London calling - Charity begins in a fabulous home
Out on an evening of social networking, Joe Fountain comes across the perfect venue for a party.
Yesterday, Significant Other and myself were invited to an evening of social networking in what has got to be one of the best locations I have ever been in: An 18th century house on the corner of Soho Square and Greek Street that for the last 160 years has been known as The House of St Barnabas-in-Soho, and has served as a refuge for the homeless. Neither myself, nor SO are the social networking type, I have to say, but a friend was hosting the event so we thought we had to make the effort.
It turned out to be a very pleasant evening. The networking came in aid of a good cause, and it was actually very good to hang out with people who are not usually the kind of people I'd mix with. Coming from a world where the length of a skirt or the height of a heel are considered to be The Most Important Thing, it's refreshing - and a bit humiliating - to spend time with people who are involved and committed in helping those less fortunate and are very passionate about it. Of course, being the way I am, I kept getting distracted by the rococo carvings on the ceiling of the drawing room, and its view over Soho Square, but that's just the way I am. In fact, I've already got the room on the top of my list of potential birthday party venues - if I decide to have a birthday party, that is. Forty-one doesn't really have a celebratory ring to it, does it?
As I flitted from one group of people to another, as you do after a few glasses of bubbly, I began to realise that I wasn't the only one in the room looking at the house with ulterior motives: A gay couple were considering the garden - which comes complete with a tree apparently planted by Huguenots, and was also the model, as was the house, of the lodgings used by Dr Manette and Lucy in A Tale of Two Cities - as the venue for their civil union next spring; a young artist wanted to hold an exhibition in the chapel (you'd be amazed what lies behind those Soho façades!). At least that made me feel a lot less frivolous.
I was surprised by the number of e-mails and messages that arrived last week complaining at the fact that rather than regaling you all with tales of what it feels like to be cohabiting, I moaned about the tube strike. So, for those of you who are interested: All is well and good. There have been a few settling in problems - as I had expected, especially since this is my first experience of it - but all seems to be plain sailing at the moment. Flatmate has now found herself a smart little place in Pimlico and will be moving out at the end of the month, so it'll be chaos here for the next couple of weekends. And then it'll be time to hit the shops again, which is when I fear the dramas will start. I'm fastening my seat belt already.
It turned out to be a very pleasant evening. The networking came in aid of a good cause, and it was actually very good to hang out with people who are not usually the kind of people I'd mix with. Coming from a world where the length of a skirt or the height of a heel are considered to be The Most Important Thing, it's refreshing - and a bit humiliating - to spend time with people who are involved and committed in helping those less fortunate and are very passionate about it. Of course, being the way I am, I kept getting distracted by the rococo carvings on the ceiling of the drawing room, and its view over Soho Square, but that's just the way I am. In fact, I've already got the room on the top of my list of potential birthday party venues - if I decide to have a birthday party, that is. Forty-one doesn't really have a celebratory ring to it, does it?
As I flitted from one group of people to another, as you do after a few glasses of bubbly, I began to realise that I wasn't the only one in the room looking at the house with ulterior motives: A gay couple were considering the garden - which comes complete with a tree apparently planted by Huguenots, and was also the model, as was the house, of the lodgings used by Dr Manette and Lucy in A Tale of Two Cities - as the venue for their civil union next spring; a young artist wanted to hold an exhibition in the chapel (you'd be amazed what lies behind those Soho façades!). At least that made me feel a lot less frivolous.
I was surprised by the number of e-mails and messages that arrived last week complaining at the fact that rather than regaling you all with tales of what it feels like to be cohabiting, I moaned about the tube strike. So, for those of you who are interested: All is well and good. There have been a few settling in problems - as I had expected, especially since this is my first experience of it - but all seems to be plain sailing at the moment. Flatmate has now found herself a smart little place in Pimlico and will be moving out at the end of the month, so it'll be chaos here for the next couple of weekends. And then it'll be time to hit the shops again, which is when I fear the dramas will start. I'm fastening my seat belt already.