Aubyn Hill chills with Sandra Glasgow (centre) and Dr Joy Callender.

When your clientele is as large as National Commercial Bank's, you need somewhere huge to fete them; Hope Gardens should suffice.

And the bank needed every inch of the expanse last Thursday, at its end-of-year cocktail reception. Shuttle service took guests to the open area where they were greeted by white-clad beings who many thought were abominable snowmen. Higher Grade band from Negril had the soft music going as guests sipped welcome cocktails.

There was a 'Survivor' theme (reality show on CBS), with jungle decor added to the natural fauna of the gardens. The theme was to symbolise how Jamaicans survived the tough year that they all had experienced (yep, even in the banking sector).

Entertainment included a swinging, hip-shaking history presentation on Jamaican music, from the slaves' drums to the present time; some of the performers even had a slight resemblance to the real crooners.

Among those out were Colonel Trevor MacMillan, Mayor of Portmore Keith Hinds, Maurice Foster, Milton and Christopher Samuda, Capt David McRae, Thalia and Michael Lyn, Hyacinth and Dr Douglas McDonald, Gary and Bernadette Barrow, Beverley Anderson-Manley, Bobby Stephens, Dr Wesley Hughes, Tarun Handa, Howard Hamilton QC, Alfred Francis, Douglas Orane, Brenda Cuthbert, Delroy Chuck, Wayne Kirkpatrick as well as Robert and Judy Levy.

Cheers to the customers. National Commercial Bank (NCB) Group Managing Director, Patrick Hylton (right), and Chris Williams, general manager of NCB Capital Markets join Sheree Martin, assistant general manager, Group Marketing and Communications, in celebrating another challenging but good year.

Miss Jamaica Universe, April Jackson, strikes a pretty pose for our camera. - Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

We don't know if the effer-vescent Belinda Williams is happy because she has heard what Santa (Volier Johnson) has for her for Christmas.

They may not be the tallest blokes around but Omar Azan (left) and Damian Obiglio stand tall in the business world. They were out at National Commercial Bank's (NCB) end-of-year customer appreciation Party, held at Hope Gardens, Old Hope Road, on Thursday December 11.

Dr Nigel Clarke (left) raps with Chukka Caribbean's Alexander Melville.