Tue | Apr 23, 2024

Fantastic French celebration

Published:Friday | July 16, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Pause
French Ambasasdor Marc-Olivier Gendry raps with Senegalese Ambassador Dr Nafissatou Diagne.
Lady Hall (centre) and Maria Jones hobnob, with Sir Kenneth Hall looking on.
Jacqueline Bell (left) and Suzanne Allicock are all smiles.
Feelin' blue. Stefanie Thomas came all dolled up to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille.
French Ambassador Marc-Olivier Gendry (second right) is in animated convo with Isiah Parnell, his wife Tammie (left) and DPP Paula Llewellyn.
French Ambassador Marc-Olivier Gendry (centre), Hugh Dunphy (right) and Defence Attaché Lt Col Philippe Richer in discussion at the National Day celebration.
Enjoying the French National Day celebration are (from left) Marie-José Nzengou-Tayo, Gilou Bauer, Nicole Hoo-Fatt and Dr Laura Tanna. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Janet Harris is the definition of chic. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Out to celebrate with their diplomatic colleagues were Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Yamaguchi and wife Yoko.
Inseparable duo Pierre and Karlene Lemaire were out to celebrate the French National Day.
A stately Marigold Harding caught our attention.
Here you go! Cigar man Joseph Adduci (right) presents a box of his increasingly popular cigars to French Ambassador Marc-Olivier Gendry.
French Ambassador Marc-Olivier Gendry (centre) introduces Dr Barbara Carby to Defense Attaché Lt Col Philippe Richer.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

If this is cutting back, then recession is not so bad. That's probably what some guests thought as French Ambassador to Jamaica, Marc-Olivier Gendry, spoke at his Bastille Day reception on Wednesday. But considering that guests were still treated to tasty hors d'oeuvres and a cadre of fine wines, plus fantastic music from Desi Jones and Friends, it hardly seemed like they were missing anything.

The ambassador said that French President Nicolas Sarkozy cancelled the regular Bastille Day parties, while Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner asked the ambassadors around the globe to cut back on the festivities. He joked that the European bean counters would be watching them like the IMF keepstabs on Jamaica. But that wasn't going to stop the celebration of 221 years of independence.

And after the speeches and toasts, (and excellent renditions of both anthems) as a surprise, Ambassador Gendry introduced Myrna Hague who did a couple of classics (The Way We Were and That's Life) before the band continued.

Guests included former Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall and Lady Hall, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ken Baugh, Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, Andrew Gallimore, Dr Peter Phillips, Delano Franklyn, Custos of Kingston Steadman Fuller and wife Sonia, Indian High Commissioner Mohinder Grover, British High Commissioner Howard Drake, Richard and Diana Stewart, Mike and Peggy Fennell, George Fatta, Belinda Williams, Dennis Lalor, Ambassador Elinor Sherlock, Alexandra Consten, Igor and Elena Dorofeev, Chris Bovell, Mark Linehan, Tom DeSulme, Andrew Issa, Les Green, Justin Felice, Millicent Lynch, Richard and Carolyn Gomes, Adrien Lemaire, Paul and Oriente Issa, Jean-Paul Menou and Ronald Jackson.