Lady Celine North with toddlers from Maxfield Park Children's Home. THE CHILDREN of Maxfield Park must have thought that Santa Claus was visiting out of season when his Lordship the Mayor of Leeds, a jolly talker, and his wife went visiting recently.
They did not come bringing presents but, instead, lots of good cheer and the special attention that such children need.
The couple were not strangers, though they may have appeared so to the children who were seeing them for the first time. Mayor Brian North and his wife Celine have been here before, as Celine is a Jamaican. Celine North hails from Kingston and is the daughter of Marie Kameka, a citizen of Seaford Town in St. Elizabeth.
Celine has come to the island more often than her husband, taking her daughter who has claimed her Jamaican citizenship and proudly carries the island's passport.
"She is extremely proud of her Jamaican nationality," her father, Mayor North told Outlook.
This time around, Celine visited Seaforth where she found the gravestone of her grandparents and the school which her mother attended. She also found records of the day her mother entered school in 1914.
"I found out that I had lots more relatives than I had thought," she also said.
Celine attended school here. She migrated to the UK in 1957. By 1960, she was married to Brian North. She has become the first Jamaican Lady of Leeds.
The couple have found themselves caught in the whirlwind of public activity since last year when North became Leeds' mayor and Celine the mayoress.
"It is a very , very hectic life," says Celine.
She has met the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince Edward.
The couple note that there is a very large and strong Jamaican community in Leeds. The Leeds Carnival staged by the Caribbean community, including Jamaicans, is the biggest Carnival in Europe, the couple say.
In their most recent visit here, an official one, the couple had meetings with the Governor-General, Sir Howard Cooke; with members of the private sector, with the British High Commission and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC).
The mayor said that he has put some energy into fostering direct trade links between Leeds and Kingston, especially in the areas of food and aromatics.
"I am taking back a very positive report which I am sure will be followed up. In 10 days I have had an extremely profitable visit. We are also looking at small guest houses here. I will be taking a positive report back with me," the mayor told Outlook.
The couple, who also visited a number of schools and orphanages said that these visits where interesting. It was eye-opening to see that people were doing something about the underprivileged children.
"It is good," the mayor said.
Their visit was sponsored by Air Jamaica which the Mayor praised for fostering strong links between the Jamaican community here and in Leeds.
-Avia Ustanny
