Birdseye view by a hostess

Thursday night turned out to be an unusual one for me, as I played a 'hostess' for the first time at a Charity get together in Victoria.

My role was essentially to be a 'paid presence'- Ie stand there for 5 hours not doing alot but looking alert- but not to be sniffed at.

The pay was good, but what was even better, was the insight into how Londons' wealthiest men and women spend their week nights out entrtaining themselves.

The affair was attended by mainly people of 35+, wearing not particularly nice clothes in the royal Horticultural Hall which had been stylishly set out with white drapes and neon lights. Most of the people looked like they were from another world in which overdrafts dont exist, they had perfect teeth in place by the age of ten and just spend money on any whim.

They were not the new, celebrity rich- these people represent the very upper escashalions of londons traditional class structure, with names like those who sailed first class on the Titanic- they had a wealth which I could not put my finger on- something like the people who appear in Harpers and Queen.

Once the guests had all daintily sipped their champagne and checked each other out, to find their closest rich mates- they were ushered into the banqueting area to enjoy the 'entertainments' of 2 acrobatic performers wearing lycra all in one body suits, writhing through hoops suspended in the ceiling.

Having spent a summer working in a Spanish nightclub with circus acts like this, it wasnt a surprise to me, however, the elite farts politely watched on - intrigued by the nubile spectacle before them before tucking into dinner.

The best bit of the entire night was the auction in which two tables of female egos competed for 'garden consultations'and celebrity chef cooking sessions. What I couldnt believe was that despite, the age of the women and the assumed education they have probably had they were all spending their old husbands money.

I was fascinated by the way they would ask if it was ok to go above 2 grand and the men would wave them on as though it was tuppence.

Call me cynical but it was like peering into another world- although generous in shelling out for a good cause I didnt like the ease at which they chucked money around to outdo each other.

Def a good night as the irony was that I got all the perks of being there, through the entertainment and food wihtout having to sit on a table of balding, colgate teethed plonkers.