A spur-of-the-moment invitation to an early evening event brought a change of mood to my day’s end.
A friend took me to the venue, perched on the edge of a bend in the River Thames.
Together we entered The Harts Boatyard, our venue. Hesitatingly peering around to seek the right direction to go in, we saw a banner declaring LINKEDIN.
Moving forward, we were greeted by a group member and ushered inside.
The room was snug, with a few tables and chairs scattered at the edges.
At the end, a door opened out onto a balcony edging the swollen, broody Thames, silently flowing by in the dwindling light and cold chill of approaching night.
Inside, strangers introduced themselves to one another while grasping glasses of good cheer.
Those a bit shyer were taken under the wing of a group member, until a bit more relaxed, before being introduced to someone else.
As the room filled, the talk became louder, as names, occupations and business cards were exchanged.
Deemed a very successful evening, it was scheduled to be repeated on the first Thursday of every month.
Slowly, the talk dwindled as members made their way home. I turned to look at the bloated, occasionally eddying, River Thames making its never-ending, lonely journey to the sea.
While I remembered the warmth of new friendships generated in the course of the evening when I attended the first Kingston LinkedIn Networking Evening.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by © THE HARTS BOATYARD, SURBITON 2024
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