Friday 28 December 2012

Cirque de Noel


For our Christmas party at work, this year we were all taken for a meal and entertainment at the London's Cirque de Noel in The Bloomsbury Big Top, Coram's fields.
On arrives you get to walk down a red carpet greeted by stilt walkers. Before the your called to your tables you enjoy a champagne reception.
Depending on your booking you either have a wrist band to by 'unlimited drinks for the night' or tokens. (after that you are on your own money)
Once called for dinner you enter the big top for a three course meal and cabaret show of circus performances.
followed by a disco.







Starters
~Roasted tomato, red onion and goats cheese tart (v)~
Mains
~Braised Beef with shallots and mushrooms, served with a smoked garlic mash and seasonal vegetables.~
~Butternut and been bake, served with a Parmesan crumble topping, 
smoked garlic mash and seasonal vegetables.(v)~
Dessert
~Vanilla and red berry pudding. Vanilla panna cotta served with red berries and a passion fruit coulis (v)~

For us it was a good night out and meant that both departments could socialize together.
I have to say that i am a big fan of the circus and fair grounds. they hold such a theatrical, magical atmosphere about them.

During the champagne reception there was a magician working the floor. it took us a while to work out that that is what it was as he was dressed in a suit and tie, and as the dress code was black tie for the gentlemen and smart dress for the ladies he seamed a little lost in the crowd.
even though every party was enjoying the company of friends and colleagues, and the champagne i felt as if there could have been a little more entertainment just to at to the whole circus magic.

The food was very tasty and well presented  the turn over between course was military run (with 300 people it needed to be.).

The circus entertainment was impressive  a ring master introducing the acts, such as fire jugglers  static trapeze artists, girls dancing with hula hoops and a snake charmer.
the only let down was two dace acts that were put in, which seams as though they were an after thought to pad out the show.- we all agreed that is was like watching the backing dancers from Steps.
But all in all it was a great evening (4 stars****)

Saturday 22 December 2012

I find it cold

"I find that there is something cold about typing thing up on a computer with out writing on paper first. The whole thing of pen on paper flows so much better, your imagination runs more freely and the feel of pen on paper feels more real, alive, and what you are writing is coming from your heart. Like water flowing in a river.Its an art calligraphy and it seams to be dying in this technological world.
The same as kindles and e-books. they feel cold. I like the whole idea and feeling of holding a book the warm pages, crisp white paper like freshly fallen snow. My favorite are the ones with their faded, sun kissed tanned pages that can tell a story all of there own. Those with dog eared pages and on the odd occasion pencil lines under lines and stars in the margins,  they make me think about its previous owner who they might have been and what they were like. The best, the best of all is a note from a loved one a birthday wish or a Christmas greeting. I think about why someone would give such a gift a memory away."

© 2012 sarah patel

Read more at Diary of depression