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An edited tribute to Dr. Colin Hudson by Terry Ally

John Colin Hudson, PhD, died on Sunday February 22, at age 66 after a rich and rewarding life.

The latter phrase are the words of Colin himself.

Given his artesian energy and titanic enthusiasm, one never associated him with death by was keenly aware of his mortality and so in 2000 he wrote the first draft of his own obituary, dreaming that it would be sometime around 2034 when he was 96 years old – at least.

More recently he penned his holographic will in which he declared:

“I have had a rich and rewarding life. All focus should be on celebration and thanks. I believe deeply and sincerely in a web of life and the wonder of information which surrounds and supports us all.

Try to use the burial to help all of those present to catch a sense of the awe and majesty which is my privilege to feel. In particular, read the books for the Natural Death Movement and use the ideas which seem most appropriate.

For example, you may wish to invite everyone to bring a photo or other memoriam and pin them on a display board. Certainly have a good meal and get-together afterwards.

If anyone feels that they want a ‘memorial' they must, as individuals or groups, pledge to carry out something which they know I would have liked to do, given more time.

An exhibit? Planting trees? Helping someone or something? A piece of art? Donation to a cause?”

This provides some insight into the nature of the man. He lived to serve others, to help others. He was an innovator and a problem-solver – a dreamer, some would say, but for Colin it was not easy.

Colin approached his life's journey in a very unselfish manner. He created and had registered 25 world class patents – none in his name, but in the name of his then employer Carib Agro-Industries Limited (CAIL).

CAIL has sold the agricultural machinery to, or had its ideas copied, in over 40 countries. One of those harvesters was a solution he created for the Barbados sugar industry.

Colin sincerely believed in what he preached. He spent his life, time, energy and personal finances pursuing the solutions which would achieve sustainable development in Barbados and other small island developing states.

He was born on January 15, 1938 in Plumpton, Sussex, England. His mother Greta (née Heath) was trained in dairying and his father John was a graduate in horticulture and later became a professor of horticulture at Nottingham and Bristol Universities and director of a large research station.

In 1961 Colin married Jenny Trapnell, and started his first job. By a stroke of luck, an acquaintance asked his father if he knew any young graduate who might be interested in a job as research assistant on a project in Barbados.

He applied and was accepted. He steamed from England to the British West Indies to Barbados where he arrived on August 3, 1961 to work in the Irrigation Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture under Sir John Saint.

Three-year contract

When his three-year contract ended Sir John begged him to stay and persuaded the sugar industry to form Carib Agro-Industries Limited and put Colin to work.

In 1967 he got his PhD in agronomy from St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in neighboring Trinidad for a thesis entitled “The availability of soil water.”

In the meantime he and Jenny had also produced two children, Christopher and Stella.

Much later he met and married Greta Ward and together they brought up their five teenagers.

In 1975 Britain recognised his services to Barbados by making him a Member of the British Empire (MBE) (which he was to return in 2003 in protest against the British Government's war against Iraq). In 1994 Barbados awarded him the Gold Crown Merit.

It was in 1994 that he conceptualised and mounted the hugely successful Village of Hope (an exhibition of sustainable development) at the United Nations Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.

He also established his own Treading Lightly in Barbados which is his memorial to Barbados as an example of sustainability.

Colin has a trail of accolades behind his name including the Governor-General Award for Environmental Excellence (Barbados), a National Industrial Award for Excellence, a Voice of Barbados Community Activity Award, an FAO Word Food Day Medal, the Texaco and Curry prizes from the University of the West Indies.

Forty-two years of work has brought recognition which he insists belongs to Barbados and all the many people who have been part of these exciting developments.

What did he love apart from his family?

He loved the unspoiled countryside, walking, music, good company, fair dealing, well-informed debate, good toys and a good book.

His leading more than 1,000 Sunday morning “Stop & 'n Stare” hikes like clockwork at 6 a.m. for the Barbados National Trust, the Barbados Heart Foundation, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. His weekly hike turned to an average of seven private hikes per week where he guided some of the big name international media celebrities, pop stars and singers (whom the public never even knew were in Barbados), influential and busy businessmen, Government ministers and policy makers.

What did Colin hate the most?

He hated seeing this marvellous little country called Barbados losing its integrity and changing from the unique treasure he found 36 years ago to mediocrity where hard work and trust-worthiness are increasingly scarce commodities, where a once-beautiful countryside and shoreline, are being ravaged and where power and competence are daily becoming more disconnected.

John Colin Hudson, 1938-2004. He had friends among thousands of Barbadians and those who never had the privilege to know him have lost the experience of a life time.

May he be granted eternal rest and peace.

February 29 Adrian Loveridge (Barbados
Advocate)
(letters)

Hudson made a great contribution to Barbados

IT was with stunned disbelief that I heard about the death of Dr Colin Hudson.

I can think of no other person in Barbados who has unselfishly given so much to this country, through his innovative ideas, tireless lobbying for all matters environmental and especially in the area we function, tourism.

Colin was probably responsible for bringing more visitors back to Barbados than any other single human being, by sharing his knowledge, enthusiasm and love of his adopted homeland through the thousands of National Trust walks he tirelessly escorted.

If we are really lucky, in our entire lifetime we may be fortunate to meet one great person. For me, I have no doubt that person would be Colin.

We didn't even have time to say a proper thank you.

God bless your memory ADRIAN LOVERIDGE

March 1 Ella Drummond-Hoyos (Daily Nation)
The place we inhabit

MUCH HAS BEEN SAID about Dr Colin Hudson since the time of his sudden passing. It is not my intention to summarise his beliefs or to regale you with a list of his accomplishments.

I would just want to take this opportunity to salute this gentle man who tried so hard to impart to everyone the fact that we need to protect our environment.

For those who would now wish to pay lip service to the life of this man who sought no recognition for his efforts to do the right thing, perhaps they could seek to emulate him and do something positive for the environment instead. No one who came into contact with Dr Hudson during his life, could have been untouched by his passion and drive to encourage a lifestyle that will preserve the earth for generations to come.

With an economy that is heavily dependent on tourism which essentially is tied to the state of our environment, it continues to boggle the minds of all right thinking members of society that no environmental protection legislation has been brought to Parliament under this or the preceding Government. Perhaps the powers that be truly believe that in the absence of our tranquil seas, salubrious climes and pleasant environment, tourists would still be flocking to our shores.

With the nation focused on a rather intriguing row over exploitation of natural resources, people must realise that largely we depend on our environment for survival. If we pollute our waters, allow enormous cruise ships to dump their refuse here, allow hazardous substances to be shipped through here and all our residents to dump refuse and sewerage into the sea, we kill off our coral reefs and we may be chasing our flying fish away into more habitable waters.

If we seriously in this era of globalisation, want to attract manufacturing operations to Barbados to provide employment for our people, if we want international brand name hotels to develop properties and operate from here, we must establish the standard for the protection of our environment.

If we continue to allow the manufacture or importation of certain hazardous chemicals, which can seep into our water tables, we must issue licenses and strictly police the use of those licenses to reduce the risk to the wider public.

The time is right for legislation to be enacted establishing an agency like the Fair Trading Commission for the protection of the environment. Such a body would be vested with the authority to prosecute offenders who illegally dump garbage in gullies and discard bulk waste wherever they please. Such an authority would have the human resources to gather evidence and enforce environmental protection legislation, such an authority would have locus standi in a court of law to represent the environment.

So at the time of the passing of Dr Hudson, we can all refer wistfully to his yeoman efforts to lead by example. We can talk anecdotally about his Village Of Hope, his organic foods and the Future Centre Trust. But if we really understood what be was trying to teach us by his life's work, if we really appreciated that he showed us by example that it can and should be done, if we really want to honour this avowed environmentalist, let's just forget about the platitudes and each of us can start right now by doing the right thing to protect our environment.

Ella Drummond-Hoyos is an attorney-at-law.

March 1 Nicholas Cox (Barbados Advocate)
Hudson remembered at outdoor morning service

HUNDREDS of Dr Colin Hudson's “Green Army” descended on Farley Hill National Park early on Sunday morning to pay tribute to the extaordinary man who touched so many lives.

Despite the casual setting and attire, there was an overall mood of profound sadness, broken only by the occasional joke, as family and friends recalled the warm personality and numerous achievements of the esteemed environmentalist.

Hudson, an agronomist and expert on the sugar industry, moved to Barbados in 1961. In his later years he was known as a committed environmentalist, responsible for co-ordinating the much acclaimed Village of Hope for the 1994 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. He was also known for establishing Treading Lightly, which hosted popular weekly Sunday morning walks with the Barbados National Trust, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, and the Barbados Heart Foundation.

Many members of the congregation were visibly touched by the emotion of the morning as they participated in a procession around the park and held hands in a Circle of Hope to honour the hero.

The celebratory service was led by the Reverend Dorothea Rhode, a Moravian Minister. She captured the atmosphere of the gathering best with her solemn words, “Our hearts melt from sadness, and our eyes are full of tears. Lord, there are not words enough.” The inter-faith service also included a reading from the Baha'i Holy Writings.

Dr. Hudson's casket was surrounded by the people and things that he loved – friends, family, plants, his hiking boots, and his hat.

Friend, Keith Laurie, described Hudson as an eternal optimist, “Colin had a vision of a new and greener Barbados in which all of our people would enjoy a new way of caring and sharing based on the knowledge that we cannot live alone on this planet, and that we must in our lifetime, put back as much or more than what we expect to take out.”

Laurie also announced plans to honour Hudson: “The National Trust is planning to erect a plaque in his honour in Welchman Hall Gully, among other monuments to commemorate him. The Great Train Hike that took place for the first time last year will be renamed the Colin Hudson Train Hike...”

The Cecilian Singers, of which Hudson was a member for 20 years, performed two songs in his memory, “Love is the Answer” and “In Remembrance”

Anselm Hemmis, who is married to Hudson's daughter, also spoke of Hudson's attributes, “Firstly, Colin loved. Not only the natural world which fascinated him, but loved his fellow man dearly.” He also remarked that Hudson emanated joy and peace and was a patient, kind, faithful, and “gentle soul”. Hemmis added, “It is ironic that as he sought to convince us all to reduce our ecological footprint, the footprint of his legacy grew.”

Dieter Mennekes a friend of Hudson's from Germany said that one of the environmentalist's greatest philosophies was that “joy is the only currency, and success should be measured not in money, but in happiness.”

March 2 News (Barbados Advocate)
Dr Colin Hudson, Ph.D., MBE, Manager of Carib-Agro Industries Ltd.

A WARDED the GCM for his renown as an inventor of agricultural equipment and his continued contribution to sustainable development in Barbados, Hudson was born in Sussex, United Kingdom, in 1938.

His first exposure to Barbados came during his time at Cambridge where he completed a Natural Sciences Tripos (BN.A.) in Botany, Zoology and Organic Chemistry, as well as a Diploma of Agriculture. He became fascinated by the accounts of Barbadian agriculture, which claimed to have one of the world's most successful examples of tropical agricultural production with food crops rotated with sugar cane.

In 1961 he responded to an advertise inent for a job with the Barbados Irrigation Board and he got it.

In 1964 he started the Agronomic Research Unit and wrote his Ph.D dissertation as an external student of the UWI, St. Augustine campus.

He discovered that he had an innovative talent for agricultural engineering and in conjunction with farmers, local engineers, and a UK company started to develop field machinery.

In 1979 a special mechanisation unit, Carib-Agro Industries Ltd., was formed and successful developments have included a can reaping aid, a loader for small farms, yam and sweet potato digging equipment, yam and cassava planters, precision fertilisers and many others. The result is some 25 World Class Patents, many shared with colleagues.

To the average Barbadian, his fame has come from his innovative methods of small-scale backyard agriculture.

A strong advocate of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, he has devised ways of using discarded tyres and plastic bottles for gardening. Waste from sugar factories had been turned into a fertile compost, even household refuse can be reused in the kitchen Komposter now being promoted by Carib-Agro. Hudson is the author and co-author of many publications on agriculture.

In 1994, Hudson served as co-ordinator of the successful Village of Hope which formed part of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States.

March 3 Patience Ejimofor (Daily Nation)
Hundreds turn out for Hudson's final journey Nature lovers turned out in large numbers at Farley Hill National Park Sunday morning to bid farewell to renowned environmentalist, Dr Colin Hudson, in what was described as Barbados' first green funeral.
Held under the towering cover of trees, Hudson, an agronomist and engineer, known for the Sunday morning hikes he led, was also taken on his final walk around the “fields and hills” by “the green army” he groomed over 25 years.

Hudson made his final trip in a simple brown coffin made of plywood, as he requested, in the arms of his green team.
More than 600 people comprised the funeral procession. Dressed in hiking clothes – T-shirts, shorts, jean, soft shoes and hats – most of them sat on the ground on cushions, blankets and towels, creating an intimate circle.

The mourners, comprising Hudson's close family (his partner Maureen Watson, son Christopher, brother Richard and his wife) work colleagues, friends, fellow environmentalists and nature lovers also included tourists, diplomats, religious and spiritual leaders and children.Some of his friends and admirers brought potted plants and other kinds of foliage, which danced in the wind before his casket, adding to the green celebration.
Tributes were paid in song, poetry and prose, all of which captured the essence of the man. Eulogists Keith Laurie and Patrick Bethell spoke of his resourcefulness, ingenuity, creativity and pioneering work in the sugar industry.

A plaque will be erected in his honour at Welchman Hall Gully and the Barbados hike renamed after him. His body was cremated at the Coral Ridge Cemetery after the funeral.

There were also some tears but mostly laughter. Hudson was also humorously remembered as a “fearsome eater” who applied his green knowledge and ideas to food.

March 5 Wayne E Yearwood (Weekend Nation)
Dr Hudson saluted as ‘social inventor'

THE Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) expressed their shock and sadness at the sudden passing of engineer Dr Colin Hudson, a world renowned agriculturalist, environmental expert and social inventor.

Dr Hudson was an honorary member of BAPE, an honour bestowed on him in 1985 for his outstanding contribution to the engineering profession.

He was a veritable fountain of knowledge and ideas on matters relating to the environment and sustainable development, and always lit up with enthusiasm when discussing these subjects.

Just last November, he joined us as a guest of honour at BAPE's annual dinner, where he was, as was his custom, eager and willing to discuss his ideas and share his plans.

In 1994, Dr Hudson encouraged BAPE to design a windmill for The Village of Hope, which was the trade-mark of the SIDS Conference, a project that was completed by BAPE members Grenville Phillips II, Dick Stoute and William Choat, and had the support of the then president, Ricky Went.

Dr Hudson's contribution to the development of the sugar industry, mechanisation and the environment, not only at the national but also at the regional and international levels, cannot be overstated, and his knowledge and commitment will be missed by all who knew him.

Dr Hudson has touched the lives of many far and wide, and his unselfishness is indeed a quality that we can all seek to emulate.

BAPE takes this opportunity to offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Dr Hudson.

May he rest in peace.

•Wayne E G Yearwood is president of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers.

March 5 Report (Weekend Nation)
THERE WAS TRUE CELEBRATION of the life of one loved and respected. Under plush green foliage, thousands of Barbadians sat or stood thanking God for the life of environmentalist Colin Hudson whose funeral was held in the natural surroundings of Farley Hill Park on Sunday.

And much of the thanksgiving was through song. Folk balladeer Carol Bishop (at top) belted out Pete Seeger's To My Old Brown Earth, a fitting tribute to a man who was one of nature's most faithful followers.

The green funeral was not about “mourning”, but accommodated a brief multi-faith service that also featured a love song by Sharon Carmichael — one of several performed in honour of Hudson by the Cecilian Singers with whom he was associated for 20 years.

Hudson died two Sundays ago.

March 8 Barbados National Trust (Press Release)
March 8, 2004, Bridgetown, Barbados

NATIONAL TRUST ANNOUNCES COLIN HUDSON
MEMORIALS

The President of the Barbados National Trust, Mr. John Cole, today announced several initiatives by the National Trust to honour the memory and legacy of Dr. Colin Hudson, who passed away at his Barbados home “Little Edghill” on February 22nd. Dr. Hudson, the founder of pioneering environmental initiatives such as the Future Centre and Treading Lightly, had a long association with the Trust and led the weekly “Stop'n Stare”Sunday hikes morning and afternoon for over 20 years. The National Trust collaborated with Dr. Hudson on many projects, including the 1994 Village of Hope, the NGO component of the UN Conference on the Sustainability of Small island States.

“Colin Hudson was an extraordinary man - an engineer, an agriculturalist, an inventor and a visionary environmentalist - and we felt that we had to do several things to ensure that his memory and his work continue on”, said Mr Cole.
The group that met to decide on these initiatives included President Cole, Trust General Manager William Gollop, Vice-President Mr Keith Laurie, Former President Professor Henry Fraser and former Executive Director Penelope Hynam.

The Trust will erect a memorial to Dr. Hudson in the natural setting of Welchman Hall Tropical Reserve, with a plaque and a bench where visitors to the site can sit and meditate in the quiet of the Gully. The Great Railway Hike, conceived by Dr. Hudson in 2003 as an annual event, will be renamed the Colin Hudson Great Train Hike, and be held this year on May 30th, 2004 (Whit Sunday). This hike follows the 25-mile journey of the original Barbados Railway train tracks across the island, ending in Belleplaine at the site of the old train station, and is laid out in stages so that all can participate. Last year it attracted hundreds of hikers, many of whom, along with Dr. Hudson, completed all 25 miles.
As well, the Trust will be taking the initial steps towards organizing a National Conference on the Environment in 2004, which it is hoped will become an annual event. This will have two-fold purpose, first to highlight

Hudson's remarkable accomplishments in many fields, as well as the goal of moving forward environmental issues and solutions on a national level. The planning and execution of this will need assistance from many people and organizations, and the Trust will present a proposal for the organization of this Conference in the near future.
For more information please contact the Barbados National Trust at Wildey House, Wildey, St. Michael, Barbados tel: (246)426-2421 Fax; (246) 429-9055 E-mail <natrust @sunbeach.net>

Spring 2004 Rory Spowers (Positive News)
Dr Colin Hudson was a British agriculturalist who lived in the Caribbean for thirty years. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack at his home in Barbados this February.

Colin was recognised for his innovative designs of agricultural machinery but, in recent years his career shifted from engineer to environmental campaigner. He will also be remembered for the Web of Hope, a global platform for grass roots initiatives, for which he was the original catalyst. Building on the analogy of a spider's web, spinning itself around the globe, the Web of Hope was set up to provide positive feedback on sustainable solutions.

Rory Spowers writes:

Amongst the many enlightening facts, figures and diagrams which adorned the canopy in the garden of his home in Barbados, hung an anonymous cartoon which always seemed so pertinent to the man himself. It depicted three men sitting in the stern of a boat, struggling in high seas. The caption beneath read: The optimist waits for the wind to change. The pessimist says it won't. The realist sets the sails.

For many people Colin might have seemed like an optimist, constantly enthusing about the possibilities of building a more just and sustainable world. In fact, Colin was a realist, in the most true sense of the word. Real in the integrity of his vision; real in his commitment; real in his encyclopaedic knowledge about the world in which we live; real in his relationships with all who came into contact with him; real in his courage and vision to believe in a better world. Perhaps most importantly of all, real in his capacity to live the vision that he espoused.

Of all the people I have encountered around the world, working in the environmental arena, I can think of few people who actually ‘walk the talk' to the degree that Colin did, living as he did within the fair-share parameters of a planet with finite resources. Colin was an inspiration to us all, because he proved beyond any shadow of doubt that true happiness was in no way related to material objects and that, by embracing the ecological vision which he lived, we are not giving up anything, but in fact gaining all. As he used to say, ‘Using Less, but Living More', an epithet which found physical expression within the man himself.

Colin recently described the Web of Hope as ‘the most exciting thing' that he had ever done. It is now truly gathering steam. I know how happy he was to see his dream reach some level of fruition. Recently registered as a UK charity, The Web of Hope is compiling the world's first comprehensive database of best practice role models and sustainable solutions.It creates an invaluable global resource accessible to all through an increasingly sophisticated website and is also producing a variety of publications, the Little Books of Hope, and running an educational roadshow in schools.

In addition to the deep sadness we all feel about Colin's unexpected passing, there is also an ever deeper resolve to ensure that the work which he started will continue to build, providing a vital mechanism within the drive to preserve the beauty of a planet which he knew so well and loved with such passion.

June 5 2004 Dr Trevor A Carmichael, QC
[A tribute read at a ceremony at Farley Hill to award "The Minister of Environment -- Special Award of Excellence, presented to the late Dr. Colin Hudson in recognition of a Sterling Contribution to Sustainable National Development in Barbados", on the occasion of World Environment Day, June 5th 2004.]

TRIBUTE TO DR. COLIN HUDSON

by

DR. TREVOR A. CARMICHAEL, Q.C.

“Happy is the man who has learned the cause of things, and has put under his feet all fear, inexorable fate, and the noisy strife of the hell of greed” Virgil

The very poignant words of the classical writer Virgil in so many respects describe and define the life and work of the late Dr. Colin Hudson. As an innovator and inventor he truly understood the cause of things and made them work; as a committed environmentalist, he defied inexorable fate and lived a life devoted to the glory of greening possibilities; and as a humanist he was totally devoid of greed and gave with great liberality and no resulting expectation.

Colin Hudson recognised that environmental awareness was an attribute as well as a policy; and should, therefore, be shared with as wide a public as possible - hence, the Village of Hope; hence, the Future Centre Trust; hence, Treading Lightly; hence, the Barbados National Trust/Duke of Edinburgh hikes. When he conceptualised the Village of Hope as part of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in small Island Developing States (SIDS) which took place in Barbados, he was seeking to marry environmental activism with wide popular participation in such a way that a global conference dealing with universal issues could come within the physical reach and intellectual purview of every person living in Barbados. It was itself the product of innovative thinking rooted in a recognition of the need for maximum feasible participation in sound environmental practices. The Future Centre Trust and Treading Lightly, the two entities which he formed as a result of the huge success of the village of Hope, was a valiant effort to harness that success into permanent structures which would maintain a high level of popular environmental education and awareness.

The National Trust/Duke of Edinburgh hikes, started in 1983, and which he took over five years later, further emphasised that constant striving for the popularisation of environmental knowledge and education. For virtually every Sunday for almost twenty years he walked, talked and stalked the countryside - and sometimes even the city and environs - sharing information and ideas with the great cross section of persons who came out for the experience.

Colin Hudson was a brilliant inventor and in my humble opinion a true practical scientific genius. The equipment and ideas which he developed are being used in more than forty countries today. He holds twenty-five World Class Patents, including some now pending applications. Patrick Bethel, another well known Barbadian thinker and agricultural scientist, has eulogised Colin Hudson and highlighted some of the important inventions with special relevance to Barbados agriculture, agro industry and the environment - the small mechanical cane harvester, cultivating ploughs, strip tillage machinery, weeding tools, moulding tools, tractor mounted compost applicator, carry boxes, fertiliser applicators and spreaders, cane loaders, solar dryers and wood lifters. A most impressive list! Critical, however, to all of these inventions is the sensible marriage and integration of labour and machinery. Even his tyre gardens which are used to grow herbs and garden vegetables carry the message. For there is an underlying assumption that within the context of an over motorised Barbados, there would be enough derelict tyres knocking about for almost everyone to practise sustainable agriculture. He not only talked about the need for full popular participation in environmental advancement but he practised it to the highest level in practical enhancement.

It is, therefore, no surprise that Colin Hudson was recognised in such esteem both locally and internationally - the FAO Medal in 1990; the Commonwealth Guinness Award for Scientific Achievement 1982; Presidents Award of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce 1991; the Barbados National Trust Award 1991; National Industrial Award for Excellence 1987; the Sir James Curry Memorial and Texaco Prize of the University of the West Indies - - - - - - to name but a few!!

But it is easy for he who is a populist to be also a humanist; and Colin Hudson showed an abundance of those humane qualities associated with Ghandi, the Dhali Lama and Mandela. In that respect, he abhorred anger and embraced peace. He was abundant in his generosity of spirit and in kind contribution. His enthusiasm knew no bounds. His vitality was infectious. His unique style of clothing was only matched by the peculiarity of his hat choices. His voice was mellow and also distinctive; it carried courage and conviction, yet it was full of caring. He raised his voice in song with the Cecilian Singers; he moved his feet with grace and subtlety with the Scottish country dancers; and he cooked with innovation and passion for all!

I feel fortunate and privileged to have known Colin Hudson; to have walked the countryside so often with him; and it is partially in his honour that last Sunday May 30 on the Colin Hudson Great Train Railway Hike from Bridgetown to Belleplaine I dared to walk - and indeed did walk - a twenty-one mile segment.

In closing may I draw on the words of T. S. Elliot:

“It is not necessarily those lands which are the most fertile, or most favoured in climate that seem to me the happiest, but those in which a long struggle of adaptation between man and his environment has brought out the best qualities of both.”

Dr. Colin Hudson fully understood and practised that delicate balance between man and his environment.

I Thank you.

June 18 2004 Mrs Susan Springer
[A tribute presented at a BHTA Tree Planting Ceremony.]

Mr. Nurse, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. As part of the BHTA Week of Activities and Environment Month, the BHTA is indeed pleased to pay tribute to Dr. Colin Hudson, honorary member of the Association, by way of this tree planting ceremony. We are happy to share this occasion with those present today, particularly, to our invited guests from the various organizations that have worked with and supported Dr. Hudson throughout the years.

The Association wishes to acknowledge the great strides that Dr. Colin Hudson made in developing sustainable environmental initiatives in Barbados . Dr. Hudson was instrumental in setting up the Future Centre Trust and years later, established the programme, “Treading Lightly”.

In addition, he worked along with the Barbados National Trust for approximately 21 years, participating and leading the Sunday morning and afternoon Stop and Stare Hikes.

These hikes were particularly informative, since Colin gave background details on the flora and fauna, as well as the history of the areas relevant to the heritage of the island.

To commemorate the 20 th Anniversary of the Sunday Hikes, the National Trust and Dr. Hudson organized “The Train Line Hike”, which was an activity he enjoyed to the fullest as he researched and documented the route of the train line in the early years, which ran from Fairchild Street to Belleplaine.

Dr. Hudson’s participation in these activities will be surely missed. However, he has paved the way for others to follow.

The Association extends special thanks to Mr. Keith Laurie, a dear friend of the late Dr. Hudson, for coming on his behalf and that of his family; and to Mr. William Gollop of the Barbados National Trust for his assistance and support.

Thank you also goes out to Mr. Keith Neblett of the NCC for his donation of the Frangipani, being planted, as well as to Mr. Nigel Jones of Botanic Gardens for the advice he has given to us.

We thank the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Lionel Nurse for representing the Ministry of Environment, with which we have a good working relationship, and hope that this will continue in the future.

To Crane Landscaping and S & W Landscaping for their help in preparing for the planting ceremony.

And finally to the BHTA Environmental Committee members and strategic partners for their support.

Presented by Mrs. Susan Springer

18/06/2004
31 October 2004 Mr John Cole
[A tribute by the President of the Barbados National Trust at the unveiling of the memorial to Colin (complete with his hiking boots in bronze) in Welchman Hall Gully, Barbados]

ese remarks are based on the impression that Dr. John Colin Hudson made on the body of the National Trust and on the image of the Trust which over more than two decades, he helped to project. During the nine years since I joined the Trust and started to take part in the activities of the Trust, I too came under the subtle spell of this compassionate teacher; this learned ambassador for the Barbados National Trust and by extension for Barbados; this humble man whose humility completely disarmed those whose image of themselves was substantial and could not be concealed.

Colin could speak at length on many subjects – some would say most subjects. He could also listen – sometimes to people whose subject matter was not new to him. But he never sought to belittle them – instead he encouraged them by saying in his quiet way “I never knew that!”

And so during a Sunday morning hike through the St George valley, as we passed near the Cable & Wireless masts I told him that during the second world war, after the fall of Singapore and the loss of Cable & Wireless' important broadcasting and receiving station there, the Axis powers noted that the station in Barbados had taken up much of the slack sustained by the Allies' loss in the far east, and that something should be done about it. An idea was hatched in the German High Command that a cruiser could be dispatched to bombard the Barbados station and put it out of commission. Eventually the idea was abandoned as it was realized that such a mission would amount to a suicide mission for the cruiser and that wireless masts could be re-erected quite easily and in a short time. Replied Colin after a short pause, “I never knew that!” Nevertheless, that remark made my day as I perhaps could assume that I knew something which Colin did not!

The weekly morning and afternoon hikes helped thousands to grasp the importance of what the Trust was attempting to do – spread an awareness of the critical balance between preserving our built and natural heritage and the disastrous consequences of losing both, and thus our inheritance.

He was able to encourage and groom a cadre of lieutenants who are currently carrying on his work on the hikes and in their broader approach to the environment with great enthusiasm and effect.

I have for sometime been of the opinion that Colin's contributions to Barbados had not been suitably recognized by the powers that be during his lifetime. But then neither was Van Gogh, who sold just one painting before his death and that was to his brother. Dozens of his works were dumped after his death, because the people around him were unable to see the light.

Colin's light is already out there, and piercing the gloom so that many millions will eventually see it and through them their countries will easier be able to steer clear of the environmental rocks which now encircle so much of our wasteful and polluted world.

We at the Barbados National Trust miss him very much, but we are confident that because of his work people far beyond the shores of his adopted and beloved home Barbados, will enjoy better lives.

Finally, on behalf of all those involved in erecting this memorial I thank Colin's Dad for the generous donation he made to the monument fund.

February 29 Terry Ally (Sunday Sun)
An Appreciation