AS TOLD TO BC PIRES

My name is Ryan Gomez-Burke and I’m a whole pig barbecuist.

My family moved into Diamond Vale when I was one. We were one of the first families there. It was the party capital of Trinidad. I was young, but I was in the parties, too. But the only way I used to get into party was by storming. I was always brokes.

The only ‘bush’ in Diamond Vale might have been the one or two empty house lots. We had good fun playing in the houses that were now finishing when the workmen left in the afternoon. Throw nails and make mischief.

I used to catch guabine in the Diego Martini Dry River.

My mother raise my family very close. Anything we do, we do together. If is a birthday, don’t matter if is just cake and ice cream, we invite everybody.

The story of the name, ‘Gomez-Burke,’ that I understand is, my grandfather was Irish, so he was the one with ‘Burke.’ Maybe I have it wrong. Maybe ‘Gomez’ was the original name and he added the ‘Burke.’ We supposed to be family to Gerry Gomez. But he was a bastard child or something, so, due to that, he added the ‘Burke,’ his mother’s name. But I’ve heard another version that he was in Venezuela with ‘Gomez’ and was having problems getting mail so he added ‘Burke.’ He dead and gone now, so I can’t ask him.

My grandfather fight in World War I. He was an old man in II. He talked about being in Africa, walking in the desert, fellas falling down and the troops have to keep marching, they leave you right there. And he fall down. And, he say, a big, strong Grenadian man pick him up, put him on his shoulders and carry him out. If it wasn’t for that Grenadian, ‘Gomez’ and ‘Burke’ woulda dead in the desert.

I am the last of my mother’s six children but there’s an adopted brother after me.

I went to Rosary Boys’ RC until they completed Diamond Vale Primary. Then it was much easier to walk to and from school.

I never really liked school. I wasn’t very good at it. I knew it was an important part of life. So I fight and pull myself through. I went to Diego Martin Junior Sec and then Diego Martin Sec.

Secondary school was more fun than primary, one of the first schools putting subjects in groups. Like how all schools do now. That helped me, the pooling the subjects.

My favourite subjects in school were: lunchtime; break time; and then home time.

I played a little football growing up but then I broke a bone, above the knee. I had to wear a whole leg cast, up to my hip. Back then, roller-skating was the go, so I cut the bottom of my cast, put on my skates and went skating in the cast.

[caption id="attachment_999506" align="alignnone" width="775"] Ryan Gomez-Burke: I could cook a suckling pig for you in three hours flat, from start to finish. I watch people fight up, fight up, fight up whole day to cook half-a-pig. - Mark Lyndersay[/caption]

After my leg, I broke my wrist playing football. So I tell myself it had to be some bone density problem and park up the football and sports.

That broken leg meant I had to stay home for the first few weeks of form one.