Heavenly Beverley : The Night was Dark and Full of Terrors...

Monday 4 July 2016

The Night was Dark and Full of Terrors...

...however, the dunny was lit up like a battleship!

On Saturday evening, after a busy day in the Gallery and the end of the longest election campaign in history, we were, thankfully, off to attend the next exciting event on Beverley's social calendar.

Well, not quite in Beverley. We were bound for Mick and Sue's "Game of Thrones" bonfire night on their property in Bally Bally.

Negotiating our way in the dark - Michael's sense of direction and memory was keen - we arrived at our destination by spotting the cardboard knight at the gate. Except it looked like a robot. Or a Dalek. Which pleased us no end. Being two of the only people in the universe never to have watched "Game of Thrones", we were decidedly at a disadvantage in the costume department. We had dressed for warmth and nothing else.

The bonfire was visible from the road. The party was in full swing. Our hostess, Sue, was resplendent in a medieval frocky outfit, with a flammable red wig on her head. Excellent addition when in close proximity to a fire. Mick the lord and master, cut a dashing figure in his leather, black top, dyed beard, boots, and stockings. Think of "Men in Tights" and you have the picture.

There was a young princess, her dress highlighted by exceedingly medieval thongs, plenty of faux furs, a lot of black smeared over faces and an extraordinary young man, naked from the waist up, decorated with paint, sporting a curved sword on each hip, facing in the direction of his private parts. Fortunately, the night was not entirely freezing, so he was able to manfully expose his chest for a good deal of the party. And he won first prize in the costume competition, probably for extreme bravery or complete foolishness.

The food was excellent - nibblies, soups, and a period-perfect sausage sizzle. The bonfire was the star of the show, allowing us to guide our food and drink to our mouths, engage in conversation with others and have a fair idea of what they looked like and minimise the spilling of vino. The conversation was lively, the surroundings beautiful and as an added advantage, we didn't freeze. And we had the delight of watching a new-fangled drone flying above us and annoying small children and dogs.

We reluctantly took our leave before eleven. We had to negotiate our way home and be bright eyed and bushy tailed to open the Gallery the following morning. Sometimes, having our "weekend" begin on Monday can be somewhat awkward if we want to go out on a Saturday night.

But we would not have missed Mick and Sue's bonfire night for the world. We had an absolute blast. Even if we still have no idea of the plot or characters in "Game of Thrones".