IWF members gather for a Christmas trip to Paris

The annual European pre-Christmas trip organised by Forum UK took place this year in Paris .

19 members from Ireland , Northern Ireland , Russia , Spain , Italy , Israel and the UK established themselves just off St Germain (armed with credit cards and comfy shoes) with a special discount at the charming small Hotel Academie.

One or two travel hiccups and delays resulted in long French faces at the first lunch rendezvous, but after a quick apology from London explaining we hadn't planned an airport strike in Jerusalem etc, all was well and the first battalion led by Geraldine Sharpe-Newton, quickly snapped up the best party earrings in town and set off for the galleries.

Happily everyone was in very good humour that evening, as the Chef/Patronne, according to the insider's “Special Restaurant Secrets of Paris ” guide to “a place to experience perfect but sophisticated home cooking” had died some years earlier! While the place itself may have exuded a certain rustic charm, the food was by common consent the worst ever eaten in France! Needless to say the party left for dessert and coffee elsewhere!

It seems that culture was in the main abandoned whilst the Paris economy soared on Friday 1st! Geraldine, who had proclaimed herself intent on culture, nevertheless managed to discover the best and cheapest leather gloves in all colours on a street stall outside Gallery Lafayette, which needless to say the IWF pack more or less cleared out in all the best of the special colours within an hour or two!

We all gathered in the evening for drinks Chez Natalia Dubinina in her fabulously restored historic Paris flat overlooking the Pantheon. We were truly spoiled, with some very special wines, and canapés.

Dinner followed at ‘Au Pied du Cochon' where we found ourselves next to an already excessively “oiled” and extremely noisy British Christmas party. There were several altercations over the noise as even we couldn't hear ourselves shout, but we were determined to enjoy ourselves in the fabulously frescoed surroundings and once Teresa Wickham had played her ex Chairman of the London Tourist Board card and issued several dire threats, the situation became manageable!

Needless to say we drank, laughed and exchanged shopping details into the night and hit the markets and shops again in small groups on Saturday morning, the shopping was taken so seriously that no-one turned up for the planned luncheon at the rooftop restaurant at the Musee D'Orsee!

The group divided in the afternoon with a representative from each European Chapter attending a European Committee meeting at Grant Thornton's offices by courtesy of Anne Duncan who also participated. The committee has been established to share ideas and to expand the European activities and membership for the benefit of their local and ‘satellite' members, in a way that encourages members who have not previously participated in the international activities and to enrich IWF worldwide.

Those not attending the European meeting seem to have replaced the suggested cultural activities on the programme with a ‘shop til you drop' session for all manner of French ‘goodies' – one rather unlikely IWF member who probably wishes to remain anonymous, even got so carried away that under the supervision of our French guest, she was moved to acquire a range of expensive uplifting potions to enhance her Christmas breasts – or was it nipples!!

On Saturday evening, Anne Duncan continued our indulgent regime, hosting a champagne party at her gorgeous flat on the main boulevard overlooking the Arc de Triomphe and La Defense.

Suffice it to say that both Natalia and Anne set a standard to which we'd all like to become accustomed!

Anne had arranged for our main celebration dinner at a very special local restaurant – Chez Cedric where we ate one magical dish after another, starting with hot foie gras and ending with several people sampling every dessert as they couldn't make up their minds which to choose.

After considerable serious mention over Sunday's breakfast of nothing else possibly fitting in the suitcases, but egged on by the enthusiasms of a few with local knowledge from an earlier trip, two by two most of the party ended up in the very elegant, but definitely credit card not cash, Chinese boutique on St Germain, intent on buying quilted silk waistcoats. Such was the enthusiasm that the manageress sent for extra staff and the store may not feel the need of a January sale as almost everyone left with an extra bag or three.

For those returning to London on the Eurostar, we gathered in a downpour with several travel bags a piece at Terminus Nord opposite the Gare du Nord for a champagne luncheon.

Paris was as magical as ever in December, albeit slightly less decorated than in former years. En route back from Chez Cedric on Saturday evening our taxis took a detour via the fairyland of the Champs Elysees with its avenue of twinkling lights in all the trees, and we all felt uplifted as we said farewell, by the heady and rapid mix of camaraderie, culture, shopping and eating and found ourselves already discussing possible venues for December 2007!