Medal gives Jamaican indepedence party a boost (From Oxford Mail)
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Medal gives Jamaican indepedence party a boost
7:00pm Tuesday 14th August 2012 in Oxford
Adults, left to right, Sola Soyoye, Pat Green, Nathan Smith, Sharon Highton, Saidat Kyeyuna and Austin Byron with children Phoenix Timmins, eight, Malik Stoute, five, Samson Highton, four, and Mathias Timmins, seven. Picture: OX53683 Ric Mellis
A RIOT of green, yellow and black took over an Oxford community centre for Jamaican Independence Day. Celebrations were held at the Princes Street centre on Saturday as Jamaicans everywhere were caught up in the buzz of the country’s Olympic achievements.
Pat Green helped organise the event after seeing Usain Bolt, left, speed to the first of his three gold medals.
Ms Green said: “It was awesome, I felt like royalty because I had the Jamaican flags on and everybody in the park wanted to take photographs and touch you.
She said of Saturday’s celebration party: “We had families, youngsters and elders with stories about being in Jamaica celebrating its independence 50 years ago.”
Sharon Highton, 35, of Cowley, and son Samson, four, whose father’s family is from Jamaica, said: “It got really busy. We were rushed off our feet and running out of food.”
Jamaican dishes such as jerk chicken and ackee and salt fish were served to a background of pumping reggae.
Ms Highton said: “Everyone’s buzzing about the Olympics, and the fact they got the gold, silver and bronze in the men’s 200m.”
