Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller examines the baton with Transport Minister Bobby Pickersgill after she received it from former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson (left) in Ocho Rios on March 26. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
AFTER 14 years in the highest political office of our nation, P.J. Patterson, has now taken leave of our body politic, and as of today is a private citizen, and a new day has dawned.
The country will now embark on a new political order with Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller at the helm.
We welcome Mrs. Simpson Miller's elevation, but with the electorate dearly hoping that in this new leader, a new formula will be found to facilitate and or forge a new economic, social, and cultural order for a better Jamaica.
Congratulations to the new Prime Minister and her incoming Cabinet; we wish them the very best as they embark on this new chapter.
And yes, please pass the champagne!
POPPING THE CORK
And speaking of champagne, businessman and horse racing personality Howard Hamilton, will be popping the cork on his favourite bubbly this weekend as he celebrates his birthday. Friends will have to await his return, however, to join in the celebration as the former head of Shell in Jamaica has jetted off to Paris with his fabulous wife, to mark the occasion.
Yesterday, while Jamaica was in the throes of Portia Simpson Miller fever, over in the windy city of Chicago, the celebrated publicist and PR doyenne Midge Kimberly, of the Kimberly Group, with its interest in promotions, and international celebrities and events, as well as long-time friend of Jamaica, marked her 65th birthday with a fabulous four-hour social extravaganza and testimonial hosted by Chicago's Steve Waxman, of Kaleidoscope 800.
Dovecakes, if you weren't in Kingston yesterday hob-knobbing with the international political jetsetters and national leaders, then Chicago was the other place to be as that city was all set to cook with social thermo-nuclear heat in celebration of one of its more fabulous daughters. The invitation to the do exhorted those invited to come and join in the celebration of a woman who lives her life like an open book. No wonder here that guests were asked to make cash donations to Chicago's Open Book Programme.
THE BUZZ
Well pumpkins, the buzz is it was all that, with the celebrations to continue, come this summer, when Ms. Kimberly and party return to this here fab island, so wait for it, as more definitely anon!
Now, tomorrow being April 1 , all eyes will be on Florida, where in a fund-raising gala, under the auspices of the American Friends of Jamaica, (South Florida chapter), media tycoon and power player and chairman of the institution called The Gleaner, Oliver Clarke, will be presented with the AFJ's Humanitarian Award, for his service and philanthropic contributions to many a charitable cause and organisation, over the years!
My darlings, if y'all have not yet secured your ticket to the black-tie affair, then hate yourselves as this event promises to be a social humdinger of the highest international.
And pumpkins, when we say celebrities, we are talking of the flawlessly wealthy kind, and nothing but! To be sure, there will be a number of the political and social elite in attendance, but since we all agree that money talks let the gala begin. Now, for those planning a late-minute dash to this event it gets under way tomorrow evening beginning at 6:00. at the Biltmore Hotel in trendy Coral Gables, Florida. And not only does it promise to be one smasheroni, honeys, there will be a silent auction offering items of fabulous jewellery, spa weekends and treatments, fabulous weekend getaways here in Jamaica and other exotic destinations, plus pieces for the avid art collector.
BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
And the invitations are out for the inaugural staging of the Strawberry Hill Backgammon Championships, to be staged at the fabulous spa hotel in the hills of St. Andrew next weekend. And me daahlings, with cash prizes totalling over a million dollars, y'all know, the big guns are all jetting in for this one.
Some of Kingston and Florida's finest players are already confirmed by way of posting their J$25,000 entrance fee, for what promises to be solid entertainment, spectator boxes and all, not to mention the fabulous fare that will be on offer.
Doves, there's a reason it's called 'Strawberry Living' and that's because it's a way of life, and more specifically the pampered way of life perfected by founder Chris Blackwell. It caters to the tastes, whims and fancies of the jetsetting world-class traveller who prefers a life of pampered leisure, in between high-profile assignments and or engagements.
Well my dears, host Alistair McBeth is promising a fine tournament with names such as Chris Blackwell himself, Dickie Jobson, Tino Caldarelli, Dwight Sangster and Mitta Rousseau, plus a number of others all slated to compete, y'all know it's going to be one hot cucumber.
