Events

Nobody Meant to Stay That Late

Wine & cheese pairing · 50s & 60s · 25 guests · Hyde Park Gastropub

Twenty-five guests gathered in a private room of a Hyde Park gastro pub for an evening devoted to British wine, excellent cheese, and the sort of conversation that becomes easier after the second glass.

The room, warm lighting, polished wood, and just enough candlelight, quickly softened into laughter and introductions. Gentle “musical chairs” rotations moved the evening along, with enough structure to keep things lively, never enough to interrupt a good conversation.

Guiding the pairings was Aimee, whose easy charm made the wine feel approachable and the cheeses dangerously moreish. Sinodun Hill goat’s cheese alongside Silver Reign Brut. Montgomery’s Cheddar paired with Bacchus 2022. Beenleigh Blue with a Lussac Grenache that persuaded several guests to order another glass.

What lingered was the atmosphere: relaxed, funny, and unexpectedly warm. People arrived slightly nervous and left comparing notes, swapping stories, and making plans to meet again.

One guest ended the evening deep in backgammon with a charming regular from the pub, somehow turning a wine tasting into the beginning of a new weekly tradition. Others stayed behind talking about Ireland, galleries, history, pubs, and who they secretly wished they’d had longer to sit beside.

Nobody really wanted the evening to end. Which is usually how you know it worked

The Fast Lane to Friendship

Vintage racing posters · Summer gallery party · 50s & 60s · Shepherd Market

There are worse places to spend a June evening than a small gallery in Shepherd Market with a cold glass of rosé in hand and a room full of interesting people.

The weather was doing its best impression of summer: warm rather than hot, but with that unmistakable London closeness in the air. Inside, however, nobody seemed particularly concerned. The gallery was packed, the rosé and Peroni were flowing, and those opting for clearer heads were happily working their way through Dash raspberry and cucumber spritzers and Nirvana’s alcohol-free beers. After all, if you’re hoping to make a good impression at a dating event, keeping your wits about you can be a tactical advantage.

The exhibition itself was extraordinary. Vibrant vintage motor racing posters, original artworks, limited editions and beautifully framed photographs lined the walls, glowing in the evening light that poured through the gallery windows. There was glamour, speed and nostalgia in every direction; reminders of an era when racing drivers looked impossibly heroic and advertising posters were works of art in their own right.

Guiding us through it all was William Lansbury, whose modesty somehow makes his achievements even more impressive. A racing driver, writer and producer, Will has competed and won across Formula First, Formula Ford and Formula Renault, before returning to competitive racing after taking time away to raise his son yet you would never have guessed this from listening to him. His enthusiasm is directed entirely towards the stories behind the collection, bringing each piece to life with the kind of insight that only comes from someone who genuinely loves the world he inhabits.

As conversations flowed, so did the canapés, arriving steadily throughout the evening and disappearing just as quickly. Guests drifted between artwork and conversation, discovering shared interests in travel, motorsport, London life and summer plans. New friendships formed easily, helped by the relaxed atmosphere and the fact that everyone had something beautiful to look at when they needed a moment to gather their thoughts.

The timing turned out to be impeccable. As the evening drew to a close, some newly formed groups headed off together to watch England’s opening World Cup match, proving that it is entirely possible to fit art, socialising, dating and football into a single evening if you put your mind to it.

Others lingered a little longer. My own evening ended next door at Noble Rot with a glass of champagne and a table of charming, funny people whose conversations had started in the gallery and showed no sign of stopping. We talked about summer holidays, favourite cities, future adventures and everything in between.

One guest wrote afterwards to say how lovely it had been to meet people face to face and how much they were looking forward to the next event. Another simply thanked us for a wonderful evening.

Which, in the end, felt like the perfect verdict.

The art may have brought everyone through the door, but it was the conversations, the laughter and the company that stayed with them long after the gallery lights were turned off.

The Hottest Ticket in Town

Cocktail party · 40s & 50s · Bentley’s, Mayfair

London was having one of its moments. The day before, Kew Gardens had recorded 34.8 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded in May. By the time guests arrived at Bentley’s on Tuesday evening, nobody was interested in proving their resilience.

Fortunately, the Jameson Room was waiting. A private entrance, a private bar, blessed air conditioning, and iced water lined up ready for thirsty arrivals. Guests were greeted with chilled flutes of Blanc de Blancs, which seemed to improve everyone’s outlook considerably.

The room quickly found its rhythm. New faces mixed easily with familiar ones, conversations began, drifted, reformed and carried on. The best parties are rarely complicated; they simply give interesting people the space to enjoy one another’s company.

Bentley’s team were superb throughout. Maria, Joshua, Matt and Alex kept everything running with effortless professionalism, while Kathryn orchestrated the Rendezvous x Bentley’s collaboration with the kind of calm efficiency guests rarely notice, which is usually the sign it’s being done exceptionally well.

The canapés were substantial enough to make dinner plans feel superfluous: sweet potato samosas with tamarind, giant prawn tempura with aioli, and beef tartare balanced on potato crisps with oyster cream. More than one guest was spotted abandoning any pretence of restraint.

Also on hand was photographer Ben McNade, whose portraits have become something of a Maclynn tradition. Capturing someone’s best side is one thing; capturing something recognisably them is quite another. Ben manages both.

What lingered, as ever, were the conversations. One guest left hoping to continue a discussion about Amsterdam, European passports and skiing with a gentleman she’d met over a glass of wine. Others simply wrote to say thank you, describing the evening as relaxed, warm and great fun.

We held a memorable party at Bentley’s during that strange Covid summer when nobody could leave the country, and London felt unusually full of possibility. It has been talked about ever since.

This one may well join it.

Hello, Petal

April’s 30s & 40s Party, in Fine Hello Petal Form

There are spring evenings in London that feel as though the city has decided to show off a little, and this was one of them.

When we returned to The Other House this week for our latest Rendezvous x Maclynn mixer, the whole mood was transformed from our last gathering in January. Then it had been bleak, dark, and everyone arriving wrapped in coats. This time, there was still light in the sky, that soft spring brightness that seems to put people immediately at ease.

We were in The Keeping Room, which I can only assume is so named because it does precisely that: it keeps you in. The rooms seem to stretch on forever, unfolding into one another in a way that feels both intimate and expansive, exactly what you want when welcoming 85 guests.

And what a crowd.

Polished, bright, accomplished people in their 30s and 40s, all looking as though they had somewhere far more glamorous to be, and yet happily staying put. The atmosphere had that rare thing you hope for but can’t entirely manufacture: instant warmth.

The team at The Other House were, quite simply, superb. Ella and Fran handled the behind-the-scenes execution with the sort of calm efficiency that makes everything appear effortless. Jeanetta seemed to be everywhere at once, and the bar team ensured not a single queue formed, no small feat with that many guests and elegant drinks flowing.

The food played its part: Scottish smoked salmon blinis, beef croquette bites with horseradish cream cheese, falafel with sweet potato and red pepper hummus, filo-coated prawns with sweet chilli sauce. The sort of trayfuls that keep everyone happy while conversations gather pace.

And gather pace they did.

One of the loveliest parts of the evening was how many members of The Other House joined us. It’s such an unusually inclusive club, none of that lonely-laptop atmosphere that can make members’ spaces feels faintly joyless. Before the event had even begun, I was invited to join a members’ table at the bar, which felt wonderfully warm and entirely in keeping with the spirit of the place.

By all accounts, sparks were flying. The drinks rolled into dinner for twenty, and the evening stretched all the way to midnight because, quite simply, nobody wanted to leave.

The messages the next day were exactly what one hopes for: amazing conversations, a fabulous time, please do another one soon.

Which, of course, we will.