Heard in the Hive

They had flown into Malta the night before - from Italy (Mina Tempra), Denmark (US artist Ronald Burns and his wife Ditte), Libya (Dr Jamila Rizgalla), from the UK (Anne-Marie Dubreil) and many others, to celebrate the 77th birthday of Fr Marius Zerafa, the former director of museums, artist, art historian and restorer.

The dinner party, as usual, was hosted by Dame Françoise Tempra at Villa Tempra in Mgarr on October 1. Fr Zerafa himself came for a week from Rome, where he lectures on History of Art at the Angelicum University. He has also agreed to lecture in Florence, Brescia and at the Tampa Museum in Florida.

Fr Zerafa had given a memorable lecture on Caravaggio at the Smithsonian Museum (to a public of 800) in Washington, DC. He is the author of Caravaggio Diaries, published in Malta by Grimand & Co, which recounts the gripping story of the theft and subsequent recovery of the Old Master's St Jerome from St John's Co-Cathedral.

Fr Zerafa's birthday is always shared with his irresistibly devoted dog, Zerafina, which welcomed the guests flashing a splendid bow on her collar and wagging her tail.

However, this year Zerafina had to compete for the guests' attention with a full-scale faithful copy of St Jerome by Fr Zerafa, who insisted that he was "still working on it".

Inside the villa, Jovan Mizzi gave a slide projection of Fr Zerafa's leading overseas presentations to his most enthusiastic followers in various museums of the world within some of his most memorable pictures of events from his childhood and early years as a Dominican priest.

Guests could then enjoy a buffet dinner in the gardens.

Among those present were members of Fr Zerafa's family, his brothers Lawrence and Carmelo Zerafa Boffa and wife Jessie, niece Marika Wait and husband William, nephew Joseph Zerafa Boffa and wife Karin and long-standing friends: Dominic and Vivienne Cutajar, Emmanuel Fiorentino, Tony and Marthese Cassar Darien and so many former students and artists who participated in the Tempra Academy and the Malta International Art Biennale.

Other guests including the Ambassador of the Netherlands Jan Heidsma and his wife Marjolijn, the director of the Russian Cultural Centre, Dr Sergey Medvedev and his wife, Dr Lydia Oukhanova, Dr Charles Azzopardi and wife Marika, Lina Caruana, Karmen Grima and her cousin, Robert and Carmen Ward, Albert Storace, Lesley and Bernard Storace and many others.

They all enjoyed the singing of Marie-Therese Vassallo with Miriam Camilleri, Ivy Fleri, Charles Asciak, Paul Gatt, Lewis Hole, Charles Spiteri and often everyone joining in! They all then joined in singing Happy Birthday as Fr Zerafa cut the cake.

Dame Françoise then announced that she is organising an exhibition of Fr Zerafa's early drawings, paintings and sculptures, to be held in January.

Sathia collection out

The new Sathia autumn/winter range specialises in a feminine unique style, ideal for the young and not so young.

The collection is divided into various themes: Sporty Chic featuring movement and maximum comfort with no restraints; Vintage Spirit - the range of earthy colours tinted with silver and gold to give that metallic finish; Gypsy Wear, where tradition and technology meet to create a new aesthetical concept; and Dark Side - the sublime expression, contrasts light and dark, luminosity creating a provocative image.

This Italian collection is exclusively available at Sahara, Windsor Terrace, Sliema.

Sahara also stocks handbags, belts, winter caps, scarves and fashion accessories including the Oliver Weber Collection which are developed and manufactured in Austria using Swarovski crystal.

Animal

Animal is a design-led sports brand, boasting an extensive team of riders in each of its core sports. These are surfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, mountain biking and kite surfing. The rider-refined programme means all products get tried, tested and tweaked by the Animal pro team for real rider performance. This ensures that the products excel in the harsh conditions found in today's active sports environments. Animal Worldwide Freeride is at Level 3, the Plaza Shopping Centre, Sliema.

60 years of devotion

Henry and Peggy Budd celebrated their diamond-wedding at Casa Antonia yesterday week with a small party with family and friends. Now both 87 years old, Henry and Peggy were married on October 16, 1946 at Penarth in South Wales.

They were joined at the party by their four children James, 59, David, 56, Henrietta, 49, and Andrew, 47. Henry and Peggy moved to Malta in 1969 and have now been residents here for 37 years. Below: Henry and Peggy reading a card sent by Queen Elizabeth II congratulating them on their 60 years of marriage.

Fund-raising event raises Lm2,220 for Caritas

Josephine Xuereb, president of the AX Foundation, together with her committee members recently made a presentation to Mgr Victor Grech of Caritas at the Caritas head office, in Floriana.

The presentation represented the net proceeds of Lm2,220 raised during a barbecue held at the Sunny Coast Resort in Qawra. The high quality and lavish barbecue was a delightful and successful event. Delicious food was prepared by Dirk Martin, executive chef of the Suncrest Hotel, and his kitchen brigade.

Mrs Xuereb expressed her particular appreciation to all sponsors, suppliers, staff of the Suncrest Hotel, AX Construction Division and David Jaccarini, general manager of the Sunny Coast Resort and all involved at Sunny Coast, who gave their services voluntarily and without remuneration. Similarly, the Sunny Coast Resort was provided complimentary to the foundation by AX Holdings. With the help of all involved, the evening was very successful.

Mario Fenech, one of the trustees of the foundation, managed to procure all the requirements for the barbecue in a very timely manner from sponsors and suppliers.

During the presentation ceremony, Mrs. Xuereb mentioned that the barbecue was the second fund-raising event by the AX Foundation. Mgr Grech thanked Mrs Xuereb and the board of trustees of the foundation, and explained that the Lm2,220 will go towards helping Caritas instal new kitchen equipment at San Blas.

Former dockyard apprentices get together

Some of the 49 electrical fitter apprentices who on October 8, 1956, succeeded to get past the final hurdle and qualified to be among the chosen few at the then HM Dockyard Malta, recently got together to celebrate their 50th anniversary of their first day of work at the dockyard.

The evening's reunion took place at De La Salle College, Cottonera; an ideal place as most of them had attended the college before making it to the Malta Dockyard.

A thanksgiving Mass was said by Fr Lino Spiteri, SJ, a former apprentice himself, who joined the Society of Jesus after three years of apprenticeship.

Five of the former apprentices who have passed away were remembered during Mass.

A speech delivered by a member of the organising committee brought back several memories to the minds of the group, who are now over 65 years old.

Former colleagues who have passed away were remembered with affection while those who had emigrated had their messages read out. The ones that could not attend the evening for health reasons were similarly remembered.

The anniversary cake was cut by Kenneth Lewis, or Lou, as he is affectionately known.

Lou and his wife Sue cancelled their holiday in the Canaries and booked another flight to Malta so that he could attend the reunion.

Transplant Support Group launches new brochures and donor cards

Bank of Valletta has sponsored the Transplant Support Group's donor cards and a new bilingual brochure that is used for organ donor registration. This project is a joint venture with Lions Club Sliema.

One of the main objectives of the Transplant Support Group is to encourage, on an ongoing basis, the registration of prospective donors who signify their consent to have their organs used for transplantation, following their demise.

This initiative, originated years ago by Lions Club Sliema, has been intensified by the Transplant Support Group since its inception six years ago.

Alfred Debattista, president of the Transplant Support Group, presented a copy of the new brochure and donor cards to Michael Galea, head PR, Communications and Corporate Branding, at Bank of Valletta.

Thanking Bank of Valletta for its ongoing support to the group, Mr Debattista said: "The Transplant Support Group can now boast over 45,000 registered donors.

"Transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern medicine. But they depend entirely on the generosity of donors and their families who are willing to make this life-saving gift to others. There is a desperate need for more donors.

"Many people die waiting for a transplant and many others will lose their lives before they even get on to the waiting list. The equation is simple, the more registered donors, the more lives that can be saved."

Mr Galea thanked Mr Debattista for presenting copies of the donor cards and brochures to the bank.

"Through its Community Programme, Bank of Valletta is very much involved in supporting valid social initiatives," said Mr Galea.

"BoV has regularly supported the Transplant Support Group in recognition of the valid social work it undertakes. We hope that the bank's sponsorship of the new leaflets and donor cards will result in more and more people registering as donors and, consequently, having more people who can benefit from a better quality of life following a transplant," concluded Mr Galea.

Nautical evening for GFI staff

GFI, the leading software developer that provides a single source for network administrators to address their network security, content security and messaging needs, recently organised a nautical outing for its Malta team, viewed as the heartbeat of this international company.

The team was treated to a lovely evening aboard the vessel Fernandez 1, where the GFI flag was hoisted on the ship's highest mast.

As it was a gusty day, the planned trip to St Paul's Island was replaced by an in-harbour itinerary.

After sunset, the ship berthed at Rinella Bay where a buffet was served while the braver members of the team enjoyed a swim. Everyone then danced the rest of the night away as the ship set sail under the stars.

The event was one in a series of activities regularly organised by the company for its employees.

Information about GFI is available at www.gfi.com

ESE celebrate end of season

The European School of English hosted an end-of-season party bash at Mezè, St Julian's.

It was a great opportunity for the company shareholders and management to thank all the staff involved for another successful year at one of the leading EFL schools in Malta.

The party, which also included a number of attractive spot prizes for the staff, went on till the early hours of the morning as the wine flowed, tasteful fusion cuisine was enjoyed and hip music being played all through the event.

Fava - Baldwin

The marriage took place recently between Romina Fava, daughter of Mr and Mrs Joseph Fava of Marsascala, and Anthony Baldwin, son of Mr and Mrs John Baldwin of St Venera. Nuptial Mass was celebrated by Fr Joseph Mifsud and Fr Mark Montebello at Cospicua collegiate church.

Witnesses for the bridal couple were Jean-Pierre Fava and Louis Baldwin. Mario Grima acted as best man while Nicole Baldwin, Bridgette Bonnici and Vanessa De Giorgio were bridesmaids.

A reception was later held at the Palazzo Capua, Sliema. The couple spent their honeymoon in England.

Scerri - Bezzina

The marriage took place recently at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Mdina between Annette Scerri, daughter of Mr and Mrs Emanuel Scerri of Zabbar, and Christopher Bezzina, B.Com (Hons) Mgt, son of Mr and Mrs Emanuel Bezzina of Naxxar.

Nuptial Mass was celebrated by Fr Charles Gauci. The ceremony was witnessed by Joanne Scerri and Anthony Bezzina. The duties of best man were carried out by Lennard Hili.

The maid of honour was Alison Bezzina, the groom's sister, while Kylie Scerri, sister of the bride, was bridesmaid. LisaMarie Agius acted as flower-girl and Rue Zammit as pageboy.

A reception was later held at the Westin Dragonara Lobby Bar, St Julian's. The couple are spending their honeymoon in South Africa.

25th anniversary

Celebrating 25 years of marriage, Joe and Doris Aquilina decided to plant five olive trees, one for each member of the family. More people are becoming aware of the joy of tree-planting which is a metaphor of growth and the most down-to-earth way to celebrate the gift of life. The tree-planting was made under the 34U scheme which enables one to participate and contribute towards making our island a greener place and commemorate an important event. More details can be obtained on 2295-2333 or by sending an e-mail to 34U@gov.mt

People

Jennifer Farrugia was recently awarded the Diploma in Insurance by the Chartered Insurance Institute of London. The graduation ceremony was held in the City Chambers in Glasgow, followed by a celebratory reception and conference opening in the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Her areas of study include insurance practice and regulation, business practice, personal insurance practice and insurance law. The studies involved an appreciation of the foundational aspects of insurance and their practical understanding and application in the realm of personal insurance.

Ms Farrugia is currently employed as a broker in the Motor & Personal Lines Department at Island Insurance Brokers Limited.

For your diary

Malta Floral Club members and their friends are visiting Derek's Cactus Garden on Tuesday, followed by lunch at Saracino's Café.

The private bus leaves Dingli Circus, Sliema, at 10 a.m. For bookings phone Lily de Conti Manduca on 2135-4160 or Monica Chetcuti (2148-8089).

The Carmelite Church in Mdina will be open for viewing from Wednesday till next Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon and from 3.30 to 5 p.m. The charnel house beneath the same church will be open from Wednesday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on the remaining Sundays in November from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. The Eucharist will be celebrated at the charnel house on Thursday and Friday as well as on all Mondays this month at 5.30 p.m.

The feast commission of Our Lady of Sacred Heart church in Sliema is holding a bazaar at Padova Hall, Church Street, Sliema, from Thursday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Plants, books, household items and toys as well as new items will be on sale at special prices.

A missionary bazaar will be held at "Kings", Tower Road, Sliema as of November, from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. A large variety of new clothes, handbags, crockery, books, shoes, toys and other items will be on sale.

A fund-raising bazaar will be held at the St Helen parish Centre in Birkirkara from November 7 to 15. Opening hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 4.30 to 7.30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays. Items on sale include home-grown pot plants, furniture and antiques. A collection of long-playing records and fine sound equipment will be sold through offers.

David Pace will be discussing the Da Vinci Code phenomenon and will examine the truths and falsities about Opus Dei that is so maligned in the novel at the Youth Travel Circle. 227, Merchants Street, Valletta on November 9 from 7 p.m. onwards.

The British Cystic Fibrosis Trust Fund volunteers are holding a fundraising dinner at SAS Radisson Golden Sands Hotel, on Saturday. Tickets at Lm13 are obtainable from Josette Falzon (tel. 99448478, e-mail jdfalzon@yahoo.com). The price includes a buffet dinner, coffee and wine.

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements: October 30-November 5

Tomorrow
11.15 a.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over a press conference on the performance of Madama Butterfly (concert version) at the Palace, Valletta.

1.15 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami host a luncheon in honour of Gozo Bishop Mario Grech, at San Anton Palace.

Tuesday
10.30 a.m. The President presents Letters of Commission to Mr Francis Tabone, the new Maltese High Commissioner to Australia, at the Palace, Valletta.

11.30 The President receives Professor Edward de Bono on a courtesy call at the Palace.

5.30 p.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over the organising committee meeting of the performance of Puccini's Madama Butterfly at San Anton Palace.

7 The President attends the annual lecture organised by Discern entitled "Cults, Sects and New Society Movements - What are they doing in contemporary Western Society" by Prof. Emeritus Eileen Barker, at Le Meridien Phoenicia.

8.15 The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a concert on the feast of St Cecilia, organised by the Band Clubs Association, at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta.

Wednesday
12.30 p.m. The President receives the sponsors of the restoration works being carried out on the frescoes at Verdala Castle.

Thursday
10.15 a.m. The President receives Mr Speaker Anton Tabone at the Palace, Valletta.

11 The President is presented with a copy of Is-Socjetà Karmelitana u l-Banda Victoria taz-Zurrieq by Alfred Camilleri and committee members at the Palace.

Friday
10 a.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over a Malta Community Chest Fund working committee at the Palace, Valletta.

10.30 The President presents credentials to Mr Walter Balzan, Maltese Ambassador-designate to Italy, at the Palace.

11 The President attends the first sitting of Madame Justice Anna Felice at the Law Courts, Valletta.

4.30 p.m. The President is interviewed by Mr Mario Micallef for Car u Tond at Radju Malta studios.

6.30 The President and Mrs Fenech Adami pay a visit to the Maltese Cross Corps headquarters in Guardamangia.