Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

It used to be that one could tell the onset of the festive season by the seasonal shindigs that punctuated the social landscape.

Today, the same obtains, but for one minor detail - for the most part, those that have survived the ravages of time and institutional changes have either morphed into mere public relations outings for the hosts, while others have simply become that much more fabulous!

One of those annual dos that have become anticipated yuletide soirées is the annual KSA Engineering cocktail reception and dinner, hosted by its principals, Steve Ashley and his fab wife, Betty Stephenson Ashley, at their simply fab Norbrook residence, in upper St Andrew.

Fabulous orchid garden

This year, the Ashleys took their annual do to a new level on the social Richter scale on Thursday. To begin with, their residence is simply breathtaking. We are talking a stately and imposing home made that much more so by a most fabulous orchid garden that infuses the very grounds with their colours, vitality, serenity and rapturous energy!

This is the envy of any respectable gardener, whether he or she is simply pottering around the house in the hope of transforming the surroundings, or a very competitive gardener at the top of the game. So, imagine, a most relaxed cocktail reception being hosted in the midst of all that fabulousness!

Not many people can boast bragging rights to hosting a reception with two former heads of state and a number of sitting parliamentarians and senators, plus leading members of the social aristocracy and business in attendance, but the Ashleys can, as such was the case.

Among the notables out were: former prime ministers P.J. Patterson and Portia Simpson Miller (now Opposition leader), Security Minister Colonel Trevor MacMillan and wife, Dr Olivia McDonald; Senator Tom and Rose Tavares-Finson, MPs Phillip Paulwell, Anthony Hylton and lady love, Yodit Getachew; Dr Wykeham McNeill and wife, Sheila Benjamin-McNeill; the fabulously beautiful Lisa Hanna; Natalie Neita-Headley, Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown, as well as John and Urla Junor.

Also present were: businessman Kenny Benjamin, trade unionist emeritus, the pre-eminent Hopeton Caven, Lance and Barbara Johnson; Captain Rupert Bent and wife, Cindy Breakspeare Bent; Dr Winty Davidson and his wife, Dr Sonia Davidson, Dr Guyann Arscott, Steve and Karishma Khemlani and her sister, Madhu Mahtan; Mr and Mrs Claude Stewart, Khaleel Azan, Mr and Mrs Howard Aris, media doyenne Fae Ellington and son, Stuart Smellie; Milton Weisse, Mark and Julie Jones, Raymond Reece, the lovely Fiona McNeill Rerrie; Dr Lennox Francis and architect Grace Ashley.

Also spotted were Ian Garbutt and companion, Sonia Khan; Ray Campbell, Kathy-Ann Pyke, Tanny Shirley, Ribbie Chung and his fab wife, Danielle; Chris Cargill and wife, the lovely Deborah Cargill; Dr Andre and Gina Foote, the elegant Sonja Sutherland-Dumetz; Mr and Mrs Ralph Fisher, Evon Williams, Rajiv Bakshi and companion, Dorothea Gordon-Smith, and her sis-in-law Lorna O'Neill; Clive Tapper, Sybil Harvey, Dr Konrad and Carol Lawson, Oliver Magnus, the oh-so-voluptuous Carlene Smith, Wesley Saulter, Yvonne Wilks, trade unionist Lambert Brown, Yuval and Vered Moa, Evon Lloyd and wife, Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd; Tal Sadeh, J.B. and Lola Gordon, Yoah and Sylvia Cohen, Vinay Walia and companion, Sidjae Robinson, Mr and Mrs Keith Garvey, Neville Henry, the charming Terry Campbell, Garth Hinchcliffe and Annalise Hare-wood and friend Sandra Walters; Christopher Jones and his wife Karelle Ashley, her siblings, Steve Ashley Jr and Chase and Emile Ashley, plus a number of others.

LEFT: Club kingpins, Chris Cargill (left) and Ribbie Chung (right), hang out with Tom Tavares-Finson at the KSA Engineering Consultants Limited annual Christmas party, held at Norbrook Drive, Norbrook, on Thursday, December 4.
RIGHT: Bringing in the former chief. Betty Ashley escorts former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to the party.