( L - R ) Sean Paul, Rose Tavares Finson, Kimani Robinson

The late Derrick Mahfood was one great visionary, always a step ahead of his contemporaries determining just where the trends were heading and anticipating as well as preparing for them and seeing them to fruition!

So it was in the early days of a fledgling Kingston, when many thought him mad when he set out to create a shopping corridor along the Constant Spring Road. So it was later when he created the all-fab Market Place, that became the hub of social activity for the young and hearty, who not only found a one-stop location where they could shop with the ease and comfort of a variety of stores, they also found a perfect entertainment location. And thus, with their presence, transformed the Market Place into a beehive of shopping and social activity, in the process making the venue, the 'it' location.

Strategic best

Well, years later, his marketing acumen being as sharp as ever, the trend-setting Mahfood was at his strategic best as a genius when he transformed the Market Place from a shopping mall of sorts into a restaurant row, dubbing it The Courtyard at the Market Place, with fine restaurants catering to the national and international taste and flavour. This move made dining out in the Corporate Area a fashionable thing to do again.

We are talking about a fabulous intervention as the dining-out classes had become jaded, and even more so with concerns of personal security. Night-time dining in the city had become akin to jumping an obstacle course of circum-navigating street people, aggressive beggars, sometimes the boys and girls of the night and a number of other undesirable characters. It was sure to kill the appetite of the hungry after any encounter with one or more of any of these groups.

And so, Mahfood offered a fab new secure location for the dining-out crowd, boasting a choice of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Middle-Eastern and one gourmet restaurant, plus one restaurant dealing exclusively in desserts. The concept was fabulous, a great location serving up some of the finest fare ever to be found; the beauty of the Courtyard being that a family or a party of friends who do not necessarily all want the same fare for dinner or lunch, can all still share the same table (in the actual courtyard) and then order from any of the several establishments.

Notables

And not only is the place a fab spot for sensational food, it is also one very hot and 'in' spot, as on any given day, the notables out sharing in the culinary delights as well as the very relaxed ambience, includes Prime Minister Bruce Golding; retired Governor General Sir Kenneth and Lady Hall; Glynne Manley; businessman Robert MacMillan; international singing sensation Shaggy, plus a slew of others.

Well, two Fridays ago, the place was abuzz with celebrity cache: as the fab and the wealthy, the quoted and misquoted, as well as the glamorous and the chic. All were out and about, infusing the place with fab energy! We are talking high-glam and haute style here, with among those out being Senator Tom Tavares-Finson and his lovely daughter Leah Tavares-Finson; noted attorney Wentworth Charles; Monsignor Father Richard Albert; Mark McConnell and his fab wife Jamie Stewart McConnell and their new-born Penelope-Skye; Kingsley Cooper and his companion the lovely Romae Gordon; glamour and style queen Cecile Levee; the always very affable Mr. Pickapeppa himself, Stephen Lyn Chow; the lovely Effie Stannigar; noted attorney Lance Clark; his legal colleague Peter Champagnie; international reggae crossover star Sean Paul; Kimani and Terry-Kaye Robinson as well as Digicel's Trisha Thompson, plus a number of others!

Birthday

And speaking of fabulous people, places and things, today being Friday March 20, Lebertha Palmer, the mother of the distinguished Professor Rex Nettleford, joins a very rare club as the charming mother of one of this here island's most distinguished and accomplished celebrates her 100th birthday. The celebrations will take place at her New York residence, where she's lived since 1960, and will see a shortlist of family and friends, including the distinguished professor, in attendance.

Also celebrating her birthday today is Rose Tavares-Finson. Then belated birthday wishes to Robert Stephenson, who celebrated his birthday on the 11th with a special outing to the Big Apple. The lovely Velia Espeut celebrated a very special milestone on the 14th; a date she shares with the lovely Sahai Delfosse-Ingleton, who celebrated her birthday at her Florida home. Errol O'Meally also celebrated on the 14th, the celebrations taking place at his London home. And special birthday greetings to the charming and talented Marguerite Orane!

( L - R ) Wentworth Charles, Lebertha Palmer, Stephen Lyn Kee Chow