By Sean Borg
BRITWEEK is the annual celebration of the UK in America……and boy do we know how to throw a party!
On Sunday evening the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica played host to the 10th Anniversary BritWeek LA party with a star line-up of British celebrities. Pop up lounges in the hotel courtyard featured furniture sporting the good old Union Jack, while a VIP reception and gala featured scotch tasting and specialty cocktails made with British products. Food included those staples of British cuisine – fish and chips, bangers, and Shepherd’s Pie with meat and vegetables provided by FIG Restaurant.
Guests at the event were treated to some of the most beloved sweets and treats from the UK, and were able to sample former Royal Chef Darren McGrady’s confections including his famous Butter Toffee Bread Pudding, a favorite of Princess Diana. Simply yummy!
There was plenty of mugging for the cameras on the red carpet, and in a moment which summed up the diverse range of British contributions to the arts, I spied the globally popular London DJ Manny Patel posing with veteran British actress Celia Imrie on the red carpet before they swanned off to enjoy the celebration.
Later, Celia, and I had a good ol’ catch up, with the actress hugging me as she told me that she was thrilled to be appearing in the upcoming Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie… my reply was, “Aren’t we all darling!” Celia is one of my favorites actresses, I loved her playing Claudia Bing in Ab-Fab!
Other famous faces doing the classic LA ‘mingle, schmingle and bingle’ included British Fashion designer Julia Clancey, model, socialite and aristocrat Lady Victoria Hervey, PR supremo Jane Owen, Former Miss Universe Great Britain Amy Willerton, Brits In LA’s very own Craig Robert Young, BritWeek co-founders Bob Peirce and Sharon Harroun Peirce, Harry Hamlin, actress Maria Elena Infantino, British music industry legend Peter Asher, Karina Smirnoff, Lotte Verbeek and many more.
There was also plenty of early 1990s nostalgia when singer Chesney Hawkes took to the stage to perform for the crowd. Of course I couldn’t resist bopping away to one of Chesney’s biggest hits ‘The One and Only’ with TV host Caroline Feraday and top stylist Henny Letailleur. So much fun with the girls!
“BritWeek’s Tenth Anniversary was our best celebration to date, highlighting the great creative love affair between L.A. and the U.K.”, said BritWeek Chairman Bob Peirce prior to the event taking place. “We are grateful for all of the celebrities, partners, media and guests that came out to celebrate with us at the Fairmont.”
The event was proudly sponsored by Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, BBC Worldwide Productions, Marks & Spencer, and BLUE FISH among other generous sponsors.
BritWeek is a non–profit organization, started in Los Angeles in 2007 by Nigel Lythgoe and the-then Consul General Bob Peirce, to highlight the creative relationship between the United Kingdom and California.
BritWeek’s mission is to create greater awareness of the many ways in which Britain and the US work closely together, and further build this relationship to advance business, the arts, and philanthropy in both of these thriving regions of the world. BritWeek in LA will conclude on May 8.
For more information visit www.britweek.org.
