IAS barbeque 2013 – anyone seen Kanga?
The Kensington Roof Gardens had more than a hint of Australia about it on Monday night as the IAS BBQ 2013 went Down Under for a night of food, drink and networking. Never ones to miss out on a bit of socialising, NovaLoca sent a small army to West London to join in the fun. With cork hat, Aussie flag and inflatables Kanga and Croc to complete the outing, we went up six floors in the lift and out onto the terrace of this fantastic venue 100 ft above the High Street.
The relaxed ambiance and warm evening paved the way for a party atmosphere and the readily available drinks were well appreciated. A good number in attendance made an effort with props or dress of an Australian theme and it wasn’t long before the tremendous smells of the BBQ started to fill the air.
At that point we were off to join the queue, load up the plates from the selection of fine cuisine on display in the covered Tudor Walkway, and then find space at one of the tables to devour.
Good conversation with fellow diners was enjoyed and Miranda even had success setting an appointment for the following day in Birmingham!
After eating the main focus started to centre on the surfboard challenge that began to take shape in the Tudor Garden. This was not for the faint hearted – or heavily inebriated! Only two of the NovaLoca team were brave enough to take on the challenge, with Jenny outperforming Ollie on the surf while receiving plenty of encouragement and praise from the near-all-male audience!
It was then time to hit the dance floor and finish the night with a boogie – the Croc in particular making some smart moves.
Kanga was last seen in the Spanish Garden as only Croc made it home. Thankfully the NovaLoca team had better luck and remained in one piece (just!) as the night drew to a close.
There were a few sore heads the following morning but plenty of laughs with stories recollected of another great night meeting up with our friends – old and new – of the IAS. Roll on 2014.
Chris Tembey
