Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
New United States Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson (centre) and her husband, J. Howard Johnson (left), chat with Delano Franklyn, State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, during a welcome cocktail reception at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston on November 21. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
AND SO, the American Ambassador, HE Brenda LaGrange Johnson, and hubby J. Howard Johnson arrived on the island just in time for their first Thanksgiving here, and after an official round of presenting credentials and attending a religious service, the reviews are all positive.
Meanwhile, newly retired British High Commissioner to Jamaica, HE Peter Mathers and his Austrian wife, the simply fabulous Elisabeth Mathers (who was at home in any of four languages), along with their lovely daughter Phillipa Mathers (Pipa, to her friends), are now settled into their new home, a charming place, just about half an hour or so outside of London, and are enjoying their new found status of leisure.
The couple who left Kingston at the beginning of the summer - the many friends they had embraced here, were saddened by their departure - have settled in and have been entertaining friends at their fabulous home.
My dears, the lovely Barbara Henriques is just back from London, where she called on the Mathers and had a fab time. Now she's making those who have not yet visited with the Mathers positively green with envy, as not only is Elisabeth one fabulous gourmet chef, she is complemented by hubby Peter as the perfect 'sommelier'. He serves up some absolutely fine and prized wines from their cellar, to complement her creations.
LADY COLIN CAMPBELL
And speaking of fabulous people, she is now considered an authority on the British blue bloods, but long before then, she was actually born here, and considered a boy back then. She has, however, evolved, married into the British aristocracy, and has authored a number of best-sellers. She has become the toast of the international media and a social staple in European high-society.
Known internationally as Lady Colin Campbell, she is 'Georgie' to her friends in Kingston!
Lady Campbell was in the island recently, and, naturally, snob-society queued for an audience with the celebrated authoress and etiquette doyenne. The coveted reception, however, was the do that St. Andrew socialite Nicola Crosswell-Mair and her hubby, businessman Randy Mair, threw at their swanky St. Andrew residence.
Pumpkins, the affair was a St. Andrew roll-call of the fabulous order, and a social charmer of the regal kind - hot like that and then some!
And if you are not yet in receipt of your invitation, resist the temptation to call up or even to hitch a ride from a friend, as this is definitely a no-no. But one does understand as the invites to Anthony and Jeanne Watson's annual yuletide shindig have been out for some time now, and not only are they hot, they promise another faultless celebration of the fab life!
HARMONY HALL
This Sunday, however, it's all about the 24th anniversary celebration, art exposition and craft fair of the celebrated Harmony Hall complex, at the Harmony Hall Great House, in Harmony Hall, St. Mary, just east of Ocho Rios proper.
My daahlings, this promises to be another smasheroni with nothing but the fabulous in attendance, and the very crème of Jamaican art and artists on display.
Tonight all roads lead to Montego Bay and the Ritz Carlton where the island's premier liquor manufacturers and distributors, J. Wray & Nephew, will be re-introducing its latest premium party elixir - Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin - that oh so fine champagne, that is such a delight to the palate. When it hits, unlike more showy brands, the crisp, clean flavour titillates the very soul.
Then the buzz is that the elegant Debbie Hamilton, the regally fabulous and statuesque doyenne, is all set to leave the Office of the Prime Minister for a diplomatic posting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not definite yet, but the word is the charming Mrs. Hamilton is all set to take up a posting with the Jamaican High Commission in Canada, early next year.
Congrats mon ami, and good luck.
And Luvs, this one is way too precious not to share with y'all!
Sweet-things, hear there was hell to pay at one of those weekly dancehall sessions where the polloi gather and give graphic display and imagery to the sub-cultural carryings-on.
'HOTTIE-HOTTIE'
Dears the buzz is: At one recent 'session' there was one 'hottie-hottie' in attendance who had all the red-blooded males drooling as the young lass sashayed and paraded her wares like a dancehall queen in the making. And honeys, heard that when she took to the dance floor and did her thing, she was the bomb. Hot like that and dropping it like a diva - B-rider, lace-get-up, heels and all. The only problem is the individual was not your natural-born female, but a gender-bending female impersonator who makes the weekly rounds at sessions, dancing up a storm with all the willing he-males, as 'she' flaunts 'her' stuff before doing a Cinderella and disappears into the night.
Well, the puss is now out of the bag, and the word is there's been some kind of a new gender police whose job it is to verify that girls are girls at the sessions, these days, as the men who have been made a fool of are now determined to seek out and give the impersonator more than a trashing!
The word is so far, the acting she has escaped detection but there are quite a number of men who are now the butt of jokes, not to mention suspicion, as they were busy profiling on the dance floor with the acting she. Honeys, more, definitely anon!
