Given the fact that we had only announced the event the previous week it was quite pleasing to see about 40 turning up for all or part of the evening.

As I hope the pictures show the venue – the terrace of the National Liberal Club – was superb and the food was really excellent.

This was the first time that we had had a sit-down element for the meal and this worked well. The informality of a barbecue meant that many people flipped from table to table.

As a follow-up I particularly liked this comment posted by Andy Cooke yesterday –Off Topic: I’ve just been told off by my 14-year-old daughter:

Her “So how was your barbecue thing on Thursday”
Me “Really good, thanks. I got to meet …”
Her [cuts me off with a musing tone and an evil smile] “You know, that’s a really bad example to set me …”
Me “How so?”
Her “Well, you went to a party to meet up with a bunch of strangers you met online …”
Me [seeing the point] “It’s different. It’s a well-regarded website, I know what I’m doing, and I really don’t think that the circumstances would have me in danger”
Her “Yeah, no teenage girl would ever say that, right?”
Me [rallying after a chance to think] “Sadly, there are people around who stalk teenage girls, while there really aren’t many who stalk men in their thirties”
Her “You haven’t been to my school then. I know a load of girls who would happily stalk David Tennant …”

[I surrender, outgunned]

Many thanks to Peter the Punter for the organisation and to Augustus Carp who is a member of the club.

The next event – with PB’s “Friends in the North” This is being organised by Howard Stevenson (AKA london..london) and those interested should email him here.

Mike Smithson