In the queue for the closing screening at the Silent Cinema Festival in Bo’ness, Mr Rathbone said: “Hippfest is everything I like about the world.”  I knew exactly what he meant and heartily agree.

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We had an absolutely wonderful time at the festival.  The Hippodrome in Bo’ness is the loveliest cinema in the world, and the people of Bo’ness are really welcoming and above all else, game for a laugh.  I was really nervous about my Taste of the Silver Screen workshop but it turned out to be (as Lucy Smee would say) the funnest afternoon ever! 

I shall illustrate this with pictures.  There were so many funny moments I can’t list them all, but one of my favorites was one of the participants, regarding the construction of a particular canape, saying something along the lines of: “I thought to myself, what would Richard Barthelmess do?” 

The movie star cookbook that started it all...

The movie star cookbook that started it all…

The treasures within...

The treasures within…

Demonstrating how to make a Gloria Swanson Caviar Canape

Demonstrating how to make a Gloria Swanson Caviar Canape

Preparing the Shirley Temple cocktails with Sooz

Preparing the Shirley Temple cocktails with Sooz

The Bette Davis Marmalade Cake was a hit!

The Bette Davis Marmalade Cake was a hit!

Some wonderful film star inspired creations...

Some wonderful film star inspired creations…

I love this photo!  You can see everyone working away at their canapes in the background too!

I love this photo! You can see everyone working away at their canapes in the background too!

The joy of canapes!

The joy of canapes!

Thanks to everyone who came to the workshop, you all made me laugh so much.  Special thanks to Martin and Steve who sent me so many fabulous photos of the afternoon. 

At the very end of the workshop, a lovely couple came over and said, “we’ve made you a present…” and presented me with this…

Charlie Chaplin made from half a hard boiled egg and caviar!

Charlie Chaplin made from half a hard boiled egg and caviar!

Ha ha – absolutely GENIUS!

I want to give a big heartfelt thanks to Ali Strauss and Shona Thomson for inviting me to be part of Hippfest 2015.  They have done a truly wonderful thing creating this festival.  It must be a huge organisational feat, but they have brought a lot of joy to tonnes of people. 

Big thanks too, for Sooz Glen, my caviar wrangler, who got choppping boards / knives / biscuit cutters and all the various bits and pieces I needed for the day organised in advance.  She had to make an emergency dash to Sainsbury’s after her teenage son staged a raid on the salami supplies one night after getting home from the pub, but on the day everything was there, no fuss!

Thanks also to my lovely assistants on the day, David, Alison and Isabel.  Early on in the day, Alison told me she’d never boiled an egg before.  Well she’d certainly boiled a few by the end of it!

Mr Rathbone was an absolute treasure throughout and was such a help. I am a very lucky woman.

Our barman...

Our barman…

For a real taste of how fabulous the festival was, there is a lovely write up over at Pamela Hutchinson’s fabulous Silent London website.  Onwards mighty Hippfest!  Maybe we’ll see you again next year…

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