A CHEEKY CHIQUITOS

last monday was supposed to be momentous. it was supposed to be the day that changed history. it was supposed to be the day that we went "full bangarang", and actually got eleven best mates in the same room at the same time, for the first time ever. let me explain: me and my little group of internet mates have a whatsapp group chat that started with just five members after a night out at a blog event, and over the last two years has grown to eleven members. the event had a photobooth. the photobooth had pirate props. the group chat picture is a picture from that photobooth. the group chat is called 'bangarang'. we are collectively known by many as, bangarang.

we have hashtags. we have brands wanting to work with us as a whole. we have ridiculous lives, it's true, but we have fun with it. i especially have fun with it because i've never really had a squad. i've always had a lot of friends, but like, lots of solo friends from different groups, and not one, big group of friends - not since school, anyway. and yet these girls and i are inseparable. we travel together, we eat together, we ask each others' permission before we buy things, we champion each other, we have each others' backs. we are a force to be reckoned with, and we know it. and last monday was going to be the first time that we have ever, ever, ever had all eleven of us in one room. we'd come close only once before - with charlie on skype from new zealand while the rest of us sang mariah carey classics to her from the comfort of emma's flat. that's it.

the plan was to meet at chiquito in leicester square for a few of their all-day happy hour cocktails and a couple of bowls of chips and dips, and we were all on schedule the morning of the event. there were a few "i'm not feeling great but i'll definitely be there" texts in the chat, and there was a sinking feeling that something was going to go wrong. our theory is that all of us in one room at any one time could be bad for the universe, so really, it's better that we don't try too hard. it only took a few hours for the cancellations to come through, and the chips started to fall. but, we almost made it; we almost had our full bangarang. we reckon it will take a wedding to make it happen now, so.. pressure is on to make that happen safely, for the sake of the universe!

so, nine of eleven ain't bad, right? we nine ate fajitas and re-fried beans and guacamole, and drank our way through the cocktail menu. from mojitos to daiquiris and pisco sours, we sampled the very best from the bar, with some incredible service from the staff. i mean, it's bad enough being the one person taking photos of your food and drink in a restaurant, when you have only one guest with you. a table of nine doing that at the same time was quite the spectacle, but they handled it very well (and sat us in the natural light, because important), and without any obvious judgement, which is always nice.

it wasn't quite the same without our few fallen soldiers, but it was bloody lovely to see the girls in one big group rather than the individual times i get to see them, so here's to making more full bangarang happen one day soon. if we can make it happen with tequila cocktails again, i'd be totally ok with it.

*our visit was complimentary, but all words are mine.