The Gleaner, which by 1962, had already witnessed and reported more than a century of the island's history, teams up with Jamaica National Building Society, currently celebrating its 135th anniversary, and the Institute of Jamaica for Jamaica Celebrates.

CALLING THE CLASS OF 1962

If you:

✓ Were born in 1962;

✓ Got married in 1962;

✓ Got your first job in 1962;

✓ Graduated from school in 1962; or,

✓ Had any other significant milestone in the year of Independence, then you belong to the Class of 1962.

Tell us your story and send your photographs …

to Jamaica Celebrates - Building Our Nation, Our Family, Our Home; editorial@gleanerjm.com, or mail them to Kerry-Ann Hepburn, Jamaica Celebrates, The Gleaner, 7 North Street, Kingston.

You may also log on to our website at www.jamaica-gleaner.com for more information, or call Kerry-ann Hepburn at 922-3500, extension 6419.

Memories of loss

My memories of Independence are not happy ones, but I thought I would share them just the same.

I was 15 years old when Jamaica became an independent nation. I was attending Wolmer's High School for Girls. My younger sister, Vivienne, and I, were both members of the Wolmer's Guide company, and were involved in the march-past of uniformed troops that was to take place at the National Stadium on Independence night.

On July 26, 1962, while returning from a rehearsal at the stadium, four of us, who were walking along Trafalgar Road, were hit off the sidewalk just in front of the then Courtleigh Hotel, by a motor vehicle. My sister, Vivienne, who was 13 years old at the time, died on the spot, as she was run over by another car travelling in the opposite direction.

My mother, who was a single parent at the time, was devastated. Vivienne would have celebrated her 60th birthday on May 31, 2009.

- Pauline Fowler-Boggis

Class of '62 snapshots

Beauty on parade - Independence Float Parade 1962. Thelma Davis (now Hatton), who lives in London, is the girl to the extreme left seated on the 'throne'. She used to work at Hanna's. Contributed by Grace (McGhie) Brown. - Contributed

Miss Mona Heights - Miss Mona Heights 1962 at centre.

Winning team - Junior Knockout Table Tennis champions for 1962 is the T View Club, which defeated United Printers in the final. The T View team is (back row, from left) Carlton Campbell, Rochester, Cornel France and Earl Bowlin. (Front row, from left), Reginald Crutchley, Tom Wing (capt) and Carl Tai.

'Busta' weds - THE BRIDAL PARTY: (From left) Hugh Shearer, best man; Mrs Watley, the bride's attendant; Sir Alexander, Lady Bustamante and Donald Sangster, who gave the bride in marriage.

We were free and feared nothing

I was born in March 1962 and although I cannot remember the early days, I remember some things which were quite interesting. I was told that I was born at 50 Maxfield Avenue, but when I started basic school, I was living in Trench Town.

My parents were humble people; my father was an ex-policeman and my mother a domestic worker.

We lived on Thirteenth Street in Trench Town and life was very exciting, as far as I can remember. It was not about material things, but play, play, play. I remember patty-pan buses, eating asham from my bare hands, and stoning coolie plum trees.

Created entertainment

As inner-city young people, we had to create our own entertainment and this we did with much fun and frolic. We used to have water-balloon war, uptown versus downtown. Now, what we used to do was fill balloons with water from the standpipe and chase the guys who lived at the top of the road until we were able to splash them with the balloons. They, in turn, would chase us, the guys who lived down the bottom half of the street.

There were the times when we used to sit on the sidewalk and talk about all sort of things - from duppy stories to the last scrimmage football match. We would talk forever. Most of the time, the street lights did not work properly; but that did not matter to us.

- Kenneth Grant, Greater Portmore