1936 Shaking in the 60's by Eddie Clarke

Pity this poor harassed young hostess, for to worry in advance is surely the path to disaster, but tackled in a calm and civilised manner the party would go with a swing,and the only worry in the future would be to find a good enough excuse to have another. Let us help the uninitiated into this favourite way of crashing into society, be it Mayfair or the quaint little village where one wants to get on friendly terms with the local"thoroughbreds".It doesn't matter about geography. The rules are all the same! Let us see how Madame Experience will rise to such an occasion. Unhurriedly she will make out the list of 50 guests,so that they will be notified in good time. Then she will send off smart but neat invitation cards, paying particular attention to the date and time ofthe party—the latter should be discreetly plain (e.g. 6.30 p.m. until 8 p.m.). It will give her a little wedge to hurry out lingering guests when they see the bartender putting away the bottles, etc.,just after zero hour. Madame Experience then pays attention to the room for the party. She knows she has invited just the right number of guests to allow them to move freely with a certain amount ofcomfort. She remembers earlier parties when people were packed into this very room. The whole thing had been marred by the numerous squeals of lady guests as rugby-like charges emptied the contents of glasses over expensive dresses.Then afterwards,her carpets resembling the aftermath ofBank Holiday on Hampstead Heath, were in such a state that it meant almost a com plete renewal. The room must be ventilated, otherwise our hostess knows there will be more corpses on her hands caused through the effects of the smoke-laden atmosphere, than from the kick of her special cocktails.

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