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To the William Loveless Hall on Saturday evening for the [insert calendar reference frame for this week...]

Yep, these blog posts seem to write themselves of late, with Mr Loveless’ grand old hall (steady) along the High Street in Wivenhoe seemingly becoming my cultural hub for all things ACE.

Saturday night was no exception. If it’s the first week in the January, then the diary much surly read: The Wivenhoe Society Annual Post-Christmas Party.

Cripes.

Long may it continue, with our first Post-Christmas-ing with the Wiv Soc lot already shaping up as a Wivenhoe social highlight of the year. What I simply love about these events is the opportunity to actually sit down and speak with the faces that you see around the town. Everyone has a story to tell, and Saturday evening at the Loveless was no exception.

But first, about that dress code.

Oh Lordy.

There wasn’t any dress code, as such - this is Wivenhoe, dahhhling. It still didn’t stop the drama fashion Queen, um, @AnnaJCowen from spending half the afternoon being fitted out for her best party frock. The girl scrubbed up well, albeit a bit of a tight squeeze.

As for the Dandy About Town?

Um…

I went for the suited and booted look, but without the suit, if you see what I mean. Never mix your jacket and jeans, I was once instructed by a fine chap. But 501′s with a blue jacket gave me the 50 / 50 option of playing the percentage stake in avoiding a fashion faux pas. I still looked as though I had just burned up the Wivenhoe Trail on my MTB.

With initial concerns that we may lower the average age of Wiv Soc by three score years, our fears were soon forgotten when we realised that we might even by the oldest swingers (steady) in town. Yep, Wiv Soc may be a slightly more mature crowd, but there was still space at the Loveless Hall for some local bright young things.

With tables allocated, we nervously shifted along to table number six. No worries - a brief smile and a twirl from the Good Lady Wife and we were in business. Table six was the party table, with our charming dining (and drinking) companions welcoming the Lady and the Tramp.

I really should listen to rockabilly a lot more often. But maybe not at the same time as dining. All that jit jiving however proved to be the perfect dining companion as aperitifs were served.

Ah yes - about the Wiv Soc menu: this was not yer basic Co-op mix ‘n match basket of delights. A banquet had been lovingly prepared that was worthy of the finest company within Wivenhoe. Table six was called up to the buffet, and one of my fellow dining companions even punched the air.

YES!!!!

Geddin there.

Despite a well-attended event, there was even scope for seconds. I had to hold back @AnnaJCowen as she suggested that some quiche could quite easily fit into her handbag. I’m not sure what surprised me the most - the bare faced cheek of the lady, or the fact that she actually managed to find a handbag.

The back room in the Loveless doubled up as an incredibly cheap bar. Only forty-eight hours previous and I was plotting in the very same room the future of the Station Master’s House with the lovely TTW folk. All talk of sustainability somehow managed to transfer to the wine conversation. I think we’re in safe hands on both fronts.

And then cometh the hour, cometh the Dad Dancing. It was a good sign that as soon as the excellent Judith Charmers [it's an Essex thing] struck up the opening chords for Weather With You, and half the Hall took to the dance floor.

We danced a lot. And laughed a lot, both at ourselves and the complete lifestyle transformation that twelve months earlier had seen @AnnaJCowen and I fitting in rather badly in trying to be the coolest kids in town back down in deepest South London.

The music was rather ace, and it took something of a local stand off to allow Judith Chalmers to actually leave the stage shortly after midnight and lights on time.

And so fantastic food, marvelous music and a bit of self-loathing with a smile. Our memories of the evening however will be of the warmth of the Wivenhoe Society in welcoming a couple of wardrobe challenged new faces into the community.

Wiv Soc itself is incredibly active within Wivenhoe. Although the party was ace, much of the work is of a campaigning nature, highlighting local issues and trying to improve the town and it’s profile.

I think we will get on just fine.

Many, many thanks to Jean, Pat and the rest of the Wivenhoe Society team for such a wonderful evening. The food preparation alone was stunning, with fine company on the evening to match.