Black tie affair!

My youngest daughter is social secretary to the local cricket club, and has been helping to arrange the end of season Dinner and Dance. We had never been before but this year curtesy of Laura we got an invite (at £25 a head mind). We were rather dubious as this seemed a lot of money for a meal, but since it was also to combine a celebration for Laura's boyfriend's 30th birthday both my husband and I, plus my parents agreed to come along.The day started off disasterously. Already in a bit of a spin because the response to the affair had been so poor this year and the ordered marquee had had to be reduced in size, costs not likely to be covered etc. Laura got up early to sort out a few of the surprises she had in store for the birthday part of the celebration. She had spent ages making a special birthday cake which needed a few finishing touches. These finishing touches should not have been mine as I managed to give the poor woman decorating the top of the cake green eyelashes!

Then we went up to the clubhouse to help set up and decorate the tables to find the marquee had only just turned up and no one else was there to unlock or let them in. Worse still when we did get inside it was to discover that the place had had a break-in. One of the small top windows had been completely pushed in, an optic of JD was on the floor and mud everywhere. So far from cleaning up and getting the place ready we had to wait for forensics to turn up and dust for fingerprints!

Laura had a hair appointment followed by a make up demo appointment (care of her last employers who had bought it for her birthday) so had to leave. I ended up doing all the bits and peices she was going to do in the morning instead. I walked all round town looking for oasis to do the table decorations, dashing back up the club with my husband to put them out, and put up the balloons and stuff.

Anyway at last we were all ready, Laura was highly stressed out and had an awful headache but we were ready! Or were we? We had not realised it was to be such a 'posh' affair. Black dress and DJ's no less. There were only three men in ordinary suits - my husband, my dad and ....the club chairman LOL.

But it was a fantastic evening! The band were brilliant and had us all up and dancing and singing, my dad won his first ever raffle prize, a 14" combo tv with dvd player (he was so chuffed) and then my mum won a bottle of whisky, the meal was supperb (pate starter, roast turkey and heaps of trimmings, trifle with lashings of cream, cheese and biscuits, coffee and mint). Then to top it all, as it was also the prize winners presentation too, Laura and her friend recieved a cup for services to the club. This was a presentation cup that could go to anyone as voted by the club committee and it is the first time in the club's history that it has gone to two people, and the first time EVER it has gone to anything other than a male!!! Girlpower rules!!! Their names will be added to those already on the bottom of the cup and also up on the winners board around the clubhouse walls. It was certainly well deserved though as they have knocked themselves out over the last two years, running the bar, making the match teas, organising curry evenings, quiz nights, bbq's as well as spending time up the club cleaning and painting.

Ok I was going to put a photo of Laura and her friend holding the cup but blogger is not letting me upload it.

And as for the birthday boy? He was in seventh heaven as he not only got a cup for being bowler of the season, had a terrific cake off his girlfriend, but all the team had clubbed together and bought him a Spurs shirt signed by all but one member of the Spurs team!!