Enjoying
a good house lime

by MICHELLE SPRINGER

WHEN IT COMES to liming spots for the Crop-Over season where party patrons' pockets could get a little breather, it seems as though the three P's reign supreme. With Passion Network, Pork Lime and the Party Central offering free admission to their events, it's no wonder they are gaining momentum on a weekly basis.

The MIDWEEK NATION was at Party Central's home base, located at Sunday Lime City in Husbands, St James, on Sunday night. Its formula was simple but successful. There weren't thousands of people, in fact a mere 200 to 250, but it was a lime that rocked, in the tradition of a good, old-fashioned house party.

Patrons partied to the tunes of DJ Fuzz on the lawn behind the house where mango, lime, cherry and plum trees decorated with lights, not only offered a picturesque, natural backdrop but also a little haven for those who wanted their own private party space.

They enjoyed a nice lime - dancing and swaying to Fuzz's selections of vintage and contemporary soca songs à la David Rudder, Shadow, Gabby, Mr Dale, Adrian Clarke, Rupee and RPB among others. Selections from Michael Jackson's wide repertoire of songs also had their place, in light of his untimely passing.

The bar was a basic stand, modestly adorned with a single string of white Christmas tree lights and saw the Party Central all-girl crew moving swiftly to satisfy the patrons' thirst.

There was no fuss as the patrons who were all friends or friends of friends, were simply attired in jeans, tasteful shorts or a modest dress, with flats, sandals or sneakers.

Those feeling hungry after a solid Sunday lunch had a choice of delicacies, from the ever growing popularity of corn soup, to the traditional grilled hamburgers, fish, and chicken with tasty side dishes.

But, why a lime as opposed to the customary fête, and why on earth on a Sunday night?

This, according to one of the chiefs of Party Central, Tamara Arthur was strategic planning:

"Going back to our school days we used to have parties and we wanted to carry them on," the former Coleridge and Parry student said, explaining they chose Sunday night because it was a relatively quiet night on the calendar of weekly fêtes and people who still wanted a little tailored Crop-Over jam had somewhere to go.

"We also wanted to keep the family united and opted for an alternative night," she said, referring to events held by the Brewsters Road Crew, Berger Boyz and Passion Network.

She also stated grim pickings for sponsorship convinced the Party Central team to host a smaller event where they could cover their costs at the bar, soup stand and grill. In keeping with the Sunday tradition of house visits and a traditional get-together they chose to treat it like an "open house" and not charge patrons.

"Not on Sunday. It is like we're inviting you over for Sunday lunch. We can't ask you to pay for that. Most people here are our friends and friends of friends. We liming, and you don't pay for a lime. You come, support our bar and food stalls so that our expenses are covered," she added.