!t's The Agency* 1st birthday bash!

Last night, Tuesday 28th June, my friend Nikki invited me to the first birthday party of an events agency, !t's The Agency* (www.itstheagency.co.uk).   It was held at Haberdasher's Hall near Holborn, which is a venue with a garden furnished with giant toadstools, huge sweet chairs and a fountain. 

As we walked through the great, black gates, we were greeted by a bubble machine and clowns on stilts.   As with all these events, we needed to go to get our name badges.   Normally Nikki tells whoever is asking that her friend from work couldn't come, so she has brought another one (me) and everyone says that this is fine and I get a make-shift badge.   This time, when I was asked my name I felt incredibly put on the spot (was it Michelle? Amanda? Naomi? ...) but luckily Nikki was on hand to save me with her usual spiel.   The door man was very nice, but he asked me to come with him so that he could make me a new badge.   So, we went to the badge making machine and he asked if I had my business card (no ...) and then proceeded to ask me to sign the register and tell him which company I worked for.   Again, my mind went completely blank as I had forgotten Nikki's company, so I quickly scanned the list and chose ... London Business School.   It worked, and he merrily typed me out a name badge: phew!   It would have been mightily embarrassing if I had been caught out.   I wonder, in this situation - is it best to tell the truth? (my inclination is that when there is free food and booze available ... no.)  

Anyway, once I had got through that ordeal, Nikki and I circulated the room and picked at the canapes.   There were mini burgers with tomato and onion relish; champagne, truffle and mushroom risotto in square, glass jars; mini pizza slices served in boxes; mini hash browns served in fryer baskets; and raw tuna sashimi, along with other delights.   It was all delicious, and an interesting difference from the Claridge's event, which was more typically glamorous.   There was a band in the garden belting out hits and clowns and magicians milling around, entertaining the crowd.   At 8.15pm we were ushered upstairs for speeches and the 'desert stations'.   What are they? I hear you cry.   They were tables with mounds of chocolates, sweets, lolly pops and cupcakes.   On the other side if the room there was a large table, where the caterers made 'food art' - artistically smearing and throwing about glacier cherries, honey comb and various sauces.

At 8.30pm Lady Gaga took to the stage.   Not the real one, no, but an impersonator with long, peroxide blonde hair, and not very many clothes on.   She belted out the hits very tunefully, and, although I generally hate impersonators, she was pretty realistic.  

The dance floor filled up quickly and Nikki and I danced crazily with our fellow eventers.   Once the shapes were well and truly being thrown, I decided to subtly take my London Business School badge off as I didn't want to tarnish their reputation ... (although, personally, I think I could have only boosted it!)