Not looking a day older than 52, western Jamaica's 'Governor', Lloyd B. Smith (centre), cuts his birthday cake with his daughter, Saroya, and son, Bret. -Photos by Janet Silvera

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Media boss, Lloyd B. Smith, turned 60 and celebrated his 'three scores' in an intimate setting at Doreen and Francis Tulloch's riverside sanctuary, last Sunday.

The 'Governor', affectionately tagged by the citizens in western Jamaica, and his children, Saroya and Brett, blew out the 60 candles, which took an unusually long time to be lit. A select group of friends braved the thunderstorm in the Second City to make their way to the quiet Lethe community, in St. James.

"Finally, he has admitted that he is 60," quipped Tulloch, a former tourism minister. "It has been years in the making," he added.

Eager to make their speeches, Lloyd B's friends, including local businessman, Fred Smith, (just returned from a bird-shooting excursion in Paraguay), Custos Clarence Nelson, Mayor Noel Donaldson, Carmen Patterson, Calvin G. Brown and Kathy Cooke, took time out to label him 'Father of the Year', having achieved the feat of raising two lovely children on his own.

"You are Montego Bay, far and wide," said Fred Smith, as he lauded him for his indomitable style in setting trends and mastering the craft of journalism.

Excellent parenting skills

Custos Clarence Nelson spoke of a friendship with Smith, based on mutual respect, "I commend you for your excellent parenting skills. Continue to be a fair journalist."

Councillor Noel Donaldson referred to him an institution that has grown from strength to strength. "He has thrown darts my way, but any fair-thinking person knows that Lloyd only wants everything good for Montego Bay."

As for the birthday boy, his original plan was to have a big soiree with a guest list of 300, but he opted for a smaller gathering of people, "who have had a positive influence on my life. All of you here today, were handpicked," he noted.

They included Clayton Morgan, Mary Chambers, Norma Taylor, Connie Herbert and Bert Wright, Bernadette and Kendall Dunn, Mathew Tulloch, Byron Balfour, Pauline Smith, Miriam Williams, Simone Brown, Phillip Green, Viviene DeOkoro, Cherry Johnson, Glover Allen, Donavon Wood, Dollis Campbell Williams, Olive Shelton, Fearon and Gossett Cassells, and Ruthland Cassells.

Left: The Jamaica Public Service's Kathy Cooke (left), businesswoman Cherry Johnson, and businessman Glover Allen at Lloyd B. Smith's 60th birthday party at Doreen and Francis Tulloch's residence at Lethe, St. James, last Sunday. Right:Doreen and Francis Tulloch opened up their riverside residence to friend, media boss, Lloyd B. Smith, to host his 60th birthday party, last Sunday. The couple takes time out to pose for a picture with Doreen's sister, Olive Shelton (right).