Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor 
Red Stripe star performer 50 Cent (right) and Grammy award winner, Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley hang out at the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest press conference held at the Half Moon Hotel on Friday, July 21. - Contributed
WELL MY daahlings, it simply had to happen, and not soon enough really! But that the world's most exotic and flamboyant billionaire took his much celebrated Virgin Airways, to Jamaica, was only a matter of time, with his penchant for fabulous publicity stunts, that have been propelling his very many business ventures forward, and with Jamaica's history of being home/haunt to the rich and famous of the world, Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Airlines, were tailor-made for this here island!
Honeys, the long and short of it is: Destination Jamaica is one Red-Hot vacation spot! Virgin Airways, is the world's hottest airline! So the math is really quite simple: Hot airline needs hot destination, and so here we are!
My dears, it's the greatest piece of news to have hit the business and tourism marketplace.
Anyway my dearios, talk about product branding! Well, Sir Richard is the supreme marketing and promotional guru. A legend even, whose fortune and
reputation is built on bold and innovative business decisions backed up by in-your-face promotional campaigns. And so, his entrée into the Jamaican airspace was no less fabulously dramatic. His entrée unto the party scene and social sphere here, no less so. And for my word, how!
Honeys, the Branson formula is as hot as it is fabulous, and the man has an international reputation for not only knowing how to party, but for also throwing fabulous parties. Well my dears, if the "little" do, he threw at the legendary Rosehall Great House, two Tuesday nights ago, to celebrate Virgin Airways adding Jamaica to its list of international destinations, is anything to go by, well, his is a reputation, well and truly earned!
THE VENUE
Anyway, it was here at the Rosehall Great House that Sir Richard Branson, his family and staff threw their celebratory bash, to mark their foray into Jamaica. To begin with the imposing Great House standing as a formidable backdrop, and lit dramatically in the Virgin colours, and theatrically enough to create shadows and illusion of shadows, and thus maintaining the allure and charm of the suggestion of the drama associated with Annie Palmer; and with blazing lanterns lighting the path to the giant marquee, serving as the entertainment area - flanked to the left by two party-sized bars and to the right with a den of palm-readers and fortune tellers, with a fabulous family-sized bed, quaintly set in the middle of it all.
Oh honeys, we are talking high-octane social energy here, and of the faultless kind, with the powerful and power-brokers of tourism; the rich and famous of Montego Bay, the chic and the glamorous, and off course the scions of them all, out and about.
Children it was international and national primetime, and not just because the paparazzi and television crews were every-which-where, more so because it was one fine affaire. You know - the stuff of high-glam and stately frocks, laidback gents in slacks and priceless gems and precious stones, adorning the fingers, earlobes and necks of the social denizens in attendance. Well my dears, it was like that, and then some!
THOSE PRESENT INCLUDED ...
And then there was international singing and recording star, Maxi Priest. Honeys, he turned it out like no other, and scorched the already fabulously hot affaire with a medley of his much celebrated hits that really got guests grooving.
And as if there was not enough heat in tha place, party band Fab-5, with the ever-hot Gem Myers took to the stage in his wake, and dearly beloveds, they made it happen like one of Annie Palmer's witches brew, cause we are talking sensationally and flamingly hot here!
Those out sharing in the fabulous occasion included: Sir Richard's parents, Ted and Eve Branson, who jetted in on the inaugural flight, from London; his son, and Blond Godling Sam Branson; Virgin Atlantic managing director Amanda Wilks; actress and the latest Bond Girl, the absolutely stunning Catherina Murino; Branson family friend Jason Felts; Senator Noel and Sheron Sloley; MP Ed Bartlett; Jamaica's High Commissioner to Britain HE Gail Mathurin; British High Commissioner HE Jeremy Creswell and his fab companion Dr. Barbara Munske; business tycoon Carl Hendrickson, his son Gary Hendrickson, also out; Montego Bay's first citizens, Tony and Sheila Hart, Mark and Paula Kerr-Jarrett and the oh-so-charming Michelle Rollins; the always elegant Sue McManus; Kingsley Cooper and his companion the fabulous Romae Gordon; ; Mark and Candice Hart; Adam Stewart; the oh-so-fab Sonia Rickards; Mark Melville; Brian Roper; Carole Guntley; DCP Mark Sheilds; Acting Director of Tourism Donnie Dawson; JHTA President Horace Peterkin and his lovely wife Dominic Peterkin; its executive director Camille Needham; Anthony Bell; Walter Elmore; Alec and Flavia Sanguinetti; Hedonism II GM, Richard Bourke and wife Carol Bourke, she the hotel manager Rosehall Resort and Spa.
Also in attendance were: Dermot Connolly GM of the Rosehall Resort and Spa; the new GM of the Ritz Carlton Robert Jensch ; PJ Gibson and his lovely wife Tracy Gibson; Tom Scarlett; the elegant Norma Taylor; Jon Baker and his lady love Alicia Rickards; the charming Pauline Reid; Clifton "Specialist" Dillon, and his son Ryan Dillon; international modelling sensation Nadine Willis; Yoni Epstein; international financial consultant Brent Ciurlino; Henry and Jennifer McCurdy; Devon Reid; Gordon and Ann Townsend; Wayne Cummings; Scott Robins and fiancée Tricia Bridges; Alan Milbourn; and the reigning queen of Montego Bay's press corp, Janet Silvera, looking as fab as ever; plus
several scores more.
