One of the most fun and valuable networking events I’ve been to was the Biscotti morning at Grosvenor Casino in Gloucester Road. Classy venue, good cookies and some amazing people equals an interesting couple of hours chatting about SEO and social media. Jason invited me, my personal trainer. Actually I don’t do any sort of fitness training, if you know me you’ll know that. But it’s pretty cool to say I’ve got one, as well as having someone on tap if I do change my mind. Anyway, we walked together to South Kensington afterwards, so that counts as exercise, right? South Kensington is a fantastic architectural delight, full of graceful Queen Anne style terraces and squares of Victorian Stuccoed houses – bit like my doll’s house, actually – a lovely place to wander.
While making my new LinkedIn contacts, I was reminded of my first visit to a casino, shortly after my eighteenth birthday. I was in Majorca with my mother and we had the equivalent of around today’s £50 in 80’s Spanish currency, which I spectacularly lost on the roulette table in about five minutes. Crestfallen at the thought of ending my playing so soon, my mum announced that if I wanted to play, I’d need to learn to find new friends to play with. So, puffing up our 80’s big hair and slashing red gloss over our lips, we found the bar, conveniently filled with smart suited men who spoke little English, but happily shared an abundance of gaming chips and strawberry daiquiris. I ended up winning, and have been lucky at the roulette table ever since – not that I play often, once or twice a year, and usually only on the 50p tables!! (Yes, Deedub, before you mention it, I know I lost everything the night we celebrated your 40th birthday at the seafront!) So could I be tempted after the Biscotti get together? Of course I could, and a nice magician called Ian suggested we waste a couple of hours playing together, but I declined. 11am is too early for anyone to gamble, isn’t it? Anyway, if you’re in London and you need a personal trainer I’m happy to recommend Jason. But remind me to give you the number of the right bloke – I’ve met seven Jasons since I began networking (the magic number), and the other six are all graphic/web designers who are also DJs or musicians – how weird is that?!
And speaking of DJs… So sad that the world has lost its lovely, classy disco queen. Twitter followers may know that I frequently dance around to Donna Summer during private physio sessions in my bedroom, and I was choked to read on Thursday that she’s gone. I’ve quoted the original diva in this blog before, and there were so many lyrics to choose from today that I just picked the first song that came into my mind. (Well third after Love to Love You and I Feel Love, of course, which probably weren’t appropriate to publish here…) “Heaven knows, I never wanna leave you, heaven knows, I only wanna please you, don’t you know – love is what I need…” Share the love. Here, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter… follow me: @WeekendWitch
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