Sanderson's Gap

On Whitepark Road, directly across from the top end of King Street, an old lady lived in a grand house, surrounded by gardens and with in and out driveways. The house had a ground floor, upper floor and a basement. The upstairs floor had sash windows with beautifully flared hoods to keep out the sun and rain, but still let in the air and light. Wide, ceramic tiled steps curved up to the front door. None of this interested me in the 1940s. Instead, the extensive grounds contained sturdy shrubs with branches strong enough to support small children. There were gardens and orchards, neglected then, but once well manicured. Hollows and mounds were places to hide and run around.

Mummy, Aunt Jean or the maid, Thelma, would take me across the busy road to play at "Sanderson's gap". Miss Sanderson was a spinster, the remaining one of two sisters, living in the Victorian mansion on her own. Her staff consisted of a grumpy watchman by the name of Martin and various servants who cleaned, cooked and took care of the inside and outside. Martin also kept cows in the grounds.

Lawns, fruit trees and shady trees with strong branches were our playground toys. There was no lawn or secret place to explore at 'Mayville'. Just a single, tall coconut tree. I was always happy to be given permission to go to 'Sanderson's gap' to play and try, always, to avoid being growled at by Martin, who disliked visiting children from helping themselves to the fruit. Barbados cherries and guavas were my favourites, picked and devoured when he was away.

Only once did I enter the house. It was with my mother who called on bed ridden Miss Sanderson. An aproned and capped maid let us in the front door to a gloomy interior, full of heavy, dark Victorian style furniture. We were led up the mahogany staircase to an airy and light filled bedroom where Miss Sanderson lay. All I remember about her is that she was old and white but happy to chat with Mummy. She must have been ill at the time.

Before the visit I was warned to sit still and "Don't touch anything". And "Remember your Ps and Qs". The curiosity I possessed as a child remains with me today, so the warnings and instructions were well deserved. I was able to look out through the open upstairs window to 'my' playground below. I felt like a bird sitting in a tall tree. Thereafter I wanted to live in an 'upstairs' house, but was never that lucky as a child.

That was the only time that I can remember seeing Miss Sanderson. I expect that when she passed away the property changed hands, but not before it fell into disrepair and the grounds became overgrown. Today, it has been restored and added to as a commercial office building.

Note:

A search on the internet brought up a digitize copy of a British magazine from the 1920s with a contribution of ten British pounds by one Miss Muriel C B Sanderson of Unionville, Whitepark, Barbados, BWI. She was quoted, "We are pleased to see the progress the Fund is making, and although it has still a long way to go, yet we feel sure that it will not be so very long before the required sum is obtained". The magazine is Overseas, the monthly journal of the Overseas Club & Patriotic League and dated Vol V No59 December 1920.

My father also remembers that one of the Sanderson sisters was named Ethel.