HONG KONG'S version of Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Ball, held at the Conrad hotel ballroom, was the first major ball of the season - so to get back into practice after the long summer break, everyone made a special effort to turn up in their finery.
The main charity at work here was Alice Chiu Tsang Hok-wan's Sheen Hok Charitable Foundation in aid of Operation Smile, for which Sir Roger Lobo (accompanied by wife Margaret) stepped in as Chiu's representative. Ball organiser Mar-gery Au invited her top-notch friends, who included former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang (and her husband Archie Chan Tai-wing), Clarence Chang Ching-po (actress Josephine Siao Fong-fong's husband), Tong Wai-ki (chairman of Buddhist charity Yuen Yuen Institute) and Harriet Tung (Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's sister-in-law), who graced the head table.
Despite the cancellation of Baby Spice Emma Bunton's appearance as the main entertainment, the show still managed to squeak by - there was an energetic fashion show of Paul Smith's women's autumn collection which no doubt thrilled fashion lover Teresa Cheung Siu-wai (the in-debt owner of Teresa fashion boutiques and former wife of singer Kenny B) whose pals that night included novelist Eunice Lam Yin-nei and fashion designer William Tang. Television personality Lorraine Hahn and London society siren Tamara Beckwith shared the evening's emcee duties, while barrister Kevin Egan stepped in as auctioneer, helping to raise about $1.2 million for Operation Smile.
