It was a great Guyanese evening in Croydon on Saturday.

The sight of the night? Britain's highest ranking black officer--Air Commodore David Case--dancing to the music of Aubrey Williams. He had filled his plate with channa, fish cakes and pholouri and was now rediscovering his Guyanese musical roots.

Case was one of 18 awardees who were personally present to accept their 'Oscars' the first ever Guyana High Commission UK awards. Twenty-one Guyanese were awarded.

Presenter Trevor Phillips, the deputy leader of the London Assembly, held the night together. He said he felt "at home" amongst his people and the winners reflected the range of talent within the Guyanese community. Baroness Valerie Amos took time off from her busy life as government minister to read the citations. She said she was proud to be invited and even prouder to "be accused of being part of a Guyanese mafia."

The 21 awardees were chosen from more than 65 nominated by the Guyanese community. They received awards in three categories--contribution to the community, distinction in profession or calling and outstanding Guyanese of the year. The selection was made by a committee chaired by London High Commissioner Laleshwar Singh, which included representatives from all sectors of the diaspora.

Singh kicked off the evening by re-stating his pride in the diaspora and its achievements. The ceremony ran on GMT--Guyana Mean Time--as one vital guest arrived late, but went smoothly after that. It was a reflection of all that is(or was) best in Guyana.

British household names Dr Raj Persaud, the psychiatrist; Ramjohn 'Pork Pie' Holder, the actor; Dr David Dabydeen, the author and academic; and Lord Herman Ouseley, the former chief of the Commission for Racial Equality; were among the awardees.

The UK Guyanese diaspora is small compared to other West Indian nations but its achievements are great. This was reflected in the first set of awards handed over by Guyana's First Lady Varshnie Jagdeo at Croydon Town Hall. She had come to Britain especially for this ceremony.

Some of the famous name winners like Lord Ouseley and Ian Hall, were expected, but it was the unusual and unknown of the who were the most surprising and pleasing. Dr Raj Persaud, was named an outstanding Guyanese of the year. He is Britain's best known psychiatrist and is always mistaken for a British Asian, so much so that he was recently voted one of the three best known Asian faces in the country. The Indians call him an 'NRI'- a non resident Indian- but he is actually a West not East Indian. This was until recently unknown. So too in the mist were the origins of his brother, City of London currency whiz-kid Avinash Persaud, the two-million-dollar-a year man who was awarded for distinction in his calling.

Air Commodore David Case has broken through glass and many other ceilings in his military career. The Sun in Britain has just tipped him to be the 'British Colin Powell'. Air Commodore Case still has many more years in his Royal Air Force career and the sky may well be his limit. He got his due reward from his countrymen and women, as did poet John Agard (his award collected by Grace Nichols) and octogenarian writer Wilson Harris, who is a Caribbean literary great but one whose writing even he admits is "difficult." Among others honoured for their professional achievement were musicians Keith Waithe, formerly of the Guyana Police Band; Joyce Ferdinand Lalljee, composer and pianist; and Desmond's star Ramjohn Holder. He, together with the late Norman Beaton, flew the Guyanese flag on British stages and screens for nearly 40 years.

But it was not just the aesthetes and actors who were lauded. The bio-technologist, who may have discovered that cyanide destroys cancer cells, second generation Guyanese Dr Mahendra Persaud Deonarain of Imperial College, London was also honoured as an outstanding Guyanese; as was Lord Ouseley for his service to race relations and the community over many years. Philips collected his award.

Sport was not left on the sidelines. Howard Eastman, currently vying to be the second Guyanese born world boxing champion received an award for having attained distinction in his profession, as did two sporting greats of the past--weightlifters Herman Nurse and Narendra Bhairo. The latter once lifted ten times his seven stone body weight.

Less publicly known but equally worthy recipients included Muslim community leader Abdool Alli, president of the London Islamic Cultural Society; veteran general practitioner Dr Edward Adams; carnival costumier David Rudolph 'Rudy' Grant; Pandit Hardeo Tiwari, founder member of the Caribbean Hindu Society; and Vice-President of the Caribbean Hindu Society, Balmati Pooran Singh.

Western Union, Yesu Persaud of Demerara Distillers, Booker Tate, Oscar Phillips of Laparkan Shipping and a variety of other benefactors from within the diaspora very generously sponsored the event.

Like all awards ceremonies this one went on for too long. But it was very well conceived and organised and the setting of the oak-panelled Croydon Council Chamber could not have been finer. The High Commissioner assured that the event would be held biennially.

Category A (Contribution to the community)
Pandit Hardeo Tiwari, Balmati Pooran Singh, Abdool Ali, Dr Edward Adams, Rudolph Grant

Category B (Distinction in a profession or calling)
John Agard, Narendra Bhairo, Air Commodore David Case, Professor David Dabydeen, Howard Eastman, Prof Ian Hall, Dr Wilson Harris, Ramjohn Holder, Joyce Ferdinand Lalljee, Herman Nurse, Avinash Persaud, Daphne Steel, Keith Waithe