The Joys of A Party At Black Pepper Celebrating Steve Brewer's Successfully Becoming Distinguished Toastmaster

Steve Brewer celebrating his success.

What makes you attend a party, pull or push? I missed the Watford Speaker's Club Christmas Party. Was it because the dates clashed, or simply that I had so many parties, or that nobody phone me personally? Or was the clincher the fact that I already had two wine club parties and two Speakers' Club parties and had to miss the Writer's Circle party because it clashed with another party?

When I went to the party in January celebrating Steve Brewer's success I enjoyed it so much that I regretted not attending the Watford club party the previous December and vowed that I would join them next year. What was so good about the party for Steve Brewer? Every club or event succeeds because one or two or more people devote lots of time and effort into making the event happen. Instead of seeing organising as a chore, those in charge look forward to managing the details as a preview and extension of the joy of the occasion.

Whether you are arranging a party or a wedding or a funeral, what keeps you going is the desire to see friends or family, honour somebody and have a successful event including all the elements you feel are either necessary or pluses. Let's look at the elements of a successful celebration and speech: First pick a date which suits your VIP.

Venue and Date
Choose a date when it is celebration season, or a date when no rival events take place and restaurant prices are advantageous. January was a good date. No rival events claimed our time and money. Invitations Send out invitations. Note in the original invitation or a follow up personal note or phone call why the recipient will be welcome or why the VIP is a VIP.

Partymania shop, Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Banners and Balloons
Ask the venue to provide banners and balloons or supply them and arrive early so they are up before the arrival of the most guests and the VIP. Opposite Black Pepper restaurant in Hatch End is a party shop called Party Mania. Another party shop is in Stanmore. You will find similar ones worldwide, and if not, there's always the web, so allow a month for anything you want to order on line, with delivery from China and the Far East to Europe or America and in the opposite direction.

(A club organiser might have a box of party ware. Harrovians club used to keep Xmas items from year to the next, including banners and a Santa Claus outfit. The trick is to keep a note of who took the goods home. One year it took a week or ringing around to find out who had the old Santa Claus outfit. Sometimes a hoarder has an attic and is keen to keep items to supply to numerous clubs of which they are a member. Other times nobody wants the clutter the responsibility and nuisance of storing and labelling and transporting back and forth. It's just a question of finding which committee member or person living near the club venue wants to take home the leftover banners, and whether they are willing and able to produce them at the next event.

 Venue and Decor Menu, food and drink

 Socialising and mixing Speeches
 All went well. (Another post in my travel blog features more on the restaurant.
 (This is a Draft - saved so as no to lose it. More text and photos to be added later.

Alan McMahon's humorous metaphor of himself and Coralie as contrasting cars

Alan McMahon and Coralie both achieved the rare rank of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM for short). Kavita of Watford speakers organised a dinner in their honour held at Dona Teresa restaurant in Hatch End, Pinner.

Coralie on the right. Paul Carroll on the left.

I thought that maybe somebody would be called upon to give a speech about both of them. Instead, both spoke about how they had achieved DTM status, thanked those who had helped, and praised each other.

Coralie spoke first and gave a heartfelt, sincere, enthusiastic speech describing the joys of becoming a DTM.

I recorded Alan's reply. Here's the opening to Alan's speech: I recorded it afterwards.

Oops! I could not upload it directly. (Why is a tiny clip of under three minutes 'too big'. I'll try moving it onto my desk top and sliding it across. Persistence pays.)

If you can't watch the video, this is the summary of what Alan says. "Coralie achieved DTM in just six years. I took a decade. I think of Coralie as a Ferrari. Whilst I am more of a milk float."

Angela Lansbury: Advanced Toastmaster Gold; Competent Leader. 

HOD Christmas Party at Dona Theresa Restaurant

HOD members and guests.

Clockwise from left: Churchill, Pam, Ivy, Pali, Neil, Chris, Bill, Lisa, David. 

Elsa in foreground. Mike far left.

Simon, Sue, Peter, Lorrine

Aubergine with parmesan cheese

Avocado and smoked salmon

Turkey with stuffing, chipolata sausage, cranberry sauce, potato, green beans, carrots, battered courgette

Christmas pudding with custard or with cream

Elizabeth and Coralie

Simon

Angela and Simon 

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

More photos available.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.