World Record Beaten at Park Club

Diners take part in largest ever underwater dinner party

What seemed like a sea of photographers, cameramen and health club members gathered on Saturday to witness and record a formal bid for The Largest Formal Dinner Party on Earth.

This culinary extravaganza kicked off at 9.00am by Mark Lawrenson, who chose to serve Match of the Day 2 man Adrian Chiles, rather than take the plunge himself.

Adrian, who did take up the full challenge was later joined by James Dreyfus, who, with the host of intrepid partygoers, were intent on raising large sums of money for the benefiting charities, which included Save the Children, The BHF, Breast Cancer Care, Microloan Foundation and the Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

Taking place in the 25 metre outdoor pool of The Park Club, each of the diners dressed in DJ’s and party dresses from Froxy Lady worth up to £1000.

The diners were instructed by experts from the London School of Diving, on how to breath underwater, and then how to eat underwater – a relatively simple case of carefully removing and then replacing their breathing apparatus in order to pop the nouvelle portions of food into their mouths to eat.

Then it was a case of joining one of the sittings which ran through out the day, to enjoy a three course menu of delectable treats (Fish of course!) including Smoked Salmon and Medley of Crab.

Before leaving the pool after dinner drinks including newly launched Little Penguin wines and Feel Good Drinks were served.

Each diner had a picture taken underwater by waterbaby.co.uk as well as a ‘Certificate of Insanity’ for good measure. With this proof for the diners sponsors, money will be called in and a grand total hopefully available in two weeks.

The event was the brainchild of The Hogarth Group's Tim Slater who seemingly has quite an appetite for unusual dinner parties. Back in 1991 Tim organized a much smaller underwater dinner which raised £50,000 and prior to that, a formal dinner at 200ft lifted by a crane at the hand of Captain Cook in Cairns in Australia (which incidentally was run in conjunction with the world’s highest formal dinner party up Mount Huascaran in Peru.)

Tim Slater said, “I am overwhelmed at the way in which this event has captured so many people’s imaginations. We look forward to finding out what our final fundraising total is and whether we have broken a record. Who knows, maybe the Underwater Dinner will become an annual event here at the Park Club!”

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Charity fund may do so on line at www.underwaterdinner.co.uk.

September 24, 2007