July - September 2009 ZiNG 95 advertising promotion With more than 50 years exeperience in the region, Geest Line is your direct route to the Caribbean for all your cargo needs G eest Line has fostered trade links between the UK and the Caribbean for more than 50 years, and today carries more cargo between Europe and the Windward and Leeward islands than any other shipping line. The origins of the service lie in the shipment of bananas eastbound. Instead of the ships returning in ballast, it provided the perfect opportunity for establishing a general cargo service carrying everything from small packages to large project machinery. The flexibility of the service is maintained today, with a wide range of breakbulk and containerised cargo carried on the weekly westbound departures, which sail from Portsmouth in the UK and also Le Havre in France. So whether you are shipping a pallet of goods, a truck, have a requirement for containers or special equipment including open top, flat- rack containers or reefers, Geest Line can handle it. fast and efficient Surveys show that Geest Line has the highest schedule reliability for round- trip crossings and the shortest transit times to the first port of call in the Caribbean. The movement of perishable fruits means that ships must arrive and depart on time, enabling Geest Line to offer a precise, fixed- day service that allows UK exporters to be certain their goods will arrive at the scheduled time. In addition, our experience in the Caribbean puts us in an unrivalled position to offer efficient, careful handling and swift clearance of cargo. Geest Line's comprehensive network of island calls also means that we can offer an efficient inter- island service, enabling exporters and importers to ship their cargoes regionally within the Caribbean. A container and break- bulk service is also offered along side our exisiting European service. Our services run exclusively to the Caribbean. This means that by concentrating on the region we know best, we can maintain our position as the No. 1 shipping line to the Caribbean. For bookings and quotations Telephone: + 44 1489 873575 Email: bookings@ geestline. com Website: www. geestline. com Delivering the goods Regular sailings to Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Martinique, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad

First held in 1991, the St Lucia Jazz Festival is an annual week- long show attracting internationally acclaimed artists as well as home- grown talent. This year's festival was no exception, with record crowds flocking to see the likes of Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, Chicago, Amy Winehouse, Kassav, KC and the Sunshine Band, The Original Wailers, George Duke, local R& B sensation Shayne Ross and Estelle, who is pictured above wowing the audience at Pigeon Island. Originally designed to extend the tourist season in St Lucia into May, which had previously been a relatively quiet period, the festival has grown into a world- renowned event. The name Jazz Festival has perhaps become a bit of a misnomer, with stars of R& B and calypso also performing. An array of venues are used around the island, including Pigeon Point National Park, Derek Walcott Square in central Castries, Fond D'Or Heritage Park on the east coast and Gaiety on Rodney Bay. jazz 96 Zing July - September 2009 ZiNGLIFE chris huxley All that BIG PICTURE