First IDE Ball and Chain event is a success.

Birmingham Frankfurt Market in Victoria Square

The first IDE Ball and Chain event was held in Birmingham over the weekend of 11/12 December and was enjoyed by everyone who attended.

The event started on Friday evening with some of the Council of Management joining IDE members at the Shakespeare pub for drinks before all moving to Mister Wong’s restaurant at Summer Row for a Chinese Christmas banquet.

The food was superb and the seating in the restaurant of one large round table led to chat and discussion of all things demolition related whilst some of us were “star spotting” the TV personalities who were also in the room. Following the meal some of the party went on to the Armac Christmas party whilst others returned to the real ales of the Shakespeare and further discussion.

Saturday morning was spent, around the Birmingham German Market where crafts and German foodstuffs were on sale, and in the Bull Ring for Christmas shopping before we all met at Brindley Place for drinks and the canal boat trip. 26 members and guests went afloat on a 2 hour trip around the centre of Birmingham before travelling out to Edgbaston and back on the Staffs and Worcester canal which gave everyone a different view of Birmingham. A buffet was provided during the trip with all drinks sponsored by Kocureck excavators.

Free time for all followed disembarkation then all met again at the Shakespeare for early evening drinks before walking the few hundred yards to Milan restaurant for an excellent Indian Christmas banquet.
During the meal a tenner in the drum draw produced the sum of £200 as a donation to Breast Cancer Research (the charity supported by AR Demolition, one of the event sponsors).

Congratulations go to Adrian McLean and Lee Binyon who worked so hard to organise the event and raise sponsorship that meant that the whole event was provided at no cost to the members who attended.

Photo of narrow boat courtesy of Roger A, Panoramio