Old bangers

Every year, my friend Erica and I have an annual barbecue.  This first started when I lived in Bethnal Green, she visited for the weekend, we had an impromptu barbecue because the weather was nice... and decided to do it again.  So the second barbecue was named the Second Annual Barbecue Extravaganza (SABE).

For those who are interested, here are the highlights and lowlights of our barbecue history.

First Annual Barbecue Extravaganza, 2006


Erica and I poddled down to Victoria Park with a disposable barbecue.  We made lots of Pimms, got a bit tipsy and ended up barbecuing strawberries.  In case you were thinking of trying it, they didn't taste great.


Second Annual Barbecue Extravaganza, 2007


Didn't start promisingly, where the SABE coincided with the release date of the final Harry Potter book and there was an unfortunate mix up at Tesco.  I raised eyebrows with the cashier by purchasing J K Rowling's latest tome... and a book of matches (which I swear was for the barbecue).  Dean joined us, but unfortunately, the wind was windy, and the rain was rainy and the worst summer I've ever known blew out all 36 of the matches we'd bought.  One after the other.  Dean looked like he was going to cry.  Eventually we gave up, cooked all the meat in the flat, set off both my smoke detectors, swore a lot and went to the cinema to watch Hairspray.  Disappointing.

Third Annual Barbecue Extravaganza, 2008

TheBloke (TM)'s first Extravaganza.  The sun was sunny.  The BBQ was BBQ-y.  We took photos where we all looked like Dawson's Creek failed auditionees.  Dean and TheBloke (TM) got into a pointless contest of "who can stand closest to a pigeon".  This may or may not have been cider-induced.

Fourth Annual Barbecue Extravaganza, 2009


TheBloke (TM) continues to hold the FABE against me.  Two days prior to the FABE, he took a cricket ball to the head.  He said he was fine and didn't want to go to hospital.  However, the day of the FABE, he was feeling a bit sick, so decided to stay at home whilst Erica, Dean and I barbecued all manner of tasty meats, including bacon cheeseburgers, which were a new addition to the 2009 repertoire.  I was a bit worried about TheBloke (TM) so left the FABE early (I didn't eat my second burger) to go and check on him.  Turns out I was right to do so, as he was bleeding profusely from the face, had to go immediately to hospital and apparently had a fractured skull and broken nose.  Who knew?  To this day, he loves to say, "Do you remember that time I had a broken skull and you left me on my own and went and had a barbecue whilst I nearly bled to death?"

Still, the weather was nice.


Fifth Annual Barbecue Extravaganza, 2010

This was combined with our engagement celebration, and marked the first Annual Barbecue Extravaganza in our own garden, as we've moved to the burbs.  There were cupcakes and the wearing of gay cowboy hats.  It was fun.  There were even balloons and cupcakes.  What more could we want?


Sixth Annual Barbecue Extravaganza, 2011


This was yesterday.  It was brilliant.  Not only were we in our own garden, not only was it sunny, not only was no-one bleeding profusely from the face BUT there were burgers and sausages and boerwors and biltong and dips and plastic cheese and celery and cupcakes and muffins and cider and mocktails, and the whole thing was more fun than you can shake a stick at.


Seventh Annual Barbecue Extravaganza, 2012

With a bit of luck, Erica and Dean will be bringing a small, new addition to our Extravaganza.  This will make our SEABE extra, extra special.  So long as Monty Cat doesn't try and eat him or her.  Watch this space.