- PHOTO BY JANET SILVERA
Jamaica's dancing sensations took control of the party. From left, a usually quiet Myrtle Dwyer, director of sales and marketing, Half Moon Montego Bay, Jamaica's Attaché in Germany, the fiery Pat Samuels, Great Vacation's Charmaine Harrison, Half Moon's tour operator relations manager, Tricia Bridge, Evelyn Smith, acting general manager, Point Village Resort, and Caroline Cousins of Tryall.
Janet Silvera, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE EXCITEMENT, aroma, heat, heart pounding, 'jiggy-jiggy', gyrating hips and energy that emanated from the dance floor of the Penthouse Restaurant on Tuesday night, was proof that Jamaica had taken over London's Leicester Square.
Reggae music thumped, interspersed with soca from Caribbean neighbours, Trinidad, and even the American disco of the '70s and '80s found its way to the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) industry party.
The consensus at the end of a fabulous evening was: The JTB's party was the best party in town during World Travel Market (WTM). In fact, it was the highlight of WTM.
Leicester Square is like New York's Time Square, and to have two Jamaican flags flying from a high-rise building of the glamorous West End neighbourhood, was clue to the 'nobody leave, nobody go' event that was slated to take place.
From as early as 7:00 p.m., the first arrivals queued up outside the entrance to the 'By Invitation Only' affair.
PARTY PEOPLE OF THE CARIBBEAN
Within two hours it became apparent that the small English-speaking islanders had done it again, with the proud declaration, 'We are the party people of the Caribbean.'
It is fitting to give readers a deeper perspective of the famous Leicester Square before delving further into this magnificent soiree.
To the south of the Penthouse is the world's most famous observation wheel, the London Eye. Leicester Square is the England's cultural centre and home to all the movies that are previewed in London. Along the south bank are the ITV studios, where Channel 3 and the Nat-ional Film Theatre are located. Twenty-two million people traverse this square annually.
In truth, the Jamaica Tourist Board couldn't have chosen a more conducive setting to fête the large contingent of journalists, tour operators, hoteliers, transportation operators and general stockholders of the industry.
The JTB was on a roll, having won the Caribbean's Leading Tourist and Convention Bureau two days prior at the World Travel Awards.
Tuesday night the Jamaican team came prepared to outdo themselves, accompanied by their English chef, Peter Redston, who created havoc with the taste buds with his diced lamb, glazed with guava jelly and marinated in Walkerswood Jerk Marinade.
Chef Redston knew the secret to stimulating the appetites, and he handled this feat exceptionally well with his pork skewers, barbecued chicken, butterfly king prawns, served in coconut run down, crab cakes and vegetable tempura.
Save your imaginations for the sinful dessert that followed.
To top what will remain in the minds of party lovers for years to come, think of England's most noted disc jockey, 'DJ Goldfinger' at the controls. Need we say more?
Over 250 party people attended the event, including Her Excellency, High Commissioner Kay Mathurin, Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun N'dombet Assamba and team, Dennis Morrison, Paul Pennicook, Carole Guntley, Air Jamaica's chairman, O. K. Melhado, Senator Noel Sloley and wife Sheron, Noel Sloley Jr., Jamaica's Attaché in Germany, Pat Samuels, JTB's regional director for Europe, Elizabeth Fox, deputy managing director of GV Media Group, Yvonne Wilks, Carol Reid, Khadene Daley, Evelyn Smith, Richard Whitfield, Ian Kerr, Jackie Williams, Clayton Morgan, Janice Blackwood, Memuma Abudu, Gordon Townsend, Tricia Bridge, Brian Roper, Myrtle Dwyer, Charmaine Harrison, Caroline Cousins, Carolyn Wright, Claire Barry, Dermott Connolly, Garfield Williamson, Torrance Lewis, Donavon Donaldson, Tazim Hammond, Lara Fiammenghi, David Roper, Heinz and Elisabeth Simonitsch.
