Hanna Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Well, my daahlings, with all the brouhaha surrounding the announcement of former Miss World Lisa Hanna's entry into representational politics, y'all know that Brown's Town, in St. Ann, wasthe only destination last Sunday!
After all, with all the talk about her being an imposition on the people of the constituency, and other questions about suitability, this here scribe would not have missed her introduction to the people of the community for all the wickedly delicious goodies to be had at Mac's Gourmet market.
'Har own mandate'
Well, my dears, suffice it to say, after all the supposed rancour that Ms. Hanna was expected to engender, to the point of alienating supporters of the party and losing the seat to their opponents, children in one word: balderdash!
Oh, my daahlings, what this here scribe would not give for such a resounding reception! Oh honeys, what a way to be rejected! Precious angels, in the words of a resident of Brown's Town: "This yah bigger than grand market."
Well honeys, it was like that and then some - a massive show of strength and support for their beloved leader, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller ('Mumma Portia' to the polloi), it was not your garden variety verandah crowd with their usual prescriptive same-ole same-ole jaded posturing and self-fulfilling, empty, uninformed pronouncements.
If only the majority of the voting populace see it the same way the privileged do! Alas, my dears, and therein lies the disconnect, as they most certainly do not.
And sweet-things, with a new rallying cry, 'Mother P needs her own mandate', the faithful and new believers were out with righteous zeal in large and overwhelming numbers on Sunday night, in the hinterland of PNP country, obviously primed and ready for the electoral battle.
Brown's Town was transformed into a sea of flag-waving, clenched-fists wave of people. The mood: one of determination and support. As where Mrs. Simpson Miller's predecessor lays claim to being one of the people in a speech when he was on the political hustings some time ago, in her it is the people who so claim her.
And for them, in her anointing Lisa Hanna as one of her disciples, the people acquiesced and embraced the beauty to much fist pumping, flag waving and shouts of "Give har ar own mandate."
Birthday CELEBRATIONS
Peter and Donnia Bovell.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, social icon and matriarch of the SuperClubs Issa clan, the fabulous Aida Issa, wife of hotel magnate, Hon. John Issa, celebrated another fab birthday, and in the style and haute mode for which she his legendary - and here it was and always is, all about the family!
After a day that saw calls pouring in from family and friends from all over the globe, the celebration itself was a quiet and intimate dinner that was a lovefest.
And so, here we offer happy belated birthday wishes to a social icon and international 'A-crowder' who has made Jamaica her home and the seat of the family empire.
On Monday, the party was all about Opposition MP and publisher Mike Henry, as he celebrated his birthday. The word is, it was one fab celebration too as wife, the lovely Dawn Chambers Henry, threw a smart and jazzy affair at the couple's upper-St. Andrew home that was as intimate as intimate gets.
Last Saturday, however, Dr. John Windle of London, England, and Laguna Beach, California, and his brother-in-law, Sylvester Jackson of Long Island, New York, had different parties to celebrate their birthdays.
The former had a family celebration on the West Coast in Laguna Beach where wife Cherise Francis Windle threw a poolside splash to mark the occasion, while over on the east coast, relatives and friends of Sylvester Jackson barbecued up a storm to mark his birthday! Many happy returns y'all, with champagne toasts and nothing but!
Fund-raising smasheroni
And speaking of good causes, fine people and fabulous and happening parties, on Saturday night, St. Andrew was definitely the preferred partying destination as it was all about the Jamdammers annual fund-raising smasheroni, this time held in the fab upper-St. Andrew neighbourhood of Olivier Road, on the spacious grounds of the American School, to pumping music, a great fare and some fine libation. And my word, are we talking a happening do here!
My dears, it was that kind of a night - one that belonged to the fabulous, the chic and, of course, the party hearty! The party is the main source of funding for the annual road race series and the Reggae Marathon event in Negril.
This year's race is being joined by participants from the Joints In Motion Charity group of both Canada and the U.S., with all participants encouraged to raise funds for the local charity partner, the Heart Foundation of Jamaica.
SNIPPETS
(l - r ) Henry , Issa - File Photos
Then the fabulous Melsah Riley is in town.
Juanito Beckford and his Asian companion are proud parents of a new-born daughter Enyalaya.
Peter Bovell and his beautiful Trinidadian wife Donnia Gomez Bovell are in town for the week, their twins doing fine. The party, a celebration of the good times, will be on tonight at the Bovell's Jacks Hills family residence and promises to be the outing of the season.
And the sensationally fabulous Michelle Facey, the former entertainment and events manager of Hedonism II and III in Negril and Runaway Bay, respectively, known for her highly stylised show-stopping productions and breath-taking set and stage designs, is a finalist in this year's Events Solution Spotlight Awards in the category Event Producer of the Year.
My daahlings, not only do we wish the awesomely talented Virgoan well, we also logged on and cast our vote - in her favour, of course! And yes, take care as you party. The fashion police will be out patrolling!
