David Hall and wife Liz. - File

Congrats are in order for the affable David Hall and his charming wife, Liz, on the birth of their second child, a son, Stephen.

Happy birthday to the charming Sonita Abrahams, who is celebrating her birthday today.

As is Devon Young in Florida and the lovely Reisha Cooper who all share today.

Also celebrating today is Alrick Pryce, who will be celebrating his 65th birthday and will see a gathering of family and friends, including fab daughter Rolande Pryce, jetting in from Washington, DC, for the special occasion. It will be a two-day/night celebration, beginning last evening with an outing at Christopher's Jazz Café in New Kingston at the city's' leading entertainment complex - The Quad - and continuing into this morning.

Hotelier Wayne Williams will celebrate his special day tomorrow.

As will the lovely Carla Jackson Buchanan with the partying at her New York residence.

Businessman and man-about-town Carlos MaxBrown will celebrate his birthday on Sunday, November 1; as will Ingrid Brown, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Jackie Douglas in Atlanta, Georgia; and Irwin Barnes in New York.

The fabulous Paula Surtees will celebrate her birthday on Monday, the second, as will the charming Nicola Williams.

The birthday party

And then there was the birthday party in Florida for the statuesque and elegant Naomi Holgate of St Catherine this past Sunday! And what a party it was!

It started out with all her daughters of Pembroke Pines, Maureen Vaz, Annette Dawes and her husband of 27 years, Leighton Dawes, Yvonne Davis-Abrahams and Angela Holgate, who jetted in from New York for the occasion and decided to treat their mom, the regal Mrs Holgate, to a warm and hearty celebration to mark her 75th birthday, and luvs, how!

Mrs Holgate was flown in from her home just outside of Spanish Town, Jamaica, to join her offspring, who had planned a rather intimate do, restricted to family and very close friends, and dears, it made for a rather charming and swell two-day celebration.

It all began rather comically, really, as the day before guests and family members were awakened by shouts by daughter, Angela Holgate, who was screaming at the top of her lungs about some "cides" or the other. Big sister, Yvonne, affectionately known as Junie, cried "what, who committed suicide?"

The guests, dining on traditional Jamaican fare of ackee and salt fish with boiled green bananas and dumplings, froze in total consternation, as they couldn't determine what all the screaming was about. Very shortly thereafter, the door opened and in walked Kenneth Holgate, 'Junior' to his siblings, chief financial officer of MegaMart Jamaica, the only son of Mrs Holgate, who flew in to surprise his mom for her birthday, and how well the gesture went down!

It was both a surprise and relief, as Angella was not shouting "suicide" but after upon catching sight of her only brother, was shouting, "Junior's OUTSIDE!" As they say, the message got lost in the translation.

It all made for some precious laughter. His surprise presence and the confusion of the announcement of his arrival gave the celebration an added sense of oomph and family, thus making the occasion just that more special, it proved simply fine!

And talk about goodies.There were all sorts of petits fours, cakes, curried goat, jerk meatballs, seafood pasta, pork pasta and everything simply and awesomely delicious.

Dears, with presents aplenty, lots of catching up to do, it proved the perfect family celebration!

New York

Then the hot news out of New York is that the fab Liane Henry, she being the daughter of former high-fashion and now leading grooming expert in that city, Karen Stevens, and the granddaughter of Transport Minister Mike Henry, is off to London, following her acceptance to The London Theatre Programme at The British American Drama Academy (BADA) starting January for the spring semester!

The fab Ms Henry, who just returned to the Big Apple after spending her summer here in Jamaica, will be studying British classical theatre: acting, Shakespeare, high comedy and modern drama, performance techniques and stage combat.

And she is very excited too as a special feature of BADA's programmes is its very distinguished faculty, which includes many of Britain's leading actors and directors. The list regards: Sir John Gielgud, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Sir Ben Kingsley, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Jeremy Irons, Brian Cox, John Barton, Deborah Warner, Kevin Spacey, Mark Wing-Davey and Sir Derek Jacobi, among others.

Champagne toasts, y'all, and Beluga treats!

Then, my daahlings, it's all about fabulous Negril and the entertainment capital of the region - the ultra-fab and oh-so-happening adult playground, Hedonism II Resort, this weekend, as the buzzing property will not only be celebrating its 28th anniversary as one of the hottest resorts. It will be also hosting its traditional Halloween celebrations, and pumpkins, if y'all have never experienced a Hedonism II, Halloween celebration, it's a must do before y'all die. It's a simply diiivine experience for the party hearty and adventurous in mind, body and spirit!

My dears, forget ghouls and goblins - that's for children. Here we are talking real trick and treating and sweet-things, fabulously so. And if you have not yet confirmed your attendance, you will have to sit this one out as it's a sold-out performance!

Fab Negril

Now, for those who can't make it to fab Negril this Sunday, the Rotary Club of Ocho Rios will be hosting what promises to be a culinary symphony at the happening and oh-so-popular Reggae Beach, located about midway between Couples Sans Souci and Couples Tower Isle between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. with a slew of happening personalities as guest chefs under the theme 'Popular Personalities Cook For Charity'.

Dears, among those slated for the event are: Scotchies - jerk pork and jerk chicken; Longville Park Farms- doing rosemary garlic lamb, pita bread; Don Creary - soups: cream of chicken, pumpkin and seafood; Bryan Hosue and Busha Clarke of Crabfest fame doing - Ribs, black bean and garlic crabs; Rory Marsh of National Meats - beef (Chimi Churi style); Castle Restaurant - finger foods; Fusion Catering - doing Chinese roast chicken, rice, vegetables, and goat head soup; Rainforest Seafood - doing conch chowder, shrimp stir fry, escoveitched fish fillet; and Pier 1's Robert Russell doing curried goat and roti.

Dears, it promises to be a perfect culinary storm and all for charity, the nominal contribution being $2500, inclusive of fare, so it's all about partying for a cause here!

Cherise Francis Windle of Florida also contributed to this story.