The Gilbert Lamb fun day drew crowds from across the Island to St David’s Cricket Club for the East End’s biggest Good Friday celebration.

“That’s what it’s all about — family,” said club president Otis Minors, overlooking the cricket grounds as hundreds of visitors and locals took to the field for kites, cricket, fish cakes and, of course, the go-kart races.

The two-mile course from St David’s Lighthouse was lined with spectators for the Mohawk grand prix.

Back at the club, picnics and tents ranged from Lord’s Oval to the hillsides around Little Head Park — and, buoyed by a good southerly breeze, the skies teemed with kites.

“I love it — I’ve been coming here every year since it’s been going on,” enthused April Minors, enjoying “a little me time” after helping her grandchild fly a kite. “It’s nice seeing everybody coming together as a community, having a great day and a great time. I don’t have any favourites. I love the whole event.”

Nearby, a beaming commissioner of corrections Edward Lamb was trying to get his Goddaughter’s daughter, Raven, aloft with the traditional Bermuda kite he had made for her.

The wind was not helping but Lieutenant Colonel Lamb did not seem to mind. “This is fantastic; I’ve been here since quarter to seven this morning,” he said. “I’ve been coming here on Good Friday since I was a child.

“The community here has always had its Good Friday celebrations with uphill and downhill football, kite-flying and marbles, and then in 1997 we decided to officially name it after Gilbert Lamb, to commemorate the 37 consecutive years that he served at the club.

“This is part of my heritage — I couldn’t be anywhere else today; I’ve never missed it.”

Even when he served as aide-de-camp for Governor Lord Waddington, from 1992 to 1994, Lt Col Lamb was there for Good Friday — which meant that the Governor was, too.

“Most of the folks here aren’t from St David’s — it’s a great community day for all of Bermuda,” Lt Col Lamb said. “This is like the motto of Jamaica: ‘out of many, one people’.” Nearby, first-time visitor Mike was assisting his four-year-old son, Oliver, with his kite and its knotted string.

“Other than this whole heap of string getting tied up, it’s been great,” he said. “They’ve set it up beautifully.”

Revellers helped each other out: sitting with friends on the field was Yebei, hoping to salvage a kite stick for her nine-year-old nephew, Leule, while Waymond Hill showed some visitors how to get theirs off the ground.

Mr Hill’s wife, Earlette Stephens, stood with daughter Ashley at her trademark lemonade stand and remarked on the good turnout of tourists.

“Let the string out — don’t miss the wind,” said Howard Hayward to his eight-year-old daughter Sarai as the two got her Barbie kite airborne. The fun day was a pet-friendly event, and the two were walking their dog, Bella-J.

“Good Friday is a family day and it should be fun-filled,” Mr Hayward said.

“But it also should be our time to reflect on what somebody did for us — Jesus. That’s why the kite has a cross.”