|
It was a
Birds and Beatles night when The Royal Society for The Protection of
Birds held its first London Area Dinner to increase awareness of
Kingfishers and the general work of the Charity on 20th November.
Sponsored by Kingfisher Premium Lager, the event was held at a
Nepalese restaurant, The Gurkha Chef, at Bellegrove Road in Welling, Kent.
Among the guests were two Welling
Ward VIPs - Councillor Val Clark, and Councillor Peter Catterall,
both of whom are committed to environmental issues; and seventeen
members of Welling Round Table, who regularly raise funds for good
causes throughout the London Borough of Bexley.
Nepalese cuisine is noted for its
subtle savours flavoured with exotic herbs and spices, which on this
occasion was prepared to perfection by the Gurkha Chef's new Chef
Niam Lama, former personal holiday chef to Sheikh Sultan of Abu
Dhabi. Culinary delights at the Dinner included Gurkha Kebab with a
selection of sauces; Gurkha Chef Chicken and Lamb, and Thimi
KoTarkari (mixed vegetables) accompanied by Nepali Aloo, washed down
with copious amounts of Kingfisher Lager.
Cabaret was provided by The Fab 2
- a top Lennon & McCartney tribute act - who had many diners
drumming on the tables to the rythmn of old favourites such as 'Hard
Day's Night' and 'Yellow Submarine'.
RSPB Projects Manager Paul
Forecast spoke about the welcome news of restored waterway habitats
around the Capital, where water cleanliness has improved so much
recently that many more Kingfishers are now to be seen. Kingfishers
are particularly sensitive to habitat changes, and are a key
indicator of environmental quality.
A prize raffle held during the
cabaret interval was (naturally) Kingfisher-themed, and included a
signed original Kingfisher print, a DVD about Kingfishers, and a
Hamper of Kingfisher Premium Lager. Councillor Clark won the top
prize of a Personal Guided Tour for Two at the Rye Meads Reserve in
Hertfordshire to see Kingfishers.
Phil Keeley, the Chairman of
Welling Round Table, announced a donation of £300 to the RSPB;
which together with raffle ticket sales and a proportion of Dinner
takings, raised a total of £600 for the RSPB.
The Gurkha Chef is shortly to be
re-named The Gurkha Oriental Restaurant & Bar, and will be
offering fusion food - a selection of Nepalese, Indian, Malaysian and
Japanese dishes, with salads and sauces, as well as desserts and hot
puddings, plus Sunday English Roasts, and traditional English
Christmas Dinner.
The Gurkha Chef is situated at
125/129 Bellegrove Road, Welling, Kent DA16 3QS. Tel: 020 8304 3636.
|
