Season in full throttle

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Oh what a week, my darlings, it simply rained parties and the weeks ahead portend similar forecasts, as those celebrating the Yuletide season are in full throttle and Sagittarians are now celebrating their sign.

It's definitely the sign of Sagittarius so let's break out the champagne and caviar for all the celebrants. They include: the PNP's Mikael Phillips; the charming Carmen Clarke and Rhys D. Campbell, in Trinidad.

Tomorrow, fashion designer Elaine Dreyer; former diplomat Peter Smith; the fab Eleanor Crichton Hussey; Stephanie Shimyou; the lovely Isi Richard, in Thessaloniki, Greece; north coast habitué Edward Ryan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, all share the same birthday.

On Sunday, the beautiful Brooke Benjamin; fab model Fallon Harris; the lovely Mandira Kalra Kalaan, in India; former Hedonism III entertainment-coordinator-turned-beefcake and performer, Fabiann Allen, and now resident of the Big Apple will celebrate their very special day!

Monday, the 29th, Cherise Francis-Windle, formerly of Linstead, St Catherine, now residing in Encino, California; Kent Gammon; chef Darren Lee, formerly of Strawberry Hill, now in Florida; and the grande dame of Ocho Rios, restaurateur Eva Myers of Evita's, all celebrate their birthday!

Come Tuesday, the 30th, banker Tanya Hoshue; the lovely Tameka Edwards; Merrick Watson; and the lovely Tamika Higgins-Baker make it a very special day!

December 1 will see businessman Joey Issa; songbird JC Lodge, in London; realtor Andrew Baston; journalist/writer Delroy Whyte-Hall; exotic jeweller Carol-Jean Haslam; Inspector Recardo Myers, of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, VIU; the fabulous Rilla Haq; Sebastian Ogden; publicist Carole Beckford; educational consultant Verica Bennett; the beautiful Dale Ferguson, formerly of Hedonism III, now a resident of Toronto - all making it a very special day!

December 2 will see the fab beauty queen and model, Carolyn Yapp; the lovely Suzette Keane of SuperClubs SuperFun Resort and Spa, in Runaway Bay; former Kingston-based ace disc jock and model Sidney Murray, in Atlanta; and former New York City Councilwoman Una Clarke all celebrating their special day!

And come next Friday, celebrated artist/author/socialite Judy-Ann MacMillan; Dennis Humes, in Ocho Rios; Raymond Douglas, in London, England; Memphis, Tennessee resident Calvin Taylor will be celebrating their birthday!

Belated wishes to Al Jazeera high-flying reporter/producer Capt Darren Jordon, who celebrated his 50th on the 23rd; Douglas Smith, formerly of Kingston, now a resident of Houston, Texas; Everton Hibbert; and the lovely Troy-Ann Bates; who all celebrated on Tuesday, the 23rd.

The lovely Claudeth Henry; the beautiful Taquise Gordon-Smith; the fab Angela Rose-Lee; Arthur McKenley; the beautiful Kavelle Christie; Roy Tenny Miller, in Montego Bay; Carl Neita, in Washington DC, who all celebrated on Wednesday the 24th.

Yesterday, Olympian Aleen Bailey; the beautiful Helen Levy Chin-Loy, now resident of Mississauga; Atlanta resident Deborah Lavoie; the beautiful Deon Brown, in New York.

Best wishes all around.

Busy season

Then my daahlings, there's still not a lot of talk about Christmas or New Year's celebrations, but the Yuletide season is definitely upon us, and then some, with parties, receptions, launches and fund-raisers everywhere, all adding up to one very busy season!

Luvs, there are quite a number of must-attend events on, especially this weekend which starts next Thursday, December 2, with the launch of Oliver Hill's Moon Jamaica, number six in the edition of a series of Travel-Guide handbooks, cataloguing the best of Jamaica's restaurants, attractions, entertainment, food, and little important bits and piece about this land we love.

The launch and after-party are slated for the hip Studio 38 at the Pulse complex at 38 Trafalgar Road. It promises to be a treat and then some!

Then from Friday, December 3 to 5, the much-anticipated musical event of the season is definitely 'A Chance To Sing' - a musical potpourri - featuring some of Jamaica's best and leading contemporary performers, including celebrated tenor Carl Bliss; the very awesome mezzo-soprano Dawn Fuller-Phillips; soprano Faith Livingston and baritone Anthony Alexander, medical student and member of the University Singers - in concert. They will be performing several genres of music as well as selections from Broadway and other musicals, at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Avenue.

The event is under the baton of musical director O'Neal Mundle, with staging by Kevin Moore; and the celebrated musicologist, Dr Kathy Brown, lending her considerable skills to guaranteeing that the event is a fabulous production and a musical feast!

Definitely a must-attend.

On Saturday, famed fashion designer Elaine Dreyer will be hosting a benefit fashion show and fête, at the Hotel Four Seasons, on Ruthven Road, under the auspices of the Trevor Berbick Foundation, to raise funds to donate a gym to the Juvenile Correctional Facility in the Old Capital.

Dears, another good cause so you know this is another must-attend.

It promises to be one red-hot Saturday night as the party that high-society and everyone else is talking about is the Consular Corps of Jamaica's fund-raising dinner and gala at the home of former dean of the corps, Christopher Issa and his wife Kimberly Mais Issa.

Dean of Honorary Consul of Iceland Robert MacMillan is promising to pull out all stops to make this the ball du jour, so you know we are talking nothing but fabulousness here. And with Governor General Sir Patrick and Lady Allen expected to be leading the list of dignitaries, plus a number of prizes and surprises, pumpkins, it's definitely the social outing of the season!