Popped along to the Afternoon Tea put on by The Adventurists on Saturday afternoon. It was held in the Round Chapel in Hackney, a cool old venue made all the cooler by the Hendricks Gin Bar set up for the occasion.
The Adventurists stated aim is to make the world less boring. They do this by organising events like the Mongo Rally and the Rickshaw Run with a rallying call of ‘Do they self a mischief.’ My kind of people, in other words.
The guest speaker on Saturday was Sir Chay Blyth, a famous round-the-world yachtsman. I must admit I was a little concerned what a Knight of the Realm would make of an organisation like The Adventurists. But his first adventure – rowing across the Atlantic without any idea about what he was doing – was right up their street. He did seem a little obsessed with Princess Anne though. Indeed, the last slide of his Powerpoint demonstration proclaimed that his proudest achievement was his relationship with her. Sadly, there was no further information divulged on just what that relationship is/was.
Most of the people who attend the Afternoon Teas have been on an Adventurist adventure or are about to set off on one. It’s great to eavesdrop on their tales of woe and derring-do, whether that’s on the road or, before, getting their visas. In fact, I spent the whole journey on the rail replacement bus from Highbury and Islington listening to a bunch of Aussies telling the tale of how they got their visas for all the ‘Stans for the upcoming Mongo Rally.
I was almost tempted to ask if they had room for one more.
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