"My sides hurt!"

That was the most accurate call of Saturday night's Casino Royale antics. Pussy Galore was laughing so hard at one stage she gasped between giggles "My sides hurt from laughing!"

We started the evening with a potent cocktail that would render anyone incapable of driving and so you can imagine how our poker skills progressed from there. Thankfully our host come bar tender come croupier was on hand to make sure the game flowed.

All guests we assembled and advised that Mr Bond would not be joining us as he had been murdered and the assassin was someone within the room. Everyone was issued their clues to who wasn't the murderer and what wasn't the weapon and then it was all down to who was the best sluth. Detectives perused all the possible weapons in the eveidence room while some others settled at the poker table for a battle of wits. Those not playing poker assembled in the bar (around the kitchen bench) regaling each other with hilarity while carefully scoping out the opposition. In the end, there was a bit of a rush to guess the right answer with Xenia Onatopp (aka Tia) taking out the coveted prize of Detective Extraordinairre. Camille Montes (Peta) was not only the murderer but also won the Poker Challenge and Jaws (Paul) took out best actor for both his acting and his efforts to look the part. Most entertaining award though would have had to go to Solitaire (Sophia) who had us all in fits of laughter with her breezy enjoyment of all aspects of the evening (especially betting on the craps table).

All in all it was a great night. We raised $230 to go towards the research undertaken by those sponsored by Cure Cancer Australia which is a good effort.

Words can't encapsulate my gratitude to Steve and Dee not only for coming up with the idea, but all of the artwork, the food and the willingness for them to open up their house for the evening. It was amazing from having Bond movies theme music playing in the "bar" and Casino Royale being projected on the wall in the lounge near by the poker table to their efforts to accommodate the non-vegetarian guests (the fake ham in the cheese and ham triangles had everyone fooled as did the fake sausages in the mini sausage rolls). The evidence room was brilliant with 13 weapons ranging from nerve gas (in a scuba tank) to a voodoo doll and a sexual torture chair equipped with handcuffs and a whip. There were hand painted pictures of playing cards on the walls, helium balloons and everyone had their own name badge (with the funniest being Nick's which read as "Mr Big - Nick" for which many of us had to look twice on reading it. All details were covered with guests getting a character brief, chips and a packet of cards they could take home to practice their poker skills. There was nothing our fine hosts didn't cover and I just can't thank them enough.

We took a couple of shots which I will get on here shortly so you can all have a giggle.