Photo depicts washing in the Roseau River before the days of washing machines and other modern day technology.
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Great memories. I smile but also shake my head. Living on River Street and being sent to bathe in river at 6 in morning, water cold for days. You stand up by the water hands clasp in front of you, trying to figure out how to get in that water. Some fool always creeping up and splashing your back. You so shocked you miss your footing and fall in the cold water. You get home only for your mother to say “ou pocor lavay deyeh zoweil ou” because she was spying from the kitchen window, so she sent you back to wash behind the ears. All that make you late for school. I tell you. Nostalgia makes it seem like fun back then, but not all the time non. Although I’ll take those days over the present DA criminal scene any day.
Cool
man i telling u those were the days now persons are so selfish. no togetherness anymore, I use to wash their myself and we use to have fun. now everybody so selfish and desperate to bring one another down.
It was very interesting reading some of the comments regarding the picture. I too had fun then. That was our way of life. Things change and people change. Though it instilled a much fruitful sence of value in some of us, I would not like to go back(full time)to some of these practices. Yes it would be nice now and then to go to the rivers to wash my rugs, a pair of jeans or two and even just to relax in the afternoon for a couple of hours; if we feel like it. When you have the option and you can take advantage of it every once and again is ok. To have to live this kind of life in today’s society is just not plausible.
It could be late-1960s too, because we used the same concrete blocks in the photo to build our new home.
This photo was taken sometime in the early or mid-1960s. The house on the far right belonged to my parents. I live at that location in the earlier part of my life. This is Pottersville and the photo was taken from the EC Loblack Bridge.
Those were the days!!! I’m still missing it. When I was in DA, even if I had a washer I would still go to the river to wash on a Sunday. That’s one of the things I miss about my beautiful country.
We used to bring a pot and cook our food right there. And the important thing is that Dominicans used to share. People would come to the river without soap because they did not have the money to buy, and we would share.
Where have all those good days gone? We need to go back to our roots.
Gosh! How I wish those days would come back. I miss the old Dominica.
are u crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u wish it would come back
YUP thoes were the days,so much have been said already.I will add,when the river flow on the other side after some heavy rainny day when the river would come down heavy and clean the crap that been stuck among the stones.
What about when L rose lime juice remnance would come down,causing all the fishes to swim for cover from the lime juice,you could catch them eith your bear hand.thoes were memorable days,i could go on n on but that’s water under the bridge.
The Roseau River uniquely separated Roseau from Potters Ville and vice versa. In bygone years as a student, the river was much more beautiful. Note its width. There was a time it covered the entire width and flowed beautifully with immense water. Due to new roads that were constructed in the interior and also storms/hurricanes which destroyed some trees, the water in the Roseau River was diminished.
I recall seeing people washing their clothes in the river. The river water served a useful purpose for those who did not have water supply in their homes.
Yes! Those were the days and fond memories of the sight then and this picture.
Sweet Dominica was and still is the land of beauty. God bless Dominica!
wow love it. Reminds me of my days in the river in the country side.
Those were the good old days when togetherness reigned. It was a pleasure to go to the river on Saturdays and wash all day. This was no big deal because it was a part of life since we could not do otherwise.
Memorable times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my daughter more down to earth them the boys.my boys love the the sweet easy life.
Can the person who owns the picture please tell what year it was taken? Thanks. This is stuff to cherish. The water is clean and people look so peacefull.
I speculate that it is Probably in the 60’s or earlier. Give and take a few years earlier or later.
Oh and walk up the road with a basin on our
Head to marigot lucky if we get a ride from
A truck or van coming from Roseau
fun days my friends and I used to plan to go
Marshall and hatten garden we bring our lunch
Ju c, fanta coke bread etc etc we share among
Us we take our lunch break soft drinks used
To be in the water to stay cool
Bathe in the baset’ and put on clean clothes
That we dry on the stones and grass
Good old days I miss those days
Wow,this is lovely.It brings back good memories of my childhood days playing cricket with rubber ball under that Sewo tree or we would just enjoy the river breeze under the tree on the piles of stones that Mr. Duncan put for sale.Our mother washed clothes every day in the river.Those mothers who were there frequently had their own spot with a special stone to give the very dirty clothes a heavy wash(chocho hard la).Also they would open them on stones especially the white ones,and sprinkle them periodically to bleach them or remove stains.Note that the photo was taken on the Old Bridge.
Now that’s memories. The soap ( the blue or cream) use to make a white ring around your leg. Don’t have a boo-boo because mullet would mash you up.
I still cherish the deep memories of the days long ago when the Roseau River and River Clear were essentially our recreational grounds during school holidays. They were the places where we explored as adventurous kids of the Valley, where we released our excess youthful energies in an enjoyable, playful and legal manner.
That River was a source of food with plentiful crayfish, veyo, seewick CoCo, and Millete, It was our washing machine, laundry room, community centre, meeting place where all village “beth” would disseminated, denied or authenticated.
It was the community living room, bathroom (for some their toilet). It was our source of natural inspiration, and a place where many youthful romances got their sparks. I remember those refreshing river basins that served as the poor man’s diving and swimming pool- under the Copt hall bridge, at the old DOMLEC power station in River Clear, at Silver Lake (Fly City), behind Elmshall, at the back of DGS and the UWI centre in Bath Estate.
The Roseau River has for a long time being a source of the country’s hydro-electricity and it continues to add natural beauty to the Roseau Valley
Historically, such an integral part of who we are as a people in the Valley
Respectfully
Roseau Valley
O boy O boy don’t remind me.
neenee river in portsmouth in those days people could not miss river because use to beth pound ZAFE MUN:AGLANCIA
wow so lovely
Memories. I did the washing like that myself. For some women it was their beff spot. Always had a basien close by. fun
loving this soooooo much! best days ever….
I remember visiting Dominica in 1975 and that’s the view I had when crossing the bridge in Roseau. Right down to the children bathing naked in the background. Excepting when I saw it, there was an adult bathing in the nude as well, which was a little embarassing to see as a child that had been living away for awhile.
The scene you describe was a common occurrence for any one crossing the two bridges in Roseau and the Bath Estate Bridge, and as a kid I grew accustomed to seeing it and unconsciously adapted to it. Therefore, when I migrated to N. America, I couldn’t understand why there was such a fuss about throwing mothers from public places for openly feeding their babies!
What was ambarasing? 1 bathing in the nude or 2 washing in the river?. With the way the world is coming right now soon that is what wil be happening again. I did a lot of that already and it was real fun.. after washing and laying your clothes on the stones to dry we would bathe in the river and get our. Massage under the waterfall.. DEMETRIE river.
No one mention how hungry we use to be of we didn’t have something to eat by the river side. When we reach home we would so much like we came from space.
What was embarrassing was that I was residing in a country that arrested people for urinating on the side of the road, much less stripping down to the nude in public. If you’re not used to seeing that as a child and you see it one day, it’s very confusing and embarrassing. (Little girl, naked man……get the picture?)
That was Dominican specialty, don’t care who see have nothing to do with them. I was home for the summer as soon as we reach the middle of the bridge from the airport a man right there just as his mom make him
Wonderful great memories!
Boy I remember those days. Estate person – we used to have to help my mother carry the dirty clothes and make trips back and forth with the wash clothes, some which she dried by the river on the stones and others we had to open in the yard. In those days you learnt to swim by force – spending so much time in the water. Saturday was laundry day; our mother used to wash our hair and give us a scrub down by the river too. When you come out you seeing white and your skin white as well. Good ole memories, thanks.
I remember those days going to secwi and lamothe river. While our mothers washed we looked for crayfish cacador and veo to cook when we got home. We use to break coconut and use the pashe to cream our sins. Oh those were good old days. we used to put our swash to cool in the river while you eat your bread and cooking butter. when rain fell we would shelter under the bridge. those were the wonderful days.
And after standing in the water washing the clothes around your leg have a white ring that was left from the soap. Lol. Those were indeed peaceful and loving days this photo is full of peacefulness.
Cool!!
These were good old days because you were kids having fun in the river while your mother did all the hard work. Who wants to go back to washing clothes in a river?
Childhood memories are good, but I will let the washing machine do the work while I pursue more fun things to do than washing clothes.
That says a lot about you
loved it. Remember when you had to take lunch to your family member that was doing the washing.It was so much fun.lol they used the river to keep the soft drinks cold.
the soft drink part, I had forgotten- sweet
Bread and sausage juicy or fanta Or broth sprat
DNO dats one of d best memories to date those days was peace love unity where every one lokked out for each other down by d river was a special vacation especially when it was KARWEM
No such crimes/murders, the likes of which DA has experienced in this decade.
Teach the children, they need to know how things use to be. The good old days when neigbors got together and had fun doing what they did. It was hard, but they had good values.
indeed!
AGREE
Oh yes indeed. These good old days have molded me to be the kind of person I am today and I’m grateful to my parents. Although my daughter was born in the late 80s in the US. I’ve taught her how it was in my days compared to the present and she has a better appreciation for life and the things young people take for granted. Interestingly enough, we sometimes go to the country when she visits and relive those days and she loves it! (roasting breadfruit & saltfish with cucumber salad and lime squash sweetened with brown sugar)while washing those jeans on the stone…LOL!
THIS IS POTTERSVILLE I REMEMBER.
OKAY THEN BACK TO REALITY…THOSE WHERE THE DAYS BACK THEN.NOW WE ARE IN THE PRESENT TIME.
what happen you ashame of your past if things continue the way it is now dont you think that some of us will return to these day. I enjoyed these days and some people are still doing that and their clothes washing cleaner than when the machine do it. Thats what you call working people not the white goods making our youth of today lazy.
We were only too happy to return to those days right after Hurricane David!
As I write, most New Yorkers are living in their multi million dollar highrise condos with no running water!
you might think this is in the past but this is being done everyday in other parts of our island, where there is still clean rivers flowing
Reminds me of the days when our mother would take us to the river when she went to do the laundry for the week. While she and her friends were “cho-cho-ing” the clothes on the “woch-layvye”, or “fote-ing” it with a “baton-mi” or scrubbing brush, as kids we would create a small “basen” in the river and have some good aquatic fun. When you got home, your skin would be white like…LOL. Of course, the laundered clothes were either dried on the shrubs or stones, or brought back home in the basin and then hung out to dry in the sun. [That was laundering of dirty clothes… all legal and above board LOL.
Oh yes indeed. Now how about passing the coconut “pashie” after you chew the dry coconut, on your skin because after spending all that time in the water you are as wrinkled as a prune and your skin so white! Lol
VERY HAPPY DAYS, CLOTHES WERE WELL CLEAN.
Those were the days, the good old days… even the houses in the background bring back memory of love and family togetherness…I was born and raised in one of those.
Now that was really fun, everyone would make their “STONE” to wash their clothes and a big “Basin” to rinse afterwards, and mark you, no one should be above the stone to send down dirty water when rinsing starts. While mom is washing we would go in search of crayfish, veyo and even seewick for a jot later. Those were fun days.
looking at this pic with watery eyes and shivers! these were GOOD and LOVELY days, going to the river wash, boys and girls bathing together with no bad intentions… by the time you get out of the water our eyes were red and skin white, because of the long hours spent in the water. thanks for the pic.
i love those old pictures posted up. THANKS to who ever is posting them. we need to be reminded of our past. keep posting
I remember those days, we used to go to laviere canawee. The good old days.
Easy me too.
@Easy
That is you again–I know you are one of us, from Giraudel. I am familiar with that river as well; I still dream of going there or being there–up and down through that small and deep slanting path; except that most of the time, in my dream, it is dried up. But other times it is very powerful, with us doing the things we used to there, in those years gone by.
I don’t care what some people say, if I had the privilege to live that Life again, I would embrace with full force–I am just sick of that high and contempory living in Canada.
I don’t mind the build up, nonetheless, after 38 years, I just know that Canada and the City of Toronto is not my home, and I am only a few more years passing through; then to take off and to land right back in my Dominica. God’s will be done.
Oh Yea, remember walking up and down Emshall road to wash our clothes and walk back to Kingshill. Those were the days, how much time has changed. But those days were Fun and Good Days… Do not mind if they come back again.
Be careful what you wish for
i so glad for you, you not seeing how those women backs are bent??? take a survey and find out how many suffering from back pain and arthritis now. not for nothing i want to go back to those days.
those days a over for me.
Awa wi Rex….as good as those days were, I don’t mind doing this now and again but to go back to slaving infront a big basin of jeans and towels and bed linen plus other clothes and bending over to chocho clothes, and taking sun all day to do that… I will pass pal.
Lol. You cracked me up!!
YOU can ask for those days to come back but for me, NEVER!! Those days of bending all day long in the hot sun washing with peeling and bleeding hands? I can tell you they were NOT fun and good old days.
Never say never
but we didn’t have so many overweight and obese people back then too.
i teach my kids about it,cus they were all born in the US.so that make them more in a positive mind as to how life for us then was hard.
but i can tell u that they wont leave that life.the part bathing in the river, yes they love that.all the fun part they love. : 
@Anonymous
You are right. But how can people not be overweight to the point of obesity?
I remember, in my school days, when the skipping rope, a ball, and other items, were the things of exercising–before school started in the morning, at recess time, and before we got back to class after lunch. The skipping rope was the best fun and the exercising was as sweet as dancing.
What do we do today? It is the cell phone, the lap top or a desk top, it is television and all that keep our young people on their behind, all day long and every day.
Then there is all the fast foods and street or sidewalk BBQ’s, made up of so much grease–the temptation that the flesh cannot resist; we were not exposed to so much damage to our bodies in those years gone by–as is in our existence today.