Raffles included a five night stay at CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa with a value of 5,000 pounds sterling, and two Mulberry handbags donated by Anguilla’s representative to the European Union and the United Kingdom (UK), Blondell Cluff, valued at 1,600 pounds sterling.
There was reportedly a feeling of pride as the efforts of Anguillians to clear up the island were described and those present were encouraged to return as soon as possible in a show of solidarity. An Anguillian recounted “lives and souls were all that was left after Hurricane Irma” whilst at Ronnie Scott’s fundraiser “Anguilla was once again the life and soul of the party.”
