Farewell, Ambassador Bridgewater

Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

After a little under four years, the tour of duty of the United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Pamela Bridgewater, is winding down. She is scheduled to depart our shores later this month.

The charming ambassador is celebrated across the length and breadth of the island by her many friends and admirers with whom she interacted during her tenure.

Her tenure did not see her confined to her offices or her official residence. Hers was an involved one, with her making many a trip across the island and interacting with many people at the social and cultural levels. She not only sought to gain knowledge of the people, land, history and cultural practices, but in many ways participated and made the experience that much richer for her presence and participation.

While not the media hog, Ambassador Bridgewater was very much an involved envoy, from her sojourn to the Accompong Maroons' annual celebratory event in the hinterland, to her regal presence at many social outings. She was always a quiet, regal presence, given to words of wisdom and inspiration, as against empty and pious platitudes - a trait which endeared her to all those who had the distinction of not only making her acquaintance, but also the pleasure of being numbered among her friends.

And many a friendship there were as this was not the ambassador's first tour of duty here in Jamaica, as she did serve in the early 1980s. Sadly, however, when she takes her leave of our shores this time, she will be closing the chapter of her life in the United States Foreign Service. The goodly ambassador has reached the mandatory retirement age and so her tenure here as ambassador will be her last.

To say she will be missed would be to put it mildly as without question she will be.

And so it was that, as a mark of respect and admiration, former dean of the Consular Corps of Jamaica, and Honorary Consul of Iceland Robert MacMillan and his consular colleague, Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Thailand Thalia Lyn and her husband Captain Michael Lyn, joined forces and threw what proved a charmingly fab farewell reception for the outgoing ambassador and her husband, Reverend A Russell Awkard. It was held on Friday, November 8, and dears, what a fabulously intimate little soirée it proved!

It was all quite charming, hosted as it was a-la-poolside of the upper St Andrew home of MacMillan. With Kingston's leading citizenry in attendance, y'all know we are talking a smasheroni of the finest order here and nothing but!

MacMillan does not know how to throw a bad party; and the very same is true of the Lyns. Now, imagine these three social movers and shakers combining their efforts.

Guests began arriving
promptly at the appointed hour of 7 p.m. for cocktails, and from the
very clink of the first stemware, it was prime time all the way. What
was easily a charmer got into overdrive when the ambassador's car pulled
into MacMillan's driveway and the ambassador and her husband
appeared.

Dears, it was star time and nothing but. And
as it was in the beginning, so it was in the end, as Joel Ashbourne
entertained flawlessly on piano, and guests sipped on premium libations
and munched on finger food from Island Grill, and basked in the pleasure
of each other's company. There was no mistaking the feeling of social
intimacy that draped the evening, and it made for a truly special
outing.

Among the notables out were: Glynne Manley;
Dennis Lalor; Oliver Clarke and his wife, Monica Ladd; Lascelles Chin
and his wife, the lovely Dr Eileen Chin; Kenneth Benjamin; the esteemed
Chris Bovell and his tres elegant wife, Michelle,
looking as flawless as ever, and their daughter, the lovely Terry
Shoucair; Spanish Ambassador Celsa Nuño and her husband, Alex Crowther;
Russian Ambassador Vladimir Polenov; German Ambassador Joseph Beck and
his wife, Gudrun; Canadian High Commissioner Robert Ready; Nigerian High
Commissioner Peter Oyedele and his charming wife, Deborah; Brazilian
Ambassador Antonio Da Costa Silva; Gary Rex from the United States
Embassy with his fab wife, Ingrid; Andrey Draykin from the Russian
Embassy; Earl Levy and his wife, Beverly.

Also out were: Father Gregory
Ramkissoon; Monsignor Richard Albert; the esteemed Edward Shoucair; the
very charming Peggy Blades; the very elegant Susan Alexander; the lovely
Rosie McIver; Joe and Bernadette Matalon; Paul Issa; Charley and Lisa
Johnston and their son Liam; Peter Millingen; Paul and Becky
Stockhausen; KIA Motors' Dwight Moore; Patrick and Marguerite Lynch; the
lovely Lisa Marzouca; William Mahfood; John Burrows and his companion,
Judy Markes. Attorney Patrick Bailey; the charming Deika Morrison; the
lovely Diane Bernard; Leicester and Belinda Levy; the charming Nicola
Mair; the stunning Caron Chung, fresh from the triumph of the annual
American Friends of Jamaica New York Gala; Richard and Simone Khouri;
the lovely Wendy Khouri; Mark and Julie Jones; Peter Ashbourne and his
wife, Rosina; Micky Hill; Doug and Karen Brown; Peter Hilary and the
lovely Peta-Gaye McConnell; Matthew Stephenson and the fab Rebecca
Tulloch - awaiting the arrival of the stork; Alty Benjamin Jr, Selvin
Ross of the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and the lovely Annie Harris;
plus a number of others!

Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer