GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER ? ..... BY INVITATION .....

For our Invitation Only post this month, we have to choose a restaurant and ten famous/well known people ( living or dead but no relatives or Jesus !! )  to be our guests at our fantasy dinner party, which can be held at home or anywhere we desire, with me and my significant other. Apologies to my overseas readers who might not know a couple of my guests ! I have done this before and, my choices change daily but, these are the people that popped into my head today.

We will be eating at Les Trois Garcons. Housed in a converted Victorian pub, dating from 1880, in Shoreditch in the east end of London, it's like stepping into a weird and wonderful fairytale. 

The clutter inside this wonderful restaurant is an ever changing cavalcade since the trois garcons, who own the place, are always putting items up for sale. Stuffed animals dressed in tiaras, handbags and Murano glass ceiling lamps are just some of the treasures in this Aladdin's cave.

Well heeled diners have been flocking to try the French food for over a decade.

We will all be sitting here, at the Chef's table.

My first guest is Russell Brand. A controversial choice for some of you but, Russell Brand really makes me laugh. He is eccentric, alternative and rather endearing and, probably a somewhat dangerous choice but, let's live dangerously !

Christopher Guest is an American screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor and comedian. I love a lot of the work that he has done but, in particular, This is Spinal Tap and Best in Show. They were brilliant and still are. I actually watched This is Spinal Tap for the zillionth time, last night.

My next guest is Barbara Huliniki. She was the founder of the iconic clothes store Biba . I would be in Biba at least twice a week in my late teens and early twenties and I would love a chat with her.

I am classing Peter Cook and Dudley Moore as one guest as you can't have one without the other. I have laughed 'till I cried watching them, especially when they did Derek and Clive ..... breathtakingly obscene but exceptionally funny !!

I love Helena Bonham Carter's off the wall sense of style and how she sticks two fingers up to walking the red carpet ! .......... also, she might bring Tim Burton and Johnny Depp with her as they all seem to do EVERYTHING together !!!!

The British artist, David Hockney, was an important contributor to the Pop Art movement in the '60's and still is today.  His current exhibition at The Royal Academy, ' A Bigger Picture', is wonderful.

Barry Humphries was a patient where I used to work and lived in the flat above the surgery. He is a lovely man, so funny and very clever.  A great asset to any dinner party.

Julia Davis is one of my favourite comedy writers and wrote and performed in two of my best loved dark comedies, 'Nighty Night and Human Remains.

I shall be sitting in between my last two guests ..... there will be no arguments ..... it's MY dinner party !!

Eoin Macken is an English actor who is currently in the BBC series Merlin. We love Merlin and, Eoin makes it just that little bit more enjoyable, playing Sir Gwaine.

..... and, last but definitely not least, Richard Armitage. Another English actor,  famous for quite a few parts that he has played but I loved him for playing Guy of Gisborne in the BBC series of Robin Hood. ( I feel a theme going on here !! ).

He will also be seen at the end of the year in The Hobbit.

Audrey Hepburn said:

I love people who make me laugh.

I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh.

It cures a multitude of ills.

It's probably the most important thing in a person.

I thoroughly agree Audrey !!

To see who everyone else has invited to dinner and where they are dining, go over to Marsha @ Splenderosa , who has links to all of the other By Invitation participants.

images 1 & 6: via lounge lover, images 2 & 3: via UK restaurant guide, image 4: via London markt, image 5: via travel memo, image 7: via google, image 8: via photos lucy who, image 9: via Sky Arts, image 10: via rubenerd, image 11: via pinterest, image 12: via truefusion, image 13: via  the age, image 14: via Tumblr, image 15: via eoin macken.com, image 16: via All things Armitage, image 17: via Zsa Zsa Bellagio

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !!!! ..........

Well, well, well ..... It only seems like yesterday that I posted OMG.....60 today, and now another year has gone by and today I have reached the dizzy heights of 61 !!!! The older you get, the quicker it goes. Note to self ..... squeeze in even more things this year than last !!

As you can see by my face , I can't quite believe how quickly time flies !!!!! 

Anyway, today it's all about ME !!!!   Time to celebrate ..... last year I managed to make my birthday last about a fortnight so, let's see if I can make it last even longer this year !!!!

I think that this cake is a little more appropriate as I am rapidly approaching my dinosaur years !!!! haha ......

By about 5.00 p.m. this evening, I am hoping to be at about this stage with more to come.

Here's to another wonderful year, full of fun, laughter and good times and, I just hope it doesn't go as quickly as last year !!

Thanks so much for all of your support, lovely comments and blogging friendship and I shall raise my glass to all of my blogging friends ..... probably more than once today !!!! 

images 1 & 2: via me, image 3: via Brown dress with white dots, image 4: via  the sweetest occasion, image 5: via Bathwater

STRICTLY GERSHWIN AT THE LONDON COLISEUM ..... THE ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET .....

The London Coliseum is an opera house on St. Martin's Lane in central London and is one of London's largest and best equipped theatres. It opened in 1904 and was designed by theatrical architect Frank Matcham, who also designed the famous London Palladium.

The other night, we went to see The English National Ballet's interpretation of Strictly Gershwin. It's a dazzling celebration of the sparkling age of Hollywood music and dance.

There is always so much to look at in London, even as you walk from the station to the theatre ..... I always remember someone telling me years ago that, when walking in any city, town or village, anywhere in the world, to always look UP as well as DOWN ..........

..... there are so many wonderful architectural details to be seen .....

.....even in the pub !!

..... in the shop windows .....

..... even before the performance, the theatre has some beautiful details to look at .....

The interiors of London theatres are so beautiful ..... yes, I am that woman taking loads of photos of the theatre right up until the lights dim ..... anyway, curtain up and strike up the band .....

Combine Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris ( amongst many more of Gershwin's compositions ) with sensational choreography and you conjure up the Silver Screen genius of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly. It's a glittering journey in dance from ballet to tap, ballroom to jazz, climaxing in a breathtaking finale.

I'm off now to practice my arabesque and pas de deux .....

I just can't seem to get them quite right !!!!

image 1: via Grant Smith, image 2: via Travel Stay, images 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14: via ME, image 4: via Gerrod, image 5: via brown dress with white dots, image 15: via tickets inventory, images 16 & 17:  via The London Coliseum, image 18: via Northampton Chronicle, image 19: via Southwark Carers, image 20: via Stop Traffic Clothing, image 21: via Pear Tree, image 22: via Zsa Zsa Bellagio

..... A LITTLE TIED UP .....

Have been somewhat tied up, helping to move our son, daughter-in-law and grandson into their Victorian home. As they have been living with us for a few months while everything went through, having sold their flat a while ago, they now have the luxury of moving in at their leisure.

After getting the keys on Thursday, we have been gradually moving them in but, they are now on their own, apart from some help with painting & babysitting !!

Most of their possessions are now in their new home and they can now start making it theirs .

Here's wishing them many happy times in their new home....

..... &, if you haven't seen them already, here's a video of the spectacular London fireworks, bringing in 2012, the music having been mixed by our son for the second year running.

They were even more amazing than last year so well done Dan ..... another proud moment for your Mum and Dad !!

image 1: via Pretty Stuff, image 2: via House Move Checklist, images 3, 4, & 5: via Love French Bulldogs, images 6 & 7: via The Little Corner, image 8: via Zsa Zsa Bellagio.

Video via You Tube from the BBC.