TRINIDADIANS perhaps know more about how to fete than a good many other things. That's what they laid on, a lavish round of receptions and parties especially for Izola Cholmondeley Harvey and her husband Gerald, when they heard they were coming to Port of Spain for their golden wedding celebrations over the week leading up to New Year's Eve.

We reported last week how nearly a half a plane load of Bermudians literally took over the Hilton Hotel in Port of Spain for the afternoon wedding and reception of Scott Pearman, CEO of Hott 1075 Radio, and his Trinidadian-born wife Janice, and for the Harvey affair in the evening.

The two events on the same day overlapped, with some family and friends attending one, then the other.

The Harveys' home is at The Scaur in Somerset. And that's in the parish where Scott's father, Roderick, was rooted before settling in Spanish Point, and where his wife Shirley taught school for many years.

For Izola, the affair in Trinidad was a double celebration. It was the occasion of her 80th birthday, and because her looks belie her age, she had to spend a good deal of her time convincing people she is truly an octogenarian.

The Harveys were married on her birthday, December 14, 1955 at the Methodist Chapel on Long Bay Lane. They have two daughters, Donna Harvey Maybury, a senior vice-president at the Bank of Butterfield, and Lisa Harvey Swan, a vice-president at the XL Reinsurance Corporation.

Even before departing for Trinidad, the daughters feted their mother with a surprise birthday party at Cambridge Beaches.

And they were the ones who collaborated with Donna's godmother, Mrs. Marlene Simmons Coombs, who lives in Trinidad with her husband Kerston Coombs, a chemical engineer. The Coombs made all the arrangements for events connected with the golden wedding celebrations.

Izola and Marlene were longstanding next-door neighbours and friends before the latter married and settled in Trinidad. The Coombs, incidentally, are parents of a daughter, Kelli, who is a pharmacist, and son, Dr. Dane Coombs, a veterinarian.

Officiating at the exchange of vows was the Rev. Carl Williams, a Trinidadian Anglican minister who served in Bermuda as part of the ministerial staff at St. James Parish Church, Somerset.

Among the guests was the Rev. Dr. Charles Swan, a relative who lives in Canada, as well as, from Canada, Reba Taylor; from Ohio, Dr. Jackie Kinaard; also Bermudians Margaret and Jennifer Manders, Eugene Lister and wife Marion; friends Dr. Roy L. Austin and wife Glynis: he is Trinidad and Tobago's Ambassador to the US.

Photos:Izola and Gerald Harvey of Somerset are flanked above by their daughters, Donna Maybury (right) and Lisa Swan with grandson Greig Swan. Standing behind Donna is her godmother, Mrs. Marlene Simmons, formerly of Sound View, Somerset, and her husband, Herston Coombs, their daughter Kelli Coombs and son, Dr. Dane Coombs. Below: A close-up of Izola and husband Gerald Harvey. The golden wedding celebration was a double celebration for Izola. She turned 80 a week before flying to Trinidad.

Three boat clubs have a swell time

MEMBERS of the East End Mini-Yacht Club, Mid-Atlantic Yacht and Sports Club and West End Sail Boat Club converged on the West End on Saturday night for their fourth annual joint prize-giving. It proved to be a highly successful social event, with the host club going all out to ensure there was good food and great fellowship.

Presiding over the event was the sailing chairman of WESC, Gladwin Lambert. He took home his share of the prizes for his successes in club races. The president of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, Malcolm Kirkland, was the guest speaker and presenter of the trophies to the winners. Mr. Kirkland gave a timely and lively update on the progress of the multi-million-dollar project revolving around the construction of the sloop Spirit of Bermuda.

He urged members of the three boat clubs to get their own grandchildren involved as well as identifying less privileged youngsters involved in the programme of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation.

The 88-foot purpose-built sail training vessel under construction at a boatyard in the United States is due to be launched soon and, according to Mr. Kirkland, it will be in Bermuda in time for Cup Match this year.

Its home base will be the dock opposite the Clock Tower in Dockyard. The objective of the foundation is to provide world-class, experimental learning, both academic and technical, for hopefully hundreds of young Bermudians, aged 14 and up, drawing them from the middle schools upwards.

They will learn something about Bermuda's history, and how the Bermudian sloop featured famously, having grown out of the boat-building tradition of the 17th century and emerged as the dominant vessel type in the colony's merchant fleet after the 1680s period, when the island's shipwrights experimented with a variety of rigs.

The first courses are scheduled to begin on August 7. Mr. Kirkland introduced to his audience 28-year-old Jonathan Kinnock, who is the first mate designate, and Mickey Berkeley, who is one of three watch leaders who have been engaged. The others are Travis Burland and David Roach.

Mr. Lambert gave a brief insight into the history of Comet Class racing. It was more or less a family competition with his own father and uncles among others from West Side, building their boats and racing in Ely's Harbour, followed by slip racing at Robinson's Marina.

He took pride in displaying the first trophy the Comet Class ever raced for. It was donated by Mary Johnson in 1941. Also displayed was the Edward Cross Cup sailed for in the Long Distance race on the Queen's Birthday holiday.

Mr. Lambert said: "The Comet Class clubs have now come full cycle, as represented by the display of trophies being distributed. We have combined and raced together during the season, over and above the individual club races, and it was only fitting they should rotate their joint prize-giving."

Among the prominent sailors represented were Howard Lee, Colin Clark and Anthony Robinson, Commodores of the East End and Mid-Atlantic Clubs respectively, as well as Donald Canton, Rear Commodore of Sandys Boat Club. He presented the host club a burgee on behalf of his club in appreciation of the invitation they received to attend the prize presentation.