The Glitz of the Awards ceremony

OK so really cross as my post has just disappeared and I need to start allover.

So just come back from the Charity Tart's annual outing to the tartiest event of all - the Institute of Fundraising's Annual Awards ceremony. Held at a central London Hotel (OK Edgware Rd) - the event brings together charity tarts from across the country.

Starting with a Champagne reception - well more of a sparkling wine reception really. Really not to Charity Tart's standards. I mean don't these people know the difference? I bet the conversation went something like this:
"OK so shall we have Champagne or sparkling wine"
"What's the difference?"
"Well...about £7 I think"
"That's good then - sure no one will notice the difference"

I mean I say...it tasted as though the wine had been doused in honey to create a kind of tepid meade rather than a crisp dry cool glass of bubbles.

So suitably fed up the evening progressed. The endless round of award categories for people you have never heard of continued. Made better, however, by my fellow tarts constructing a betting game on each category using matchsticks (hard to get hold of in these non-smoking days of hotels). We placed our bets and soon a system developed - never bet on the first announced and go for the current causes of the moment. So there were prizes for flood relief in Yorkshire and Prostate and Breast Cancer - all wholly predictable.

Lifetime acheivement went to a bod from theNational Trust who had worked there for 16 years (!) and the award for best up-and-coming fundraiser went to the prettiest nominee with the shortest skirt - fickle, moi?

All in all a reasonable night - thank goodness it's only once a year - I don't think I could stand the excitement more often...and who was that celeb doing the intros...Breakfast sport presenter - when?!!