‘Pops’ Oldfield posthumously honoured for aiding Montpelier Agricultural Show
Published:Wednesday | April 3, 2024 | 12:06 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
FAMILY MEMBERS of the late Samuel ‘Pops’ Oldfield received a touching tribute to their departed relative, who had been instrumental to the annual operations of the Montpelier Agricultural Show, during that function’s 2024 staging in Montpelier, St James, on Monday.
The presentation was made during the show’s 41st staging, held at the Montpelier showground under this year’s theme, ‘Grow What We Eat, Eat What We Grow’.
Viola Oldfield, the sister of Samuel, briefly expressed gratitude to the Jamaica Agricultural Society [JAS] for their honouring of her brother, who died in January after a period of illness.
“I feel so good, I am telling you. I took care of him until he died, and I feel so good about it. I thank the JAS for acknowledging him with this plaque, as he was involved in the Montpelier Agricultural Show for 30 years,” said Ms Oldfield.
Winston Davis, stepson of ‘Pops’, was likewise reserved but no less grateful for the JAS’s acknowledgement of his stepfather’s contributions to the organisation.
“It is a wonderful privilege to know that we’re getting this plaque. He was always on time, making sure that everything would run organised [for the agricultural show], and he was into farming, too, but mostly he was an electrician,” Davis said of his stepfather.
The surviving Oldfield relatives received a plaque in honour of ‘Pops’ – an electrician who originally hailed from Mt Carey, St James, and later resided in Cornwall Mountain, Westmoreland – for his efforts to assist with the lighting for the annual agricultural event.
Additionally, a bursary of $50,000 has been created in Samuel Oldfield’s name, to be provided to students at the Hanover-based Knockalva Polytechnic College where he had worked.
Glendon Harris, president of the JAS St James chapter, noted that in addition to the presentation of the plaque to his family and the creation of the $50,000 bursary in his name, a plaque in Pops’ honour will be placed in the Roger Clarke Exhibition Hall at the Montpelier showground.
“We had one person that worked at the Montpelier Show for 40 years as the electrician, and he died this year. We are going to take the opportunity to present a plaque to the family and then a plaque will go in the Roger Clarke Building,” said Harris. “He has left a legacy, and we will continue with that legacy.”
Commendations likewise came from Carlene Gold, vice-principal of Knockalva Polytechnic College, who remembered Oldfield as pivotal to the school’s electrical installation and repair work.
“Mr Oldfield worked with us for over 30 years at Knockalva, and he has been very instrumental in electrical installation at the college. Whenever we had any challenges, we would just call on Mr Oldfield and he would fix it for us. May his soul rest in peace,” said Gold.