Former Miss Jamaica World 2006 Sara Lawrence (right) with the competition's first runner-up Christelle Harris at the Hilton Kingston hotel during the elimination round of the Miss Jamaica World contest. Lawrence gave up her crown on account of her pregnancy, and now there is much hullabaloo about whether Harris will be allowed to assume the duties of the queen for the next five months until the next Miss Jamaica World is crowned.

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Oh cricket, lovely cricket and then some! My daahlings, if y'all think the opening ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup was all that, then y'all should have been at the reception hosted by The Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller and her hubby The Most Hon. Errald Miller, the evening before at the tr?s chic Ritz-Carlton, over there in Montego Bay.

Oh honeys, hot like 10 coal stoves and then some. But more anon, because my dears, this one was hot like everybody's business!

Everybody's business

And speaking of everybody's business, the calls and emails have been coming in fast and furious, and the consensus is, the scandal is not that the fabulously beautiful Sara Lawrence is pregnant and has voluntarily relinquished her crown. Rather, the real scandal is the temerity of the local pageant organisers to suggest that rather than ask runner-up Christelle Harris to step in and see out the remainder of the year, they sidestep her and protocol to ask the 2005 queen to do so!

This comment has not only opened up a can of worms, it has opened up the contest to all sorts of claims. Christelle Harris was one hot favourite for the top prize, as was Sara Lawrence. In fact, at th of the contest last year, when both young ladies were asked who they believed was capable of winning the crown, they picked each other.

But as Sara Lawrence declared in her fabulously worded letter - she did the morally and ethically correct thing in relinquishing her crown. The rest of us can dare hope that the organisers of the contest will do the same thing!

One must add, however, that should the organisers now offer to pass the baton to Christelle Harris, she should thank them profusely for the gesture, then decline. But more anon as this one is too hot to just go away!

Beautiful people

Tom Tavares-Finson and his wife Rose. -file p>And speaking of beautiful people, the fab Rose Tavares-Finson will celebrate her birthday on Tuesday of next week, just a day before she and hubby, criminal defence attorney Tom Tavares-Finson, celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary, after what was a fabulous wedding ceremony at the ultra-fab Strawberry Hill Resort and Spa.

Well, nine years ago they tied the knot at Strawberry Hill, and to commemorate their ninth anniversary, the happening couple has decided to combine both anniversary and birthday celebrations, and this time they are heading for the party capital of the Caribbean - Hedonism III, in Runaway Bay.

Pumpkins, it promises to be one fine double celebration and then some, with a number of friends and colleagues expected to join the couple for the occasion.

Birthday greetings too to the esteemed Dr. David Boxer, curator emeritus of the National Gallery of Jamaica and artist extraordinaire, who celebrates his special day tomorrow.

Last Saturday, it was Holger Waehling who was blowing out the candles of his birthday cake as he chalked up another year of fine living. Also celebrating this week is Maureen Webber, who had her special day on Monday.

Champagne wishes all around, and Beluga treats.

And one-time disc-jockey to fab society, Sidney Murray, now a resident of Atlanta, along with his two divine siblings, former Miss Jamaica Fashion Model, the fab Heather Murray and her sister and star of many a hit dancehall videos Carel Murray, all jetted into Kingston last week for a family reunion that saw them partying from Red Hills, up to Beverly Hills and then on to the Golden Triangle, before returning to their respective homes in Atlanta, London and Miami.

And Howard Barton and his gorgeous wife, Nancy Kalb Barton, will arrive in Kingston from their New York home next Sunday to spend a few days on the north coast soaking up some sun before returning to their New York home.

Newly single

Dr. David Boxer

And then the buzz is that the fabulous attorney, Audrey Allen Malcolm, is back to being Audrey Allen, as she and her hubby have decided to call it quits, and so splitsville it is. But no worry here as she is looking as fab as ever, and there was certainly no shortage of admirers when she took to the dancefloor last Sunday night at the home of her colleague and friend Patrick Bailey. She danced up one fine storm! Also out at Patrick Bailey's and looking as flawless as ever was style arbiter the simply fab Sandra Lyn Shue.

And it was warm, intimate and decidedly nothing but a VIP soir?e on Monday, as noted fashion designer Bill Edwards threw a snazzy little do on the occasion of the birthday of his love, Janet Farrow. She looked nothing short of stunning on Monday as guests such as National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips and his fabulous wife attorney Sandra Minott Phillips; Dr. Wykeham McNeill and wife Sheila; Kenny Benjamin; Joe Matalon and his flawless wife Bernadette McKinley Matalon; Robert MacMillan; Michael and Thalia Lyn; Peter Millingen and wife Stacy Barbar Millingen; Ian and Brenda Wong; the tr?s elegant Nevine Heaven; Brent Ciurlino and wife Dr. Kim Brown; Seyon Hanson and companion Marsha Wilson; and Robert Haughton, plus a number of others, all gathered at Ms. Farrow's elegantly appointed Jacks Hill residence to eat and make merry.

It was one fine outing, with one fine gourmet fare.