How do I invite people for drinks without there being food involved?

[HughBastard]

Or is it better to suck it up and do food?

I want to invite a few of the neighbours round for a christmas drink and a mince pie. Precisely what time and on which day of the week would be best for this? I can't work out how to invite people round and then they have to bugger off home for their tea. I could do food no worries, just wondered if that wouldn't be too big a THING given that I don't really know the neighbours all that well.

If you invite them for drinks and mince pies, that is all they will expect. They won't expect you to do other food as well.

How about 8pm - 10pm? (putting an end time on the invitation if you don't want a late night?)

Dear neighbour

Please pop in for a drink and a mince pie on Sunday afternoon between 3 and 6.

Hugh.

Or words to that effect. It's putting an ending time shows that you want them to bugger off home for tea.

Will people have eaten by 8pm? Seems early.

But then I get into the tangle of doing 'nibbles' and that always ends up being a lot more faff than just feeding people proper.

But you could have a big vat of soup or something and loads of bread in the fridge just in case you're having loads of fun and don't want them to go. .

If you say 8pm, then they will have eaten before, or they will come a bit later.

Don't worry about when people will eat, as long as it's clear on the invitation it;s just mince pies.

You seem to be worrying unnecessarily.

I like this end time idea.

Yes, Sunday between 3 and 6. Good for children. Not too early for a drink drink (is it?).

yes 3-6 on a sunday is fine, that is very belgian! Fine for alcohol as long as there is plenty of tea and coffee as well.

Yes. Worrying unnecessarily. It's my hobby and a very fine displacement activity. I am devoting all my energy worrying about whether or not the neighbours will have eaten and thus ignoring all the flashing klaxons going off around me.

But what if my neighbours don't like mince pies???

We did v similar invitations to Seeker's.

And people turned up bearing a box of biscuits :) and wine

result!

And they all buggered off just as requested.