Category: Friends and Family Events

Kim & Micky’s Party, 25 July 1993

Janie had been on a bit of a theatre-fest that week. Bish Bash Bosh with me on the Thursday…

Bish Bash Bosh, NewsRevue Spin Off In Willesden, Opening Night, 22 July 1993

…The Questors Theatre with her mum on the Friday night (production not named in the diary), while I played bridge with Daniel and friends that night.

Then we both went to see Oleanna on the Saturday – that was a wow evening…

Oleanna by David Mamet, Royal Court Theatre, 24 July 1993

…so Kim & Micky’s early evening party (starting at 5.00) was probably a bit of an antidote to all that.

Was this the one during which Victor gave me and Janie (especially Janie) the benefit of his wisdom about relationships? I have a feeling it was. It went down about as well as the Professor character in Oleanna touching his student on the shoulder. Oh well.

But the party would have been a swinging one, with plenty of people, good food, fine wines and lots of fun. Just the ticket ahead of early starts for both of us on the Monday morning.

Lunch With My Parents, Royal Garden Hotel Kensington, 18 July 1993

As if a rather disastrous night out to see (half of) Hedda Gabler wasn’t enough for one weekend…

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, Holland Park, 17 July 1993

…we were at mine that weekend and were joined at lunchtime by my parents. I’m pretty sure this was the first time Janie met them.

My vague recollection is that this particular gathering went fine and that it was the next time around that mum was rude to Janie and then phoned to apologise as soon as she got home…

…but maybe it was this occasion. Janie is sure the rude incident occurred at my place, but then we might have gathered at my place before or after The Royal Garden.

Sunday lunch at The Royal Garden was a good choice for my folks. It was always a buffet, each week on a different theme. Janie and I eschew such things now, but in those days lots of our friends liked them and for big/fussy eaters such as dad and mum (respectively), such buffets were a good idea. Dad could always indulge himself and mum could always find at least something she liked.

Mum and Dad 15 years earlier – they were in colour by 1993

Dinner At John & Mandy’s Place, 10 July 1993

The diaries are consistent on this – Saturday evening dinner at John & Mandy’s place (Dangan Road, Wanstead).

I think we went for a walk around the area before dinner on that occasion, as it was our first visit to that house and the days are long at that time of year. I remmeber doing that walk in the light.

We had a very good meal, although in truth I cannot describe exactly what we ate. I’m guessing that John cooked something with a southern asian theme, but not too hot and spicy because he knew that Janie doesn’t go for very spicy food.

I think it is fair to say that we probably drank some good wine too and I know that we did all enjoy the evening, as was our wont on those occasions when we four got together for meaks back then…and still, 26+ years later.

I wonder whether John remembers any details.

Dinner With Phillie, Charlie & Others, But Where?, 3 July 1993

Janie’s diary says that Phillie [& Charlie] arrived on the Friday (2 July) and that Janie and I stayed at my palce that night. I’m guessing that the previous visit at Easter all squeezing into Sandall Clsoe had made that idea fall from favour. There was no need, given my flat’s proximity.

Janie’s diary says 6:45 at Restaurant “arrange three taxis”, so I am guessing that Pauline joined us as well.

But no clues as to the location.

It might have been North China again – I think we did all go there more than once and that location would have seemed ideal for triangulating those three addresses.

Another Dinner Party, Another Long Weekend, 24 to 27 June 1993

According to Janie’s diary, she came to the Canal Cafe with me on the Thursday evening (24th) to see NewsRevue.

We’d both booked the Friday out, so my guess is that the idea was to sort out the food for Saturday’s dinner party together on the Friday.

Janie’s order is written on the Friday page and is Lebanese food, so this party will have been a smaller scale version of the New Years do a few months earlier:

Twixtmas 1992, Kim & Micky For Lunch Bank Holiday Monday 28 December, Jane’s Party 31 December 1992

We’ll have gone to Mrs Saad’s place in Notting Hill/North Kernsington together to place the order – and what an order for six people. My guess is that this was one of those occasions when Janie and I ended up eating Lebanese left-overs for a week afterwards…

…worse things can happen.

Look at the order/notes:

The veal and pork mixed mince is my prescription for cha chiang. Did we serve the odd Chinese dish as well? Or perhaps the deal was that I would cook a noce meal on the Friday ahead of the party-style feast on Saturday.

It was Janie’s birthday after all – our first of those together.

Janie’s diary also mentions Jill the aromatherapist visiting us at the house on the afternoon of her birthday/birthday bash.

In those days, I was seeing John Chaney at Lampton Place for massage during the week.

The visit from Jill (Wootton) was probably the first time Janie and I had a massage-type therapy treatment together.

Bless.

We both remember Jill moving away and giving up maassage/aromatherapy quite soon after we started working with her. It seems that Jill is now (2019/2023) a hypnotherapist and psychotherapist instead.

As for the dinner party; it is clear that we got Mrs Saad to deliver the food and I am pretty sure it is safe to say that the evening was a great success.

Looks like a lot of food – that can’t have been just for six of us. I’ll guess that the guest numbers went up without additional names being written down.

Dinner At Mine With Daniel And Others, 18 Or 19 June 1993

My diary says this dinner at mine was on 19th, Janie’s says 18th.

For sure I took the day off work Friday 18th, but that might have been as much to do with the NewsRevue Smoker the evening before than anything to do with the dinner party.

Janie has written a recipe for some healthy fish salad where Saturday 19th should be in her diary, but I am sure that has nothing to do with my dinner party.

Perhaps she served such healthy, salady stuff later in the weekend to neutralise the ill effects of my lavish meal on the Friday…or was it the Saturday…night.

My diary is suitably vague as to the guests:

Dan+

Dan will be Daniel Scordel. I’m not sure whetehr Daniel and Maz were still an item then – perhaps not given the term “Dan+”.

No idea who else might have been there. Andrea possibly. No more than five or maximum six at my place for a meal.

I’m sure it was a good one.

Dinner At Victor & Kim’s Place, Hampstead Way, 15 May 1993

We went for dinner at Victor & Kim’s place. Kim & Micky were also there. DJ might have been there too that night but I have a feeling it was just the six of us.

Victor’s second wife was named Kim, which caused some confusion with his daughter Kim when, on occasions, someone mentioned “Kim” without a fair bit of context.

Janie’s solution was to add the suffix “the chickidoo” when referring to Victor’s Kim, while omiting said suffix when referring to her old school pal Kim. Clever stuff.

Anyway, I seem to recall a very enjoyable evening on that occasion. Good food, good wine, good chat.

What else might one wish for from such an evening?

Lunch With “Pussycat” Michelle & Joe in Amersham, 2 May 1993

Janie had a former colleague and friend named Michelle. Janie called her “Pussycat Michelle”.

We visited Michelle and her partner Joe for lunch in Amersham for lunch on this Sunday.

I recall little about the lunch, other than some good food (Michelle’s French background was telling) and a little bit of whacky backy from Joe after lunch.

They were good company, those two, but it always seemed difficult to fix up times to see them, so there were few (if any) repeats. Certainly we only made the one visit there.

Good times.

A Split Weekend Of Home Cooking, 23 & 24 April 1993

The diaries are pretty consistent on this weekend.

Friday evening, Michael and Elisabeth came over to Sandall Close fot dinner at 8:00 after work.

Janie and I went to the hygenist’s together at lunchtime the next day; I think Dentics in Kensington at that time.

Then I cooked dinner at mine for Janie and Andrea (and possibly Andrea’s then beau).

These are unconnected incidents: dinner-hygenist-dinner – I’m just reporting what the diaries say.

Easter Weekend With Phillie, Tony & Charlie In Ealing, 8 to 13 April 1993

My diary says that I played bridge with my gang at Tessa’s place on the Thursday evening. That would have been Tessa, Andrea and Maz.

Janie’s diary says that Phillie & family were arriving that day and that they were having dinner “at mum’s” that Thursday evening from 6.00 and that I would be coming over 12.30.

I think I had a key by then. Or this might have been the occasion that resulted in me having a key.

Anyway, Janie’s diary says that we all went for a meal at North China on the Friday evening. This is the gathering of Pauline, Phillie, Tony, Charlie, Janie and me, all around a Chinese restaurant table, that i recall so well from our early time together. I think we only ever did that as a group of six the once.

The diaries are very light on what we did. Possibly we didn’t do much.

To some extent Phillie, Tony & Charlie were probably using Sandall Close as a base to do other stuff.

Where the heck did everyone sleep at Sandall Close?

Anyway, we were all still talking to each other come the Tuesday, as the diary says we six (including Pauline) had a dinner party at Sandall Close on the Tuesday evening.

Janie and I both worked that day too.

I think the family stayed on with Janie until the Wednesday afternoon.