A lady who lunches...

I feel I ought to begin with an apology for the interim between this post and the last. And no, my excuse is not that I have been ‘lunching’ too frequently. In fact today was the first of this sort of lunch I have ever had the pleasure to experience…the corporate lunch. My dad and I made a film for this company back in October, and ever since they have been trying to wine and dine us in gratitude for the finished product - which apparently brought a tear to even the eye of a hardened investor. It is only now that our diaries have all converged, but at 12:30pm my dad and I found ourselves in a swanky Japanese restaurant off Jermyn street (where all the shops are as enticing as they are expensive), ordering enough fish to feed the 5000. In fact probably a fair bit more than that as, despite my satanic education, I believe Jesus had but 2 fishes, and we had at least 4! So the food came in floods, as did the expertly chosen Chablis (we were in the presence of a Frenchman after all, so all wine-choosing was fortunately left to him). After 2 sociable and sumptuous hours we parted ways, and reality once again set in. It shall be many months, I’ll wager, before I see the likes of a corporate lunch again.

Thankfully this is not the only excuse for wining and dining in my life, as Saturday 2nd brought the Sidney Sussex Classics Dinner 2019! I made my way to Cambridge a day early so that I could enjoy the delights of Laura’s company. Not only was she putting me up on her floor for the duration of my stay, she was also enduring my company in celebration of both our birthdays. This means a visit to a delicious Turkish restaurant a stone’s throw away. The culinary delights continued with coffee and cake the following day, with the added bonus of company too (the three C’s) in the form of Emma. My social calendar has never been so full, as I had only just come from a cuppa with Amanda! But thankfully I am a socialite, it’s been said before, and I also don’t tend to shut up - that has been said before as well, although perhaps not only by people who like me. Nevertheless I did not give up on the socialising, for I could not, as Laura and I prepared ourselves for the onslaught of classicists old and new.

Thankfully Laura had convinced Yannis (to all intents and purposes the guy in charge) that real champagne was required, which always takes the edge of pre-match nerves. I landed myself a seat next to Alan the Librarian who is an eternal sweetheart, and one who became surprisingly enamoured with my novelty bag, made in the shape of a fox. After mains the tradition has it that we all switch places, and so Yannis ended up in our vicinity, only to announce his engagement! So the atmosphere and merriment only increased tenfold, as conversation moved away from the intellectual with every class of Languedoc wine quaffed. Speaking of quaffing, as everyone knows the Sidney Classics dinner is usually a boozy affair, and in an expected fashion the old fellows bought me gin in Sidney bar before Yannis bought us all a shot of tequila in the Maypole. I forget how foul it is until I knock it back, but at least it need only be endured once a year! And the night for once didn’t end with the unutterably foul sherry found in the corner of the Senior Common Room, but with civilised (if slightly sozzled) conversation. The next morning I was rather the lady who belatedly brunched, rather than lunched, as Laura and I went to Bill’s to fill our stomachs. The 4 hours of sleep was combated by carbohydrates and I managed to make my train just in time. The weariness, however, began to creep in and I rested my eyes and my mind, only rousing myself enough to make it home, wrap myself in a soft and fluffy dressing gown and tuck the world away for the rest of the day.

It seems I have structured this blog post in an unusual fashion, as I am going back in time, but I do feel the need to mention the most exciting professional development in my recent life, and that is the acceptance and performance of a comedic monologue of mine for a showcase in Stockwell. The showcase was an evening of new female talent: writers and performers 17 in number, all women, all supportive, all wonderful. I was both honoured and terrified to open the show, and after the momentary pause before the first laugh my body-wracking nerves were replaced by body-convulsing adrenaline. But I loved it! I had forgotten the thrill and rush of performing - you can see why people get so addicted to the adrenaline rush. The come down is always somewhat disorientating. Thankfully I had the support of friends and a bunch of flowers to help me through it, as well as being surrounded by a bunch of super talented and supportive women. A huge success and I look forward to the next one with great anticipation.

The enthusiasm that ensued from the successful evening has led me to set up a professional actors page, so do give it a look and a like if you feel so inclined: https://www.facebook.com/butcherevieflorence/?view_public_for=961202640737905

Your ongoing support is hugely appreciated, and the fact that you’ve reached the end of this blog post and you’re still reading does you credit (or flatters me more than I deserve)! I hope if nothing else it’s been enlightening about the significant role food seems to play in my life and my literature.

xxx