Governor-General Prof. Kenneth Hall (left) and wife Rheima (second left), raise a toast to Queen Elizabeth II with British High Commissioner Jeremy Cresswell and Dr. Barbara Munske.- Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

Scores of persons flocked to Trafalgar House on Thursday to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

Now, even though Her Majesty's actual birthday is in April, it is a tradition among the royals to celebrate their birth in months that have finer weather. Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her big day in June, and this year it falls on the 17th. On arrival by shuttle from the Guardian Life parking lot, the Jamaica Military Band played to welcome guests.

British High Commissioner Jeremy Cresswell would later speak of the significance of having the band there. When the unit was known as the West Indies Regiment Band, the last time they played was for the Duke and Duchess of York, Queen Elizabeth II's parents, on the very grounds that now house the high commission. Also, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Jamaica Military Band, and the first song they played was the overture Poet and Peasant. So there was much history going around.

Of course, it was all about Her Majesty, and guests duly raised their glasses to the reigning monarch. The musical treats were completed by the Airplai band and piano music by one of the bars; it was a real classy affair.

Guests included: Emile and Pamela George; Nancy Anderson; Anthony Chang; Grantley Stephenson and wife Judith; Ed and Janet Wehrli; Cuban Ambassador Gisela Garcia and husband Jorge Crespo; Canadian High Commissioner Denis Kingsley and wife Jo'Ann; Dean of the diplomatic corps Cedric Harper and wife Barbara; Prof. Anthony Clayton and Terry Chippy; Rev. Ralph Hoyt; Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin; Tal Stokes; Dr. John Hall; Earl Witter; Morin Seymour and wife Verla; Jennifer Lim; Dr. Jonathan Greenland and wife Dr. Rebecca Tortello-Greenland; Ed Khoury; Joan McDonald; general manager of the Jamaica Pegasus hotel Eldon Bremner with hotel manager Nancy McLean and PR specialist Marcia Erskine; outgoing Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe; Keith Collister; Dominican Republic Ambassador Filomena Navarro; Chinese Ambassador Chen Jinghua and wife Xiao Linhua; Senator Trevor MacMillan and wife Peaches; Spanish Ambassador Jésus Silva; Anthony and Jeanne Watson; Colombian Ambassador Dr. Ventura Emilio Diaz-Mejia; Miriam Maluwa of UNAIDS; Dennis Lalor; Wilton Dyer; Andrew Issa; Joseph A. Matalon and wife Bernadette; Merrick and Camille Needham; Pat Gooden; Indera Persaud and husband Dr. Dayanand Sawh; Richard Stewart; George Fatta and Patrick Lynch.