Festival stage

POLITICIANS, sport stars and business executives came out in droves at Grand Kadooment, the final phase of the Crop-Over Festival, yesterday.Cricket great Brian Lara, football ace Dwight Yorke, beauty queen Wendy FitzWilliam and renowned bodybuilder Bernard Sealy were among the big names enjoying the annual all-day street party that stretched this year from Warrens to Spring Garden Highway.Lara, Yorke, and FitzWilliam were among the hundreds of revellers jumping in brilliant sunshine, while Sealy was among the crowd in Black Rock.Sprinter Jade Bailey, who competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and hurdler Stephen Jones, a member of the national team at the 2004 Games in Athens, had a ball along the route, along with politicians Reggie Farley and Cynthia Forde.Corporate communications manager of Cave Shepherd, Hugh Durant, was among the Renegades while Governor of the Central Bank, Dr DeLisle Worrell, and his wife Monica were with Ooutraje.Crowd responseTwo-time calypso monarch Adrian Clarke, who turns 38 next week, got some crowd response when he made his way along Spring Garden, while something was happening for nine-time winner Red Plastic Bag, who took time out to greet his many fans.New Barbados cricket all-rounder Ashley Nurse also jumped with a band, while teammates Dwayne Smith and Kevin Stoute watched from the sidelines in Black Rock.Bodybuilder Clavis Springer, the 1995 Mr Barbados, did security for Power X 4, while former national goalkeeper Charles Williams was in the crowd in Eagle Hall. (MK)