A lust for lawmaking must have kept our legislators up throughout Friday night. MPs emerged from Parliament bleary-eyed into the Saturday morning sunshine at 8 a.m., an hour when Hester is still getting her beauty sleep. But she hears they might have got out 20 minutes sooner had talkative PLP backbencher Dale Butler not taken advantage of the motion to adjourn to enlighten the House about what he did on his holidays, while the UBP's David Dodwell felt it was the time and the hour to thank outgoing Tourism Director Gary Phillips . Mr. Butler, it seems, has been to the Caribbean where they too have problems with housing and crime. As indeed the rest of the world, Mr.

Butler. Thankfully Mr. Butler didn't take slides of his hols or the House would probably still be sitting now.

Hester also notes that enthusiasm for debating in the wee hours was less than universal. Elvin James and Randolph Horton tested the House's furniture to the limit by napping on the sofas and who could blame them? Meanwhile Dr. Ewart Brown made himself pretty scarce shortly after his funeral limo bill was pushed through. But he reappeared shortly before the adjournment looking fresh-faced and dressed to impress in a different suit -- a natty shiny grey number. One suspects he didn't take a taxi home to change.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to the famous friendly local cabbie? You may recall the taxi driver who has been accused of threatening a tourist for accidentally banging his car door. Now it appears some cabbies have caught a case of `finders keepers'. Hester was appalled to hear of a local cabbie who found an Elbow Beach Hotel couple's camera on his backseat, and after being tracked down, demanded $50 to return it. The Police were called in by shocked hotel staff and the brazen driver was told to hand it over or face prosecution for theft. Hester thinks he should have been hauled before the courts anyway.

Meanwhile, she remains concerned about another couple, who wrote to this newspaper, saying they'd left a pricey Minolta camera on the backseat of a cab, and so far have failed to see it again despite assistance from The Reefs, an independent taxi driver armed with the rebel cabbie's description and phoning around all the taxi companies. Shame! Tourism's new PR agency is proving it didn't win the big account on looks alone! Ever eager to put positive spin on things, Lou Hammond & Associates , wasted no time issuing a news release to capitalise on the end of the Big Mac wars. "Tradition reigns on island,'' gushed the release. "Bermuda continues to resist mass consumerism with a high court ruling that rejected a bid to open a McDonald's ...Government officials were pleased with the result of a three-year campaign to prevent the chain from opening.'' Hester noticed the release didn't mention the fact that this `campaign' was led by five lonely members of the former government. But why bring all that up now? The New York agency goes on to quote Minister Allen saying he's convinced that the Bermuda his visitors want is free of neon signs, billboards and fast food chains -- "this other world'' he dubs it. Hester wonders what wannabe burger kings former Premier Sir John and UBP Senator Max think about that as she recalls during the divisive debates over the issue that they felt that a little, er, home cooking, would actually be a draw for American tourists! After months of brainstorming, The Millennium Committee think-tank extraordinaire has come up with its idea to celebrate Bermuda and the new century -- virtual reality in Par-La-Ville Park. Don't expect people with headsets on, wandering around like headless chickens, but do look out for the "commemorative'' touchy-feely "electronic wall'' -- complete with all your Bermudian heroes from the past 100 years. Oh, and don't forget the "water fountain display, amphitheatre, pergola and plaza'' -- all of which, Hester hears, are raising the hackles of the peace-loving lunchtime park-goers. Best of all though, it will feature a "performing'' area -- perfect for those people wandering around looking for the demolished toilets. Personally, Hester's just glad the clever Y2K Committee didn't pick her favourite lunchtime getaway, Victoria Park down the road.

What sort of entertainment can the Island's highest boy in blue expect his mates to put on for his stag night? A night out doing shots with the boys, exotic dancers, a wild weekend in Vegas? Not a chance! It seems the Good Commish went to, shall we say, extremes to keep it clean. Hester's sources tell her Top Mountie Jean-Jacques Lemay had a simple do at his home, hot dogs and hamburgers on the menu -- with nothing remotely naughty -- unless you count the fact that he charged $20 admission to everyone! (Now Hester's sure that has nothing to do with the fact that he's Canadian.) Thankfully though, guests didn't have to pay for the Big Day. Hester hears The Commish and his lovely doctor bride laid on a fab four course spread at fancy waterside restaurant La Coquille. But Hester is told the couple got so caught up in posing for photos elsewhere that they arrived well over an hour late for their dinner reception...among guests who had to leave before congratulating the bride and groom was an apologetic Opposition Leader Pam Gordon .

Speaking of wedding bells and the former Premier, Hester hears Pam's prosecutor daughter Veronica Gordon , 28, is to wed her beau Nigel Daley , a West Indian engineer from Canada, this weekend at Christ Church with a reception for 150 folk to follow at the restaurant of the moment, La Coquille...And what's this Hester hears about Pam wanting to follow in legal eagle Veronica's footsteps to the Bar? Hester wouldn't blame her if she did, as by all accounts, the job of a lawyer pays more than poor Pam's Opposition Leader salary of $53,000, a far cry from the $90 grand plus the Beemer she got in the Country's top post.

The anger at the now-collapsed Morgan's Harbour deal has subsided but some investors have been left with a bitter taste in their mouths, apparently.

Investors and wheeler dealers trying to line up the $300 million needed thought everything was hunky-dory prior to November 9; the UBP had rolled out the red carpet, cosseted in all the right places and confidence was high. But alas, the PLP honeymoon failed to leave the overseas money-men with a warm and healthy glow. Sources close to the deal tell Hester that the red carpet was quickly ripped from under them -- and the backers were left in no doubt how they ranked when Premier Smith failed to show for two key meetings. Perhaps The Colonel wasn't in charge of the diary then.