I was very flattered to be invited to one of 'Networking Queen' Carole Stone's famous Monday night salons yesterday evening.

I didn't have to pass any tests or know all the 'right people'. I saw Ms Stone (former producer of Radio 4's Any Questions) at a talk and within seconds of asking me who I was and chastising me for not having a business card, she had taken my email address and the next day I had an invite asking me to choose from three dates in February. In fact the very approachable Carole Stone (pictured) is not discriminating when it comes to bringing together people from all walks of life for a drink and a space in which to shamelessly make connections.

At the event at members bar One Alfred Place in Bloomsbury I met journalist at Christianity Today (the irony), voiceover artist Victoria Braverman, professional networker Andy Lopata and coroner Peter Dean. There was also Heidi who works in the music industry and a girl who worked in fashion (who had an unfortunate lipstick stain on her nose that I couldn't bring myself to tell her about).

Our conversations - about where we were from, our backgrounds, what we did and how we knew Carole - were for the most part inconsequential. 

It's basically kiddush - but without the shul part first... and a few more non Jews.