The weather forecast for Saturday 23rd May 2009 in London was set to be a scorcher. Temperatures in the high 20s were expected, the ideal day for a park lime. At 12 noon, the first family arrived at Ealing Common Park; a proud Grenadian grandmother accompanies her three daughters and 5 grand children with their bulging picnic basket. Within minutes they were sitting on blankets eating, drinking, reminiscing and laughing out loud. By 4pm Ealing Common was flying the Grenadian flag, music was playing and the numbers swelling, Grenadians simply kept coming. Grenadians from all over the UK converged on Ealing Common in National pride, travelling hundreds of miles from as far as Huddersfield in Yorkshire. As you walk around the park, there was an overwhelming sense of ‘at last, the community is getting together again’. For more than 10 years, Grenadians have not gathered together in numbers like this. Old friends and families were reacquainted. People who had lost contact due to relocation met again, the mood was simply one of sheer happiness. Others still admitted, when they heard there was going to be a Grenada day, simply had to come out, even just to see what was happening. One visitor, Orlette said “I heard some people on the 207 bus talking about this event, so I got off at the Ealing Common bus stop and came over. Plans change; I’m awaiting my family, they coming down to meet me”. While Grenadians were in the majority, many Brits local to Ealing Common, wandered over to soak up the atmosphere and find out more about the day. There were other islands represented, but the day was overwhelmingly Grenadian. Spicemas UK 2k9 Park Lime and Launch Showcase was the brainchild of Senator Arley Gill, with a simple vision to raise the profile of the Grenada carnival and increase visitor numbers in Grenada. Arley worked directly with Roy McEwen from Isis’mas, Grenada’s largest carnival ma’s band at the Notting Hill carnival. The line-up selected was the best ever. Featuring King Ajamu, the most prolific Grenadian musician with a career spanning over 30 years; Lavaman, Brother B, Luni Spark & Electrify the reigning Soca Monarch; Miney the Road March Queen; Four Brass; supported by two UK based Grenadian artists Soca Kid and Keety General. With many years of arms length and to some of the community, a non-existent interaction between Grenada and its UK Diaspora, there was understandable curiosity and scepticism over the events and especially whether the artists were actually in the UK. When the artists arrived on the Common, all sceptics evaporated immediately. For the first time in many years, a Grenadian Minister has done exactly what he promised to the community. Within minutes, this canonised an expectation for an amazing night of entertainment at the Tudor Rose. Each artist in turn took the microphone and acknowledged Grenadians; King Ajamu even serenaded the crowd in fine style. Because people were spread out around the park it was difficult to judge attendance. During Ajamu’s serenade, it was the first time anyone could get a sense of the actual numbers in the park, between 800 and 1000 people. At 7pm closing time, nobody wanted to leave the park, the vibe was right and while many left, many more remained. But it was time to prepare for the Spicemas 2k9 Uk Showcase at the Tudor Rose. At £10, this show was the best value for money anyone could hope for. By 1am the Tudor Rose was packed. Grenada soca was the only music playing, it was amazing. The show opened with the Grenada national anthem, led by Roy, the MC and sung by the audience, which rang out in the 1200 capacity club. The rapturous round of applause afterwards said it all – we’re Grenadians and proud of it. The Soca Kid warmed up the crowd with a PA, followed by Keety General who sang his big hit Back in the Day, the riddim Mix band and audience were in the grove, something special was happening here and we were experiencing it, living it. Riddim Mix featured some very special guests. Brian Hurst, Prime and company on brass, the sound was tight. Miney made her first UK performance with Grenada’s Road March – 10,000 Masqueraders which rose the atmosphere to fever pitch. Four Brass added his unique vocal sound singing his hits that are big on the UK soca scene. The Soca Monarch Luni Spark & Electrify showed London why they won the crown, their first performance in the UK was simply electric. As always King Ajamu the music man spent an hour on stage performing hits such as Music Man, Ajamu on the Road Again then taking it turn on each instrument, first the keys from Fatman, then bass guitar, drums from Junior Mitchell and lead guitar from Anslem. Brian Hurst offered him the brass to which the king responded, “I am a vegetarian, and I don’t know where those boys put their mouth”. The crowd erupted and loved every minute of the king’s performance. Brother B’s display was simply brilliant, what a performance. He left the audience screaming for more. Brother B ended his performance with a medley with Lavaman that simply crowned the evening. Could it get any better? The final act Lavaman, has a huge following in London and with his hits Position and Ah Can Hear rounded off what must go down as the best show ever in London. As QT2Hype, Selecta Spice, Mitchigan, DJ Bones and Master T played the tunes that kept the party going until 6am. The words on everyone’s lips were, next year will be bigger and better, and Spicemas is on the map. Many lessons were learnt, which will ensure Spicemas UK 2010 will continue to be successful events. In addition to the Park Lime and Show are Tudor Rose, the biggest unspoken success was simply engaging with the Grenadian diaspora in the UK. The people remain deeply patriotic; they understand their contribution to the Grenadian economy and are keen to play an even bigger role. The overwhelming refrain on everyone’s lips is “get us involved”. Us meaning the whole Grenadian community. Whatever is decided, what is true is this, Spicemas UK 2k9 has wet the appetite of the Diaspora and has to be repeated annually. The events were attended by Minister of Culture; Arley Gill; High Commissioner Ruth Rouse and Ambassador Stephen Fletcher.