Dear Editor,
Michael Gilkes was a contemporary of ours – at Queen’s College, when close to one hundred percent of those bright students were also sportsmen.
At the time Queen’s participated in the first class cricket competition – Case Cup – from which Leroy Jackman and Arnold Gibbons eventually got selected to represent British Guiana at Regional first class cricket. Bruce Pairaudeau went on to be a test opening batsman.
The same class later produced national footballers – in Maurice Moore, Ian Leal, Aubrey Bishop. Moore soon became national table tennis champion, while Bishop slow left handedly bowled for British Guiana – much to the chagrin of his wicket-keeper mate Gibbons, who complained: “he toiled, but did not spin”.
My own association with who was to become my Blygezight Gardens neighbour, Michael Gilkes, was on the athletic field. It was a time when international athletics and cycle sports were successfully organised by Barry Massay to be run off at the GCC Bourda Test Ground.
These were the years when QC was a highly respected participant, even amongst widely acclaimed internationals, including out of Jamaica – Remembering Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley.
The QC Team of Michael Gilkes, Frank Mongal, Ronald Bacchus and myself came third in the international sprint relay – 4 by 100 – as I recall.
I later renewed relationships with Michael at the new Theatre Guild, but in no way could I match his acting prowess.
He was art personified.
Yours faithfully,
E.B. John
