Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

I very rarely talk about work on here in any great detail, mainly because of the job that I do not that it is anything exciting or dangerous – it is admin and accounts but I work in a local naval establishment and just conscious of responsiblity.

However, although I spend a lot of time behind a desk I am involved various other events that go on. One of these is the planning and execution of a Summer Ball and even though it is hard work in the run up to it and it is the tenth I have been involved they are very unique and along with my colleagues we put in a lot of hard work. So I thought I would share a couple of photos with you – the theme this year was Alice in Wonderland….

The Entrance

For the eagle eyed people – that is a cannon (non working) at the front covered in camouflage netting. I was not sure about this entrance but it turned out better than I thought. Sadly for me and perhaps because I have seen so many, the decorations kind of tailed off after this point until you got to where you had your dinner (or the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party)

Marquee

It is difficult to describe the size, this is taken from the far end of a 500 ft marquee and holds 700 people plus dance floor, disco, band and the food plus serving staff. I love the colours and my favourite is the purple, but then it is my favourite.

Some of my input was on the table decorations and table plan (trying to seat 700 people where they want, with who they want, near the dance floor, not near the dance floor, near the food, not in the corner, not near so and so etc requires a degree in diplomacy and broad shoulders).

Table 5 in the 'Club' Leg of the Marquee

Yes the cakes were edible ‘Eat Me’ (and they were delicious!) Not that you can see but the cake stands were also filled with sweets as well. Watching grown men and women trying to work out how to get to them was fairly amusing. Bottle of red wine  ‘Drink Me’ with an ice bucket which held the white wine and champagne.

I walked quite a lot the day of the event (and days before), up and down all them tables putting the table numbers on, then putting all the cakes on to the stands as well. Then checking, double checking and triple checking before the party began and then I can escape to my bed and let them get on with enjoying themselves. When you work somewhere, to then socialise there brings it difficulties and you keep seeing things that are wrong and you never switch off . I enjoy all the preparation and organisation but to enjoy it sometimes is too much of an effort.