good day

"Yes, London. You know: fish, chips, cup 'o tea, rainy weather, Mary Poppins... LONDON". A quote censored from the movie Snatch - but you get the point. Great Britain is truly something to experience in your lifetime, and London is the perfect place to start. So plan a travelling party and become smitten with Britain!

INSPIRATION

Travelling Party
For our London inspired travelling party we literally are taking the party on the road. It is not likely that you will be able to take the underground or a double decker, but hold that thought and have a real travelling dinner by having each course of the meal at a different location. Have your guests feel as if they are on a tour bus, and get to hop on and hop off at each touristy attraction, and eat and drink for satisfaction.

Mix it up
Alternatively, host the party at one location, but for each course of the meal: starters, main and dessert; have everyone draw a number out of a hat and set corresponding numbers beneath the plates, where they must be seated for that course.

INVITATION

I'd rather be British
Pin hologramme badges bearing this phrase to bright red invitation cards. Guests can wear these to the party. For a quick and easy invitation print this free template available from the blog hostesswiththemostess.com.

INTRODUCTION

Brits on Board
Organise three party locations all within reasonable driving distance of each other. Invite guests to the meeting point first, aptly named "10 Downing Street" - the residence of the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Fly the Flag
Greet guests with UK flags placed outside your front door, a Union Jack umbrella in the entryway for guests to walk under when then arrive, or hire our appliquéd cotton union jack flag and display it in the hallway!

Pub Crawl
For the first stop, and starters; pick a traditional English Pub, so everyone can have "Two pints and a packet of crisps". Alternatively this is an easy course to host at home as all that is required are some beer glasses and a keg of some good British ale. Throw in some salt and vinegar crisps for good measure.

London Pie
For the main course and second stop, you will want to pull out all the stops. Have cocktail and canapés but all in traditional English style. See our menu suggestions that follow later on in this article.

Tea please!
For dessert, have a high afternoon tea fit for a Queen! Depending on the occasion, you may wish to host only the tea itself.

DECORATION

Patriotic Paper Chains
Make a statement with these fantastic Union Jack paper chains. They look great and lend a patriotic and trendy feel to jazz up any party.

Download our free template at www.ingoodcompany.co.za/GOOD TIMES/DOWNLOADS

Keep Calm and Carry on
Is this not the most inspiring poster? This is a reproduction of the original Keep Calm and Carry On poster produced by the Ministry of Information 1939. Frame this and put this up behind the table available online at the keepcalmandcarryon.com store.

Wish You Were Here
Frame additional posters of popular historical landmarks like the London Tower, House of Parliament, and Big Ben clock tower, and take close-up shots of guests "visiting" their favorite hot spot. Upload the photos to an online gallery so everyone can see them, or - for instant gratification - hire our Polaroid camera and let guests take their photos with them. Be sure to include a marker to scribble "wish you were here!" along the bottom of the Polaroid.

TABLE

Pub and Grub
If you are hosting this leg of the journey in a real pub, then no decorations are required save for a few Union Jack paper chains and flags.

Dinner
Set the table using the 8 essentials (see the article in Issue 1 of Good News) and a few famous British icons like a double decker bus, red letterbox and telephone booth and black taxi cab.

TOP TIP: Flag tablecloth
Create your own "English Flag" table covers: starting with a white tablecloth, then adding strips of red and blue fabric to emulate the look of the flag of England. This can also be done using ribbon or gift-wrapping paper. Or hire our Union Jack flags for the real look!

TOP TIP: Postcards
Use bright Union Jack postcards as menu cards, and place these at each place setting. Postcards of London hotspots can be framed and also set on the table and around the room.

Queen for a Day
For this course, set an authentic English Afternoon Tea: silver high tea cake stands, silver crowns and fill teapots with English red and white garden roses. White linen napkins ringed with silver crowns, and tea bag labels replaced with "Mind the Gap" and "Underground" mini badges.

TOP TIP: Underground Napkin Rings
Make your own British-themed napkin rings out of red ribbon and the London Underground logo - with the guests' names printed where the station name would usually follow. Similarly, print the logo on the Menu card, and ask your guests to "Fill the Gap", as opposed to minding it! Download the template from our website under GOOD TIMES/DOWNLOADS.

MENU

Savoury
Tea sandwiches filled with chicken and tarragon, smoked salmon and cucumber, and prawns and watercress
Mini rolls stuffed with rare roast beef and hot English mustard
Fish and chips served in paper cones
Mini pork bangers and mash on toast
Miniature Cornish pasties
Cold pea soup in shot glasses

Sweet
Bread and butter puddings served in ramekins
Trifle served in shot glasses
Fresh mini scones covered in strawberry jam and clotted cream

Cheers!
For drinks, naturally have beer on tap, but also serve glasses of Pimm's and Gin and Tonics. With flagged straws for added flair! This classic English cocktail is ideal for warmer weather. Here's how to make a deliciously drinkable batch.

Drinking Umbrellas
MATERIALS
Printed template of flag
Bamboo skewers
Prestik
Sticky tape
Scissors
Circle Punch (optional)
Glue Stick

DIRECTIONS
Print free download onto heavy weight paper. Using a circle punch, punch out circles. Alternatively trace a circle around a glass rim on the flag template. Cut out with a sharp pair of scissors. Make one cut from the edge of the circumference to the circle centre. Place glue one side of this cut, and then bend and stick to the other side, flapping over a portion to make a slight conical shape and to resemble an umbrella. Stick with Prestik to the top of a bamboo skewer, or if you have one use a hot glue gun.

Drinking Flags
MATERIALS
Printed template of flags
Bamboo skewers
Sticky tape
Scissors
Glue Stick

DIRECTIONS
Print free download onto heavy weight paper. Cut out each flag with a sharp pair of scissors. Using sticky tape and/or glue stick, wrap an edge of the paper flag around a bamboo skewer. Alternatively use a hot glue gun.

FUN AND GAMES

Tourist Treasure Hunt
As part of travelling around, have a treasure hunt of sorts whereby guests are given a clue as to where the next clue will be at the following location. This can be done in your local area but all with a London theme, for example here is ours in and around Sandton City:
Visit the Buckingham Palace. (Michelangelo)
Experience the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace. (Police Station)
Witness the fountains in Trafalgar Square. (Sandton City Fountain Court)
London Bridge is falling down (The Bridge that joins the Sandton City to Sandton Square)
Tour the Tower of London (Sandton Towers Hotel)
Enjoy the scenic nightlife in Piccadilly Circus (Sandton Square)
Go shopping at Harrod's in Belgravia. (Sandton City itself)
Buy your children toys from Hamley's Toy Store. (Toy's ‘R Us)
Photograph one of the many red phone booths on the city streets. (Phone booths inside Sandton City)
Ride in a traditional London black cab. (Sandton Taxi Rank)
Relive the Harry Potter books (Sandton Library)
Ride the Underground (Sandton Gautrain Stop when it is up and running)
Catch a show at the West End (Theatre on the Square)

You may wish to have additional hints for the harder locations, but then deduct points from the team's tally. Also have a prominent item that will allow your guests to see if they have in fact found the right location - a bright red balloon attached to the next clue would be able to spotted from a distance. Be sure to have an awesome prize for the winners.

Night at the Theatre
Possibly have theatre show tickets as the grand prize, or skip the treasure hunt all together and go and watch a live show: CATS, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia - there is bound to be a West End favourite that is currently on the circuit.
Montecasino Teatro Theatre
www.montecasino.tsogosun.co.za
Johannesburg Civic Theatre
www.showbusiness.co.za

Love is all around
For each team car, make a CD, but only feature British classics:
- The Beatles
- Elton John
- Oasis
- Coldplay
- David Bowie
- George Michael
- Pink Floyd
- The Bee Gees
- Queen etc...

FAVOURS

Souvenirs
Give each guest goodies like British chocolates or biscuits shaped like British icons.
We found great British key rings, which also aptly tie in with the travelling theme!

Candy Cones
Make your own party favours by filling newspaper cones with chocolate or gummy fish sweets and chips. A paper cone could also be made out of our Union Jack Flag template, and stuffed with good old Cadbury's chocolates.