Partying like rock stars

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Talk about a party for all seasons! Well this is proving to be most definitely the season for all parties as the summer heats up and the party hearty are eager to get this year's 'show' on the road!

Luvs, it was all about the north coast last weekend as the party people all packed their designer luggage and piled into their high priced SUVs and other luxury imports and motored out of the city for a weekend of love, celebration and party.

Suffice it to say that when it was all over, businessman Eddie DePass and his long-time companion, Victoria Kes had exchanged vows in what the buzz say was a simply fabulous wedding. Richard Bourke had the party of his life and the season at Blue shutters Villa, in Runaway Bay; Dr Ross Ghuelke hosted a classical interlude at his Mount Tambrind, get-away, high in the hills of St. James; and there was enough excitement at Hedonism II, Negril, to last for a long time. The Men of Steel Revue was in the house, as were the Bad Girls from Oxygen TV Reality programme of the Bad Girls Club!

People are still talking about Eddie DePass and Victoria Kes', wedding though. It was all that and then some! And little wonder as it was at one of the more fabulous villas located on the exclusive millionaires row in Discovery Bay, St Ann. The wedding came a day after the groom celebrated his birthday and saw a gathering of friends and family from all over the world in attendance. It was a classy wedding, with the bride looking absolutely stunning in white white, the groom cutting a dashing figure in beige and a spot of colour.

And talk about acerbic wit! Well my dears, when asked where he and his bride would be spending their honeymoon, he replied: "I will be heading for Cuba, my wife will be heading for Hellshire".

Congrats to the newly weds.

On Friday night staff of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports along with friends of the rather affable Minister Olivia "Babsy" Grange threw a surprise party for her and Permanent Secretary, Maria Jones. Grange's birthday was on the 27th and Jones' was the 24th. Venue was the roof of the Ministry's Trafalgar Road, offices.

Luvs, this was a party largely organised by the people for their heroine, the home-town girl who made good under the tutelage of one of their heroes, Edward Seaga. Though impromptu, it had all the earthiness of real Jamaica. There were toasts in song, dance and drama as only they could, and Grange, being of the people, was fully appreciative of their efforts.

My dears, it was not all amateur hour either; a number of the entertainment industry's leading performers popped in and under the direction of Clifton "Specialist" Dillion, the legendary Ken Boothe gave a great performance. The birthday girls were serenaded much to the delight of the standing room only crowd.

Former Prime Minister and mentor to Grange, Edward Seaga, was in attendance; as were colleagues: Attorney General and Justice Minister Senator Dorothy Lightbourne; Senator Warren Newby; Ambassador Elinor Sherlock; Professor Edwin Jones; Dorothy Carter-Bradford; Syd Bartley; Ali McNab; Pat Reid; Silvera Castro; Enid Harrow; Samuel and Dawn Heron; Kenneth Shaw; Lorna Bell; and Delroy Morgan; plus several scores others.

And guess who will be partying in Jamaica this week-end? The fabulous Louise Valle, wife of former Canadian High Commissioner Claudio Valle. She arrives in Kingston today from Canada, and will be on the island for a week.

Birthdays

Happy birthday wishes to the lovely Donna Halloway, formerly of the Hilton Kingston, now a resident of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who celebrate her birthday today.

Real estate mogul, Robert Cartade, celebrates tomorrow; as do the oh-so brave Dr Heather Little-White; Elizabeth Salmon; entertainment consultant Laurence Sutherland; and New York based fashion designer and stylist, Glenroy March

On Sunday, May, 9 those celebrating include: Colin Leslie and marketing firebrand Tara Playfair-Scott.

Come Monday, the 10th, Lisa Duggan will be partying in Toronto, Canada; and the lovely Megan Murray, will party in Kingston, Jamaica.

Photo journalist Valmour Walters celebrate on Tuesday the 11th.

Attorney and leading north coast socialite, Paula Kerr-Jarrett, celebrate on Wednesday the May 12; as will actress and media personality the lovely Rosemary Murray; media personality, Cecelia Campbell; and model Kaniggia Buckle.

And Kingston's former reigning social butterfly the charmingly lovely Katy Darling, now of Tega Cay, South Carolina, celebrates her birthday on May, 13. The lovely Sharon Ewan, of Montego Bay, also celebrate the same day, as will Bennie Watson.

Belated birthday wishes to: the beautiful Kerry-Ann Clarke Burke who celebrated on April 29. The voluptuous Carlene Smith, former dancehall queen and TV hostess, who celebrated on May 1. Art collector extraordinaire, Wallace Campbell celebrated on May 4. Robbie Epstein, of the Guardsman Group, celebrated yesterday.