Housewarmings are always worrying things. Or so I’ve heard. This was the first housewarming I’ve ever given – in fact the first party and, as the email invites said, one bedroom flats don’t lend themselves to large parties.
However, last Saturday we managed to fit 16 people into a space no larger than two small elephants. Michelle and I had prepared the party essentials – one large bowl of twin-layer vodka jelly,
 |
six vodka lollies and a party bag full of goodies for each visitor. I’d even bought a couple of party CDs to get us in the mood and invited “mystery guests” as a surprise bonus. But as 7.30 approached, I found myself subconsciously pacing. Would people come? Would they enjoy it? Would any of them be on time?
And then, in a sign of good things to come, the most regularly tardy friend I have and his girlfriend rocked up early. Nick and Sarah, in a reward for their timekeeping, quickly bagged the two best seats in the house and within one hour there were 16 of us downing drinks, drinking jelly, sucking on lollies, bouncing party-bagged bouncy balls and generally having a veritable mountain of fun. Old friends had rocked up to oohs and ahhs from the rest of the crowd, our next door neighbour seemed to be in deep conversation with most of the party until the early hours and at 3am, after finishing the night with a bout of XBOX action, we reflected on a cracking night. The clearup the next morning was particularly gruelling, mind you.
Well done to Nick, who managed the dual offence of wearing a
salmon-coloured shirt AND breaking our freezer door. Well done also to
Shunta, who managed to unhelpfully shove jelly down Michelle’s
trousers, hide hundreds of yellow Post It notes around the room (which, by the way, we are still finding) and set off the building’s burglar alarm at 2am. And thank you to everyone who came, and managed to turn 16 people in an 6×6 metre room into a possibility.
It would be unfair of me to finish without mentioning a couple of things. Firstly, congratulations to everyone for their efforts at the silly hat competition. Jac, as usual, excelled with a home-grown creation of a hat made up of hats; while other brought ski hats, a chicken hat, a Geordie hat, a Guinness hat and many others.
The second thing to mention is that, as my mother has already found, the pictures are up.
Yes thank you so much for our invitation to your house warming party…… Oh no sorry we didn’t get one did we!!! Was it just for friends and not relatives?!!!
Oh god, here we go… 😉 Well, the thing is that there was barely enough space for that lot anyway – we had to divide the invitees into groups. In fact, we thought 12 would be too much, but there you go. No relations came to this one – hold your breath for the next…
So I’m not family, where was my invite…….Well thank you very much……;-)
Christ… additionally, my flat cannot hold more than 16 people at a time, so it was first come first serve really… But hell, turn up one night – there’s still plenty of vodka left…!
Oh Simon (and Michelle) what have you done? World War III looks inevitable – and to think it will start in St. Luke’s Square. Who would have thought it?
Come on, I’ll take the lot of ya… *cowers behind computer desk*
HaHaha I was just kidding, however I may come round because I never posted you your present. Let me know when is good for you.
I have enough Vodka at home too, so if we ever have a house warming you will have to come and help with that.
We only moved in 2 years ago….