The most exciting night of my life
And how I've used it to inspire my business decisions ever since.
It’s 2003, I’ve just finished my A Levels and my sister - who’s travelling in Australia - has told me that this summer will be the best one I’ve ever had.
She’s right, it is.
I go to Glastonbury Festival, get a new boyfriend and we hang out with a group of friends, moving from one free house to the next; having sleepovers for weeks.
As the summer comes to a close, my sister returns and together, with a different group of friends, we start going to parties in Hackney.
This is long before Hackney is the place to party.
There are hardly any bars or nightclubs.
But there are lots of artists living in warehouses putting on very good parties.
One of them is at the 291 Gallery, on Hackney Road.
It’s in a church.
We walk into the dark, cavernous church and see a long dining table laid out with napkins and plates.
There are candelabras with candles dripping wax onto a wine-stained linen table cloth.
It’s dark, except for the flickering candlelight.
People are drinking cheap cans of lager.
On the stage, there are four women tap-dancing with horse heads.
They refer to themselves as ‘tap-dancing horse girls’ on the menu.
We are told what’s going on, in this ‘happening’ by the menu we’re handed.
Everyone is smoking. Dancing. Spinning. Chatting shit. High.
We are in the middle of this performance piece and it’s exhilarating.
At some point, we leave and go to the George in Whitechapel, which has a retro jewel-encrusted convertible out the front and the flashing dance floor in full swing.
We dance.
We stay up all night.
We sleep at a friend’s flat in Whitechapel, about 10 of us, on the floor - I think - we don’t care about bedding or mattresses.
This night is about youth, freedom, creativity, choice.
There is so much going on; so much to inspire us and keep our eyes wide open.
I don’t have any photos, because iPhones weren’t a thing back then. I would have had some shit Nokia phone that I probably lost that night.
It was the most memorable night of my life.
How I bring the 291 Gallery into my online business
I make art (poetry) about whatever I want and share it on Instagram.
I create without thinking about how it will bring me an income.
But often, it does anyway.
When I create courses, I want people to sign up and feel like they’re part of something exciting.
I give away ‘gifts’ that surprise people.
I think about the personal touches; those moments and words that might just stay with someone forever.
What was the best night of your life?
Annie x
Ps. The Creative Way (to earn a living online) starts Monday. Sign up here and join the fun.
I was twenty one and my year abroad in France, living in Lyon, was coming to an end. We were slowly saying goodbye to the friends we had made. This night, one of the most memorable, was my friend Molly’s farewell. We threw a party, drank, smoked and sang loudly from the little balcony - getting ourselves told off. Later, we headed for the river. The place where we had spent so many nights being young and carefree and chatting shit. We sat on those big red letters that spell out the city name and watched the sunrise. We ate a greasy McDonalds and laughed and hugged and said goodbye. I’ll never forget it!
Cool story thanks for sharing. Probably a crazy night clubbing in the East Village in NYC with a mate I met from Rhode Island (I was working in the USA for the summer). Went to some crazy 90's house clubs and met the weird and wonderful until the sun came up. I just subscribed to your newsletter.