WESTERN BUREAU:
CRAIG MARTIN, general manager of Wyndham Rose Hall, had thanks and apology for Wes Russell Thursday night.
"We have to thank the man who is responsible for the grass, Wes Russell. For the last couple weeks all we have been talking about is growing grass "and now we are keeping a party on it. We'll grow it back by morning," he said.
Wes didn't seem to mind and the cocktail party-goers teeing off at The Ruins/Aqueduct 17th Hole on the Wyndham Rose Hall's Three Palms Golf Course were feeling no pain. The event was a welcome cocktail reception and dinner under the stars, part of an extended weekend grand opening of the Three Palms Golf Course.
The stars dutifully turned out in muted numbers, distant twinkling campfires in a velvet sky. The bonfire on a hillside overlooking the party area was much closer and the purple, yellow and blue illumination trained on the two sets of ruins cast a new light on the historical aspect of the area. Martin gave a brief history lesson:
"The ruins date back to the 1790s. They brought the water down from the mountains," he explained, outlining the sugar making process and the sweet commodity's importance to the Caribbean.
The buffet line was a layout in itself, with diners snaking along a short village of bamboo and coconut 'cottages' to choose their fare. The village was complete with peanut vendor, donkey and an updated version of the obeah man -- the fortune teller.
It was not all dinner and speeches, as music took a few swings as well. The diners swung right along with 'Baldy' as he presented 'Caribbean Showcase', complete with a trio of lissome, lithe and leggy dancers who showed tantalising glimpses of quivering flesh as they swayed, kicked and stepped to the beat.
"I heard some people calling me Kojak in Technicolour, but that's not true. I am Baldy!", the clean-pated performer announced as he wrapped up a performance of reggae, calypso and folk music.
The weekend of events continued on Saturday with brunch and golf.
