黑洞社区

黑洞社区鈥檚 bowling trip with architect Carey Jones gets off to a shaky start 鈥� three of our reporters are late. When phone contact is finally made, they announce they鈥檝e arrived early and are already at the bar.

Much confusion ensues until it鈥檚 established they鈥檙e at a bar in a completely different bowling alley in Russell Square, and are approaching random strangers to ask if they are the Carey Jones crew.

Once the wayward trio have hot-footed it across Bloomsbury, the fun and games begin. After a diner-style feast, the bowling is well under way. People are drinking wine out of tumblers and talk turns to corporate events.

Ben kicks off the chat: 鈥淭hey can be incredibly boring, can't they? But I鈥檝e made some good friends through them.鈥� He adds that events can be excruciatingly embarrassing, but refuses to elaborate: 鈥淪ome I鈥檝e been to weren鈥檛 embarrassing for me but certainly were for other people.鈥�

Tim tells similar tales: 鈥淚t can be worse when it鈥檚 an in-house do. We often play that dare game and people end up stripping, or someone will say, 鈥淒an, you鈥檝e got to snog Dave.鈥�

鈥淭onight鈥檚 been pretty good,鈥� adds Darren, still rosy from his strike. When asked whether the evening would have been as good without bowling or booze he thinks then shakes his head and says 鈥渘o鈥� very thoughtfully. 鈥淭he bowling and alcohol were key, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be bowling. It could have been drag racing or test piloting.鈥�

As the bowling draws to an end, we pick up our beer buckets and head back to the bar. The discussions continue but by now the 黑洞社区 reporters have resorted to scribbling notes on napkins, except for one technoboy who鈥檚 recording the chat on his mobile phone/mp3 player/dictaphone/radio/camera/video DJ/shaver/stun gun.

Suddenly, one of the Carey Jones鈥� PRs drops a bombshell. 鈥淭hese sort of events are good for networking, but let鈥檚 be honest, sometimes they鈥檙e a bit of a pain in the arse. At any event you always seem to end up talking to people you don鈥檛 want to be with.鈥� Anyone for paranoia?

As the happy bowlers begin to complain of aching arms and blurry eyes, Ben, still fresh from demonstrating his bowling prowess, is eager to stop talking shop and start demonstrating his karate skills, having attended an entire two lessons with his children. But he hesitates: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I should. It鈥檚 like Hogwarts 鈥� it鈥檚 not allowed outside class,鈥� he says, before changing his mind and crippling a reporter with a vicious arm chop. Then they win the bowls. Be warned, Carey Jones, we will have our revenge 鈥�