Death By Daiquiri

(Murder Mystery Party)



JAMES says:

I wasn’t a murder mystery virgin before ‘Death by Daiquiri’ on Saturday, but neither was I a seasoned pro. The only time I had done such a thing before was a very lame effort. There were too many people so we had to double up characters, my friend and I were both the murderer and were too drunk to hide it, and some guy fell down the stairs and had to go to hospital so most people lost interest in the solution. This was an entirely different affair. Debbie being Debbie a lot of effort was put into costume and setting. It was set on a ship so we had little hand made port holes, which are still up, and being the captain I had a hat, parrot and telescope. And it really did make the difference. I was slightly worried that people might not be prepared to spend a whole evening in character, but it was surprisingly easy. The food was good, the wine flowed freely and I got to be a captain.Not just a captain, THE captain!

The only problem was with the game itself, which was sparse to say the least. It began with a tape which lasted less than a minute, then as captain (The captain!) I had to read a piece out setting the scene, then everyone introduced themselves, and the questioning began. But, no one actually knew anything that everyone else didn’t, so there was no guile, and you were as likely as not to say something that would be flatly contradicted by the next piece of evidence. And the solution was just plain rubbish, made absolutely no sense, and was a let down for all involved. So the evening was a success despite of not because of the package itself.

My esteemed co-reviewer might disagree however, as he was lumbered with being the comic relief whereas I was the captain. THE captain! A word of warning, though, my friends. Once you’ve spent an evening as a captain, it’s hard to go back. Hey, ho, a Sailor’s life for me then I suppose.

7.4/10

NEILL says:

Charming company, excellent food, fine wine, laughter... on the other hand, it involved me dressed up like a twat, which is an instant -5 at least.

3/10

James and Debbie's Engagement Party

(Social occasion)



JAMES says:

How do you judge a party? Is it the enjoyment of the people there? The amount of alcohol consumed? How much the house was destroyed? Well, I’m going to go along with the first one, because that way my party on Saturday will get the highest score. Everyone certainly seemed to enjoy themselves, and to be honest, how could they not? Barbequed meat, Pimms by the gallon, and the game ‘Bop It’ (like Simon Says, only funkier). There was a big crowd, a constant buzz of conversation, I kept fairly good control over the stereo and the weather couldn’t have been better. It seems almost perverse, then, that I feel a slight twinge of disappointment, for all the wrong reasons. No one made a fool of themselves, we actually gained alcohol, there were no ill-advised couplings, most people caught the last tube home, and for the first time in all the parties I’ve ever had, the bathroom was fine. Maybe we’re getting old, or maybe it’s because most of the people there were my girlfriend’s friends, but it was all just a bit too sophisticated. Still, it meant there was very little cleaning up to do, and I didn’t spend my Sunday skulking in a haze of unspecified guilt, so that’s good.

8.8/10