EXHIBITION: Barry Watson (centre) with Aaron Matalon (left) and A.D. Scott at a private showing of Watson's latest paintings in oil and water colours at the Gallery, Oxford Road, in 1970. The paintings of six oils and six water colours were exhibited for a week.
CONSTRUCTION
February 3, 1966: Pile driving began for laying the foundation of the 12-storey North American Life Assurance building on Harbour Street, Kingston. Contractor A.D. Scott and a Canadian firm, Piggott Construction Company were the joint contractors on the project. In all a total of 350 piles were driven into the ground to form the base of the building.
TOURISM
February 4, 1961: Carib Ocho Rios, a luxury Co-op complex of apartments on 20 acres of beachfront lands was declared officially open by Mrs. Beth Jacobs, family planning advocate, and blessed by Rev. Fr. Neil Donahue.
TRADE
February 5, 1968: The Agricultural Marketing Corporation shipped 100 cases of sweet potatoes to Holland, following up on previous shipments of pumpkins and limes to the European country.
TOURISM
February 6, 1947: Movie actor, Errol Flynn, purchased Navy Island, about sixty acres in size off the coast of Port Antonio, Portland. Navy Island was surrounded by fine, white sand bathing beaches and was picturesquely fringed with coconut palms. It had its own fresh water supply and a charming old Great House.
TRADE
February 7, 1966: The first commercial shipment of three tons of yampies, three and a half tons of white yams, one ton of canned ackees and four tons of pumpkins left Jamaica on board the s.s. Jamaica Producer consigned to Dein Brothers, London, by the Agricultural Marketing Corporation.
MINING
February 8, 1978: Jamaica signed a contract to sell 150,000 tons of alumina a year over the next ten years at an annual value of US$30 million to Algeria. Signing for Jamaica was Senator Dudley Thompson, Minister of Mining and Natural Resources.
TRADE
February 9, 1966: The largest quantity of yellow yams ever sent by air freight to Britain, totalling five tons, was flown from Jamaica by BOAC consigned to London fruit exporters, Carib Venture. The yams were obtained by the Agricultural Marketing Corporation from growers in Silent Hill, Brunty, Malton and Robin's Hall in the Christiana Area Land Authority of Manchester. Carib Venture found that the yellow yam was the preferred variety by West Indians in England, but this type of yam deteriorated when sent by ship.
- Compiled by Hartley Neita
