the Moulin Rouge Ramble

Photography by Mark.

On Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th April we took on our biggest Ramble yet, transforming a Soho office into a secret cabaret den. Artist Ali O’Malley was responsible for designing this rambling interpretation of Pigalle’s infamous Moulin Rouge, making great use of satin, peacock feathers, chicken wire, fairy lights, paint and tea.

The office belongs to the word of mouth people at 1000 heads, who are some of the most up-for-a-challenge corset-lovers I’ve ever met! Not only did they de-wire all their phones and computers, shift desks and manage to carry on as a functioning office throughout all the disruption, but also proved their abilities in handling all sorts of obscure requests, including being able to reach the ceiling, procure frilly pants, become waiters for the weekend and rescue our rambling sanity.

Post Saturday-night exhaustion meets pre-Sunday evening calm…

…before the storm.

The clue read: Try a bit of French to English translation and head to a Great street in Soho. A leading 18th century anatomist and obstetrician resides in a circle of blue behind three iconic red boxes. Enter the middle box for further instructions.

We were mightily impressed with the quality of dressing-up, as guests gathered outside the Windmill strip club. Top hats were raised, pearls fiddled, feathers fluffed, moustaches twirled and masks adorned, as a sea of fish-nets, corsets, braces, hot-pants, stilettos and silver-topped canes awaited direction.

Hats off in particular to these hats made by Ailbhe.

Donna plays cloakroom assistant with style and excellent balance.

The Drunken Fairy was served. This was a champagne and absinthe cocktail, with champagne glamourously donated by 1000 heads and absinthe by the fantastically lubricating Liqueurs de France. It was the first time I’ve tried absinthe and it’s a heady drink, with a bitter aniseed taste. Unlike most booze, it seemed to fuel adrenalin, set the mind racing, the tongue chattering, and sent me and the Chitty Chitty Bang Bangs out dancing ’til 6am on Monday morning. Poet Abi Palmer might also have some thoughts on its effects…

After guests were seated, we kicked off with the Chitty Chitty Bang Bangs’ first Big Spender dance routine.

Dinner is served (by turn-of-the-century tarts and an absinthe fairy). We had Rillettes de Rambling with cornichons and carrot salad, cider vinegar and orange dressing. This was followed by beef bourguignon and parsley cream sauce with baby new potatoes and green beans. There are no photos of the food because, to be quite honest, it wasn’t the prettiest looking. This was a real learning curve for us. Serving 140 covers over two nights proved stretching to say the least and we have now learned our lessons in portion and temperature control!

The Chittys’ next routine was more contemporary than burlesque.

Next up was Mei’s deliciously squishy red velvet cake. All I can say to that is mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Thumbs up more absinthe!

Abi Palmer totally charmed us with her witty, erotic poetry and coy, but confident chat. After Abi came Parisian singer Anne Pigalle, whose performance was like nothing I’ve ever seen before… Think beautiful singing, sexual fantasy, a lot of swearing, lemon-throwing and storming off stage.

Well done to all those in fancy dress who really got into the spirit. Quite literally. Prizes were a bottle of champagne and a bottle of absinthe.

Adieu from the pretend strippers. ’til next time.