london's calling

A great British affair to say farewell to friends, on their way to visit the Queen and country!

REAL GOOD PARTY ADVICE

Use colours boldly
Our signature colours were naturally bright red and bold primary blue, with touches of white. This is most effective is in the tablecloths, table runners and cocktail napkins we used on all the tables. These colours were also carried through to the paper cups and plates.

Fly the flag!
We used the Union Jack everywhere from cupcake toppers to drinking straws. Simply find a clipart image of your chosen country and repeat this image numerous times. Then print, cut and stick to toothpicks, bamboo skewers and drinking straws. We also cut triangles out of red, blue and white paper card, stapled this to ribbon and made bunting.

Tea for two?
For table centrepieces, we filled up red and white teapots, creamers and sugar pots with English red and white roses. You can also use white teacups if one runs out of teapots.

Open the pub
Set up a good old local corner pub. In addition to pints of beer, hand out classic British drinks like Pimm's and gin and tonic. Both are so easy to make, especially in bulk.

Beefeater
Serve up a traditional British feast but cocktail style. We had roast beef and mustard cocktail rolls, mini pork pies, pork sausage rolls and sausages (aka bangers), mini cornish pasties and cucmber sandwiches of course! And our favourite dish? We ordered in paper cones filled with fried fish and hot chips!

Cupcake tower of London
As this was an evening function we moved away from a traditional English afternoon tea menu, but still wanted something sweet, so we made and decorated cupcakes in the national colours. These were displayed on white tiered cake stands and each cupcake topped off with a cherry and a flag.

Let me entertain you
For music we delegated this to the boys and their iPod gadgets, but made it compulsory that only British musicians be played, think The Beatles, Robbie Williams, Elton John (okay we confess we played that - not the guys!)

Postman Pat
For a guestbook of sorts, and tying in with the „Off to the UK" farewell theme, we made a traditional British red letterbox, by simply covering a tin can of powdered milk with red cardboard. Then cut a black circle for the top and botton. Cut a slit for the letters and printed in bold black letters: LETTERS! Each guest was asked to write a postcard to Dave & Celeste that would be posted throughout the year from SA to the UK saying a friendly SA "howzit!" The postcards featured all stunning photographic images of SA - we made sure we included some sunny ones!

TABLECLOTHS, TABLE RUNNERS, TEASETS AND CAKE STANDS IN GOOD COMPANY
RED ROSES AND BARBETON DAISIES, PAPER PLATES, CUPS NAPKINS AND PLASTIC STRAWS FLOWERSPOT
FOOD PLATTERS THE BREAD BASKET
FISH AND CHIPS SOMETHING FISHY
POSTCARDS CNA