Med Poets Plunder Party

“Shiver me timbers!”

“Have him walk the plank!”

“No, keel haul him!”

“Where’s the rum?”

“Ooooh arrrrrr!’’

What’s all this then? Extracts from a resurrected “Pirates of the Caribbean”? A celebration of the so-called generous vowels, not to mention generous Rs (pronounce with care) of the West Country?

No, these are extracts from entertainment at the Med-Poets’ Society’s annual offbeat get together, an event that somehow combines elements of a varsity comedy club “smoker”, a masquerade ball of the type favoured by long gone European Aristocracy and a good-old fashioned East End “knees up”. More succinctly, it’s an opportunity to dress up and perform a party piece with identity hidden by costume and alcohol, with community singing and dancing to follow.

Many thanks to all those involved in this years’ gathering, billed as a Pirate Plunder Party. All proceeds go to charity, so sponsors were signed up (were they threatened with those traditional Pirate Punishments, I wonder?), Alt City in Hamra, Beirut was found as the new venue which was an improvement on the now defunct Hard Rock café, a DJ employed, a source of really good British fish ‘n’ chips found and tickets sold. There’s no committee, just a wonderfully energetic and enthusiastic organiser by the name of Vicky. Some of us get dragooned into doing silly things under the watchful eye and humorous introductions of Anthony, the master of ceremonies to jolly us all along on the night. At this point, word plays on the “Jolly Roger” (the famous skull and crossed bones pirate flag) spring to mind, but I’ll leave you to work those out for yourselves.

My own silly things at past events have included writing and reading my own nonsense poems, playing a guitar and being interviewed with a gorilla;and I still had to pay for the tickets, I told you Vicky was a wonderful organiser. This year I just borrowed a disguise. And thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Plans to move on to a second event fell by the way side as a quiz, a fancy dress competition, eating, dancing and drinking carried on until after mid-night.

Anyone who hasn’t been asleep for the last year knows that things are, well, err, sort of, like, a bit difficult here. One of the neighbours (Syria) has got rather noisy and the rowdy behaviour has spilled over into parts of Lebanon. And that has rather inhibited fun and frolics, as it seems (and would be) thoroughly insensitive to have a plethora of celebratory events going on while bombs keep going off. So we’ve been without the usual Christmas balls, while New Year and Burns’ night have just whimpered past. But this one was for charity and a little lifting of the spirits was sorely needed.

Thanks to Vicky and her volunteers, we got it.