Solo Tall Boy, Edward Johnson, Leslie Spaulding, Nicholas Wright, Nigel Hardy and Kemarey Walker, are all a part of the joy at Hagley Gap. - Photo by Paul Williams

Paul H.Williams, Sunday Gleaner Writer

In an enchanting village, nestled on a hillside, way in the hills of the St. Thomas side of The Blue Mountains, where powdery white clouds caress green mountains under blue skies, there is a gap called Hagley.

The community has many gaps. The lack of piped water and other social amenities is dwarfed by the awesome scenery of this fairy wonderland. You expect to see leprechauns jumping from hill to hill searching for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

In the valley below, the Yallahs River meanders through interlocking spurs, and the luxuriant foliage is an inviting bed to laze the time away in nature's paradise, as leaves hum a melancholic lullaby, and angels sing.

Sheer bliss

And just when you thought you could die of sheer bliss and go to heaven, you see 'Solo Tall Boy', and there is more joy at Hagley. Perched atop a ladder doing volunteer painting for The Blue Mountain Project, when he sees The Sunday Gleaner camera, his face lights up. After the chat, and a quick wardrobe change, he is ready for his close-ups, in a 'senseh fowl' wig.

Looking at Solo, you can't help smiling, because he's like a wisp of fresh mountain air providing laughter for a community that is otherwise economically depressed.

Sartorial splendour

But, Solo is not the only joy at Hagley, for as you are about to keel over and roll down the hillside, enters G-Crew. Five young men, dressed as old men, in their sartorial splendour, albeit retro, eclipse Solo's 15 minutes of fame.

They too are a part of the joy at Hagley. When they enter the village square, the explosive reaction from the villagers is of seismic proportions, you hear rumblings in the distance. Village folks rail and cheer as Solo and G-Crew go through their usual antics. Cameras flash and capture the spectacle on the hillside. When it is all over and done, the young men go back to being real folks, working and greeting each other, and making light of the rough and rugged life in Hagley Gap.

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com