A Who?s Who of Bermuda sport descended on the Bacardi headquarters last night to celebrate the camaraderie of the Commonwealth Games and swap war stories.

With the Queen?s Baton ? which had earlier done the rounds of Hamilton in the hands of various athletes and dignitaries ? on display, three Games silver medallists and more than 20 other athletes and administrators mingled at the star-studded event.

It was the first of two gatherings of the great and good this weekend ? with the Hall of Fame ready to expand by another ten names tonight in a glitzy affair at the Southampton Princess that will once again be, no doubt, overshadowed by debate surrounding controversial boxer Clarence Hill.

The Olympic bronze medallist is one of the 23 names up for selection, although his shady past may once again count against him as he looks to be elevated into one of the sought after spots in the second year of the new Hall of Fame.

But last night, controversy was far from the minds of those attending, preferring to remember world-class performances from the past 50 years of Commonwealth competition.

For John Morbey, it was the first time his treasured medal had left its frame in 39 years.

The long jumper, who leapt to silver in Kingston, Canada, in 1966, was proudly wearing the gong around his neck and happy to let the next generation study it at length.

?It was a long time ago but I still have great memories of that event,? said Moreby, who admits to being more nervous watching son Craig swim in the 1990 Games than he was when competing himself.

?The opening ceremony was fantastic, as usual the Bermuda shorts created quite a stir. The crowd went wild when we walked into the stadium, as is always the way.

?I know they are saying shorts are going out of fashion, but we should definitely keep them as our national dress ? even if it is only for opening ceremonies of Games.?

Morbey, who also competed in the Olympics for Britain and the European Championships for England, didn?t actually get to compete until 10.30 p.m. on his big night of competition and by the time he had finished leaping to silver, all the team management had left ? and in the morning the chef de mission offered commiserations for just missing out on the medals.

?It was a proud moment being up on that podium,? added Moreby, a PE teacher who also earned a bronze in the US Championships.

?I will always have fond memories of those Games and what I did and I can be proud to be the first Bermudian to have won a Commonwealth medal.?

His Commonwealth Games love affair was soured after being involved as chef de mission in the ill-fated 1986 Games, where an 11th hour boycott ended Bermuda?s participation ? but last night night all his talk was of the joyful moments.

As well as the first medallist, the most recent Island winners were also on hand last night, with surprise silver medal bowlers ? victorious against the odds in Malaysia seven years ago ? Antoine Jones and Conrad Lister putting in an appearance.

Another with memorable experiences was Candy Ford, now administrative assistant with the Bermuda Football Association, who was the youngest ever Commonwealth participant when she headed to Edmonton, Canada, in 1978.

?I was just 13 and they made me do some media stuff with the oldest competitor ? it was kind of embarrassing,? said the former sprinter, who also won Carifta gold in 100, 200 and 400m.

?I remember being so nervous when I competed because there were all those people there and it was so noisy. It was definitely the biggest thing I ever competed in and I did okay, I got to the final.?