PARTY, PARTY, PARTY
rPARTY Poilrlos _
FAMOUS FACES
Some folk always get invited to betterbashes
I than you do. And here they
are - 24 hour non-stop party people every one.
I Colin Barrohh. daaarlingl .lust luuri'e that
outfit. .»\bsolutelydivine. darling. Love/v boy.
(‘olin. Always a good
; word for the regularsof
. his underground (ilasgow nightspot. Those he lets
ti-i‘
\j .41" ,, A y , a
in. that is.
lJames Locke The be-spectacled (‘hime who seems to set some female hearts a-i'lutter. l’op stars. ch'.’
l Sam Piacentini Formerly the owner of l‘dinburgh's poseurs' paradise. still a leader of city cafe society. Famed for his intpromptu strips in restaurants(as imortalised in Shavers lht’t’kl'l' ). and his acidic tongue.
I Fred Deacon Stirling ('astle. Murray field Ice Rink . . isnoplacetoo wacky for this man'.’ Show him a venue and he'll have a party organised there before you can say the words ‘Bouncy Castle'.
gli‘” ..
I NB Team Warning! ()n no account allow this degenerate trio admittance to your party. llonestly. they'd let anybody on TV these days.
I Naked Man As his name would suggest. this isone
person easily spotted around town.
Anonymous. but unsttrprisingly associated with Shavers ll't'ek ly. he can be seen letting it all hang loose Just about anywhere you care to look
90 The List 7 — 20 December I990
,.:,t' ‘r i‘ . W pi; ‘ are
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Party girls are spoilt for choice at Glasgow‘s After Dark. which has three different types ofwomen‘s evening dress: short and racy for £25—£30. cocktail frocks for £15—£45. and
full-length ball gowns for £35—£50.
There‘s also a student concession
. system. For the blokes, Moss Bross (Glasgow and Edinburgh) charge
£21.95 or £24.95 for a dinner suit.
depending on whether it‘s single- or . double—breasted. and the length of , hire.
Be the belle ofany Edinburgh ball
' in a gown by Flamingo — from
£3(>—£60 for the weekend. They will
bags. should they be required. The company now offers menswear for hire too. Dinner suits cost between £22 and £26 for two nights' hire. kilts around £38. Accessories are also for hire. with a range of fancy-backed shirts for sale. Cinderella Ballgowns hire out a vast range ofexclusive dresses. plus hair bands and various other bits and pieces. Expect to pay £25—£55 for a weekend hire.
Presumably. ifyou don‘t return them by then. they turn into pumpkins or white mice. or something.
Anyway. for the boys. Frasers charge £20 for a black double-breasted suit, or £27 including shirt and tie. Or ifyou want to indulge in a display of national pride. Roger oi the Royal Mile will hire you a little Highland number. An outfit with an Argyle jacket. suitable for both day and evening wear. costs £30 from Thursday to Monday. An outfit with a Montrose or Prince Charlie jacket will set you back £35. Children‘s hire costs £25. It‘s also worth noting that they‘ll give you a reduction for block bookings. so it might be wise to trot down there together.
After Dark] Low Road, Glasgow (04] 8402340). Cinderella Ballgowns 13 West (.‘rosscauseway. Edinburgh (0316675255). Flamingo? Dundas Street, Edinburgh (031 2263669). Frasers 45 Buchanan Street, Glasgow (04] 221 3880); 43 George Street, Edinburgh (0312263016). Moss Bros 23 Ron field Street, Glasgow (04] 248 7571). Roger of the Royal Mile 1/ High Street, Edinburgh (03] 55 73979).
FANCYDRESS IRE
What drives grown men (and women) to dress as bunny rabbits and the like I really don‘t know. but should you feel the bunting desire to do just that then The Party Shop can oblige with the odd furry animal outfit or 800. ()n the other hand. you could become Andy Pandy instead — £14 for the weekend.
And if that wasn't enough choice. Theatrical Hires have over 18.000 others for you to take your pick from
K- PARTY ANECDOTES
J. PUD SMITH
9
The defining line between a good party and the merely gate-crashed, is its anecdotal quality. lfyou don’ttalk about it then it wasn't memorable. If attending a party, it‘s important to amass memorable happenings with which to regale yourfriends later. If you are hosting a party, you will wish to stop any of these memorable happenings as they will cause discomfort to you, your landlord or your pets.
Most people have a favourite party
anecdote which invariably happened to ‘a friend’, particularly if it involves depositing the contents of their stomach on the dining room table. (As most of the best stories involve something depraved and/or embarrassing it is best that they are not directly attributable to you). Crucially, throwing up, which happens at the best parties, should not be hidden. Many a good anecdote is lost simply because the ‘chucker‘ didn't have the presence of mind or the guts, to be brazen about their over-indulgence. At the time, being ill into the goldfish bowl may seem depraved and disgusting, as indeed it will during the retelling. But, everyone will want to bring it up again as a sign that they have attended a good party.
The golden rule when stuck for an anecdote is simply make one up.
' Drinking the fluid from a smoke
machine, eating dog food, rewiring the house, hiding the kids in the fridge or nailing a set of garden furniture to the
; ceiling are all plausible if you’re
- smashed enough. The replaying oi
Grateful Dead albums at 78 rpm for two or three hours does not, however, make for either a good party or a good party anecdote. (Ross Parsons)
-~ animal. clown or period costumes from £15 for the weekend. They advise booking in advance for the more popular outfits — at the moment. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are going like hot cakes (or should that be pizzas?)
Moving right along eastwards, if you‘re an Edinburgh-based animal-impersonator. Kitbag is one place you could try. For a mere £8—£25 . choose from over 300 costumes. including completely over-the-top historical outfits and specialised military uniforms.
With the festive season fast approaching. Christmas puddings may be more your scene. Try Smackers. who have that very costume in stock. as well as chickens, gorillas. priests. etc.
Those with a theatrical bent should already know about Mutrie’s. Edinburgh‘s famous theatrical outfitters. who once boasted a range of300.000 costumes. Now they‘re down to a mere 3000. but there‘s no shortage ofchoice. Disney characters are among the most popular. but historical outfits. clowns and French maids are always available. Your best bet is to drop in on a Thursday. as there are no bookings. and the charge is normally a flat rate of£14 (plus £10 returnable deposit) for three days. Turtles are banned. though.
Kitbag 2/6 [)alkeith Road,
Edinburgh (03/ 667 7345). The Party Shop 2 7‘) .S'ata'hiehall Street, Glasgow (041332 4479). Smackers 103 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh (03]
55 75695). Theatrical Hires 152 Park Road, Glasgow (0413344900).
CATERERS
If you‘re planning a party where your guests will actually expect to be fed. impress them by using the services of Gondane’s. which can cope with
: unlimited numbers. and charges
from £3.90—£7.45 per head for a cold
; buffet. lf'you‘d prefer something
more exotic. The Barcelona Restaurant does Tapas buffets oflight and unusual Spanish delicacies for 15 to 300 people at around £5 per head. They recently catered for the launch of ‘Sarafina‘. the Sowetan musical. in aninterestingmeetingofcultures. ; Kensington’s First Choice is also accustomed to coping with large numbers. and does anything from smoked salmon dinners to steak and chips for parties — prices vary accordingly. Buffets from £5 to £40 perhead.
[fits all getting a bit much for you, Wheatsheaf Catering provide a
complete planning and
i administration service for all types of
private entertainment. and as ‘recommended caterers at many of the country‘s finest buildings‘. they can also arrange special and unusual venues. Just leave it all in their hands
Edinburgh's Le Bistro Caterers are a friendly bunch who provide a service for both indoor and outdoor events. specialising in commercial catering.