( L - R ) Myrna Hague and Leonie Forbes
Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Sweethearts, it's shaping up to be another fabulous weekend, with all kinds of fabulous celebrations, happening parties and simply marvellous outings!
Last week, Caribbean Fashionweek led the way in style, haute couture, high-glam and coveted parties. This weekend actually began yesterday with the inimitable Serena Williams - no, not the international tennis star, but the unflappable hostess, server and party-animal at the au naturel swimming pool at Hedonism III in Runaway Bay, celebrating her birthday with her annual bash at the tres chic and decidedly tres hot Tek It Easy restaurant and nightspot.
And honeys, when we say birthday bash, we do mean a bashment of the highest order - the kind of celebration where the premium libation is Moet & Chandon while Red Bull, Guinness, Dragon Stout and Red Stripe are the preferred drinks, and the dutty wine and the hot wuk are the preferred dancing styles. Plus, the mode of dress here is all about less being more, and people move in crews and posses, and the music is the latest in underground dancehall hits and hip hop played by a 'selecta', to much high-up and forwards! Talk about hot-like-a-fire, well sweet-things, juggling, does not get any better than this!
My dears, definitely not an outing for maiden aunts and/or the prim and proper among us, but my word, what theatre! What drama! What energy! Oh, the fabness of it all!
And still on the north coast, my daahlings, this here weekend, Jamaica's premier jazz festival, the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, is in full swing in that north coast town, and me luvlies, with festival organisers and directors, musicologist Sonny Bradshaw and his fabulous wife, the marvellously talented songbird, Myrna Hague Bradshaw, promising to maintain their signature pure jazz, y'all know aficionados of the genre will be in for an absolutely marvellous feast, and nothing but.
My daahlings, it's the preferred outing for the weekend, with the annual Father's Day musical showcase over there on the grounds of Carib Ocho Rios being the choicest offering - with all the promise of fabness, haute society and good music, you know this is it!!
And me luvs, Ocho Rios will definitely be cooking this Father's Day, for those wishing to get away from the city and away from it all, as indeed, Ocho Rios' best-known Pasta Palace - Evita's, the fab little Italian restaurant overlooking the bay of Ocho Rios - will be hosting what it promises to be a spectacular Champagne Father's Day Brunch, in celebration of dads and their families.
Now, for those not journeying out of Kingston for the weekend, the famed JamDammers will be hanging up there running shoes just for this Saturday night in exchange for their dancing shoes, in their annual fund-raising jam session, this time in the ritzy Olivier Road area, the only drawback being for party-hoppers, this one is by invite only.
Fun-fest
Sonny Bradshaw
Well, my daahlings, based on their last such do, this one promises to be a fun-fest and then some, and consequently, worth smooching an invitation!
Now, tomorrow being Saturday the 16th, it's also the birthday of international financial consultant Brent Ciurlino, and no word yet what his fabulous wife, Dr. Kim Brown Ciurlino, will be cooking up, but the word is they most definitely will be at the JamDammers do shaking a leg or two.
On Wednesday, however, it was all about Opposition MP and Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, as he celebrated his birthday on the 13th with the new lady in his life, and the word here it was all intimate and fab.
Now, on Tuesday, the grande dame of radio, television, actress and elocutionist, the absolutely fabulous doyenne of style, grace and etiquette, Leonie Forbes, celebrated her 70th by not looking a day over 50, and children, if that's not the way to do it, then sweet-things, what other way is there?
Then the lovely Paddy Magnus was in town on the weekend, flying in from her Florida home; as was her daughter, Dr. Marcia Magnus, who also jetted in from her D.C. residence to make it a family reunion of sorts, with brother, real estate player and impresario Oliver Magnus. The inclement weather made a mess of the planned barbecue and outdoor jollification, but when it was all over a good time was had by all.
Illustrious 'A-crowder'
And while some were flying in, the illustrious 'A-crowder', raconteur and bon vivant, the Honorary Consul of Iceland, Robert MacMillan, is off to attend the annual conference of the Trans-Canada Advertising Agency Network (TCAAN), scheduled for June 13-17 in Toronto, Canada.
MacMillan, who is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on 'The Seven Secrets of Retail Advertising', is the 1987 recipient of the network's highest honour, the designation of Master Advertiser Practitioner (MAP). And with the TCAAN being a major network of advertising agencies in Canada with affiliates in Japan, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Europe, and Jamaica, you know we are talking distinguished society here.
Anyway, one the highlights of this year's convocation will include the induction of Bill Whitehead Jr., the son of the founder and president, whose grandfather hailed from Jamaica, so y'all know we are talking one big reunion here!
And speaking of happening people, events and places, people are still raving about the absolutely and purr-fectly fabulous outing that was dubbed Colour My Mood, and hosted by business partners Nicola Bicknell and Nicky Byron in Earl's Court two Mondays ago, and little wonder here, my dears, as this was one fine outing and fab thing, in a time when fine outings and fab things are not the norm.
Oh, my dears, it was the only social - as in one red hot cantata - that was nothing but a testament to good taste and the high life! And, my daahlings, as for those guesting - suffice it to say it was pretty much a roll call of the fabulous, and nothing but, and saw such notables as:
HE Ambassador Jesus Silva and Sara Silva; The Most Hon. Glynne Manley; David McConnell (Jr.), in fact the entire McConnell family was out; Tracy Matalon; Fuzzy and Jackie Lechler, Graham Davis; Ann Ventura; Chris and Anita Bicknell; Janet Stewart; Hugh & Margaret Croskery; Omar & Lezanne Azan; Dr. Andre Gordon; Michael & Angie Ammar; Prof. & Dorothy Wynter; Doreen Frankson; Mark Shields and his companion Keneea Linton; Deborah Lopez; Lisa Bell; Zachary and Tamara Harding; Juliet Thorburn; Gregory and Michelle Mayne, Gary and Tina Matalon; Fiona Godfrey, David Pinto, Margaret McGee; Andrea Haynes-Peart, Steven and Maria Hudson, Joanne Jacobson; Beverly Lee; Colleen Brown, Dr. and Mrs. Otto Beck and Yoland McCartney; plus several scores others.
But what an outing it proved!
( l - r ) Audley Shaw Robert MacMillan - file photos
