Ideas for 1960s party

Mateus Rosé bottles were much used at parties to hold candles as were Chianti bottles, the ones with as sort of raffia basket round the base. You'd need to drink a lot of the stuff to get enough bottles for a festive atmosphere. In St Andrews we were fortunate to be able to collect bottles from the bins behind the marquees set up for golf tournaments.

Paper lanterns, psychedelic posters, lava lamps. What's that furry stuff called - long nylon shag pile stuff, there used to be lots of brightly coloured rugs made of it. Soda syphon, sobrani cocktail cigarettes.

susid "port and lemon". Talk about a trip down memory lane! I used to order a "Ginger Square" couldn't tell you what was in it. I'd sip it politely.

When we had parties in the 60's the mainstays were cubes of cheese on sticks with a chunk of pineapple and a silverskin onion (never seen that combination since) and rollmops sliced up and popped onto squares of bread. Oh the decadence! All washed down with Blue Nun of course!

So have I, Baubles , and the fish knives and forks. all to match the "best" cutlery, which is still in use.

At least it is all stainless steel (very with-it 60s, MiL couldn't understand why we didn't want nice shiny EPNS), so can go in the washing machine.

Plus a beautiful set of six crystal grapefruit dishes. If grapefruit ever comes back into fashion, I am all ready.

I've still got my orange Le Creuset fondue set though it hasn't been used for a number of years. I've also still got a grapefruit knife and spoons which were a wedding gift.

The cast iron set still comes out occasionally for a fondue bourguignonne. Never liked cheese fondues much.

I can remember port and lemon being the height of sophistication. And I vaguely remember fondue sets, but I never had one myself. Anyone still got one or did they just rust away in a cupboard?

60s parties usually started with a glass of sherry - offer a choice of oloroso, amontillado and fino. I hear it could be back in fashion!

I could lend you my yellow/orange checked tablecloth if you like.
It actually went quite well with the mustard yellow pots I had

We went to one when I was in my early 30s. I went in full flower power stuff, there were catsuits and all sorts of amazing outfits.

But a very elderly couple turned up, shuffling around and causing consternation - until they pulled off their grey wigs and feigned surprise, saying that they had thought it was a '60s' party so that was what they had come dressed as!

Having seen them lately, they look spookily similar to those outfits of 20-odd years ago!

Melon boats (with ginger of course), steak chasseur with chips and passion fruit pavlova.

Another regular dessert was Pear Belle Helen - always known in our family as Pear Bekke Heken due to our local restaurant employing a waitress who wanted to earn some money so she could complete her typing course!!

That time for me was mods and rockers. Small Faces for music as I was a mod. Can't really remember the food. All we had ever had was meat and two veg and never went out to eat!

Should have added - The flesh should lift out without the individual skins on the segments.

Blue Nun got too popular for its own good, and mass production wrecked the quality.

If you do serve grapefruit, make sure you prepare it properly - these days no-one seems able to. You use a small pointed serrated knife (ideally a proper grapefruit knife with a curved end) to cut round the outer edge of the segments, then down the inside of each side segment. Each should lift out easily with a long-pointed grapefruit spoon.

The object of preparing food is to make it easier for the customer to eat. Restaurants seem to have forgotten how to present a grapefruit (or a plate of strawberries - why do they leave on the stems and leaves?)

My aunt used to make a grapefruit and gin sorbet. I think it is somewhere (?) in my recipe stash.

I meant to say that we loved going for a Berni!!

We drank Mateus Rose or Blue Nun as I recall both of which we have tried lately and decided against trying again!!

On our first date, DH took me to an Egon Ronay listed restaurant (the only one for miles) - I was seriously impressed. There was a tiny glass dance floor which had live tropical fish swimming under one's feet. There was also a flamenco guitarist who had one leg shorter than the other.

Throwing your keys into the middle of the table. I heard so much about that practice but never once saw it happen.

When DH and I first started dating (which is dating in itself!!), in 1969/70, going out for a meal often meant going to a local hotel to eat. I remember starters of soup or fruit juice, occasionally pate, mains as mentioned above but the height of sophistication was the cheese board!

Sorry, checked dates, Abba were 70s.

Chicken and chips in a basket. There wouldn't be much available for veggies in the '60s. Baked beans? Perhaps not!

Abba wigs and music?
I used to segment a grapefruit and return it to the shell mixed with prawns and mayonnaise.

Tinned pineapple chunks with a cube of cheddar stuck into half a grapefruit to look like a hedgehog also springs to mind. I might just go for a buffet 60s style.

A pineapple centre stage, surrounded by cocktail onions, sausages and cheese on sticks of course. We knew how to enjoy ourselves in a sophisticated way in the 60's

Chicken Kiev or chicken cordon bleu were top favourites too. And who could forget 'those little cheesy pineapple ones'.

Oh, and kipper pâté to start and baked Alaska for pud.

absent how could I forget the "cherry on the top"?

I know avocados also featured often in the starter repertoire, but I think they were filled with prawns.

Wasn't Beef Wellington "to do" back then as a main course?

I loved angel delight! Black Forest gateaux too. I still have a taste for outrageously sweet desserts.

Who remembers scampi or chicken in a basket? A real treat was steak and chips at Berni Inn. Oh the sophistication .