La Bagatelle is the largest and busiest of all villages on Leguan Island.
The village’s name is of French origin and it translates to something trivial or small or a light piece of music.
The Leguan Post Office, Police Station and Guyana Water Incorporated office are situated at the beginning of the village. La Bagatelle has several businesses including a mechanic shop, two grocery shops, a liquor restaurant as well as an off-licence liquor shop and a barber shop. The village has a pharmacy and a rice mill also. Several workers were busy at the rice mill and at the liquor restaurant three men were imbibing; there was no one else in sight, though the village is said to have 445 residents.
Derrick Singh came riding along the road. He was returning from his job with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC); he is a councillor. “I am a Georgetown boy,” he told me. “But after meeting my wife I came to La Bagatelle to live. At the time I met my wife [I] was working as the Regional Information Officer in Region Eight. I worked there from 1985 to 1992. Prior to this I worked with the Guyana Chronicle as the Advertising Compositor.
