Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Paul and Kareen Nicolopulo are happy together for 25 years, and going strong.

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

For their 25th wedding anniversary celebrations, Deputy British High Commissioner Paul Nicolopulo and his Jamaican wife, Kareen, decided to throw an old-time Jamaican party. And, dear hearts, with that they scored a tenner on the social Richter scale, as this was simply the way to go.

My dears, the charmingly lovely couple first met in Kingston over 25 years ago when Paul Nicolopulo served in Kingston as a consular officer at the British High Commission. He met and fell in love with the lovely Kareen Sun.

Their whirlwind courtship saw them tying the marital knot in a fabulously intimate ceremony at the home of the then Belgian Ambassador to Jamaica, with noted insurance industry executive Dennis Charley being the best man.

Well, 20-odd years later and after several postings in Egypt, Denmark, Mexico, Canada and back home in the United Kingdom at the foreign office, Paul and Kareen returned to Jamaica about two years ago - he as the Deputy British High Commissioner.

On October 4, they celebrated their anniversary with a smashing do at their official residence in the ritzy Millsborough neighbourhood of St. Andrew. The emphasis was on good, clean fun, and with Richard Wong and his Sparkles Disco being the musical maestro in the house and spinning some absolutely retro hits, all the ingredients were in place for a smashing do.

Guests attending

Oh, my word, what a fabulous do! My dears, with good company and fabulous music, dancing was a must, and with the DJ hitting the right musical notes, guests needed no prompting, an did they dance!

My daahlings, it was that kind of a party - with guests simply finding their groove and moving to the beat, to the hits of Abba, the Bee Gees, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Barry White, Third World, and all the fab hits of the '80s with a little ska thrown in for good measure.

Pumpkins, the esteemed Pokar Chandiram and his stately, elegant wife, Sita Chandiram, took no prisoners on the dance floor; (outgoing) Chief of Staff JDF Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin and his wife, Capt. Tessa Lewin, danced like no one was watching; security mogul Kenny Benjamin, and the Mexican Ambassador, Leonora Rueda, danced up one fabulous enchilada. And what the Canadian High Commissioner Denis Kingsley lacked in technique, he made up for in enthusiasm as he and his lovely wife Jo Ann Kingsley danced the night away.

Social grande dame Thalia Lyn was the dancing empress, to the sounds of Abba's Dancing Queen.

Cuban Ambassador, Excellency Gisella Riveram and her hubby Jorge Crespo, and their daughter made it a family affair on the dance floor. The Argentinian Ambassador, His Excellency Jose Pino, and wife Fanny Pino showed the chemistry which has seen them through nearly 40 years of marital harmony; and my dears, the celebrants proved equally deft and quite up to the task, as they too partied with the rest of them like the best of them and it made for a marvellous interlude.

There was a brief ceremony to toast the occasion, but none of the officious stuff, just an acknowledgement of the couple and their milestone their friends and family present.

Among those in attendance were Security Minister Derrick Smith; House Speaker Delroy Chuck and wife, Pat; British High Commissioner Jeremy Cresswell; Dr. Barbara Munske; Japanese Ambassador Masahiro Obata and wife, Hiroko; Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva and his fabulous wife, Sara; Dennis Lalor; Robert McMillan; Dennis and Moira Charley (he was best man, at the couple's wedding).

Also partying were George Fatta; Dr Richard and Dr. Carolyn Gomes; Capt. Michael Lyn; Fae Ellington; Richard Stewart; Cliff and Joan Stone; Maria Haddad from Ft Lauderdale; Fayha Shead from London; British diplomat Peter Hughes, who travelled from Sri Lanka to arrive just in time for the silver stag night last Wednesday; the lovely Mary Viera; Christopher Sun and partner Pamela DeLisser from Montego Bay; Eddie Sun and wife Jean and daughters Suzanne and Sharon from Miami; Kareen's sister, Mary Ann Parrish and husband Lance Parrish; Kareen's aunt Winsome Chin and Bernard Silversmith from New York; Kareen's cousin, Jennifer Cooke and husband Francois from Miami; Janet Lyn, and a number of others.