Charity dinner

We're collected at six thirty for the journey to Stock, where the Chairman of Basildon Council is holding his charity dinner and dance at the Stock Brook Golf Club. I'm wearing the same dress I wore to the Essex Yeomanry event the other week, but whatever I wore, it still would clash horribly with my unplanned sartorial highlight of the evening - three large bandages on my left hand.

(I managed to scald myself with steam while cooking dinner yesterday, and ended up at Princess Alexandra A&E at ten o'clock at night with my hand cooling in the dog's water bowl - washed, of course. They used some amazing gel on my fingers which soothed them remarkably, and bandaged me up. I had an unexpectedly good night's sleep).

While wandering around with the welcoming glass of Pimms, I end up in conversation with a lady from South Anglia housing, who as well as owning properties in Basildon also do business in Harlow.

We make our way upstairs for dinner; at our table are the Chairman of Tendring and his wife, the Mayor of Thurrock and her husband, a former Chairman of Basildon and his wife, and a couple from Rochford, whom Nick gets on with like a house on fire when they discover a shared interest in dogs.

There's a very large turnout for the event, with Basildon businesses clearly having bought whole tables. The three courses, wine and coffee (fortunately cheese and biscuits has been crossed off the menu) won't help my recently renewed attempts to lose some weight. Still, at least a fellow guest helps me preserve the dignity of my office by preventing me from walking out of the ladies' with the back of my dress caught up in my knickers.