WHEN the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Lionel and Delores Edwards was looming they vetoed all suggestions about having a grand local celebration. Instead they planned to splurge on something more exotic, like going to Atlanta, Georgia with as many family and friends who wanted to go, and "tie-in their 50th" with the June wedding there of their granddaughter Shaunette Warner.

However when Lionel and Delores were invited by daughter Donna to go to dinner at Steak House, they didn't exactly put on their Sunday best, although they were smart and very casual, and neither did they expect to end up at the exquisitely decorated Freemasons Hall on Hog Bay Level.

Before the evening was over more than 70 guests played their part in setting the couple on course for their next happy milestone.

Lionel and Delores were sweethearts at West End and Sandys Secondary Schools. He is better known by his nickname, "Gee" Edwards; and along with his brothers Winton 'Timmy" Edwards and Ronald "Bunn" Edwards, made a very popular and formidable 'team' of cricketers. The latter two made it into the Cup Match for Somerset, eclipsing brother "Gee," who could only star as a waiting man for a couple of years. Incidentally in 1950 'Timmy's" 170 runs not out was an all-time highest individual score in the classic, which stood until broken in1962 by Lloyd James' 173 not out.

When "Gee" and Delores exchanged vows at the altar of St. James Parish Church, April 23, 1953, she was attended as matron of honour by his sister Vandel Edwards Cann and as maids by Margaret Smith Heyliger, Jean Roberts and Marguita Pearman Tucker. Best man for the groom was Collington Perinchief, and ushers, Elis Bean, Bodell Tankard and brother-in-law Hubert Swan. The latter two are now deceased.

Delores is a daughter of the late Eldon Swan and Mrs. Ismay Swan. At age 90, she played her part well as a head table guest in celebrating the Golden Anniversary. Three children of the marriage are Kirk, Kathy and Donna. Kathy's home is in Atlanta; she was widowed last year by the untimely passing of her husband Dennis Warner.

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THERE can be little doubt that great dividends are accruing from an agreement entered into less than two years ago between Bermuda's National Training Board (NTB) and the New England Institute of Technology (NEIT), aimed at assisting young Bermudians with achieving job-entry skills in various technologies.

A visit to the Institute In February 2001 by former NTB Chairman Ottiwell Simmons and Executive Officer Michael Stowe resulted in an agreement, which was signed in October of that year. At the time of the visit five Bermudians attended there, and now there are 40. Under terms of the agreement, the NTB provides an award of ten thousand dollars over a two-year period to each successful applicant to NEIT, and the latter provides a one-time award of five thousand dollars.

Last week ten Bermudians were among the 800 students from as far away as China, Africa, the Caribbean and from all over the United States who graduated. And there to see it all happen were the Deputy Chairman of NTB, Collin Simmons and member Mrs. Maxine Esdaille, an Education Officer in the Ministry of Education.

The Bermudian graduates were Robert Beale (marine technology); Damian Baxter (architectural building); Mark Richardson (marine technology); Dwayne Smith (computer information technology); Dion Steed (computer information systems); Macio Talbot (manufacturing engineering); Tiffany Glassford (computer information systems); Mark Crofton (computer information systems); Michael Johnson (electronics engineering and Denray Denwiddie (computerized business management). All but the last three were financially assisted by the NTB.

The Institute invited Mr. Simmons and Mrs. Esdaille as representatives of the NTB to be special guests at the Commencement Ceremonies held in the New England Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island. They were formally introduced and shared the podium with the guest speaker, Bill Russell, the famous basketball star and coach of the Boston Celtics.

Simmons, who is the Education Officer of the Bermuda Industrial Union, has been on the NTB for over 15 years, being its longest serving member. It used to be called the Apprentices Training Council. Since the PLP Government came to power, he said, NTB has initiated many programmes to expand the scope of learning opportunities for Bermudians. They have supported students at Bermuda College and institutions in Alabama and Florida.

NTB falls under the Ministry of the Hon. Terry Lister. Its current chairman is Nelton Brangman.

Last year NTB entered into a technical exchange agreement with Hobart International Welding School of Ohio, setting up its only internationally recognized unit outside the U.S.A. qualifying Bermudians to weld anywhere in the world under the Hobart system. A purpose built facility was located by the NTB at Swandale's Welding Company in Devonshire.