Watching the Detectives recap

Picture credit Brand You Max

Smith & Whistle, 28th November 2017.

What a fun-filled night we had last week at Park Lane Hotel’s fabulous Smith & Whistle bar.  A fair bit of detective work helped make some wonderful introductions and the room was buzzing!

Thank you to our brand partners The Sheraton Park Lane, and Laura Gub of Brand You Max, Boisdale, Goat Chelsea, Berrywhite, Artisan du Chocolat and Orit London

And it really is kind of so many guests to ping me a quick note of thanks.  Here’s some of the lovely feedback we received…

 

Hello Barbara, it was great seeing you again last night, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and met some really interesting people.
M x


Dear Barbara
Thank you for another super evening.   Lovely people and a great venue.
D x


Thought the evening a great success -great location -right nos -well circulated! Met a charming lady from *** who I plan to meet up with again.
B x


Hi Barbara
Good fun last night!
D xx    


Hi Barbara,
Thank you for last night’s party, loved the venue! As always, a great atmosphere and it was lovely to bump into old friends and to meet new ones!


Hi Barbara
Thanks for a fabulous evening – good to be back in the game; so to speak!
Looking forward to the next one.
C xx


Babs
Thanks for a lovely evening.  Great fun!
D x


Thank you for another super evening and being a great source of graciousness and fun!
T x


Hello Barbara,
I wanted to thank you for organising a fun evening!
Everyone seemed to be in a festive spirit 🙂
0 x

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…

 

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

lemon pots at Avenue Cookery School

Food and Wine – The language of love

A night to look forward to for Rendezvous singles in my kitchen for a night of cooking. We are cooking up a fabulous flirty two course meal. With the right partner beside you, cooking and preparing a meal together is the ultimate turn on. The language of preparing food is sumptuous: sizzle, melt, percolate, coddle, fold and stir.

The main course is light and appealing, Thai salmon parcels; salmon enjoys a rich history as a natural aphrodisiac, the fish that is a sexual powerhouse. An excellent source of protein – essential for stamina – salmon is also loaded with omega 3’s, that elevate serotonin levels in the brain and thereby enhance mood. Vitamin rich, with a large hit of A, D, B and calcium, great for giving the all-important libido lift. The exotic Thai spices will be evocative of beaches and sunshine.

Lemon pots with rosemary, the romance-infused herb, it amuses all of the senses with its dreamy perfume, perfect for tickling and its intense flavour and comforting aromas are unforgettable. And perhaps, used at the end of this meal, it may be the right time and maybe the right person, rosemary may find you love.

Wine is also clearly held in high regard as a prelude to romance. That’s why we have my friend charismatic ex-Christie’s Head of Wine, Christopher Burr MW taking us on a journey of affordable alcoholic aphrodisiacs.

I can’t wait to meet lots of you in my kitchen and share all the incredible tips for cooking up a meal that may well become the one that starts something very special.

Until the 15th

Diana x

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Wear the badge madge

‘Where’s the badge Madge?’ Dame Edna would cry when one of his global superstar guests like Sean Connery would appear onstage without a name badge. The idea, of course, was to tease his celebrity guests by suggesting that they were not as famous as they might think; and the fact is that some people do seem to feel demeaned by having to wear a name badge, READ MORE

Abstract art

Understanding art is a little like learning to communicate with someone new

Abstract Art. What does all this talk about the materiality of paint and the balance of colour really mean?

The recent Rendezvous night at Cadogan Contemporary gave guests a unique chance to survey how the great abstract painters from across the Atlantic have influenced the way we view and appreciate modern art. It was a perfect little slice of abstraction, with four of the most exciting abstract painters from North America celebrating colour and gesture, as only they know best; and yet to many it was a baffling display of an unreadable and impenetrable form of expression.
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