london1967 | Entries tagged with party

At the week-end we had a visitor, Adrian's friend Sue. They have known each other for 28 years and they shared a flat for a couple of those.
Last time we saw her was at our civil partnership, 5 and a half years ago!

On Saturday I made Nigella's Cranberry Bakewell Tart

and it turned out rather yummy!

The sharpness of the cranberries is balanced by the sweetness of the almonds (present both in the filling and in the pastry) and the icing. The icing is set but not solid and when you cut into the tart, the crunchy noise makes you think of walking on snow.

On the Sunday we were invited to a 70s-themed party in Crystal Palace.
I didn't want to go (I don't enjoy parties, unless we host them) but neither Sue or Adrian took no for an answer (they are bossy! lol)
We all made an effort (very last minute in my case) to fit in

but it turned out that not many other people did apart from the hosts.
We stayed for about 4 hours and I didn't enjoy myself, although the food was very nice.
One of the hosts is a singer (a tenor) and a number of guests were a bit pretentious (including a guy who bellowed to the whole of Crystal Palace and most of south London that he got his shirt from Elton John at an auction), and I just couldn't be bothered talking to anyone I didn't know.

Sue had a great time though. She's very outgoing, especially after a few glasses of wine! lol

Current Mood: okay
Current Location: London, WC2H

Every year Adrian and I have a little Christmas party at home. This year we decided for an afternoon tea party.
It was fun to bake in the week (and the week before, as I baked 3 marzipan fruit cakes two weeks ago).

I'm afraid I only took pictures of the food; I ended up being too busy with collecting coats, going around with food and chatting to our 46 guests to take pictures during the party!

I had a very good time and everyone seemed rather happy too; the afternoon turned to evening and then to night, with the last friends leaving just before midnight!
We also had the great pleasure of seeing

bobalone again!

Today quiet day at home with the lovely David & Richard (who are staying for a few days) and the second murder mystery read-through.

Current Mood: full
Current Location: London, SE20

Yesterday we threw our now traditional festive party!

A few figures:

48 people invited
27 people RSPVed affermatively and attended
9 people RSPVed negatively
6 people didn't RSPV
3 people who had RSPVed affermatively didn't turn up
3 people cancelled at the last minute
2 guests brought a "plus one" along

29 people + 2 hosts : 31 people in 3 and 1/2 rooms

Adrian counted the empty bottles today but lost the will to live at the 39th.

Late morning and early afternoon was spent preparing food; in addition to what you see here

desserts were placed on the sideboard at the back, and Adrian and Ricardo cooked large quantities of hot finger food throughout the party.

Yours truly after making most of the food on the table was exhausted and limping, and sat on the third step of the stairs from the bottom with his left leg stretched out on a chair for part of the evening.
I felt rather isolated there and only a few people came to talk to me (someone who had the impudence of criticising my hosting skills was later fed to the goldfish).
The lovely Richard/Ricardo was a darling as always and did much of my work.

The party lasted from 4 pm to almost 1 am.
Everybody seemed to have a great time.

M's plus-one (flat mate) R. turned out to be someone I knew and did a good job at networking and promoting his massage business.

Our neighbour L. got a feel of another R.'s Prince Albert through his jeans' fabric.

A number of people got a number of tongues down their throat (and we are not talking about "lingua in salsa verde" here).

Ricardo was lusting after a special police constable who is partnered to a vicar who has the hairiest back seen in years according to Ricardo.

There was no sex in the side garden no shouting or glass-breaking drama this year, only passing catty remarks were heard. All part of the festive season, I believe.

The lovely Richard/Ricardo

R. getting a sample massage from R.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

The party was a hoot!
It kicked off with Cosmopolitans in the kitchen before we all crammed (9 of us) into the sitting room to watch the show.
We missed most of Terry Wogan's sarcastic commentary and bit of songs too because of all the laughter!
3 of our neighbours were Eurovision virgins: their lives will never be the same.

Adrian and the retro cheese and pineapple on sticks
A German fan (note the brown socks with sandals)	Welcome...

We were all disappointed that Russia won. The UK came last: no big surprise there (only Ireland and San Marino voted for us).
With the large number of "new" countries in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, the Western countries never stand a chance.
Terry Wogan - the BBC commentator - has announced that he may quit after over 20 years because there's no point to the contest any longer as the voting is simply political.
Still I hope that the UK won't pull out of the contest. It is huge fun and it wouldn't simply be the same to watch it without taking part.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

( Click here for the full account with some snapshots )

Current Mood: thankful
Current Location: London, SE20

Oh no! It's Sunday evening already, and I don't feel like I had a rest this week-end, but it was fun.

- On Friday night, we went to Peter and Sim's for dinner. great food and lovely company (Neil and Bobby were the other 2 guests). It was one of those nights when, every time I happened to look up at the wall clock, thinking that only a few minutes had gone past, I was amazed to discover that more than a hour had gone.
We left at 2:20 am!

- Last night we organised a food & wine & Trivial Pursuit evening and we invited a group of neighbours, plus Ross & Jim. The idea was to eat in good company the 2.2 kgs of cheese received in a Christmas hamper. We had Fortnum and Mason's organic blue stilton, a huge chunk of F&M organic cheddar and a Mont d'Or.
Then, to provide some choice we also got some double Gloucester, Manchego and a Bavarian cheese with chilli and basil.

( Click here for more food pictures... )

The game of Trivial went on for hours until 2:15 am. Then washing up (poor Adrian

london1952) did it all and bed at 3:30 am.
It was a fun evening and thanks to the game, no-one got drunk! But we still have lots of cheese left: help!!!

- Stephen and Peter called this afternoon on the way back up North, and Adrian baked scrumptious fruit scones, and cheese scones for a proper afternoon tea (we also had sandwiches and what was left of Nigella's marzipan fruit cake). Endless cups of tea were of course partaken.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: London, SE20

The party at Lynne and Jennifer's was great fun!
We got home early (at around 1:30 am) but all the others (apart from pregnant Briar who went home just after midnight) stayed up until 4 am.
Jennifer is Scottish and 2 of her brothers were there with a nephew; the Scots are famous for their Hogmanay celebrations, and they did not disappoint!!

Getting ready for the party

Practising the midnight kiss

And at home again (after a number of drinks and many, many renditions of "Auld Lang Syne")

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

The party at

williamthebruce's turned out to be a very intimate affair: 7 people including the hosts (William and Michael) and us.

It was nice to meet Avril, William's best friend as we had heard so much about her and she lived up to the expectations.
The other 2 guests were a couple of friends and ex-neighbours.

It was a pleasant, rather sedate evening; the food was lovely (William's homemade lasagna was superb).

It was interesting to learns some facts about our host's past; William is a magnet for trouble:
- last Sunday morning he found himself in a shop during an armed robbery
- over 20 years ago he was in Harrods trying on a flying suit when the IRA bomb went off and ended up at A&E in his underwear
- he got arrested in Saudi Arabia when he was working as a journalist

In a way, Adrian and I felt very much like the poor relations: the only ones without high-powered jobs!

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

Another day, another party!

Last night we went to Martin and Utku's, a couple of neighbours two streets up from us, to celebrate Utku's British citizenship (he's Turkish).
We had only planned to stay for an hour or so, but ended up getting home just before midnight. We had a ball! We ate, drank bubbly (in moderation as it was after all a "school night") and laughed a lot.
Most of their friends were neighbours and had been to our party on Saturday, and we were truly glad to learn that they had all really enjoyed themselves on Saturday, despite the drama (that some of them had missed anyway). That helped me/us to put things more in perspective.

Utku was rather tipsy by the time we left, and quite appropriately too... now that he's British!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This morning at the office we were handed out our salary review letters... I got a rise!! Not huge by any means (£1,500) before taxes but better than what I was expecting as the company doesn't seem to have much money at the moment.
We can bake a few more cakes!

Current Mood: chipper
Current Location: London, WC1A

First of all, many, many thanks to all of you who sent cyber hugs and expressed your concern. It was very much appreciated!

Just as predicted by the wise le_lapin, I am now able to look back and also see all the fun that we had on Saturday night.
Yesterday, I was tired (we went to bed at 4 am) and felt very emotional all day long: I'm simply not well equipped to deal with drama of any kind. The last episode of Cranford last night was lovely and I shed the last tears of the day: and today it's very much back to normal. I might even upload some party pictures this evening.

Yesterday I did a bit of pottering in the garden (picking all the pieces of the smashed lantern and planting the few old tulip bulbs that didn't get chewed by the mice in the shed) and then went out for a little bit; Adrian (london1952) did a marvellous job of cleaning the house, putting everything away and, when I got back, he was in the middle of super gluing the fridge magnets!

I forgot to mention that at the apex of the drama on Sat night, when our neighbours had left and we were looking after "X", we left candles unattended in the sitting room, and some Christmas decorations went up in flames. Luckily nothing else caught fire and the only damage is to the mantelpiece paintwork.

We didn't really feel like talking to anyone much yesterday, and when the phone rang just before 12 we didn't pick it up. It was the friend who smashed the vase ringing to say thanks for the party and apologising for his behaviour.
Later in the afternoon, "X" sent me a text to say sorry "it ended the way it did" and that he and "Y" are going to split up.

I think that from now on, we'll be sticking to dinner/lunch parties (quemadmodum's assessment - "maladjusted Brit pooves in a large group in a confined space with too much to drink... drama is hard to avoid" - is somewhat harsh but true).

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, WC1A

The residents' association's Halloween Party went well. There were quite a number of people dressed up: the best costume was with no doubt Lynne's Frankenstein. Her partner Jennifer looked convincingly scary too in long hair, vampire teeth and white eyes (special contact lenses). They deservedly won 1st and 2nd prize.

Here are our outfits:

(I got 3rd prize with my "evil cardinal" costume - and thanks, probably, to the red fishnet tights!)

( Click here for a few more pictures (including food) )

And now no more fancy dress untill Gay Pride!

Happy Halloween every one!!!

Current Mood: exhausted
Current Location: London, SE20

Tomorrow evening it's the Halloween party organised by the residents' association in a local pub, and at the meeting last week I ended up with the task of carving a pumpkin - and here it is!

The party should be fun...another chance to dress up!!
Adrian has made a "fresh gingerbread with lemon icing" (Nigella's of course; icing to be done tomorrow eve) and I'll make some roast pepper and mushroom crostini.
It's going be a bit of a rush to get ready tomorrow as the party starts at 7:30 pm, but we are both looking forward to the evening.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: London, SE20

Just like last year (oops, actually the year before last I should say) we decided to have a party on Dec 30th.
We picked the 30th as we figured that most friends would probably go out on the 31st (XXL mainly!) or already had other engagements.

The party was fun! We had 14 guests but were expecting a few more (8 cancellations: 4 due to stomach bugs either directly or indirectly, 2 to colds, 2 never turned up) so the food preparation was hard work!
I did most of the cooking starting with the Russian salad on Thu night (it tastes so much better after a couple of days), baklavas and some minor preparation on Fri night and cooking all day on Sat from 7 am (the party kicked off at 4 pm).

Here's the menu:
- Nuts & crisps & Bombay mix & olives
- Parma ham rolled on grissini
- Manchego and smoked cheddar cheeese
- Parmesan cheese cubes & 2 types of salami
- Garlic sables
- Russian salad
- Spicy prawns and tzatziki / smoked salmon & creeme cheese croutades
- Mushroom en croute
- Ham & pineapple pizza wheels
- Tortilla squares
- Mini tuna & chilli kebabs
- Home made lamb tikka
- Mini sausages
- Baklavas
- Frozen banana bites covered in chocolate
- Strawberries & chocolate
- Madeira cakes
- Torrone
- Lots of Italian chocolates!

Adrian surpassed himself with the food presentation:

the table looked lovely and so did our home all dressed up for the Christmas season.

Most people left around 10 pm, apart from lovely David & Richard who stayed overnight as planned (they travelled from Cardiff) and Carlos who left after midnight.
Lots of drink, chat and laughter: it was a lovely evening (though I'm sure that there were a few sore heads the following morning!)

( Click here for more pictures )

Current Mood: satisfied
Current Location: London, WC1A

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london1967

October 2016

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Page generated Jul. 20th, 2025 09:41 pm

From 'La Mole' to Penge

Not always a smooth journey

Entries tagged with party

Sue, Nigella, Elton John and the 70s

Party (and food porn)

Festive party in pictures and figures

Eurotrash

Secret and lies: my birthday week-end!

A busy social week-end

NYE party

Last night

Citizenship party

In vino veritas?

Halloween pictures

My very first carved pumpkin!

Pre-New Year Eve Party