Elegant attire and bold style choices were among the highlights at the Vale Royal dinner party held in honour of Antigua’s Premier Vere Bird on Tuesday night. Guests showcased a range of looks, from Mrs Edward Seaga’s black lace gown to chic pants suits worn by several attendees, while others stood out in vibrant prints and mini dresses accented with silver and gold accessories, adding colour and flair to the lively evening gathering.

Published Thursday, January 29, 1970

Vale Royal dinner party for Antigua premier

Lively chatter on topics ranging from finance, business, education and trade to fashions set the atmosphere for the buffet dinner given by the Minister of Finance and Planning, the Hon Edward Seaga, and Mrs Seaga at Vale Royal on Tuesday night to honour the Premier of Antigua, the Hon Vere Bird.
Premier Bird, who is in Jamaica as the guest of the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Hugh Shearer, was accompanied by Mr Louis Boothe, Acting Chief of Protocol.
A real Jamaican dinner was provided for the visitor, with the menu including ackee and salt fish, rice and peas, corn on the cob, candied sweet potatoes and lobster. Other dishes were duck, steak, broccoli spears and tossed salad.
Ladies’ fashions also played an important part at Tuesday night’s function. Mrs Seaga chose a long-sleeved dress of black lace with matching accessories, while some of the female guests chose the popular pants suit.
Miss Jasmine Barnaby wore a black pants suit with a matching hip-length scarf slung around her neck. With this, she wore silver accessories.
Miss Valerie Robertson chose a very mini yellow long-sleeved shirt dress worn with a belt of silver and gold around the hips. She had gold and silver accessories.
Mrs Junior Foote wore a white and black pants suit of romaine, which also had a hip-length matching scarf, and black and silver accessories.
Adding a somewhat African flavour to the gathering was the High Commissioner for Guyana, Mrs Winnifred Gaskin, who wore a full-length gown of African print in brown, gold, red and yellow. Her jewellery was a chunky brown African necklace, and other accessories were in brown.
Mrs Roy Marshall was dressed in a gown of floral cotton print, the skirt ending in four rows of pleats in lime green and floral.
Mrs Neville Gallimore was dressed in a simple white creation made on the empire line with tucks around the neck. She chose black accessories.
Among the guests were the Minister of Education, the Hon. Edwin Allen; the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Hon. Robert Lightbourne; the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Roy McNeill; and the Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, the Hon. Victor Grant, along with Dr Neville Gallimore.
Also present were other representatives of government, the diplomatic scene, managers of the commercial banks, heads of finance companies, government officials, representatives of the press and radio, representatives of the Jamaica Development Bank, the Bank of Jamaica, the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Urban Development Corporation, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, and the Jamaica Manufacturers Association.

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