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Anorak News | All The Passengers

All The Passengers

by | 30th, June 2005

‘ONE minute Vicky Beckham is a hardworking mum with three children, the next she looks like an underfed Pekinese lapdog.

Putting the bite on African poverty

And it’s in her latter mode we see Vicky this week, as she scampers up to Elton John’s white tie and tiara ball.

Seemingly possessed with all the vapid weltschmerz of a precocious teenager, Vicky is seen posing with the party’s co-hosts, the ever-fragrant Elton John and David Furnish, and her husband Day-vid.

It’s a great photo, a real keeper, as Vicky, who seems to have misread the invitation and come dressed as a Delftware bowl, stands next to Elton, who’s done up in the garb of a suggestible bishop in a long frock coat, pinkish silk shirt and oversized filigree cross.

Dave has done his utmost to both read and understand the invite, but though his suit is suitably dark, the neck on his shirt is open.

Which means it’s up to Mr Furnish to show them all the correct way to do it, as he poses like an extra from Brideshead Revisited, albeit with Dave in the role of most-favoured teddy.

But the ball was not all about these four. For in attendance were Kate Moss, Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Hurley, Hugh Grant and the Duchess of York.

All look pictures of radiant beauty as they take to the lawn at Elton’s charity bash, the proceeds of which go to the Elton John’s AIDS Foundation.

And there were more. Why, if it isn’t that other knight of the pop realm, Sir Cliff Richard. Congrats to him for sporting a white dickie bow, but his white suit, with embroidered jacket, puts him at risk of being mistaken for a dripping Mr Softy ice-cream with raspberry sauce.

And so the pictures go on, as the great and good pull their tanned faces into smiles, force champagne down their bejewelled necks and try not to choke on the African-themed canapés, without which no African meal is complete.

So much selfless charity work must be applauded. And well done on Elts and the gang for inviting along a genuine African to the party – a small zebra we’d like to call Nelson.

Then it was all into the marquee for some sumptuous African treats.

Having opted not to wrap the food in yellow bags and drop it from a chartered UN plane in favour of waiters on foot, Elton treated his guests to lime and chilli-marinated fish skewers and chargrilled African vegetable skewers.

That was topped by the rare African delicacy of beef encrote and a ‘chocolate hut’ dessert, featuring a chocolate-thatched roof, passionfruit and mango mouse on a biscuit boat filled with tropical fruit salad.

Bursting with African goodness, Elton then sang. The guests danced. And thousands of miles away, smiling Africans with bits of lemon thyme-scented barley and aubergine crisps stuck in their beaming white teeth gave thanks…’



Posted: 30th, June 2005 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink