Improvised ice bucket

Nibblies had to be prepared for the impending arrival of the lunch guests, so Hollyoaks only got cursory attention this morning. All was in readiness when the first guest arrived at 12.30, followed just before the Grand Prix began by two more. Conditions at Monza were pretty atrocious, and the race got under way with behind a safety car. The grid lineup was pretty extraordinary, with none of the big names or championship contenders anywhere near the front (well, apart from Felipe Mass, who qualified 6th). It turned into a great race (one of the best of the season, really), made all the better by the fact that Sebastian Vettel, the 21-year-old who started in pole position, kept his cool, lead throughout and made history by becoming the youngest driver ever to win a Grand Prix. Despite our dislike for Lewis Hamilton, we grudgingly had to admit that he did a fine job pulling up the number of positions he did in such difficult conditions.

After the race we watched a couple of DVDs, and were finally joined around 5.30 by the final two guests, who'd been at a lunch party which clashed. Chat and a few sociable drinks rounded out the evening and brought a hugely successful and enjoyable day to a close.

Carl's devious plan to make things easier in terms of hosting was to get pizzas delivered, which all went perfectly to plan when the delivery knock came to the door just after the race finished. To add to the casual, laid-back atmosphere, he also improvised this very effective ice bucket, the contents of which were called on at regular intervals throughout the day.