(Picture of overall winning entry by Katie Bolton by Ed Waring)
Guest Blog Post by Angie of Aspinall Ink
After all the tweets about jellies, pimped up snacks, straw bales, space hoppers and the need for guests to sign disclaimers (for health and safety), who knew what to expect from the big Jelly Wobble party to celebrate the Culture Vultures’ 2nd birthday?
Well, if guests were expecting a warm welcome, a bouncy castle and lots of jellies, then they weren’t going to be disappointed!
On spotting the tell-tale signs of substance abuse of a certain ‘white powder’ in the lift, I could tell this was going to be my kind of party: yes, there were Sherbert Dip Dab packets everywhere.
The lift deposited us on the 3rd floor of Munro House, the space had been transformed into an Aladdin’s cave of retro delights from the seventies . As well as a liberal helping of Sherbet Dip Dabs, the lovely Culture Vultures had also sprinkled the surroundings with a generous helping of Tutti Fruttis, lollipops and marshmallows. Guests were at liberty to simply ‘eat’ their way around the room. The only food that guests were not allowed to eat were the jellies because, for one night only, the humble jelly had been elevated from party food from our childhood to the status of ‘art’.
The works of art were displayed with the reverence normally bestowed upon giant marrows at country shows, but show was the serious nature of the competition.
There were four categories: Colourful, Toxic, Savoury and ‘Damien Hirst’. But, how to choose a winner..?
“You need to find the lady with the bowl of shrimps so you can vote.”
This prompted me to say words I never thought I’d say – especially to a total stranger, “Could you put my shrimp in the KY jelly, please?” But I digress…
Besides the ingenious illuminated ‘KY’ jelly, there were also jelly cupcakes, body parts, a shark in jelly and even an audible jelly which gave us a performance.
In addition to these, there were pimped up snacks including a giant Malteser made up of lots of other Maltesers and possibly the world’s largest Rice Krispie buns (by the caterers Create Leeds).
As well as all this and the retro entertainment, à la children’s parties of the seventies, which included not only an Eliminator (pictured), space hoppers and a giant DoodleArt mural for guests to colour in; there was also a Fri Spray graffiti ‘wall’. And, after a few drinks, guests got all artistic with the ‘spray can’ with some amazing, albeit transient, results.
This was a great networking event, a celebration, a christening of the new premises but, most of all, it was a great party. Happy birthday to the The Culture Vulture!
By Angie Aspinall of Aspinall Ink
Looks neat! Certainly opportune to find this kind of quality.