Gutters: The Entrance to Spring Village

Gutters is the main access point to the outskirts of the village. This is where people connect to adjacent places like Bushy Park, Spanish Town or Old Harbor. It is often a hub for commerce and is always buzzing with activity.

Although there are other access points to the village, Gutters remains the major one. Trucks and other vehicles traveling to Jamaica Broilers, Inswood Sugarcane Plantation or elsewhere can be seen daily as they travel through this point. It is also within close proximity to Highway 2000, where cars on the highway can be seen from this location. In recent years, Gutters has not changed dramatically. However, Small pockets of buildings like grocery shops and other businesses have continued to dot the landscape.

During the 1960’s Gutters hosted one of the most notorious tailor shops supplying the area, including the Village. The original location was on the right hand corner where this picture was taken (where car is picking up student). This shop was run by a famous Villager nicknamed “Sport” (Mr. Noel Jennings) who got the name from being one of the fastest runners in the surrounding areas including Church Pen and Old Harbor. Sport was also known to have bowled the great George Headly who was one of the most famous cricketers in Jamaica. This famous match was played on the grounds of Ayes Pen in Spring Village, which at the time was a cricket field on par with Sabina Park.

This tailor shop, though humble, was not only a landmark but also the main stop before proceeding to the village. The only transportation to the village at the time was drays and donkey carts. Sport’s tailor shop always had the characteristic smell of most tailor shops of the day, where the half-burnt smell of coal-fired self-heater irons pressing clothes could be taken in on entrance. One could always be assured of hearing various conversations packed with much laughter. Various other items could also be obtained form his shop. This includes items such as peppered shrimp, peanuts, bammy, fish, fried-fritters, newspaper and ice, which could only be bought here since ice trucks would hardly travel to the village. Some of the main customers were the sugar cane cutters going to Bushy Park, since at the time, Bushy Park was known for its large sugar plantations.

Remnants of the great era of the Bushy Park Sugar Industry still exist today. The Bushy Park Aqueduct, built in the 1700’s still speaks of that time.

Although much of this ambience has changed, Gutters still remains the main hub of accessing major locations outside the village.

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