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SOME SPECIAL EVENINGS IN & AROUND LONDON
DINE WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY AT MADAME TUSSAUD'S
Madame Tussaud's, the most famous waxworks museum in the world,
is a splendid setting for a grand Gala Dinner. It is associated
with the London Planetarium, located in an interconnecting building,
and this offers a very highly specified auditorium that can be used
for a laser presentation. On arrival at the Museum, each couple
will be invited to sit back in a model of a London taxi cab, which
will take them through a specially-created "Spirit of London"
ride, featuring sights, sounds and smells of London through the
ages. Then they will be invited to join the "Garden Party",
where cocktails and canapés will be served - A complete hall
of the museum is set up to resemble an English summer garden party,
attended by celebrities of the TV, film, and sporting world. You
mingle with the models - sometimes it is difficult to tell the real
people! Dinner will be announced and the route to the Grand Hall
of the museum will take guests through an exhibition of the history
of Madame Tussaud's and the techniques of making the models. An
elegant formal dinner with musical accompaniment awaits in the Grand
Hall, where dining tables stretch the full length of the Hall. To
either side stand the figures of historical and contemporary Heads
of State, Monarchs, Presidents, and World Leaders, and the whole
area is watched over by HM the Queen and the British Royal Family.
After dinner, you are invited to take coffee and liqueurs in the
auditorium of the Planetarium, where you sit and watch a high-tech
laser display depicting the heavens around us and illustrating the
effect of a space flight (The presentation can be specially developed
to include corporate identification, if required). Finally, on return
to the Grand Hall, there can be dancing and a full bar, or, for
those more daring, a disco in the macabre Chamber of Horrors
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ENTER THE SPACE AGE - DINNER AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM
Of London's many fine museums and galleries, the Science Museum,
situated in Exhibition Road, is one of everyone's favourites. It
is ideally suited to a "Space Age" theme, as one of its
special exhibits includes space exploration, with the actual Apollo
10 space capsule, a life-size reconstruction of the Apollo 11 lunar
landing module, and a "launch Pad", an interactive hands-on
gallery of working models which demonstrate scientific principles.
Guests will be invited to dine amongst the fascinating exhibits
of the Space and Astronomy Galleries, with welcome cocktails having
been offered on arrival, in the main foyer of the Museum, before
the opportunity to stroll through several of the other galleries
which feature science's application to industry as well as the newly-opened
Medical Gallery. Background music will be provided throughout dinner
and the menu can be designed with a "space age" theme
and waiting staff can be appropriately costumed as space travellers
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DINE
WITH THE DINOSAURS AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
The Natural History Museum is a vast, beautiful, cathedral-like
structure opened in 1881 and remains as one of Britain's most inspired
examples of Victorian architecture. Approached by driving through
fashionable Knightsbridge, it provides a most imposing setting for
a Gala Dinner on a lavish scale. The cocktail reception may take
place in the Waterhouse Way, named after the museum's architect,
Alfred Waterhouse, and lined with interesting natural exhibits,
before passing through into the Main Hall for the dinner itself.
Here, under a huge, vaulted roof are housed the fossilised and skeletal
remains of prehistoric dinosaurs ... you will indeed be invited
tonight to "dine with a dinosaur"! The tables are set
out right beneath the skeletons of these monstrous creatures, and,
candlelit, casting great shadows, they give a very atmospheric appearance!
The dinner can be themed to illustrate man's struggle from the earliest
stages of civilisation - Caveman through to Jurassic Park! - and
waiting staff can be appropriately costumed, if required. Alternatively,
the event may be held in the Earth Galleries, a new part of the
museum and much-heralded addition to the London museum scene, featuring
volcanoes and earthquakes, with fascinating exhibits and experiences
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DINNER AT THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
A most prestigious venue, the world's leading visual arts museum
may be used exclusively for a dining experience that is truly unique!
A reception and tour of selected galleries is followed by a sumptuous
dinner in the original museum restaurant, a specially designed room,
decorated by William Morris himself and preserved perfectly as it
was when new. The Victoria and Albert Museum, prominently situated
on Brompton Road, with its spacious and well-light halls, galleries
and courts contains perhaps the largest and finest collection of
applied art in the world. The present museum originated in the Museum
of Manufactures which was established by the Department of Science
and Art on the initiative of Prince Albert in 1852. It was founded
with the object of developing decorative design in British Manufacturing
by providing models and samples of applied art, ancient and modern,
for study by craftsmen and others. The present unrivalled collection
fulfils far more than its primary utilitarian function and appeals
to every lover of art
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OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR ! - DINNER AT THE IMPERIAL
WAR MUSEUM
Situated in the Lambeth Road, housed in a huge, imposing, colonnaded
and domed edifice, flanked with canon, the Imperial War Museum traces
the history of the two World Wars and other military operations
involving Great Britain and the Commonwealth from Flanders in 1914
to the recent military crisis in Bosnia. Among the exhibits are
uniforms, documents, paintings, posters, models, photographs, &
memorabilia, as well as larger exhibits. The museum also has special
features such as the "Blitz Experience" (a chilling recreation
of a London street during a WWII air raid) and the "Trench
Experience" and "Operation Jericho", together with
interactive videos. Both the cocktail reception and dinner are taken
in the large Main Atrium. Khaki-uniformed wait staff would serve
the food (perhaps from menus based on "war rations"?!),
and dancing and musical entertainment would be provided by a dance
band sextet playing the music of the Glen Miller or Benny Goodman
Orchestra, a lady singer with the songs of Vera Lynn, and a musical
ensemble with a pastiche taken from the musical "Oh What A
Lovely War!"
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1940s EVENING - DINNER AT THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
MUSEUM
The Battle of Britain Hall of this unique venue, housing one of
the world's finest aircraft collections featuring over one hundred
years of aircraft history, would be the setting for this 1940s "In
the Mood" evening of music and dancing, against the background
theme of World War II. You would be welcomed by a brigade of Air
Cadets lined up at the entrance and "presenting arms",
before taking your seats for dinner under wings of the giant white
Sunderland flying boat used in WWII. Subtle spotlights and dry ice
smoke effects would bathe the hall in an eerie light, with sounds
of a far off air siren occasionally interrupting the festivities.
RAF blue-clad wait staff would serve dinner. Following dinner you
can dance the night away to the sounds of a Glen Miller Orchestra
with a Vera Lynn "look-a-like" singer, a band dressed
up in traditional military uniform, and a Winston Churchill "look-a-like"
acting as a compere for the evening. The evening could be enhanced
by providing all male group members with WWII USAF cap and all the
ladies with a typical '40s style hat (For very large groups, a similar
evening could be held in an aircraft hangar at an airfield, completely
decorated in a WWII theme, within easy access to central London,
and fly-pasts by WWII aircraft such as Hurricanes and Spitfires
could be arranged, together with air raid sirens and explosions,
giving the impression of a real air raid)
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STATE BANQUET AT THE BANQUETING HOUSE
The Banqueting House is a very special venue, a national treasure
house, steeped in English history, ideal for a formal dinner evening
- indeed it is the site of many official State Banquets. Situated
in Whitehall, it is the first building in central London, designed
in 1622 by Inigo Jones in the Classical Palladian style, and is
the sole surviving part of the original Whitehall Palace, destroyed
by fire in 1698. The cocktail reception would be held in the Undercroft
(Vault) of the Banqueting House, a maze of arched passages creating
a totally unique and quite stunning venue for a reception, particularly
enhanced when lit only by candlelight. King James I used to frequent
the Undercroft whenever he felt the urge to "get away from
it all" - he would read there and take a glass or two of wine
from the extensive wine cellars. You would be called to take your
places for dinner in the Banqueting Hall itself, where an outstanding
feature is a beautiful Rubens ceiling, commissioned by King Charles
I in 1635 to glorify the achievements of his father, King James
I. Charles I was later publicly beheaded there in 1649!
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ROARING TWENTIES - LAVISH DINNER-DANCE AT THE
PARK LANE HOTEL
This is the perfect gala evening in London, encapsulated in a bygone
era of elegance in a venue renowned for its history of lavish parties.
Situated in lively Piccadilly, the splendid 1920s Art Deco Ballroom
at the Park Lane Hotel allows guests to relive the most exciting
decades of panache and style that almost certainly reflect their
own aspirations. An evening of extravagant food and lively music
is magnificently themed : red carpet, ropes, posts, and two flaming
pillars adorn the Ballroom Entrance; a 1920s chauffeur-driven limousine
arrives with VIPs; paparazzi with 1920s cameras set the scene; a
1920s film crew and producer film guests arriving; a Charlie Chaplin
character direct guests; feather boas and chick feathers are presented
to the ladies and Hollywood film badges to the men; everyone is
photographed individually with a Flapper Girl or Gatsby Guy; a shoe-shine
guy with original stand, a candy girl, Flapper Girl and Gatsby Guy
actors, mingle with the guests; the Great Gatsby acts as Master
of Ceremonies and a chanteuse as Hostess; a four-man a capella troupe
and a tap dance act perform; a pianist tinkles at a baby grand piano;
and an 11-man orchestra completes the entertainment
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GALA CITY OF LONDON FEAST AT A CITY LIVERY HALL
This is a very traditional evening, themed along the lines of a
Lord Mayor's Banquet. The evening commences with a one-hour full
Open Bar Cocktails with Dry Snacks, after which the Toast Master,
who will act as Master of Ceremonies calls the guests to take their
seats at the tables for a 5-course traditional "Feast"
Dinner (Menu: Cold Poached Scotch Salmon and Mayonnaise; Cock-a-Leekie
Soup; Roast Rib of Prime English Beef Entree with Seasonal Vegetables
and Yorkshire Pudding; Queen of Puddings; English Cheese board, served
with appropriate red and white House Wines, a liqueur (port or brandy),
coffee and mints - all described on special "scroll" menu cards).
A Scottish Bagpiper would welcome and "pipe in" the beef
entree. The Toast Master would conduct 3 traditional Livery Hall
Ceremonies for audience participation ("Rose Water"; "Loving
Cup"; and "Snuff"). At the end of the meal there
will be a surprise, a stunning fanfare finale by one of Her Majesty's
Regimental Bands of Guards marching into the room to "Beat
Retreat" (24-man band in full ceremonial dress performing a
25-minute exclusive demonstration of their musical and military
skills) and then the evening would conclude with dancing to a Dance-band
Trio. There are 12 surviving Livery Halls in post war London available
for exclusive hire, all of differing size. These have their roots
in the old Medieval Craftsmen's Guilds, forerunners of the modern
Trades Unions - Merchant Taylors, Tallow Chandlers, Ironmongers,
Stationers, Painters & Stainers, Armourers, Watermens, etc
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MURDER MYSTERY EVENING AT BROCKET HALL
Your "executive" coach (with drinks served aboard by a
hostess) would take you out to Brocket Hall, near Hatfield and Welwyn,
just to the north of London. This is one of the finest stately homes
in Britain - originally called "Watershyppes", built in
1239, then rebuilt in 1440, the Brocket family lived here until
1746, when it was sold to Sir Matthew Lamb who commissioned the
present house in 1760. It was here that Queen Elizabeth l was brought
the news of her accession to the throne. Sir Matthew's son became
the first Lord Melbourne and his son became the second Lord and
Prime Minister of England. His wife, Lady Caroline Lamb, the mistress
of the poet-soldier, Lord Byron, was the first to dance the waltz
in Britain here, and once stepped naked from a soup toureen at the
dining table in the Ballroom! The Hall then passed to Melbourne's
sister, who married Lord Palmerston, another Prime Minister, who
died on the billiard table here, the second PM to die with the Hall's
walls! The current Lord Brocket's grandfather bought the Hall back
into the family in 1921. Guests are welcomed into cocktails (accompanied
by a pianist) and have complete "free-run" of the house.
The scene for a "Murder" will start to unfold, and unwittingly
the guests will get embroiled in its execution and the "solving
of the crime"......The butler will announce dinner in the magnificent
Ballroom ...... but the crime detection will continue ....!
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GREAT BRITAIN EVENING AT THE ROOF GARDENS
This extraordinary venue is the "Secret Garden in the Sky",
a garden oasis, featuring three ornamental gardens, nestling eight
floors above the hustle and bustle of London's busy Kensington High
Street. It was the penthouse of a former department store, covering
a site of over 1.5 acres, and has a large opulent and beautifully
decorated interior cocktail and dining area with indoor dance-floor,
as well as magnificent open-air green and floral gardens, resplendent
with tropical palm trees and even live flamingos(!), as well as
a terrazza styled with Moorish archways. This exclusive evening
would be themed specially to illustrate the British Isles. There
would be a one-hour open-bar with Cockney pub-style hot and cold
hors d'oeuvres, "barbecued bites" (kebab-style skewers
with various meats and king-size Dublin Bay prawns, freshly cooked
over charcoal braziers), a Cockney shellfish barrow, then a buffet
dinner with four regional tables (each bearing the national flags),
serving a choice of speciality dishes from England, Scotland, Wales,
and Ireland in hot and cold buffet-style, accompanied by selected
wines, beers and minerals. A marquee would be set up in the Tudor
Garden in the event of inclement weather, so that the Gardens may
be enjoyed all evening. Throughout the evening there would be musical
entertainment in the form of a Pearly king and queen with accordion,
Cockney barrel organ and grinder, honky-tonk pianist, and jazz "Barber
Shop" sextet), and, as the stunning finale to the evening,
an open-air fireworks display, choreographed to Handel's, "Zadok
The Priest". A corporate logo/motif could be incorporated into
this display, if required. Alternative themes are available
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SILVER STURGEON - THAMES RIVER DINNER-DANCE CRUISE
Your coach will transfer you through Westminster and Parliament
Square to Charring Cross Pier to board the luxury river cruiser, the
"Silver Sturgeon". This beautiful, brand new cruiser,
the latest addition to the pleasure craft that ply the Thames can
accommodate up to 360 for a dinner-dance in elegance, as it traverses
the length of the river throughout London, upriver towards Hammersmith
and Putney and downriver under Tower Bridge to Greenwich, providing
a panoramic vista of the skyline of London from a vantage point
not experienced on a sightseeing coach. The interior decor is reminiscent
of the Art Deco style of the 1930's, and the on-board catering quality
is of the highest standard that can be found anywhere on the river!
Whilst the beautiful views of London float by, a reception followed
by dinner with wines, with a quartet to play both soothing background
listening music and more lively dancing music, makes an entrancing
evening party
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DINNER & GREYHOUND RACING AT WEMBLEY STADIUM
London's most famous greyhound-racing stadium, Wembley, provides
an 8- or sometimes 10-race card (7.30-10.30 pm) on Friday evenings.
Greyhound racing has been a sporting feature in Britain for over
hundred years, since the outlawing of other more bloodthirsty dog
competitions. Unlike horse racing, which is associated very much
with the aristocracy and the mega-rich nowadays, greyhound racing
is not so much the poorman's substitute but a more unique sporting
pastime where the average man can enter his pet dog (provided that
it is a greyhound) that he has bred and trained himself. The prize
money is very tiny and the reward is the cachet of winning (lots
of local rivalry!) and one's luck in betting on the success of one's
own animal or the one fancies. Dinner is served in the Grandstand
Restaurant and, if one wants to gamble, the waitresses can take
bets in the Restaurant for you, without you having to leave to visit
the on-course bookmakers. The dogs are paraded for the public to
see, each wearing a coloured or striped jacket bearing its trap
number (1-6); then they are installed in the traps, the starter
announces the imminence of the "off", the automated "hare"
is released on a wire pulled round the circuit, then the traps are
released and the dogs shoot out ..... the helter-skelter of the
race is on. After each race there is a presentation ceremony, on
the Royal Tunnel Forecourt and it is possible for an individual
or company to sponsor a race and present the prize
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NIGHT OF THE RAJ - COLONIAL EVENING AT KNEBWORTH
HOUSE
"To the Health of our Great Empress, Queen Victoria of England
- God Save the Queen!" ... A call rings out across the forecourt
as you arrive at Knebworth House this evening, invited to participate
in a ceremonial celebration of our Great Queen's achievements in
Imperial India. The Major Domo is awaiting the guests arrival -
a magnificent figure in his perfectly-wound turban and colourful,
flowing clothes! Knebworth is a fine country house, home of the
Lytton family since the 15th century, but extensively refurbished
by the first Baron Lytton in the early Victorian era. You will be
welcomed into the House and "received" in the main reception
rooms, where you will find many relics and mementoes of the family,
and in particular of Robert Lytton, Queen Victoria's famous Viceroy
of India at the time of the Delhi Durbar in 1877. During the Champagne
Reception there will be entertainment in the courtyard - lions and
tigers, elephant rides, snake charmers, fakirs, and a whole host
of authentic Indian entertainers and bazaar musicians recreating
the atmosphere of the India of the last century. Dinner will be
called and trumpeters will fanfare as you cross the courtyard to
go through the House into the resplendent marquee that has been
erected especially for tonight. The marquee will feature crystal
chandeliers, elaborate and luxurious decor and, the piece de resistance,
two elephants (live) standing to attention at the entrance ! You
will enjoy a special Indian menu, featuring typical specialities
of the country, but toned down to appeal to the Caucasian palate,
and each guest will be presented with a programme of events and
menu printed on a copy of the "Times of India", from the
year of our Queen's Jubilee. Sitar music will accompany dinner,
and afterwards a troupe of singers and dancers will entertain with
a presentation of traditional Indian folk music. The finale will
be a surprise performance by the Band of Her Majesty's Ghurkha Rifles
in full ceremonial dress and regalia
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STAR TREK MURDER MYSTERY AT BRAY FILM STUDIOS
For a truly "Space"-themed evening, what better venue
that a real film studio location! You will drive out of London to
the sleepy village of Bray-on-Thames, where a Gala Dinner is to
be held on board the Starship, "Enterprise". An entire
film stage at these Studios (most famed for their production of
the Hammer House of Horrors movies) will be given over for the evening
and a recreation of the interior of the famous space craft built.
You will pass through a network of corridors with automatic doors
leading to the interior of the ship. Captain Kirk and Dr Spock will
welcome you, and members of the crew of the Starship will offer
champagne and canapés. A trio of Martians will play background
music. A pleasant evening looks to be in store, but suddenly a scream
is heard .... one of the crew has discovered the body of Captain
Kirk bundled into a ventilator shaft! Who has killed him? And how
did he die? As you sit down to dinner in the main control room of
the space craft, you must try to discover the culprit, by watching
the activities of the crew and questioning them about the mission
that they are undertaking. It may well be that aliens have invaded
the craft, and they will have to be found and "beamed down"
to their own galactic worlds before any more danger can befall the
space ship ......
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JANE AUSTEN DINNER - HOSTED DINNER & MUSIC
AT FINCHCOCKS
Lying surrounded by open countryside some thirty miles outside London,
Finchcocks is a strange but beautiful Queen Anne manor house - It
is quite unusual in that it was designed to fool the visitor to
think that it is grander than it really is! It has a wide and impressive
frontage, but once inside, the visitor realises that it is in fact
only one room deep! It is owned by Mr Richard Burnett and his wife....
Mr Burnett is an acclaimed international concert pianist, and his
hobby for many years has been the study of old musical forms - particularly
that of the Renaissance keyboard. He is the charming and proud proprietor
of one of the world's foremost collections of antique keyboard instruments,
which he lovingly restores and brings back to concert ready condition.
Indeed, he now has so many instruments that Mr & Mrs Burnett
have had to move out of the house to make way for the collection,
and they live in a converted stable building nearby! Many of Mr
Burnett's instruments have been featured in world class movies set
in the late 18th/early 19th century (such as "Pride and Prejudice"
and "Emma") and this evening, Mr & Mrs Burnett will
host an evening themed in the style of Jane Austen, featuring champagne
reception in the beautiful Gardens (weather allowing), followed
themed menu dinner in the Library of the main house. After dinner,
coffee and liqueurs will be served in the main hall, where Mr Burnett
will demonstrate many of his instruments and the evening will end
with an impromptu soiree! He is a highly amusing host, and this
is certainly not a serious concert - whilst the instruments and
the music are quite serious, Mr Burnett presents his subject in
such a way as to capture the imagination of even the least musically
inclined guest!
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TAVERNS & TWICKERS - LONDON PUB CRAWL WITH
A DIFFERENCE!
Touring the western side of London by red double-decker bus
for an informal evening, dressed in jeans & sneakers, you will
visit two characterful taverns along the River Thames to the west
side of London, to sample the delights of our traditional bitter
beer, "real ale", then, as if going to spectate at an
international sporting fixture, you will arrive at Twickenham. The
concept is to illustrate the very close association between English
Pubs & Sport : "Twickers" is the centre of the English
Rugby Union. There you have the opportunity to visit the Rugby Museum,
before eating in the "Rose Room", just as if one entered
a Pub or Clubhouse after playing in or spectating at a match. Rugger
is the second "ball" sport in the UK, after soccer ("football"),
played with an oval ball instead of round one, a sport now achieving
an ever-increasing world-wide following. A delicious buffet would
be set, with traditional pub dishes, such as "bangers &
mash" (sausages & creamed potatoes), pie & beans (steak
and mushroom in a pastry pie case with tomatoed beans), fish &
chips, with a full range of starters and desserts, and unlimited
beer and soft drinks. The atmosphere would be completed by the provision
of participatory traditional pub games, such as "skittles",
"shove ha'penny", darts, bar billiards, "bent wire",
& a selection of indoor sideshows - "all-in-a-bucket",
"hoopla", "splatter rat", mini-golf, "Wild
West", and, for the avid drinkers, the "yard of ale"
competition. A really lively and "fun" evening, with music
from a Cockney honky-tonk pianist
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THAMES RIVER CRUISE & TAVERN DINNER
Designed to be a less formal evening and one offering the opportunity
to see both the old, traditional side of London as well as the modern,
you start the evening by boarding a luxury river cruiser, which will
take a leisurely journey along the River - London's oldest highway!
- starting in Westminster beside the Houses of Parliament, then
travelling downstream through central London, past the Tower of
London itself, and on to Greenwich. Greenwich is one of the oldest
parts of London, with many historical connections, but most importantly,
it is the site of the original Royal Observatory from where the
Zero Meridian of longitude is defined, the line dividing Eastern
and Western Hemispheres, and where Greenwich Mean Time is set. During
the cruise, cocktails and canapés will be served, a trio
will play background music and a qualified commentator will point
out places of interest along the way. The view of London from the
River is surprisingly different from the view from landside and
cruising through the city is a fascinating way to see this other
aspect of London. The route then carries guests right past the full
length of the Docklands area, with its stunning, modern skyline
and dramatic architecture. On arrival in Greenwich, you debark and
walk the short distance to the Trafalgar Tavern, a grand Victorian
riverside building next to the Royal Naval College, taken over exclusively
for an extensive pub buffet and a fun evening of traditional pub
games for all to try - traditional "hoop-la", "skittles",
"shove ha'penny" and "quoits", as well as other
more hi tech, space age ones. Musical entertainment will be provided
by a jazz combo, and there will be wandering characters, such as
a one-man-band, a caricaturist, a sleight-of-hand magician, and
a cartoonist
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VIP THEATRE EVENING
London is famous throughout the world for the excellence and variety
of its theatre, and every night (except Sunday), a choice of more
than forty theatres are available, offering comedies, musicals,
straight drama and avant-garde productions. No visit is complete
without a show at the theatre! You will be transferred to the theatre
of your choice by a fleet of black chauffeur-driven Daimler limousines.
On arrival you will be personally welcomed by the Theatre Manager
and attended to by your own personal Usher for the entire evening.
A beautifully appointed private room will be waiting for your party
with a Champagne Reception and a truly stunning selection of canapés
and smoked salmon sandwiches. At "curtain up" you will
be escorted by your Usher to the best orchestra stalls seats in
the house and provided with a souvenir programme. During the interval
you will adjourn to your private room for further refreshment. Then,
after "curtain call", the limousines will whisk you away
to a roof top restaurant at one of London's most prestigious hotels,
to conclude the evening with a relaxed meal and good, overlooking
the night lights of London, before your limousines then return you
to your hotel or to a "night-spot" of your choice (of
which London has many!). Alternatively, a private "Cast Party"
can be arranged in the theatre for you to meet the evening's stars
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BEATLE MANIA!
Relive the 1960s and 70s! Dance to the greatest hits of the Boys
from Merseyside! This features a seventy five minute "live"
pop concert performance, complete with sound and lighting, by the
"Bootleg Beatles", the only real Fab Four "look-a-likes"
of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, playing the group's hit songs
from their early days at the "Cavern" in Liverpool through
to the time that they achieved truly international stardom. The
performance is orchestrated into three parts, representing the three
distinctive "eras" of Beatles music - commencing with
their "Mod" days, the first act culminates with Paul singing
"Yesterday"; in changed costumes, the second ends with
John singing "Imagine"; & the third, with the Four
again in fresh attire, is dedicated to the "Sergeant Pepper"
album. They are a very impressive act indeed! The individual menu
items for each course would be depicted with names from Beatles'
songs and inscribed on a souvenir "Apple Record Label"
menu card. Not mandatory, but nevertheless very effective, backdrops
could be provided, each portraying the silhouette of an individual
Beatle's head, and Wurlitzer's upturned in inverted U-shape, psychedelic
strobe lighting, and 1960's period balloons. A solo pianist would
play numbers from the era during dinner and continue after the main
concert. This is an evening of real fun and nostalgia, suitable
for staging in most London hotel ballrooms
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GOOD OLD DAYS AT
PORCHESTER HALL
Located in the Bayswater area of London, the Porchester Hall is
a delightfully furbished assembly room, along the lines of a traditional
Livery Hall, with heavy oak wall-panelling, high ornate white plasterwork
ceiling with blue trim, & chandeliers. It has a fixed stage
to one end, which is ideal for any sort of theatrical or cameo theming,
from a stage production to a discotheque. A traditional "Barber's
Shop" Jazz Quartet could provide the music for dancing and
troupe of costumed artistes to enact the Vaudeville of the "Good
Old Days"
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EVENING OF THE ORIENT AT THE HENRY MOORE SCULPTURE
GALLERY
Situated in Exhibition Road in Kensington, to the rear of the Royal
Albert Hall, is a conglomerate of buildings that each houses one
of the Royal Colleges (Surgeons, Music, Organists, etc), the most
individual of which is that of the Royal College of Art, which houses
the Henry Moore Sculpture Gallery. The nature of this permanent
exhibition & the Gallery's decor suggests an air of the Orient
- Dance Band Quintet would play a variety of music (as preferred)
& the highlight would be a Chinese "Dragon Dance".
The food would be themed totally along the lines of Chinese &
Thai cuisine
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DICKENS COMES ALIVE!
An old mews in Waterloo, on the south bank of the river, was originally,
at the turn of the century, the main depot & stables for London's
horse-drawn buses! Subsequently of course the area has seen many
different uses, culminating most recently in it being converted
in to a centre for radio and television arts. However, in the evenings
it offers an ideal setting for the recreation of Dickensian-style
London - a costumed troupe of Dickensian characters (Bill Sykes
and Nancy, Fagan and Oliver Twist, Scrooge, Mr.Macawber, etc) would
entertain throughout the evening with extracts based on/taken from
the music & story in the hit musical, "Oliver", against
a back-drop of the streets of Dickensian London, complete with fog
machine. The menu could be themed on Victorian fayre
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COCKNEY EVENING AT CABOT HALL
Cabot Hall is a glittering brand new facility in the heart of the
newly regenerated Docklands, next to the new Billingsgate Market
(fish), with stunning and breath-taking views across Canary Wharf,
the main square, & the Thames. Inspired by its location, the
theming would include a musical troupe of costumed Cockney characters,
Pearly kings and queens, a town crier, flower girls, market porters,
& bargemen, playing selections from traditional London musicals
such as "My Fair Lady" and "Me & My Girl".
The menu could be themed to commence at the reception with traditional
cockney delicacies and have much seafood content in the main menu
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MEDIEVAL BANQUET AT THE BEEFEATER-BY-THE-TOWER
A "Feast" menu with unlimited beers, wines and soft drinks
and continuous musical entertainment by a costumed troupe of Medieval
characters led by King Henry VIII welcomes you! Speciality "live"
acts, such as knights in armour, juggler, magician, fire-eater,
strongman, etc. The "Beefeater" is a huge cavernous area
of cellars and underground brick-lined and arched storage bays under
the old wharfage on the banks of the Thames that is now the beautifully
refurbished and modernised area of St. Katharine's Dock and the
Thames Yachting Marina, but which formerly was used as a grain storage
and even a prison in the time of the Napoleonic Wars. A central
aisle divides the venue, off from which on either side there are
fifty-person bays with a single trestle table. This is a highly
atmospheric venue for an evening of fun and jollity
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DINNER-MUSICAL REVUE AT THE TALK OF LONDON
This is London's premier musical revue evening, located in the auditorium
above the New London Theatre in Drury Lane. A table d'hôte
dinner is served at the commencement of the evening and musical
entertainment in various forms is constant throughout, with a troupe
of both scantily clad and lavishly costumed dancing girls, a cabaret
compere, live dance orchestra, both group and solo singing, and
the high spot is the appearance of one of London's leading vocalists
with a repertoire of both old favourites and contemporary songs
.... and of course much audience participation!
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PUB CRAWL WITH TRADITIONAL SUPPER
Public houses or "pubs" are very much part of the British
way of life - with more than five thousand pubs in London alone.
The Pub Crawl is a traditional evening pursuit, well suited to fun-loving
parties. Sample a pint of traditional English real ale, bitter beer,
lager (light fizzy), mild (dark), stout (very heavy dark), shandy
(beer and lemonade mix) in each of two historic characterful taverns
in the City area or along the banks of the River Thames, such as
the Anchor at Bankside (sited near the old "Clinker" gaol),
the George at Southwark (the only galleried pub still in existence),
the Prospect of Whitby (from where "Hanging Judge" Jeffreys
watched his sentencing performed at Execution Dock), the Mayflower
(appropriately nautical), the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (haunt of
Boswell and Dr. Johnson), the Angel at Rotherhithe, the Cutty Sark
(named after the famous tea clipper), before moving on to third
venue for a traditional pub supper and the opportunity to linger
in the bar after, meeting and enjoying a chat with the "locals"
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GREAT FOSTERS - EXCLUSIVE ELIZABETHAN BANQUET
Great Fosters is an authentic Elizabethan building and is a 45-60
minute drive from Central London. Originally built as an Elizabethan
hunting lodge, it then became the residence of the local magistrate,
and in 1931 was turned into a deluxe country house hotel. It retains
all its old original period features including a magnificent oak-beamed
Tithe Barn, Jacobean panelled walls and plastered ceilings, a glorious
topiaried and lawned garden, a tapestry-covered private dining room
called the "Queen Anne Boleyn", and a welcoming log-fired
entrance lounge with original wicket gate. After a cocktail reception,
a customised Medieval Banquet (with appropriate wines and coffee)
will be served, with continuous musical pageant entertainment by
a costumed troupe of Medieval Minstrels and Characters, led by King
Henry VIII who can incorporate the identity of your client, thus
lending a very special touch to the occasion
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GALA DINNER AT THE CAFE ROYAL
Located at the foot of Regent Street and opened in 1865 by a Frenchman
called Daniel Nichols who fled Paris because he was wanted by the
French authorities on bankruptcy charges, it was not until the 1890's
that the Cafe Royal became world famous. To the painters, writers,
musicians, authors and journalists, the Cafe, with its French atmosphere,
was more than an eating place - it was the nearest thing to a true
Arts Club London had ever seen. Names like James Whistler the artist,
Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, King Edward VII and Churchill
have all been associated with the Cafe Royal. When Nichols died
in 1897 he had repaid all his French debts and left an estate worth
about £600,000. But his greatest legacy was the continuing success of the Cafe
Royal. The Cafe Royal nowadays is an elegant
complex of special banqueting suites of varying sizes, which can
be themed in food, beverage ,and entertainment to suit any requirement
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