"inclusion'' wasn't without a certain amount of irony. The plucky United Bermuda Party MP had turned up despite the lack of an official invite from the BIU (a be-hatted Hester had an eagle-eye view from the grandstands). Mr. D had only just finished moaning that under the previous Government, when his party was in charge, that Opposition members had always been invited to speak when the BIU's feisty Chris Furbert came over to apologise. Mr. Furbert explained that the BIU secretary had been on holiday and invites to Mr. D and Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon hadn't, er, gone out as planned.

Mr. D then bravely took the podium to make an off-the-cuff speech, opening with "Good afternoon Brothers and Sisters''. The speech was surprisingly well received by the die-hard labour crowd, particularly the line: "My daughter has told me to make it brief as this is a holiday.'' After Mr. D's speech Furbert got some further guffaws with the words "Thank you, Brother Dunkley.'' A touching reconcilliation, Hester thinks, and inclusion at its finest.

Hester forgot to mention last week what marvelous farewell gifts were bestowed upon those 31 Bermuda Telephone Company workers who opted to take up the company's kindly offer of early retirement and pension. Perhaps the sheer number who wanted out, asap, surprised management, because it seems the company had run out of, well, nice gifts, such as the gold Rolexes that Hester hears some "legitimate'' retirees received earlier in the year. Even a gold Timex would have been nice.

Instead, Hester hears, the batch of long-serving, "early'' retirees of 55 and over were given, tah dah, a cheap silver pin displaying the number of years they served, a print of that work of art gracing the cover of the new phonebook -- albeit nicely framed, and...their very own, brand-new, hard cover, edition of the new phone book! (Hester already has hers -- free -- obtained through her own contacts). Hester hears one peeved staffer threw the framed print on the floor afterwards and stomped on it.

Hester's suspicion that rugby is played by people who haven't yet come to terms with their true sexuality was given further credence this week. She hears Renegades Rugby Football Club lads chose New Orleans as the venue of their pre-season tour -- and their visit just happened to coincide with the Gay Pride weekend. That gives new meaning to the term male bonding.

The PLP's upcoming annual conference in November could be a hot one as Hester hears the party could decide whether Premier Jennifer Smith and deputy Premier Eugene Cox will stay or go. She hears one MP who may be angling for more prominence is Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown . According to some of his friends in high places, he's seen as a rising star.

While on holiday in Bermuda with his wife recently, Rock Newman -- the boxing promoter who orchestrated the rise of former heavyweight champ Riddick Bowe -- was seen brunching with Dr. Brown (they graduated Howard University together).

"Ewart Brown is thought of as one of the stars of the Howard U system,'' Mr.

Newman later gushed. "You mention his name and people talk about his commitment to people. Ewart Brown is held in the highest esteem in D.C.'' Mr.

Newman, who now works on D.C. mayoral campaigns, had just as nice things to say about Bermuda, which he described as "Paradise on Earth'' and the place where he enjoyed "the best hamburger of my life -- at Dorothy's''. And for fans, he says his buddy Riddick is "hanging in there'' after a traumatic divorce but has ruled out a return bout.

Regulars at the Pickled Onion are still recovering after an impromptu performance of "I Will Survive'' by a visiting British Airways stewardess last week. Backed by Left Lucy , she produced a din not rivalled since Hester discovered a toad in her bathroom. After the opening few bars the lyrics were lost among the general screeching as she charged around the bar, standing on the furniture. Any higher pitched and it would have been audible only to dogs.

After the performance she proudly told one stunned drinker: "I sang it yesterday but I think I was much better today. I've been performing that song since I was 16 -- I'm 25 now. You'll see -- I'll be famous by next year.'' Music lovers be warned: She plans to do the London-Bermuda run regularly from October so repeat performances are likely.