How to please a guest

I want to come back now to the topic of giving a guest the best possible experience. First, I think it’s much easier to please a single person than a couple because very few couples I know have identical interests and one will tag along for the sake of the other and this does keep the energies down a little bit. Friday morning we had a nice breakfast with croissants and so on. I’ve always regarded croissants at a bit of a special occasion food and we had it with scrambled egg and cheese.

Rockaway Park here we come (again)

No question in my mind that we had to visit the Rockaway Park. I’ve written about this so many times. If you want to look it up type in ‘Rockaway Park’ and you’ll get loads of references on my site alone, or to be more precise 18, and there are loads of images.

The venue is an old stone quarry.  It looks nothing from the road when you drive up but then you see all sorts of things that shouldn’t be there.

Imagine art of the 60s with a touch of California thrown in and you have the mood. There are lots of workshops where people do such thing as leather work, pottery, printing, sculpture and they pay a rent.

We decided to have lunch there and you get a decent veggie meal for about 10 quid. To put the money in an honesty box and if you want any more such as cakes, coffee and tea you just help yourself and put the money in.

I love watching the expression on people’s faces when they see these huge manifestations which shouldn’t be there but are.

Back to base with bent time chatting and then we responded to an invitation given the day before by ‘chance’.

Beltane celebration
Friday 2nd of May 6th to 9:00 p.m
74 High Street, Glastonbury BA6 9DZ.
Join us for drinks, canopies, live music at this community event
in the Spirit of Beltane also launching our
newly refurbished garden studio.

We duly drove off and arrived about 6pm. I felt we should dress for these occasions so I wore my white jacket given to me by a friend plus a new shirt plus white trousers.

It was obvious where the event was by the crowd outside. We were greeted by our lady who just opened a shop. She was dressed as a fairy and had large wings, very well made up headdress with flowers, high heeled shoes and all dressed in red. I said  she should go around blessing everybody.

The website of the art gallery is curiously named www.heartofthetribe.com the shop front could only have been about three meters but they made absolute best use of the depth. The back garden was very cleverly designed in a s shape with a work entertainment area at the back. I do recommend a visit.

How I behave at parties.

How to get the most out of such events.  First, you won’t get on well with everybody and no one expects this. I regard strangers at such events as probably a client group or cohort that has something in common with me because I love art.

I also regard all human beings as my brothers and sisters that I have not yet met so as you must be sick of hearing by now I will approach anyone with a pulse and if I see a response or any chance of response I will engage them.

My first conversation was not a success.  It was with a very amply proportioned lady who seemed to be either half tipsy or in a medical  condition that required that she be the center of attention. I did my utmost impression of the polite person but could find nothing in common with her and her upper garment looked very much like a bra so she was not attractive and she was wondering around all the time not really sure where she was.

We talked to another lady who claimed to be a healer but was so preoccupied with her family affairs particularly her father who had died 22 years ago over which the family were still contesting his will.  How such a thing can go on for 22 years I don’t know, possibly staggering incompetence.

All her three children were in abusive relationships in their marriages so again I offered my two penny worse but basically decided that this lady – who was accompanied by a small but yappy dog – should be left to her own devices.

I met a pleasant bearded chap who had worked in California and found it quite difficult to engage with the multi-level nature of our current society here in the UK and what attitude to take to it. I noticed that he struggled with his words and I wondered how many opportunities he had had in order to share his feelings. I think he was a bit of an  introvert, maybe lonely

Was the party well hosted?

The hostess of the party, a statue-esque woman of six foot in height, had arranged the party well and delegated most of the work to other people but even then the glasses mounted up and she had to transport them to a place where they could be washed but she retained her composure, sense of humor and a general aura of efficiency and I think she did a good job

She also organised a £5 raffle for one of the artworks which struck me as giving an added good impression of the proceedings. I always fail with raffles and even with lucky numbers at stalls and country fairs I will get some soap or book or something that I don’t want while everyone else gets wine. It’s not fair

Overall I believe a party is what you make it and I gave Francoise and our guest the maximum opportunity to wander around and talk to people. It’s up to people to make the party and there’s no point that hostess doing their head in with worry, all your basically need to do is to get people together in the same place at the same time,  ply them with drinks and a bit of food, and let them get on with it. I try to introduce people to each other if I can remember their names.

Background – Some very nice folk music was played accompanied by a mandolin. The party did in fact close at 9pm so we had three hours free entertainment with a good feeling at the end driving back in the sunset. Perfect weather.