Spectacular send-off for Gombey Warrior

At a funeral you typically think of mourners dressed in black and white standing quietly next to the grave of their beloved family member or friend, as they recall the events of their life.  

But on Sunday September 29, at St. John’s Anglican Church in Hamilton, the burial of Gombey Warrior John ‘Pickles’ Spence was anything but a sad occasion.  

Members of the deceased’s Gombey troupe, known as the Pickles Spence Carnival Gombeys, celebrated and danced in honour of the legacy of their comrade, alongside the Doers Club in which Spence had recently been added to their Wall of Fame.  

Coolridge Bell, president of the Doers Club, described Mr Spence as an “artistic soul with a gentle, kind and loving heart. He was one of the first Gombeys to challenge tradition by not wearing a mask and was one of the first to allow girls into his troupe.”  

Mr Bell went on to describe the former Gombey’s talents and achievements, explaining how Spence moved away from the traditional dress by trading in the typical white sneakers and gloves for multicoloured ones.  He was the first Gombey to create costumes representative of Bermudian football teams.

Mr Bell said: “ He [Spence] had created a costume in the form of an American flag that now hangs in the Smithsonian Museum in New York City.  This was such a huge achievement that recognizes both John Spence and the Bermudian Gombeys.”

Spence’s grandson, Mitchell Trott (also known as Live Wires), mirrored the words of Mr Bell and added that through his production company entitled Ah! Who? Productions, he has made a tribute to his grandfather honouring his work and those of other influential Bermudian artists such as: Suzette Harvey, Reuben McCoy, June Caisey and Wendell ‘Shine’ Hayward.  

The ceremony ended with Mr Bell leading the troupes out onto Marsh Folly Road followed by the remaining members of the funeral, who drove behind them in their cars and bikes.  The mourners honked and waved at passing buses and cars, echoing the whistles of the troupe ahead; it was a touching celebration for the departed Gombey Warrior.