Views from the Rectory

Across from our Rectory is a children's play area, on the edge of the large grassed Independence Park which is criss-crossed by footpaths.


Adjacent to this is a Government Infant School and Pre-School, so our days are full of the sounds of children playing.


We walk across the park to the farmers' market on Tuesday and Friday mornings, usually very early to avoid the hottest part of the day.


St. Ann's Church was built when Belmopan was just being developed in the 1970s as a community church building. Initially it was shared by all the main denominations.

Since then the RCs, Methodists and Nazarenes have built separate churches, sadly; and St. Ann's itself has been redeveloped and expanded. It has the large worship area you can see in Ruth's Installation Service pictures, but also includes her office, a parish office, a choir vestry (currently used as storage) and two 'rest rooms'. There isn't a kitchen - yet! But parish events manage to involve food anyway...

This is a great-tailed Grackle! (male, I believe)

It's the commonest bird around here - we certainly see and hear them all the time. Our book of Belizean birds describes them as 'very vocal' - they have an extraordinary range of caws, shrieks and whistles!

Our friend Lesley bought us the book as a leaving present, and we've started paying more attention to the birds as a result.



And here's another large bird that's new to us, the Great Kiskadee. It has really striking plumage (beautiful, of course) and strangely Badger-like black and white stripes on the top of its head. So when we can't remember the proper name it's the "yellow Badger Bird".

Malcolm's decided not to risk boring people who have no interest in birds. (Oh look: it's a bird). So he's started another blog just for bird photos ... If you're interested, go to "A bad birdwatcher in Belize."


This shows the view from our side garden across the park towards ATI, which can just be made out in the background.

It's been newly refurbished for the grand ceremonials on 23 April, when Malcolm will be instituted as Director, and we will have the ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the new St. Ann's Primary School.

Meanwhile he has completed two full Saturday training / teaching days there and is busily planning courses.