Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer
Insurance company heavyweight Dennis Lalor cuddles up to Lola Jover and a radiant Joy Mahfood at the farewell party.
MY DEARS, one of the ignored aspects of our identity as a people, is the role of the Spanish in our history. On the other hand, the British and their role continues to be the main plank of our national identity, and remains the main social reference and focus for many a would-be arbiter who would deny all things British, as our cultural and historical heritage, failing to acknowledge the equally important role the Spanish played when they too were the Colonial masters.
To be sure, that the British were the super power of the day, and eventually won the colonial bragging rights to this former colony.
That we continue to ignore the role of the Spanish, their influence and legacy, particularly in the area of infrastructure, speaks to our own myopia and misunderstanding of the role that heritage can play in our search for solutions.
Interestingly enough though, while we continue to ignore that national treasure trove, the Spanish influence is now making a strong and very vibrant come-back architecturally, as more and more individuals now resort to this architectural heritage as a personal statement in deciding on style and or mode for a home in actual designs and colours.
More interestingly as well is the fact that while we, as a nation, continue to ignore our tri-cultural heritage, always emphasising the African and British at the expense of the Spanish, the British and the Spanish have had no such problem, as they are both fully aware of these historical ties and often use them to inform current social and or political realities.
ARISTOCRATIC BACKGROUND
Now, Anthony and Jeannie Watson, and their son James Watson, are not only to the manner born, they are from an aristocratic background that makes an appreciation for the finer things of life civility, style, decency and naturally all things beautiful par for the course.
Heir to the famed Watson's OTB fortune and tourism holdings, that once included the now Royal Plantation Hotel in Ocho Rios, Anthony Watson, and his family returned from their Bermudian home almost four years ago, to what he and his family hoped would be a quieter, more mature Jamaica, exercising the restraint and character its years of fashioning should have engendered.
Alas, this proved not to be the case, at least not over archingly so but there were shadows of that kinder and hoped-for Jamaica, that saw the Watsons resettling in the land of their birth.
At about the same time that the Watsons were resettling here in Kingston, the British High Commissioner HE Peter Mathers and his family, wife Elisabeth Mathers, and their daughter Philippa Mathers; the Spanish Ambassador HE Rafael Jover and his wife, Lola Jover, were all settling into their respective diplomatic missions here in Kingston. And so it wasn't long before the Watsons, the Mathers and the Jovers, paths crossed and with a kindred spirit found a bond of friendship was created.
Well both High Commissioner Mathers and his family, as well as Ambassador Jover and his wife, tour of duty come to an end this here summer, as indeed, the Mathers leave on July 11th, and Ambassador and Mrs. Jover leave on or around the 27th. To celebrate friendships formed and honoured, Anthony and Jeannie Watson, along with their son James, hosted a farewell brunch at their fabulous upper St. Andrew residence last Sunday, in honour of the out-going British High Commissioner and his family, and the out-going Spanish Ambassador and his wife, that was oh-so-fine, it was nothing short of dee-vine!
My dears, those of you in the know, will remember that indeed, the Watsons are not only gracious hosts, they entertain in the grandest of styles, reminiscent of that era when the well-to-do held court and served tea, crumpets and cucumber sandwiches!
Well dovecakes, for last Sunday's farewell brunch honouring the outgoing diplomats, the Watsons were at their very olde worlde best!
To begin with, on the scale of fabulousness, the Watsons Norbury Villa home is a Tenner. Dears, we are talking unpretentiously grand here, in the tradition of manicured cultured lawn spaces, and immaculately kept gardens and plants.
MARVELLOUS PATIO
And then add to a wonderful four-storied condominium, a simply marvellous patio, as if suspended in mid-air, as indeed, there it is way up above the ground, terra firma an unsettling 80 or so foot drop below, the rolling lawns of the neighbouring golf club, making for the picture, as the canopied patio, perfect backdrop and then some, as the canopied patio, with its plush and colourfully inviting furnishings says "welcome" in that muted manner known only by things cosmopolitan.
And dears, speaking of the cosmopolitan lifestyle, sweet-things, it does not get any better than this!
Pumpkins, it poured torrents last Sunday, but if anything this was seen as a blessing and so added to the upbeat mood of those guesting and it made for a fabulous soirée of no mean order. And dears how could it not, with arriving guests being welcomed by the hosts and then being offered a choice of pimms-cup or a bloody-Mary to kick off the Sunday afternoon, the stage was set for a fabulous do, and this it was throughout. My dears, it was like that, and then some, as this was an august intimate gathering of the social elite, out to bid two very charming Diplomats and their families adieu, and dears, it was wonderfully and faultlessly high-brow, and nothing but!
From a faultless fare for brunch that was not only a gourmet's delight and dream, it was memorable! Dears, we are talking jumbo shrimps, in a faultless cream sauce, goat curried; finger-licking spareribs, a curried ackee dip that was to literally die for; smoked salmon with cream cheese and beluga caviar; with taboulie and green ensalada, topping the main and welcoming fares.
But dears, it was the chocolate fountain, spewing the oh-so-absolutely delicious elixir of love, made that much more exciting by kebabs of marsh mallows, strawberries the size of oranges; and giant juicy grapes, that when dipped in the chocolate simply transported one from this world into the esoteric, that took the crown.
There were a few thank-yous as the host thanked his guests of honour for their contribution commitment and care to Jamaica, during their tenure, speaking to a kinder Jamaica, when we were mostly our brothers keepers and protectors, and these was some semblance of ordered development at work instead of the haphazard mode that seems to be de rigueur.
Well my dears, HE Peter Mathers, in his reply, spoke to the very positive ongoing developments in the nation, arguing that indeed it all bode well for the future, and not unlike the rest of us, his main concern was our crime.
The Spanish Ambassador, HE Rafael Jover, was in fine form, and started his reply, speaking as he was after the British High Commissioner, remarked that indeed, he thought that the British invasion that drove the Spanish out, was the last violence the island would have seen.
Dears, it was a priceless moment and then some, bringing chuckles and chortles all around, and a touch of hilarity that was symbolic of the friendship shared by the Diplomats of the once- rival powers, and the bonds of friendship shared with their hosts and it made for a wonderful do!
Among those out were: MP Delroy Chuck and his charming wife Pat Chuck; the new Russian Ambassador HE Igor Lebedev and his wife Olga Lebedev; Brazilian Ambassador HE Cezar De Souza Lima Amaral and his wife Lidia Amaral; The Hon. Maurice and Valerie Facey; The Hon. Dennis Lalor; Chris and Michelle Bovell; Earl Levy and his fabulous wife Beverly Junor-Levy; the oh-so-gracious and so celebrated Susan Alexander; Robert Cartade and his fashion diva wife Carol Issa-Cartade, her sibling Paul Issa and his Spanish wife Oriente Issa, also out Roy and Sylvia Collister; Jennifer Lim; Robert MacMillan and Rachel Gore and her beautiful daughter Dana; Dr. Oswald and Marigold Harding; Patrick and Marguerite Lynch; Hugh Croskery; Joy Mahfood; George Fatta; Novia McDonald-Whyte; and Joe English of Chicago, plus a number of others.
