Following on from the other weekends birthday karaoke party, which I only really held for my friends and work colleagues who are all based in London, I held a more traditional barbeque garden party in my back garden last weekend for the rest of my family and local friends, and I could not have asked for a better result.
Normally at parties you have a list of people you invite, some you know will come, some you hope will make it, others in a vein hope they might fit you in and a few more you invite almost out of lip service but not holding out any real expectations for them to make it.
When I drew up my list, there were quite a few of the former and only a handful of the latter invites, with invites going out by email, text but mainly word of mouth.
Sadly my lodger is more than a little sensitive to smoke at the moment, so he and his mini entourage had already RSVP'd in the negative weeks before, which left the list politically open to all if a little bare on numbers.
However I was shocked, stunned and greatly pleased that almost to a man everyone that I invited turned up, and at one stage I remember saying that "barring a handful who I knew could not / would not turn up, everyone that I really care about is here in my garden right now".
But the absolutely greatest thing was that as I had kept the list on the smallish side, I had no constant feeling of waiting for this person or that person to arrive, and so by less than halfway through I was fully relaxed and free from doubt to simply enjoy the evening.
My guests had done me proud, in both numbers and the amount of food and drink that they all brought with them, and classically I ended up with more grog than I started with. What is more my friend and brother in law took turns to tend the barbeque which left me free to float and mingle between all who had arrived and settled in a myriad of mini gatherings.
The night was free from heated arguments or fights, nothing got broken or damaged ( so maybe it falls short of being a true party, hmmm ), different groups of friends met each other for the first time and everyone seemed to have as great a time as I did, which is perhaps the best testament to its success.
I was a tiny bit embarrassed for a few moments when all my sisters and mother attempted to start a new 'Springate Tradition" by getting out scissors and started to trim my overly long lawn, and so before it could become too much of a running joke I got the strimmer out and gave it a quick haircut.
However, now that the tradition is set, I look forward with a large dose of mischief, in being duty bound to bring along a pair of scissors to all their outdoor functions and without exception make a show of finding a least a few blades of grass longer than the rest in need of shearing.
By the time it got really dark, not even the heat from the barbeque or my patio heater could prevent the winds from freezing all those left huddled around the table still munching and drinking, and so we headed inside.
Around midnight I was fading fast, and with only a handful of guests left who were all together laughing and watching Blackadder, I had to call it a night and evict anyone that wasn't intending to stay the night and then shut up shop as it was Monday now and I had to get up for work in only a few short hours.
I doubt I will ever manage to repeat the success of this one, without either having the guests arriving in shifts or by moving to a larger venue, but the relaxed and carefree nature of if all has left yet another warm fingerprint in my memory and soul.
The morning after I was still emotional enough to send round a text to all who came, thanking them for making it a truly amazing party, and I was all the more moved when a flood of replies came back thanking me in return for inviting them ... and a few cheeky ones already asking when the next time would be.
I believe that if everyone had friend and family like mine, and held regular barbeques to share and spread the love then I am sure that the world would be a much greater place to live in, one where wars, crime and hatred just weren't necessary.
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