(Photos of the event at the foot of the page – remember to double click on the photo and it will present itself in a larger size)

They were dancing until the wee small hours at the Taska do Karisma on Saturday night.

The Chicken & Chips night launched our “Amovate In The Community” project aimed at supporting local businesses in these difficult economic times.

And first off we acknowledge that there were teething problems with some people having to wait an unacceptable length of time for their food, despite the best efforts of everyone concerned in running the event.

We hold up our hands—Mea Culpa!

Karisma owner Antonio was quickly on Facebook early on Sunday morning, writing (Google translation):

“We have finished the today event held in conjunction with the AMOVATE. (Association of Residents and Friends of Vale da Telha).

“In all it was a great night and a night full of joy and fun. I would first of all like to thank all the elements of Amovate who made this event possible through their effort, dedication and understanding.

“Once again, I thank everyone that visited us and I hope everything has gone for the best.

“I appreciate the expressions of thanks for the things that went well, and we will try to learn from the failures and the few things have gone less well. I think we need to acknowledge that there were a few “teething” problems, but that we will try and learn from these.”

But for all that, Amovate hope the 120 or more people who attended thoroughly enjoyed the event despite those problems and we think everyone agreed that the food, whether it arrived on time or a little late, was excellent.

Val, Steve and Antonio worked tirelessly and long to do their best to ensure the success of this ground-breaking event as we prepare for more events out and about in the community.

The evening began at 4pm and at 2am partygoers were still dancing to the music provided by the seemingly inexhaustible record collection of DJ Brian “The Beat” Jutsum.

The weather was kind, the rain holding off, and the atmosphere on Antonio’s terrace was terrifically upbeat under the cover of Amovate’s two large gazebos.

Lessons will be learned, but the main lesson we learned was that the people of Vale da Telha, residents of all nationalities, will turn out in large numbers if we work together to support the community.

A big thank you to Antonio and his staff, Val & Steve, Brian “The Beat” and all helpers who contributed to the success of the evening.

With that in mind, here are some more dates for your diary:

23rd June: Summer Solstice sunset event at the Por Do Sol, Arrifana.

21st July: Summer Ball formal event with the New Orleans Jazz Band at the Hotel Marquee.

4th August: Bob & Ogy’s Fun Day at the Old School House.

25th August: Vale da Telha Music Festival, Old School House.

15th September: Party Night at the Piranha Bar.

October: Portuguese Night (date to be confirmed) at the VDT Restaurant.

Around Wednesday Oct 31 (date tbc): Bob & Ogy’s Halloween Night at the Old School House.

December (date tbc): Bob & Ogy’s Christmas Grotto, at the Old School House.