Tag Archives: parties

Sweet and Sugary

Posted on by

If this has got you craving some of the fluffy goodness, we can certainly help! At Red Masque, we have a great selection of Candy Floss options for your party entertainment, amongst lots of other sweet treats.

Candy floss carts from party suppliers are a great feature at any event. Your guests can grab a stick (or bag) of the sugary stuff from our friendly fun experts, or see a demonstration on how to make the Candy Floss, before having a go themselves.
If popcorn is more your thing, then a popcorn machine is just the thing for your event, whether it be a birthday party, wedding or corporate event. That sweet smell of popcorn will draw all of your guests in and have them coming back for more and more!

Cotton Candy, also known as Candy Floss, Fairy Floss, Papa’s beard and even Old Woman’s Hair is made by spinning flossine sugar. The first records of Candy Floss in Europe date back to the 18th century, with it becoming popular in 1904 after the invention of the candy floss spinning machine we are all now familiar with. It was in April of that year that Candy Floss was taken to the World’s Fair where over 68,000 boxes were sold for 25 cents each (approx. £4 today), which was half the cost of admission! It was clear from this day onwards that candy floss would be extremely popular for people of all ages.

Sweet treats don’t stop there though, if you are planning an event for next summer and would like a sweet treat to cool your guests down, Ice cream bike hire will do just that! Alternatively, if you would like a healthier treat, fruit selection carts would be great.

Everyone loves Hollywood

Posted on by

Hollywood parties are perfect for dinner parties, a cocktail party, or as part of an Oscar watching party! It is a great opportunity to highlight an adult birthday party by making the birthday guest the “star!”

Hollywood Theme Invitations
Print details on a ½ sheets of cardstock, cut into a star shape and decorate with glitter.
Create an invitation that looks like a movie ticket.
Create an invitation that looks like a movie poster.
Use a basic, very elegant invitation, something that would go out for the Oscars.

Hollywood Decorations
A Red Carpet Runner is a must!
Incorporate Gold Stars into your decorations
Hollywood Scene Setters are a great way to transform your party space fast!
Use Movie Popcorn Buckets
Own a Movie Director Chair? Time to get it out to use as seating at the party.
Hollywood Clapboards can be used as signs for food, as decorations, or scattered around the room.
Hang up Movie Posters (you may be able to get some from free at your local cinema)
Used Film Reel Decorations in your centerpieces
Another great decoration – Hollywood Sidewalk Star
Hollywood cutouts
Playing your favourite party music always works!
Add to the movie theme by playing music from your favourite movies.

Hollywood Party Games
As guests arrive, take their pictures on the red carpet. If possible, have some screaming fans to try to get their autographs as they arrive and have several photographers (paparazzi) flashing their photos.

Ask your guests to come to the party dressed as a famous celebrity or movie character and award prizes (Oscar statue trophies would be perfect!)

Raising a glass

Posted on by

Toastmasters have served with distinction for many years at a variety of events, and are now most commonly associated with Weddings. The beginnings of the Toastmaster are, however more humble and a little cloudy.

Whilst documentary evidence is patchy, the origins of the Toastmaster have foundation in the middle ages, where the keeper of the wine in great houses was known as the Master of the Toast. As wine was not as cultivated as it is today, the Master of the Toast would take small pieces of bread, toast them over an open fire, and dip them into herbs and spices. Once coated, the Master of the Toast would then add the toast to the wine and mix in. This had the dual purpose of removing some unwanted flavours, whilst adding others which, it was hoped would make the wine more drinkable.

The practice of raising a glass in acknowledgment, or to wish good health is not new. It has been practised as far back as Roman times, but became an accepted custom in society terms during the 17th Century, particularly amongst VIP’s attending banquets. Once such occasion was being held at the Pump Rooms in Bath in 1649. Having wandered into the nearby spa two gentlemen from that banquet came upon a lady who was lounging in the water

One of the gentlemen wanted to join her but was prevented from doing so by his friend. The friend took up some water from the bath into his drinking vessel and passed it to his companion. Sitting in the bottom of the vessel was a piece of spiced toast, from his previous drink. Having taken a drink, the man is alleged to have said “Nay, though I likest not the beverage (pure spa water is an acquired taste) I will take the toast to the lady”. He then proceeded to drink the water, and joined the lady in the spa. The incident was subsequently reported in Tatler, in an article which identified it as being the first use of the word ‘toast’ to pledge the health of of a person i.e. ‘Toast to the Ladies’; and so it became accepted that this occurrence was the precursor of ‘toasting’

Within society and private members clubs in particular, they often used one of their members to act as a Toastmaster. Whilst an easy solution; if there were a number of toasts to be made, the speech of the Toastmaster became somewhat slurred as they continued to drink similar quantities of wine as other members. This resulted in a special glass for the Toastmaster, which was made from extra thick glass, and would only hold a small amount of wine, ensuring the Toastmaster was in a suitable state to adequately perform his duties; particularly important if special guests were in attendance. It is generally accepted today that Toastmasters do not drink whilst ‘on duty’.

The most obvious feature of a Toastmaster is the long red tailcoat. Accepted within the industry as having been introduced by Mr William Knight-Smith. William was commenting to his wife that he was concerned about looking like a butler whilst working in London at the Cafe Royal during the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Centuries. His wife then suggested that he should wear a red coat, and so the distinction was made, and a tradition born.

Today the Professional Toastmaster can be found at Weddings (of all faiths), civil partnerships, charity and corporate events, gala dinner nights, awards ceremonies, family celebrations, masonic knights, and any public occasion that demands dignity, style and a cutting edge.

The All American Barbeque

Posted on by

Thinking of having a Barbeque at your event? Here’s how it all started…

Pork or beef? Kansas or Memphis? Texan or North Carolina? The evolution of America’s four most distinct barbecue styles has come a long way since Christopher Columbus.

While the never ending battle for barbecue supremacy will continue to rage, the history of American barbecue is as diverse as the traditions themselves, moving through a path that begins in the Caribbean – and even involves help from the British.

Spanning across the famous ‘barbecue belt’ that runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, arguably no nation on Earth takes the primitive form of cooking as seriously as the United States of America.

Indeed, it was over five hundred years ago that Columbus first witnessed native tribes on the island of Hispaniola cooking meat over an indirect flame using green wood to keep the food from burning.

Historical records indicated that the Spanish explorers named this cooking style, ‘barbacoa’ – and eventually the technique made it onto the mainland – where it kept its traditional attachment to pork.

This historical accuracy is very important in the arguments that rage between Texas, who use beef, Memphis who use mutton and the Carolina’s who use pork.

Purists argue that the meat used in BBQ must always be pork, because the tradition of southern cooks having to use the cheap, low maintenance hog as the meat in their barbecue pits.

This is because cows are expensive and need large amounts of food and land, unlike pigs who can be left to fend for themselves.

In pre-Civil War times, this meant that because the pig wasn’t cared for like a cow would be the meat would not be as fat and would need to be cooked slowly to tenderize.

Prior to 1861, Southerners ate an average of five pounds of pork for every one pound of cattle – and their reliance on this cheaper method of food lead to a form of patriotism that separated the richer north from south.

Despite the south’s historical attachment to the BBQ, primitive forms of cooking originated in the easternmost colonies.

The vinegar-based ‘whole hog’ barbecue that was started in Virginia made its way down to North Carolina and the technique of adding sauce to the meat as it cooks – is said to have originated with the British, despite their inglorious culinary history.

In South Carolina, where a large portion of French and German immigrants lived, mustard based sauces were created – both sweet and tart.

As the Carolina BBQ’s grew in popularity, the fashion for slow cooking spread to Texas – where the rich German immigrants who lived their used the meat from the cattle they were herding.

Up the Mississippi River in Memphis, the sweet, tomato based sauces used were created by mixing molasses to get the unique taste.

And once BBQ had moved along to Kansas City, he mixed everything up, allowing not only pork to be used, but beef as well.

A barbeque is a delicious and sociable way to feed your guests at your private party or corporate event. What could be better than the smell of a BBQ on a hot summer’s evening?

Dance Origins

Posted on by

History of dance entertainment is filled with interesting events that shaped its foundations, inventors that created new styles, periods of time when dance and music were put in the forefront of innovations, which all enabled it to become the popular social pastime of today.

History of dance closely follows the development of human race. Since the earliest times of our existence, far before the creation of first modern civilizations, dance served as an irreplaceable way of expressing human thought and emotion. As our civilization traveled through millennia, dance was modified to the point of being popular means of expression, health, communication and competition.

Elizabethan Dance
During the period of time in 16th century that is today remembered as an Elizabethan Era, dance and music received unprecedented attention, advancement and refinement that allowed it to become one of the most popular ways for socialization and exercise, and a foundation for the creation of all modern dances.

Dance in Religion and Mythology
Connection between dance and religion and myths can be observed from the dawn of our civilization to the modern times. Here you can find out how dance influenced the religion ceremonies, became storytelling device in describing tales of gods and myths, or in some cases become very integral part of some religions.

History of Ballroom Dancing
History of ballroom dancing started with the rise of European renaissance in 16th century. Ever since then, tradition of ballroom dancing expanded across entire world, pushing along its path creation of many popular dances that are in use today.

History of Waltz
Ever since it first appeared on the ballrooms of Venice, Waltz managed to revolutionize the way we dance. Here you can read detailed accounts of the way waltz was created, moved from folk roots to royal ballrooms, and helped to kickstart new era of social dances and music styles.

History of Salsa
Salsa is the Latin American dance that managed to revolutionize the way we dance and move one the dance floor. Here you can find out everything you need to know about history of salsa, its origins, popularity in Cuba, and spreading to United States and the rest of the world.

History of Ballet
Ballet is a formal dance technique combined with costumes, scenery, and music. Ballet integrated dance, music, stage design and poetry to make a dramatic storyline. It developed under the aristocratic influence as a formalized form of dance. At first its roll was a virtually component of the opera. In a time, it was formalized and codified, and there were founded popular ballet stages all over the world.

Ideas to surprise your guests

Posted on by

It’s fair to say that despite what we in the industry try to do, many people roll their eyes at having to go to certain events. The mind numbing drudgery of chatting to people you don’t know, the leaning in to read the name tag at a networking do, and the fact that the food can often be unappealing or cliche.

It’s time to change all that by sourcing some top notch entertainment for your event. Whether you’re organising a corporate event, an awards show, or a private party, event entertainment is a great way to keep your guests…entertained!

1. Event Walls

An event wall? If used correctly you will get great reactions by simply putting up an event wall that adds style and character to your event. Whether it’s used to promote your brand or simply look stylish, a bespoke event wall can help your event stand out as soon as your guests arrive. This could also be a great place for attendees to take selfies and ‘red carpet-like’ images of themselves.

2. Living Topiary

With a Living Topiary on hand, your event will really spring to life. What at first appears to be human-shaped hedges, are in fact hedge-shaped humans. They can happily walk around your venue, waving, hugging and generally putting a smile on the faces of your guests. A unique novelty act!

3. Silhouette Artist

Strolling acts are perfect for making sure that nobody misses the fun by coming to you! There are various types of wandering acts including magicians and caricaturists. Silhouette artists gets a great reaction as it’s generally something attendees have never experienced. A form of art extremely popular at the beginning of the twentieth century, guests have their profile cut into paper and stuck onto a card for them to take home. This is a perfect momento your guests can take to remember all the fun they had at your event!

4. Edible Mist Orbs

Many parties make do with basic nibbles, whilst catering companies serve up dishes that unfortunately we’ve all tried before. Change things up with edible mist orbs, allowing your guests to literally taste the air! Pop a straw in your mouth, breathe in the air from the orb, and see what flavour you get. Mint? Apple? Cheesecake? It could be one of many different flavours. The best bit thing about these are you can even put in a request for a bespoke flavour to be made!

Milestone Birthdays

Posted on by

Big Birthday milestones don’t necessarily need to be celebrated in a big way. For those who have a large family, an extensive social or business network, or those who enjoy mingling amongst a crowd of well-wishers, bigger may be better. For others who may have a close inner circle of friends, or perhaps a small, close-knit family, more intimate gatherings may be preferable

The key point here is to weigh in with your host regarding his or her thoughts on their celebration. If the event is a surprise, then talk to the guest of honour’s spouse or partner or closest friends to determine which approach is best. Surprise parties can be fun, but the surprise element should be a positive experience stemming from the timing of the celebration, not missing the mark on the party itself.

Personalisation is key to making a birthday party memorable. Research back to the year they were born and incorporate newsworthy details from that time period into the party theme. Depending upon the year, invite guests to dress as they would have if it were that year. 1960s hippie clothes and 1980s big hair can make a party fun and provide great opportunities for photos, laughter, and reminiscing.

Hiring entertainment for a Birthday Party can be as imaginative as you like. Think party bands, DJ’s, Celebrity Lookalikes, Photo Booths or even a great Magician!

Making a Birthday Special

Posted on by

Birthdays are personal and birthday parties should be as well. If you don’t know your guest of honor, gather some information about him or her. What are their hobbies and interests? How do they spend their free time? Learning whether they enjoy football, cooking or traveling, will present numerous opportunities for you to personalise their party with creative details.

For example, use a favourite hobby as a theme for the birthday cake and decorations.
For the footballer set up a net in a corner of the venue, for guests to try their hand. Use green tablecloths with football candle holders. If your guest loves to travel, send out traditional tourist postcards in lieu of customised printed invitations and offer a varied international menu from some of the places they have visited.

If the birthday child is fond of pirates and adventure, hold a treasure hunt. For younger children, keep it simple and have them work in teams of three and keep the list of items short. Older children will enjoy the challenge of finding numerous items on their own. Children remember what they did at a party and whether they had fun playing games. Less important is whether the balloons matched the napkins and the overall colour scheme.

When children reach a certain age, they become well aware of when their birthday is, even though their concept of actual time may not be that accurate. It doesn’t take long before they associate a birthday with a party, cake, candles, decorations and….presents!!!

Fun and games for all can often leave the host frazzled and exhausted. To minimize the stress level when planning a children’s birthday party, follow these tips:

Limit the number of children: the rule of thumb is to match the number of guests with the age of the birthday child. For example, invite four children for a four-year-old’s birthday party. While that may not be reasonable in circumstances of a large family, in general, it is better to invite fewer children to a children’s birthday party. It doesn’t take long for a well-planned party to spiral out of control when too many children, excited for the party and fueled on sugary cake, take over.

Keep it short: While an hour and a half may seem like a short period of time to celebrate a three-year-old’s birthday, that 90 minutes can seem like 900 minutes when tired children in need of the afternoon nap begin their meltdowns. So keep the official party time to an hour and a half; many parents, when picking up their children, stay and socialise at the end of the party so the party will go for two hours anyway.

Fun Corporate Event Ideas

Posted on by

Rewarding employees with a fun corporate event should be just that – fun! For these types of events, look for something more interesting and creative, a change from the standard “golf outing and dinner” routine. If your event is a company-wide event, then your venue will need to be large enough to accommodate all the employees and their mode of transport, if they are traveling individually. Some fun corporate event ideas include:

Company picnic with food produced from local farms, music, and games. Bring both blankets and chairs for seating.
Plan a trip to a sporting event for an early afternoon game, complete with scarfs, hats and hot dogs.
Wine tasting day out and winemaking demonstration followed by a picnic outdoors on the grounds for a real day away from the office.
A River Boat cruise complete with sightseeing commentary and lunch.
For a small group, a trip into a nearby major city for a live show and dinner.

Whatever the choice, keep the staff in mind when planning event entertainment. If employees consider this outing just “one more work event” they have to attend, you will have missed the mark.
Keep the employee demographics and the office atmosphere in mind when planning a corporate event of this type.

The Postal Museum Venue

Posted on by

If there’s one thing we love about London it’s the fact that there are always new and exciting things going on within its bustling confines. One of the hottest openings this year is undoubtedly The Postal Museum, a unique look at how London’s postal services have been ran for over 100 years. We don’t want to hype it too much but you do get to ride a two mile train underneath London so… Let’s see what we know!

The Postal Museum will offer a fascinating and often surprising look at the very first social network. London’s letters and parcels used to manoeuvred from place to place via a special train line, which has now been modified for guests to enjoy as they travel through this subterranean landscape. We ourselves have not ridden it yet, but we are pretty certain this will be cool as hell. And the best bit? You can book it for events!

We love providing ideas for entertainment for events but naturally having your very own private train is probably the best entertainment of all. What else can you get when you hire the Postal Museum for your event? Available for both corporate and private hire, the venue’s spaces include the Mail Rail depot and the Postal Museum itself.

The Mail Rail depot is a must-see for your exclusive party! Within captivating architectural features, guests will be able to dine and drink to their heart’s content and there can even be an opportunity to ride the train! A hugely adaptable space, you could hire a band for a dance or make use of the vaulted brick arches in a completely unique way. From receptions to product launches and even award ceremonies, this is a truly exciting new space in London’s event world and holds up to 275 people!

Perhaps you’d prefer your guests to stay above ground? No problem! The Postal Museum itself offers a contemporary space that’s light, bright and perfect for a stunning summer’s night. Featuring a private courtyard and innovative living wall, it’s ideal for cocktail receptions or summer parties. Looking to enhance the space by booking some entertainment? No problem! Holding up to 140 people, you may even like to enjoy a private museum tour whilst in attendance.