- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Louise Valle (centre), in animated conversation with Maria Dolores (left) and Myriam Portocarero at a farewell reception hosted by the diplomatic corp for British High Commissioner, Peter Mathers, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston last Monday.Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
AND SO, after three-and-a-half years as head of his country's mission here in Jamaica, British High Commissioner HE Peter Mathers demitted office on Thursday, June 30 and with his lovely Austrian wife Elisabeth Mathers and their daughter Philippa Mathers, all left Jamaica, for London, the following day.
Dears, theirs was a tenure marked by a cementing of stronger bilateral relations between Britain and Jamaica, and a forging of some strong friendships between the Mathers family and many a Jamaican, as they not only were formidable diplomatic power-players, they were fabulous hosts - hosting many a dinners, soirées and a number of musicals at the social/personal level, designed to foster and improve the personal relations between staff of the high commission, and their Jamaican hosts.
ADMIRED AND RESPECTED
Little wonder that High Commissioner Mathers and family have been one of the more liked, admired and respected residents of Trafalgar House.
Now, one of the beautiful things about being a guest at Trafalgar House during the Mathers' tenure was that one could always look forward to a fabulously refreshingly assemblage of personages! To be sure, there were always the well-to-do, the fabulous, the literati, the artsy and of course, members of the diplomatic corps. But what was particularly interesting at Trafalgar House, was that there was always a charming grouping of young adults, who were friends and/or schoolmates of the Mathers' daughter, Philippa, whose coterie of friends added a formidable balance, to what could otherwise be top-heavy social outings, and it always made for fabulous mixes.
COMPLETELY AT EASE
Dears, here was a family, completely at ease with themselves, and this was despite the rigours of travelling the world in Her Majesty's diplomatic service and having to assimilate many a different culture, practices and traditions of host countries every four years or so.
Jamaica, being their last posting, will always hold bitter-sweet memories for the Mathers as coming as it did on the cusp of his retirement, and being the scene of a number of successful policy initiatives that served to enhance British standing not just in Jamaica, but in the region, will most certainly only serve to underline his role as one of the region's more senior and more accomplished diplomats.
That he will be sorely missed, is without question, a fact underlined by the many dinners, receptions, brunches and soirees hosted in his and his family's honour.
To say farewell to their many friends and colleagues, here in Jamaica, on Thursday last, High Commissioner and Mrs. Mathers, and their daughter Philippa, hosted a farewell reception on the grounds of Trafalgar House, that was one stellar occasion and burdened by mixed emotions.
Dears, High Commissioner Mathers tenure here will, in all probability, be remembered for his support of institutions and institution building, hosting a member of the British Royal Family, and for the support they gave to charitable causes, service-oriented organisations. The greatest challenge of their tenure however, was their hosting of their farewell reception, and thus bringing the curtain down.
LOVE FEST
Luvs, it was a love fest and then some! The diplomatic outing of the season, as the world and his wife, the well-to-do and the chic, high-society and high-glamour, were all out to say their official goodbyes and dears, it made for one fabulous farewell do, and all that! We are talking the very crème of Jamaica's high society and nothing but here, with the fabulous and the chic thrown in for fabulous measure, and it made for one marvellous "A-crowder" and the who's who' of the fabulous out to say their goodbyes.
Among those out were: Beverly Anderson-Manley; former Deputy Prime Minister David Coore; Hon Peter and Sandra Phillips; Hon. Burchell and Joline Whiteman; Hon. John Junor; Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe; Ambassador Douglas Saunders and Angela Robertson; Chief of Staff JDF Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin and wife Capt. Tessa Lewin; M.P. Delroy Chuck; Richard and Ursula Ashenheim; Hon. Oliver Clarke; Hon. Dennis Lalor; Hon. Barbara Gloudon; Lady Patricia Golding; Sir Alistair and Lady McIntire; Ambassador Peter King; Ambassador Courtney Walsh; outgoing Spanish Ambassador HE Rafael and Lola Jover; French Ambassador HE Francis Hurtut; Canadian High Commissioner HE Claudio Valle his elegant wife Louisa Valle and her mom the lovely Edith Jarbeau; Chilean Ambassador HE Alfanso Silva; Dean of the Diplomatic Corp, Trinidad and Tobago's High Commissioner HE Dennis Francis; Acting Head of Mission US Embassy Cliff Tighe and wife Dr. Louisa Tighe; Deputy British High Commissioner Phil Sinkinson; Ambassador Dr. Matthew Beaubrun; Ambassador Madge Barrett; Honorary Consul General of the Icelandic Kingdom Robert MacMillan and the elegant Rachel Gore; Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Thailand Thalia Lyn and hubby Capt. Michael Lyn; Honorary Consul of Ecuador Clelia de Barretto Hunter; Honorary Consul of Poland Irene Cousins.
Also out were: Roy and Sylvia Collister; celebrated artist Susan Alexander; eminent attorney-at-law Emil George and wife Dr. Pamela George; the charmingly lovely Jeannie Watson and her son James Watson; Dr. John and Paddy Masterton; Dr. Marshall Hall; Joe Matalon and companion Bernadette McKinley-Morin; Earl Levy; Adrian and Darilyn Foreman; Drs. Dhiru and Laura Tanna; Christopher and Jill Roberts; Peter and Beverly Rousseau; Mrs. Joy Mahfood; George Fatta; Col. Trevor MacMillan and wife Dr. Peaches MacMillan; DCP Mark Sheilds; Mike and Peggy Fennell; Patrick and Marguerite Lynch; AnneMarie Feanny; Drs. Richard and Carolyn Gomes; the charming Jeanette Hutchinson; Milton Samuda; Mark Pritchett; Horace and Josephine Bogues; Peter and Lawayne Kolbusch; Maree Sigurdson; Frank Rosheuvel and daughter; Anthony Chang; Andrea Bickhoff Benjamin and daughter; Rosina Moder-Ashbourne; William Lampert and wife Anna Kaiser; Ruddy and Joy Mc Hugh; Lloyd and Sonia Tomlinson; Ian Murphy; Keith Collister; Paul Lalor and his lovely Trinidadian companion; Peter Bovell and his daughter; Rev. Devon Dick and wife Mary; siblings David and Mary Johns; John Risden; Rupert and Joan Lindo and their son Alexander Lindo, who rendered two musical items in honour of the departing High Commissioner and his family; Malcolm Bath and Christine Kaluza; Desmond and Eileen Bonner; and John and Tallulah Schnabel; plus several others, including a number of the High Commission's staff.
And dears, yes, the Mathers will be sorely missed!
