Jamaican High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Burchell Whiteman, offers congratulations to the Jamaica Diaspora United Kingdom Regional Director for London, Celia Grandison-Markey, on being awarded a Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service in the 2007 National Honours and Awards. The occasion was a reception held at the High Commission on August 6 to celebrate Jamaica's 45th year of Independence. - JIS photo A capacity crowd filled the large reception room and terrace of the Jamaican High Commission in South Kensington, London, England, on August 6 for the Independence Day celebrations.
Representatives from community and church organisations all over Britain travelled to London to join in the festivities. The mayors of Merton and Haringey, both Jamaicans, as well as several councillors, were in attendance.
Heading the dignitaries who congratulated Jamaica on our National Day were the British Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Meg Munn, the dean of CARICOM high commissioners, Laleshwar Singh, High Commissioner of Guyana, and top envoys from The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, India, Singapore, Mauritius, Ghana and Costa Rica.
Diplomats from The Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Portugal and Spain also attended.
Among those present were Erwin Burton, CEO of the recently acquired GraceKennedy United Kingdom enterprise WT Foods, and representatives from a wide cross section of businesses owned by Jamaicans in the U.K.
St. Ann's Bay Mayor Delroy Giscombe was also on hand as guest of the Gloucester representatives.
Earlier in the day, the combined Jamaica Military and Regiment Bands had entertained hundreds of Jamaicans and other interested persons in St. James' Park, where the strains of Jamaican mento, ska and reggae were interspersed with patriotic songs, traditional military marches, classical selections and a sprinkling of jazz.
In his messages, High Commissioner Whiteman paid tribute to Jamaicans past and present who had blazed a trail in many fields of endeavour and urged the present generation to face the future with confidence and optimism.
Days earlier, on August 4, a congregation over thronged the Southwark Cathedral for the Independence service at which Jamaicans in the United Kingdom celebrated 45 years of nationhood.
Patriotic pride
Musicians from the Jamaica Military and Regiment Bands also participated in the outpouring of patriotic pride which featured dancers in bandanna costumes, a children's speech choir leading the national pledge and songs by a 45-man-strong Seventh-day Adventist male choir.
The event was held under the theme, 'Unity, Peace and Justice - The Pillars of a Strong Nation'.
Bishop Dr. Joe Aldred, who preached the sermon, recalled the excitement of the dawn of Independence, cited the challenges of the present, including the legacy of slavery, and called upon all Jamaicans at home and abroad to take responsibility for the future.
"Be a man, be a woman," was his exhortation. He urged the adults in the communities to build and maintain strong family structures and to be faithful to the God who had guided Jamaica.
In his welcome, the sub-dean of the Cathedral, Canon Andrew Nunn, expressed his pleasure at being able to host the large congregation. After the service, in the warmth of a sunny afternoon, Jamaicans and their friends from different parts of the country beamed in satisfaction with the event, planned and arranged by the high commission in partnership with business, professional and civic organisations.
"We feel good today", "We hope the elections will be peaceful", "The children make us proud", "Wonderful, but we need a bigger church next year" were some of the comments.
Also present were the Deputy Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Mackie Sheik, and Serena Lee, representing the Jamaica Diaspora Youth Association (United Kingdom), who read the lessons, Deputy High Commissioner Sharon Saunders, Gleaner Managing Director Oliver Clarke, Lloyd Hall, Diaspora Advisory Board members Travis Johnson and Paulette Simpson.
