La Soiree Blanche

Every year John and Lesley like to take us to a local event as a thank you to John for cutting their grass in their absence. This year we were attracted by the following poster.

Having bought the tickets unfortunately John Hampshire was ill and couldn't join us, although Lesley was able to come. John H. certainly missed an experience!!

We had been requested to wear white but as Lesley and I don't possess any white clothes we made a token effort and hoped we wouldn't be turned away at the door. On arrival music was playing and we joined the white clad guests on the terrace for "bubbles".

  As we walked through the "mini baronial hall" to the terrace the tables were laid as if for a dinner party, complete with candelabras. When we booked we weren't sure what we had booked for but we had certainly not envisaged this.

 There were about 20 other guests who all seemed to know each other and there was lots of nudging to say "who the hell are they?". We were then called to table and they seemed amazed to find that this  "strange lot" could speak french. Actually our fellow diners turned out to be very nice people, although we just could not get over the lady who sat next to me. She was the spitting image of Dame Edna Everidge and I really mean it!!

We had been particularly attracted by the menu......oh what a disappointment. The Thai salad was a mess in a tumbler. The creole duck tasted like a poor winter chicken stew with a piece of pineapple added and the mango tiramasu I thought was pieces of peach with cream on top. We all gave it "nil point" for presentation. The caterer was supposed to have a good reputation!!

Between courses the duo played and were very good, if rather inappropriate. However the piece de resistance was when they transformed into a 1980s disco/karaoke. We began to feel like great aunts at a wedding. Time to go.

Have you seen those TV programmes where shabby chic chateau owners have to make a few bob to keep the family pile going? Well that summarises our evening although none of us could say that we hadn't enjoyed the experience.