Chocolate Lovers at the Cocoa Vaults

Tuesday 11th October,  7 – 10 pm,

Hotel Chocolat. Cocoa Vaults 4 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9HB

We’ve discovered a gem of a venue… a chocolate vault in the heart of buzzy Covent Garden. Using a little persuasion we have the vault to ourselves on Tuesday 11th October. Come along to this private Rendezvous event and enjoy a welcome glass of Prosecco. We’ll be serving some taste-bud-challenging and chocolate-infused canapés prepared by specialist chefs in their restaurant Rabot 1745 in Borough Market.

Let’s bring out the Casanova in us all.  The legendary lover, touted chocolate for its ability to provide energy and he understood the allure of creamy, dark chocolate on craving-prone women. Chocolate can turn on the pleasure sensors in the brain, the great lothario declared dark chocolate’s sweet, complex and sensual pleasure among the world’s finest aphrodisiacs, second only to Champagne.

Perfect we have prosecco and pralines…. mingling a room full of singles.

Tickets already selling fast so sign up and bring along a friend to share a chocolate experience.

Ticket price includes a glass of Prosecco, chocolate canapés and an intimate room full of eligible guests.

Date: Tuesday 11th October

Party Size: 45

Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Password: Casanova

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Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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kes-richardson-cherries

An Arty Party: What does it take to be chosen for Frieze?

Weds. 7th Sept.  7pm – 9pm.

Fold Gallery.  158 New Cavendish St, London W1W 6YW.

 

The art season in London kicks off again in September and culminates during the week of Frieze in October – a week in which the whole of the kooky-collective of the contemporary art world descends on London. Art writer Nico Kos Earle will give us a brief insight into some of the questions museum curators, art critics and major collectors are asking of contemporary artists, ahead of FOLD Gallery Director Kim Savage’s in depth discussion on his current show by artist Kes Richardson. Savage will also shed some light on his criteria for selecting artists and what a gallery really needs to do – group shows, solo shows, catalogues, and art fairs – to give their artists a viable platform.

 

Learn what it is they’re looking for and why is it that so much of what we see at first glance is incomprehensible? What is it that distinguishes an artist and how can we begin to determine if their work will have a lasting impact.

 

Come mingle with beautiful people in this calm, elegant space and enjoy a fantastic evening of good conversation and contemporary art.   Ticket price includes wine and canapés.

 

Date: Wednesday 7th September

Party Size: 60

Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Password: Arty

Book a place

 

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Ab Fab Review

Absolutely Fabulous: Sweetie is it me you’re looking for?

Ever get the feeling that July is becoming more like December every year – longer days, just as many hedonistic parties, but no Santa at the end of it?

Well fear not, our Absolutely Party was one party where all of our Christmas’s really did come at once!

I’d long been anticipating this party, ever since gracing the film set at the Hotel du Cap Riviera scene of Ab Fab the Movie on a sunny day in October 2015. Alright, you can’t really see much more than my big toe behind a fabulous hat-wearing Joan Collins.  But Sweetie it’s still my big toe; Sweetie it is!

It was a warm and bright July day when party day finally arrived.  I had dropped over to our cute-as-an-80s disco venue Ma Dame earlier in the day.  I had to stop myself from raiding the miniatures from our party bags filled with goodies from our brand partners Daniele de Winter, Bloom Gin, Franco’s of St James, Events on Fleek, Lumity, Hotel Chocolat and Stoli.

Stoli pulled out all the stops and sent us a mountain of Ab Fab paraphernalia, including cocktail suggestions, pink fans and cocktail umbrellas.  I had to fan myself a touch to cool down from the excitement!

Over at the pre-party, we’d turned my colleague Leila Benton-Jones’ London pad, around the corner from Ma Dame, into Eddy’s hideout house.  Leila’s other residence is Irnham Hall which is booked solid as a venue for weddings.  As an event host herself she had no problem allowing us to set up a pre-event suite for 25 members and go large with our big-hair and movie-star make-up crew.

And what a treat we had in store.  Rendezvous female members were offered free hair and makeup by the fabulously stylish Return to Glory’s team of top notch therapists.  There were Patsy’s a-plenty with towering beehives, fluffy Bubbles dos and even uproariously funny Eddys.  No holding back on the make up – full Patsy street slap – “Leave the natural look at home Sweetie”.

We’d made sure that the boys weren’t going to miss out – Bloom Gin stopped by with their girl power gin-du jour.  Made by distillatrix Joanne Moore with a delicate floral palette that feels more like a subtle peck on the palette than a full on male ginbanger’s punch!

Our favourite Jermyn Street restaurant, darling Franco’s dropped by with a case of delicious Prosecco and a stonking offer for our members.  See www.facebook.com/rdvlondon for details. – we liked it so much we made it our header.

Looking amazeballs, er ….fabulous Sweetie, and slightly tipsy, we trotted or taxi’d off around the corner.  None of our Patsys or Eddys fell out of cabs on the way there did they? Did you Pats Sweetie, did you? No one needs to know…

Chez Ma Dame Kylie’s version of Wheels on Fire was playing as we all scooped up Ma Dame’s killer welcome drinks, and in no time at all we had swished around the party and said hi to all those we knew, and all those we didn’t…well thanks to Fleek Photo Booth and closed curtains we soon did.

The Fleek Photobooth was a magnet to our glamourous guests who queued, posed, then ooed over their snaps.  Events on Fleek did an amazing job. What is it with their lighting?  We all look amazing – even with as many as six squeezed in. I want one at home!  Love the snogging action on film!  Do we know how to rock a good party or what?

Glamorous May, looking like a super stylish Amy Winehouse with her Patsy do, passed around Hotel Chocolat’s gloriously boozy cocktail chocolates. Sweetie darling? Oh yes please!

Then everyone hit the dance floor without a care in the world.

Fancy dress, fancy best.  Grabbed a goody bag (it is July Christmas after all) and then it was on to that journey home for the Eddy taxi exit that no one needs to know about…

 

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Ab Fab Party

absolutely_fabulous_0

Sweetie Darling,
Ma Dame….8th July Ab Fab Party strictly limited tickets
Ever-single Eddy has tasked BBB with a party for London singles… the planning committee began conversations somewhere in Mayfair last night… the final guest list is under-wraps but I am sure you will want to be on it.
Mutterings from Eddy’s Holland Park home….
Saffy: “I’m sorry, Mum, but I’ve never seen what you actually do”
Eddy: “PR!”
Saffy: “Yes, but…”
Eddy: “PR! I PR things! People. Places. Concepts. Parties. Barbara darling help me will you!
Barbara: “Eddy Eddy it’s for gorgeous sexy sweetie singles… at Ma Dame.”
Eddy: “Bubble invitations, singles darling, beautiful gorgeous…. Ditch the Bolly we’ve got glorious media darling Bloom gin, Sweetie!”

Bloom-Gin
Bubble (Eddy’s PA): “Ooo… bear with me, see, I am hopeless with names, faces and people.”
Eddy: “Bubble … grown-ups…London chic types over 40’s.”
Saffy: “Mum let Barbara handle it.”
Patsy: “For once you’re not talking bollocks give it to Brudenell-Bruce.”
Eddy: “Sweetie what are you drinking?”
Patsy: “Oh this? Chanel No. 5.”
Eddy: “Quick, quick shower… Wash and go. Sandpaper, exfoliant, cellulite breakdown, tone and perm, auto-bronzer and birch twigs!”
Saffy:
Free welcome cocktail, Photo booth, DJ and dancing until late…..and there’s a pre-party makeover package BBB has pulled out all the stops – book now!


Hair & Make-up Fabulous by…..

hair

Busy women across London find having their professional mobile makeup artist on their speed dial indispensable. Return to Glory provide mobile make up services, in a place and at a time that suits you. Read more online http://ow.ly/SLRzg

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Love Surgery Video

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Absolutely Fabulous Party

Friday 8th July 2016 – Ma Dame London

Join us for the Riviera-themed, high energy, fancy dress party of the year.  Only those that enjoy gAbsolutely_Fabulous_The_Movielitz, glamour and a splash of chaos over champagne need apply!

Edina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamour, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London’s trendiest hot-spots. Blamed for a major incident at an uber-fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. Fleeing penniless to the glamorous playground of the super-rich, the French Riviera, they hatch a plan to make their escape permanent and live the high life forever more

Ticket price includes welcome drink, Photo booth.  DJ and dancing until late along with a party of over 100 eligible guests.

Date: Friday 8th July, 2016

Party Size: 120

Time: 8:00pm – Midnight

Cost: Members £40/40 male/female - Non-Members £50/50 male/female

Password: Fabulous

Dress code: Fancy Dress

Book tickets

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Cosmo & Dolly’s Love Surgery Gallery

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Cosmo & Dolly

Love Surgery – Cosmo & Dolly

Join Sunday Times It’s a Date columnists Cosmo Landesman & Dolly Alderton for a sit down treat of hilarious and edifying chitchat on all things dating, where we can share our most amusing or outrageous dating tips, disasters and nightmares.

Twice married, currently divorced Cosmo,61, has five failed proposals behind him and a lifetime of anecdotes and life lessons, while his blonde, short-skirted sparring partner Dolly, 27, already has a rich history of liaisons under her (suspender?) belt.

In their shared Style magazine column Dolly’s “Sex in the City” approach features the “Mr. Big” style “Comedian”, for whom “all paths lead to bed”, while Cosmo often has recourse to “Married Friend” and “Crazy Sexy Jewish Friend”. Their great on-page chemistry translates brilliantly in the flesh, making the Love Surgery a must for daters.

Location & what’s included

Ticket price includes a welcome cocktail; seated Love Surgery fun, with canapés from acclaimed chef Anthony Demetre’s seasonal menu.

At 9pm as the event draws to a close, we have a private area with a paying-bar in Urban Coterie’s stunning 17th floor restaurant.

Guests

Cosmo being 61 and Dolly 27 makes this perfect for a first Vida8/Rendezvous joint event.

 

Date: Monday 13th June, 2016

Party Size: 120

Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Cost: Members £40/40 male/female - Non-Members £50/50 male/female

Password: Love

Book tickets

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Francotastic wine tasting – Wednesday 27th April

Summer arrived early in all its rose-tinted glory at fabulous Franco’s last week in the esteemed neighbourhood of St James.  Franco’s oozes chic and attracts the most-friendly and erudite clientele from all walks of life.  Their love and passion for rosé was the perfect match for Rendezvous’ desire to mark the advent of the spring and summer wine list in style. The evening was overseen by Franco’s team Imogen and Jason – thank you so much for your slick event planning; such a pleasure working with you.

A lucky group of Rendezvous wine lovers had the opportunity to sample no less than 60 (six zero) rosés, as well as champagnes, whites and reds.  From Taitinger Rosé champagne to Mas de Daumas Rosé Frizant; from classic French to rural Devon. The delicious circulating canapés were no mere palate cleansers; they were pop-the-whole-thing-in mouthfuls of delightful yumminess, but I kept circling back around to friend and YouTube star Stephen Cronk’s light and easily quaffable Mirabeau. Watch him with his cute video about how to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew…

Was Mirabeau a match for heavy-weight rosé star Brad and Angelina’s Whispering Angel, a wine described as white flowers and crushed strawberries?  Well if palest pink was the couleur du jour then I think these two wines were the stand out stars of the night. I caught site of several couples whispering in the shadows.

Lovely to have friends in town from Monaco and Belgium.  The many trying Rendezvous for the first time were given a warm welcome to soothe their nerves, while those who come regularly know this is a place where the introductions flow seamlessly from one new friend to another.  It truly was a night full of friendly faces, made ever more friendly with the addition of the pink stuff!

Guests were offered the opportunity to buy cases of wine, but there was something in the way iphones were being flourished at the end of the evening that suggested it was more than wine cellars that were being stocked!

Lou Lou and I had been looking forward to this event for weeks and it couldn’t have turned out better: spectacular wines, gorgeous guests and some serious blending at the end of the evening.

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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Diana and Christopher

The Cook, the thief, his wife and her lover

Those of you who remember this legendary film may be wondering just what bit of it resembled our chic cooking event…but bear with me.  The movie is about an eccentric banquet in a London restaurant over the (was it 3 or 4?) course of which our blonde heroine (played, unforgettably, by the iconic Helen Mirren) morphs from submissive wife to daring lover (and yes she probably did take her clothes off.)  Peter Greenaway’s film is a sumptuous display of artistic genius:  he uses a different colour scheme for each locale –  red for the dining room, white for the bathrooms –  with the characters’ costumes changing colour as they move from one to the other.

If we were to make a movie of our Cooking up a Storm event  it would star another iconic blond – gorgeous and eccentric Diana Horsford.  She’s even more creative than a Peter Greenaway film and certainly the menu we cooked was a feast for the eyes.

We all piled into the warm haven of the Avenue cookery school in Putney and were welcomed with a delicious glass of Crémant de Limoux Cuvée from the place in the Languedoc that invented sparkling wine – before Champagne – and gave us the word limousine.   What a treat to have ex-Christies head of wine Christopher Burr as our wine expert for the night.  Diana lined us up to watch her neatly assemble Thai salmon parcels, aided by handsome and eligible Tom (see pics). Next up was a gentle folding together of lemon possets and a ridiculously simple assembling of lavender biscuits direct to freezoir.  Christopher dispensed with a glass or two of Macon Villages meant for the wine tasting; couldn’t have us lot being thirsty…

Diana and TomLou & Babs Lou & Chris

Divided into groups, we all got to work, chopping and assembling our creations as directed ,with a general enthusiasm that belied the fact that some of us had yet to progress past egg boiling. All went swimmingly and by 9pm we were ready to get stuck into our appetising creations. Christopher took us through a tasting which included discussing the differences between two chardonnays: the aristocratically titled Domaine Mallory et Benjamin Talmard Macon-Villages and an earthier-sounding Heggies Eden Valley from Australia. Some of us were clearly not afraid of voicing our opinions, which proved to be sharply divided. En garde!

Our utterly wonderful Thai salmon parcels on a colourful bed of stir fried vegetables tasted as divine as they looked, notwithstanding the fact that I could see my chunky disorderly vegetables protruding from my surveyor friend’s precision-engineered ones – sorry Diana my chopping skills need work!  Christopher’s pairing of this course with an amazing  Gewurztraminer Tradition Cave de Turckheim exemplified his genius.

With dessert on its way he then played a game with us – a blind tasting where we had to answer the following questions: a) Warm or cool climate?  b) Very young wine, or matured? c) One varietal or more (simple or complex)? d) Use of oak?  e)  Where and what? Our candidate for consideration proved to be a delicious Rioja Muga, which none of us got spot on, but we got close, very close.  I wonder if I might be allowed on your Wotwine? app tasting team Christopher? I do have a lot of experience…

We downed the lemon posset and lavender biscuits with an elegant Moscato d’Asti, which I always love to drink at the end of a meal – being only 5% ABV it’s almost like drinking water…truly!  Then it was time to say good bye to our wonderful hosts.  Christopher, the perfect yin to Diana’s creative yang. We hope you’ll have us back again.

A word to the wise: if any of you have children home over the Easter holidays, Diana runs wonderful classes for those going off to university or for a chalet season.  Having your own well trained kitchen ‘slaves’ has to be a worthwhile investment.

Barbara Brudenell-Bruce

Barbara is a classic entrepreneur; her career has been defined by a series of iconic start-ups within telecoms, entertainment and fashion. She leads Investor Relations for a London-based consultancy raising capital for entrepreneurs. Alongside financial matchmaking she represents exclusive offline matchmaking agency Vida in London & Monaco, connecting their UHNW clients. Barbara’s innate sense of what it takes to fit people together, with a flair of hosting exquisite events, makes her a social anchor for all that know her.

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