Parliament, Hester has a feeling there's a little more to the PLP's bid to change the House dress code, which up until now has followed Great Britain's.

The overseas media has been having loads of fun with news from the Island that a House committee has approved allowing Members of Parliament to wear the pink, canary yellow, blue or red creations -- complete with the traditional knee-length sock, shirt, tie and blazer -- in Bermuda's once conservative corridors of power.

Apparently committee members Premier Jennifer Smith, Randy Horton and Dale Butler feel that ending the ban on shorts and women wearing trousers would in "no way compromise the dignity of the House''.

And even though the UBP's been kicking up a fuss about the "arrogant'' way the PLP is changing the rules, she's sure that deep down they have no problem with shorts being worn in Parliament either...after all they are sold on Front Street. However, what may be the UBP's real concern is the little known second part of the committee's report which says MPs should not only be allowed to wear shorts instead of pinstripes, but also traditional West Indian and African business suits, or Nehru suits (such as those backbencher Delaey Robinson favours).

Hester hears Delaey has naughtily been refusing to wear a tie to Parliament, flouting House rules in the process. Who else will show up in colourful caftans remains to be seen, but Hester personally feels this new code should be extended to the poor media who are forced to don blazers -- and skirts if you're a girl -- for the privilege of covering the House.

But perhaps it's all a case of, er, more style than substance...since the PLP seems to have no problem running to the Empire in suits and ties for its OBEs and MBEs, and Independence is still on the backburner now isn't it? Don't be surprised if Government soon makes a big announcement regarding the on-again off-again sale of Aetna-owned Sonesta Beach Hotel! She hears Tourism Minister David Allen's hotel concessions Act and an accompanying bill are being drafted just in time to stop American developer James Dwyer from shelving plans to buy the aging Sonesta property.

As Hester previously reported, Dwyer, who already owns White Sands Hotel and is in the process of buying Belmont Hotel, really wants to knock down Sonesta and build condos. This new bill will allow new resorts to be built with a "residential component'' allowing condos to be bought by, and leased to, holidaymakers. (Basically it allows hotels to get in the real estate business as long as they have at least 40 traditional hotel rooms...which has Hester wondering just how many staff these "new resorts'' will no longer be needing, and where all the tourists Mr. Allen is confident of luring here will end up staying? Not wanting to rain on Mr. Allen's parade any further, Hester was just wondering if there's any update on the much-anticipated opening of the Daniel's Head Village trailor park, oops, she, means eco-resort.

Hester, being the nosy sort, wended her way down there on the weekend, and is now wondering, `What were the powers that be thinking?' The place looks nowhere near finished -- especially given the ambitious August 1 opening date -- and the canvas tents -- some 115 are planned -- are, well a little too bizarre for Hester's liking. However, she's willing to give the developer the benefit of the doubt, and waits with bated breath for the final outcome of Bermuda's first `hotel' in years.

Speaking of bizarre, Hester's eyes almost popped out of her head upon reading a recent news item on work delays at two local playgrounds. As if the youth don't have enough negative news to contend with amid the barrage of insults being levelled at the school system, there's this to stomach too: "The Ministry of Youth, Sport & Recreation and the Department of Parks report that playground equipment is still being upgraded at Death Valley Field playground in Port Royal, Southampton, and at Dark Bottom Playground in St.

David's, so the grounds will remain closed. A spokesperson says parents can assume that the playgrounds will be safe for their children once the new equipment was installed.'' Yah, sure! With horrible names like those, parents should be wary of taking their kids anywhere near the two playgrounds. And just who is responsible for the ridiculous names?