From left, Pickersgill, Patterson and Cooke
Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
MY DEARS, in a society where skimmed milk often masquerade as creme, it is indeed quite refreshing to see the genuine article assert itself!
And so it was last week, that now in its 50th year of operation, the Half Moon Resort, over there in Montego Bay, was a class act like unto itself and no other, in style, service, attitude and eleganza.
Indeed, it was the master and mistress of all celebrations, and with the ease of the hallmark of perfection and then some!
Pumpkins, it was like that, and beyond, as here was a lesson, as to what makes the Half Moon Resort arguably one of this here island's finest properties. And, no surprises here either, as with 50 years of service to its internal renown and credit, and the property being as comprehensive a resort as you can get, distinction could only be its first and second nature.
Mind you, that the resort caters primarily to the high-end of the tourism market and those with that discriminating sense of style and taste have probably helped in honing their approach to the art of hospitality. This notwithstanding, last week's celebrations, particularly the weekend package that saw international songbird Roberta Flack and the internationally famous reggae band Third World, in concerts were beyond reproach in content, style and entertainment!
FLAWLESS ENTERTAINMENT
Me daahlings, it was a stellar weekend of relaxation, flawless entertainment, dee-vine repast, exceptionally charming society, and all of the finest order!
First opening its doors in 1954, when 17 businessmen from the United States, Britain and Bermuda came together and purchased a 35-acre beach-front property and established a 17-cottage, 30-room resort and called it Half Moon Hotel and Cottage Colony, today the operation has evolved from its modest beginning into a 400-acre resort, boasting some 419 rooms/suites/villas, a 18-hole championship golf course, an equestrian centre, football field, its own medical complex and shopping village, and a 25-acre nature Reserve.
Now, to say that the Half Moon is a luxury resort, would be the understatement of the season. In fact, the Half Moon is one of the world's ultimate luxury resorts!
Dears, we are talking one fine resort here, a community if you will, housing several fabulous villas, with the requisite individual swimming pools; some faultless suites, serviced by their own common pool and deck areas, but each opening unto the Caribbean Sea to add to their primacy; naturally there are rooms too, these serviced by the common hotel area.
ARCHITECTURE
Now, the architecture is decidedly colonial in its overtones, and fabulously so, with bicycles and powered golf carts being the preferred mode of transport for guests to get around or be transported around the sprawling property adding that sense of island chic and colour, to complete the studious magic of the surroundings. Well, me daahlings, it was to this oasis of pure and refined pleasure, that a number of specially invited guests came to join with the owners, directors, management and staffers, to celebrate the resort's 50th anniversary.
Luvs, the week-long celebrations culminated in an absolutely mouth-watering entertainment package that began on Friday last, with guests being shuttled to the resort's Royal Pavillion a right grand entertainment area reminiscent of a Roman colloseum and equally grand for a cocktail reception and the piece de resistance, a special concert featuring the divine Roberta Flack; and ended Saturday night in a street party of sorts, featuring the internationally acclaimed Third World band.
My dears, both nights will long be etched in the memories of those privileged to attend the events, as pumpkins, they were the stuff of that not only provoked a rendezvous with the esoteric senses, they also caused a meeting of the mind, body and soul as indeed, music is the gift of the gods.
Dovecakes, Friday night's affair was primetime and then some, with the dignitaries, the ruling elite of Kingston and Montego Bay, international jet-setters and moneyed, the sophisticated and the chic, all out and dressed to the nines for cocktails and the expected cabaret performance.
Luvs, it was one red-hot social tamale, and then some, as this was a fab-society swelleganza, buzzing on the rhythms of cosmopolitan lan and the cache of the of the very-well-to-do!
Dears, it was a Tenner, on the international social richter scale, and then some.
Amidst the cocktails and culinary delicacies, there was an interlude, a prelude to the cabaret that was to come, to acknowledge and laud Prime Minister P.J. Patterson for his commitment over the years to the continued development of our tourism industry.
MUSICAL FEAST
The fabulously talented Susanne Couch then opened the night's cabaret offering and entertained fabulously from her repertoire, her magic and musical savvy keeping her audience glued, despite the raindrops that kept on falling with more consistent deliberation with each drop. She demitted the stage to powerful applause, making way for the night's star-performer. My Dears, from the very get-go, and at times with the rains pelting down, music's grand dame, Roberta Flack, had the audience lapping-up and dancing up a party, to her every song.
Doves, it was like that she came, she sang, and the audience partied like a house on fire, and most of the times, under their umbrellas, dancing between the rain drops.
There was nary a one in the audience who wanted to see her go, after her performance, as she was oh-sooo fine, she was awesome.
As Roberta Flack was awesome the night before, Third World was equally devastating Saturday night when they took to the stage at the Half Moon Shopping Village for their command performance!
And Luvs, a command performance it was too and sensationally so!
Oh my word, what a musical blast!
Luvs, the Half Moon Shopping Village is constructed just as its name suggests - like a rural village with a sort of village square. Now it was at this 'square' that the performance stage was done up for the celebrated reggae band, and for the many who jam-packed the 'square' for the group's concert, their performance proved a feast beyond the esoteric and for the body as well, as guests simply jammed the night away, in-between the libation stations and the many stations laden with foods that were a feast befitting the gods, set up between the many shops with their luxury and duty-free offerings! Dears, aam-a-tellin-yuh, it was a night to remember and then some, capping a week-long celebration that simply could not have been bettered!
ATTENDEES
And dears, kudos all around, especially to the management and staffers of the resort on a job well done as you chart your next 50th!
Now, among those out for the celebrations, included: Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke; Prime Minister P.J. Patterson; Tourism Minister Aloun Assamba; Junior Tourism Minister Dr. Wykeham McNeil and his fiance Sheila Benjamin-Fernandez; Transport and Works Minister Bobby Pickersgill and companion Fiona McNeil; Opposition M.P. Clive Mullings; U.S. Ambassador Sue Cobb and her hubby Ambassador Charles Cobb; David Coore QC; Dr. D.K. Duncan and companion the lovely Beverly Anderson-Manley; Carole Guntley-Brady; Director of Tourism and Mrs. Paul Pennicoke; Mr. and Mrs. Guy Steuart II; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Weiss; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Pearce; Heinz Simovitch; Mark and Paula Kerr-Jarrett; Mr. and Mrs. Winston Dear; Peter Couch; Godfrey Dyer and companion Pauline Reid; Aubyn and Tamara Hill; Stafford and Marilyn Burrowes; Jaime and Camille Delgado; the lovely Minna Israel; Dr. Greg Thomas and the fab Karen Neita; Josef Frostmyer; the gorgeous Imani Duncan; David Banmiller and companion Michelle Hussey; Mark Pritchett; Sam and Yvonne James; Denton and Valerie Campbell; Mrs. Carmen Bell and daughter Gail Bell; Patrick and Katherine Casserly; Ned Wong; the lovely Sonia Rickards; the charming Carol Bourke; Don and Irina Patterson; E.G. Hunter and companion Nesta-Clare Smith; Trevor Lyn and wife Sandra Kennedy; Horace and Dominic Peterkin; Seymour Knight and wife April Parchment; Colin Leslie; Mr. and Mrs. Michael McMorris; Jennifer Armond; Clive and Joan Lee; Francesco and Dawn Sangalli and their beautiful daughter Aisha Sangalli; Michael Muirhead; Jacqueline Neilsson; Steve James; the charming Verona Carter; and of course, the Half Moon M.D. Richard Whitfield and his lovely wife Violet Whitfield.
And dears, it was a smasheroni of a swelleganza and then some, the purr-fect mode in which to celebrate a bastion of style.
