Saturday, May 13, 2006

What I saw as night fell

I went to a cocktail party tonight at Adelaide's Carrick Hill, to celebrate the 60th birthday of the colourful character who owns the bookshop that I mind for her on Saturdays. Went straight from the bookshop, in fact, pausing only to dust myself down and swap the trainers for suede boots with heels and the cardy for a figured velvet coat.

The Downers were among the guests, if that gives you any idea of what sort of Adelaide do this was. Whenever I think I'm going to feel intimidated by what other people are wearing, I bring out the filigree-fine necklace of silver teardrops from Tiffany's that my best mate gave me for one of my own major birthdays, so I had that on as well.

Great party, good speeches, fab food, saw a couple of people I adore, and heard a really, really happy-making piece of gossip. But the highlight of the evening was the view back across the Adelaide plain as I walked down the path towards the party. This is actually the view from a different angle and rather higher up and further away than Carrick Hill, but you get the gist:



8 comments:

Ampersand Duck said...

If it was anything like the full moon rising over Canberra last night, I know what you mean. And my suburb is named after Alexander's father or grandfather, so I guess I had a Downer at my gorgeous experience too :)

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Heh!

R.H. said...

Why didn't you ring me up, I'd have come too - just for a squiz at those sparklers!
Tiffany's. Golly. You don't mess around.
Well lucky I didn't show up, we might have been Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in 'To Catch a Thief'.
And you'd be hoping for George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn of course. ha ha ha.

(Bloody dames. All the same)

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Yes, RH, you would have been a good date for that gig. You would have fitted right in with the poets and such.

I was wearing Chanel No. 5, too. You're right, we are all the same. And cats are really just little tiny women in fur coats.

R.H. said...

That's right.

But some are big women in bear suits.

ha ha ha!

Watch out RH!

ha ha ha.

Listen, chanel No. 5 ain't good enough. Not for you, I'm getting you No.1, okay?

(The worst shows are on chanel 10)

Zoe said...

Tell us the gossip Pav - did you find Alexander in a cupboard with a waiter or something?

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Nothing so colourful, alas. His wife is a friend of the (vocally Labor-supporting) birthday girl's and he had made it, late and unexpectedly, to the party. When I got to the carpark on my way out, there was a large glitzy white car with interesting number plates parked diagonally straight across the exit with its lights on. Either it was his driver or we were all under surveillance.

Anonymous said...

I like the idea that the wife of the Foreign Minister keeps going to parties full of people that need to be serveiled for the nation's good.

Make him wrinkle his fishnets as he dances up and down with rage.

- barista