- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson (left) bids 'howdy-doo' to the Joslins: Jane, (second left), Dennis, and daughter Katherine at a party at the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club, Palisadoes Park, last Saturday when Mr. Joslin showed off his new boat.
Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer
MY DEARS, you know your party is going to be hot when guests start arriving a week before the scheduled date! Well my dears, such was the anticipation that greeted the much heralded Texan shindig, hosted by Dennis and Jane Joslin, at the members-only Royal Jamaica Yacht Club, over there on the Palisadoes strip, last Saturday, and Luvs, when it was all over, the verdict is that it was worth all the anticipation!
Dears, it's been nearly four years since Texan rancher and businessman, Dennis Joslin, and his wife Jane, first entered the Jamaica social stratosphere, and how!
To begin with, theirs was never a universal welcome. Being the money behind the consortium that acquired the FINSAC bad debt portfolio, many pundits were predicting wholescale dislocation of the business and social sectors as, with many leading citizens in hock to FINSAC, and consequentially the Joslins, it was a widely held belief that their entry into the Jamaican financial sector would lead to the further ruination of many and the ultimate meltdown of the economy. This was due to what was promoted as the corporate raider-like strategy it was said the Joslins would employ.
Well, it's roughly four years since the Joslins entered the financial fray here, and contrary to the prediction of the financial soothsayers and other charlatans, there has been no general dislocation and or wholesale fire sale of the homes and or businesses of debtors. In fact, there has been a remarkable absence of brouhaha, and public ugliness as the Joslins and their partners and officers go about their business negotiating and renegotiating mutually accommodating terms between their debtors and themselves,
SPECTACULAR AFFAIR
Anyway, last Saturday evening, the Joslins hosted a spectacular affair that was not only the talk of the town leading up to the event, but has remained the talk of the town, now one week later after its staging! What a night! Sugarplums, it was a peach of fabulousness and then some! Oh, my word, what a party! Dears, hosted to welcome the Joslins multi-million dollar yacht the Texan Rose to Kingston, where she will now be berthed for at least one half of the yachting season, the do was as spectacular as it was fabulous! Luvs, aam-a-tellin-y'all, Cinderella never had it so good, but as for the Romans, well, they might have had!
Dears, with guests being greeted and presented with sheriff badges and bandannas for the gents, and cowboy hats for the ladies; and with the invite to the do, advising the ladies to be decked out, whilst their counterparts were to don denim and shirtsleeves, y'all know, a smasheroni was in the offing! Holy water and sainted virgins what a night! Sweet-things, you've all heard the stories that in Texas, the do things in a big way? Well dearhearts, if last Saturday's do was any measure of just how they do things in Texas, well, here's to the Lone Star state!
Dears, to begin with, the Texan Rose, is one marvellous yacht. We are talking enviable luxury here and nothing but. And then there was the entertainment the Floyd Folkes One-man aggregation; The Peter Ashbourne Ensemble; David Laird and his musical discs, that took the affair way into the night; and the premiere musical ensemble of the do, David Frizzell and Friends from Nashville, Tennessee, who had guests dancing out of their personalities and titles and straight into their souls, like at a revival!
And with three mega-size bars, plus two on board the Texan Rose; and three giant-size buffet stations serving up barbecued ribs, chili, chicken fajitas, tortilla-soup, sautéed vegetables, and mouth-watering sirloin; and to-die-for goodies from Guilt Trip - ya'll know, we are talking something fabulous here and then some!
Oh dears, y'all should have been there! Dears, have you ever been to a party where everyone was fabulously dressed, the ladies breathtakingly so? Well, dears, this was one of those events with ladies with attitude and dressed to thrill and fabulously so, sporting precious stones and faux stones that simply dazzled, as they laa-dee-daahed and or danced to a favourite piece of music; laughed at an intimate aside; or flashed a smile at an acquaintance or friend, while in the throes of a social tidbit!
Those out sharing in the spirit of the occasion included Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who danced up a storm; Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips and his wife Sandra; Jamaica Labour Party leader Bruce Golding and wife Lorna; Audley Shaw; Abe Dabdoub and his daughter; James Robertson; head of the EU Delegation Ambassador Gerd Jarchow and his fiancée Mara Mandara; Canadian High Commissioner Claudio Valle and his wife Louise, and her mom Edith Jarbeau; acting head of mission at the U.S. Embassy Thomas Tighe and his wife Luisa; John Issa, his wife Aida, their twin daughters Zein Issa-Nakash and Muna Issa, Winston and Caroline Spaulding.
Also in attendance were security conglomateur Kenny Benjamin; regional mogul Las Chin and his wife Dr. Eileen Gonzales-Chin; Ambassador Peter King; Joe Matalon and companion Bernadette McKinley; Paul and Oriente Issa; Honorary Consul of Iceland Robert MacMillan; Honorary Consul of Korea Yvon Desulme and his wife Cynthia; Capt. Michael Lyn and wife, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Thailand Thalia Lyn; Tunty Barrett and wife Ambassador Madge Barrett; socialites emeritus Roy and Sylvia Collister; Wanda Stephenson; Alston Stewart; Raymond and Mary-Ellen Reece; Doreen Frankson; Ronnie Thwaites; Jennifer Lim and sister Valerie Marzouca and companion, former hubby John Marzouca; Dr. Don Christian and companion Hyacinth Davidson; Richard and Diane Stewart; Ian and Celia Levy; Leicester Levy; Peta-Gay MacMillan; Christopher and Katherine Kerney, in from Texas.
Also out were Commodore Alston Douglas; Valerie Juggan-Brown; Harold Brady; William and Sandy Tavares-Finson; David Hall and companion Liz Sheehan; Howard Mitchell; Gary and Bernadette Barrow; Cindy Breakspeare Bent; Susie Benjamin; Janine Bunting;
Dr. Henry Lowe and son David Lowe; Al Niazi and wife Charmaine Johnson-Niazi; Anthony and Angeline Harris; Steve and Karishma Khemlani; Mark Pritchitt; Mark Thwaites and wife Kathi; legal ace Eme Usim; Alex and Susanne Dougal, Anthony and Erin Chang; Brian 'Ribbie' Chung; Bob and Angie Fowler; Ian Garbutt and Karlene MaxBrown and her daughter Sophia MaxBrown.
