Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
You Shall Go To The Ball
by admin - 16:56 on 02 February 2013
Despite The Chief Chatterer's premonition, Chatterbox failed in its bid to be named Community Newspaper of the Year at the Highland and Islands Media Awards. We finished second and had to settle for Highly Commended.
The winner was Fios, a Lewis-based fortnightly newspaper. How that and a quarterly magazine can be judged side by side is a mystery.
Our defeat was a particular disappointment because I'd splashed out £40 on an eBay dinner jacket for the black tie Press Ball at the New Drumossie Hotel in Inverness. There are snaps on The Chief Chatterer's phone which may or may not be made public in the fullness of time...
Matchgirl was sad not to be able to take part in a dressy do, but I suspect she'd have quickly grown tired of having to shout over dinner to be heard by her neighbour – the noise was incredible. Sometime we'll return to Boath House for a sophisticated and much quieter night when she'll be able to admire my outfit in peace.
The CC and I left the ball before the music and compulsory drinking turned it into the rowdy affair for which it's become notorious. Journalists and assorted freeloaders at a do sponsored by, amongst others, two drinks firms – what else can one expect?
With us we took our Highly Commended award: a surprisingly drab document, printed in black and white, which appeared to have been designed by someone using Word for the first time. The Chatterbox Citizen of the Year certificate could teach them a thing or two. Not that I'm bitter.
After ballroom glamour I came back down to earth today in a shabby hall at the back of Dingwall Legion where a craft fair and sale turned out to be more of an indoor car boot sale. At least I made a modest profit, which is more than some of the stallholders did. Things can only get better.
Training Update: Marathon Matchgirl today completed thirteen miles without injury. What a star. Her London appearance looks more assured every day.
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