I wasn't going to go to this event but I'm glad I did. We got their slightly after 9. The event was at the Bloomsbury Ballroom which is my most frequently visited venue I've been to with Alternative nightlife. Despite the fact that it's basically a large box it always feels slightly different. Some of this is down to them letting us in via different entrances maybe the rest is down to the layout.
This ball felt a smaller more intimate space than normal maybe because the other bar was shut and maybe because of the tables dotted round the outside. It felt like stepping into a scene from a PG Wodehouse novel. The only anachronisms were the occasional camera phone and the range of clothing .It was all vintage but it ranged from the Victorian explorer in his pith helmet to a sole RAF officer.
The entertainment started with 2 dancers , rendered slightly amusing by the fact we had inadvertently heard them discussing their routine "backstage" as we queued to get in .
Which reminds me as we came in from the cloak room we bumped into " Viv the Spiv" An authentic WW 2 South London So if who I'd seen around at previous WW 2 events. He offered to sell the ladies in our group some nylons personal fitting thrown in for free.
The crowd was warmed up by the third member of Terpsichore a cheeky chalky in loud check jacket and a Sun helmet. He started the crowd off with a Charleston then proceeded to get every one doing the Lambeth Walk compelled by a conga line which several of our party joined in.
Then their was a bit of general dancing of t he swing dancing . Some of the more talented proponents of which could be on the dangerous side if you weren't on your guard. With arms and legs flying about at quite a fast pace.
After that we were treated to a rendition from Sir Henry at Rawlison' s End . My hat goes off to Mike Livesley who peformed a half an hour at least of comic monologue complete with changes of , costume, character and accent as well as various songs with musical accompaniment including two instruments which I'd never seen before. One involving a hose pipe and a funnel and another which was a distant relation to the accordion family which appeared to have started life as a wooden drawer.
Unfortunately he wad let down by his microphone and the general background noise from seven eigths of the attendees who weren't paying attention.
This was even more s shame because when he switched from his head mike to the free standing mike for a rousing rendition of ginger geezer he was very audible.
After this masterpiece a short while later we had a wobbly knee competition which was keenly contested
Next up was Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer who brought a very funny British sensibility to Hip Hop. His version was called Chap Hop and was all about scones, cricket, wearing tweed and the sartorial faux pas of buttoning the bottom button of your waist coat
I highly recommended you check him out on You tube.
He had the crowd eating out of his hand with his Banjulele playing. Especially his intepretation of early 90's rave music :)
It was an enjoyable evening and highly recommended.
Unfortunately the wonderful system which our Train network was playing up so I had to leave like Cinderella at Midnight arriving at Euston at 12.15 just in time to sit on the 11.44 train for 15 minutes while someone pulled the emergency cord and then sit for 5 minutes 10 minutes out of Euston while someone again pulled the emergency cord after which I can only assume the offending individual was ripped to shreds by his or her fellow passengers who were anxious to get home . Finally got home just after 1:00 having spent about 50% as much time travelling as I did at the venue.
However it was well worth it .
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