Meeting up with H on his return from Volgograd has given me an idea on how to keep these updates brief: I shall write in a Russian accent, thereby dispensing with many shorter words and cutting to the chase in terms of narrative. Here goes:
Went to Nick & Meena's flat in South Ken. Drank quinqui de noix (I like kinky nuts wery much) and ate with Nick, Meena, Steve & Jezza at delightful Spanish restaurant near flat.
Thursday spoke with H in morning, arranged to meet for dinner. Met Hugh and friend Lyudmilla for lunch at Globe Theatre. Took Lyudmilla to St Martins fashion college. Went to buy tent for Festival, failed, must go to Manchester to collect tent from sister shop.
Nah, this Russian accent thing is annoying me. So, in continuation, I ate at a lovely small Greek restaurant called Retsina, which is next door to the bigger and more expensive Lemonia in Chalk Farm, with H. Then we met with Jezza, Jezza's brother Anthony and Steve at the Princess of Wales pub, where there was some great live jazz being played and sung. We went back to the flat and chatted into the wee hours. H stayed over, sleeping on the other couch on the basis that he is shorter than me and fits it.
On Friday I drove with Jezza to Liverpool, to visit Foggy in his house in Aigburth. It was so nice to see him again after all this time! We went for beers in Liverpool, and washed down our curry with a cheeky late beer at the Head of Steam pub. I stayed at Foggy's while Jezza went to his parents' house. We all met again the next day at Jezza's parents' house, where I hadn't been for 12 years! We drove to Manchester to go tent shopping and for coffee. I attempted to get measured for a kilt at Moss Bros but they wanted to charge me £10 for the pleasure, so I declined and decided I will go to a tailor to be measured up for free.
In the evening, Foggy & I cooked dinner together over Delirium Tremens beers and the wailing of the natural gas alarm in his kitchen (but we didn't explode or pass out so it must have just been the alarm). When his housemate George came in, we accompanied her to a nearby ale house for a nightcap.
Sunday saw me eat four varieties of meat (along with plenty of tasty vegetables). Lunch was a carvery in Aigburth with Foggy (pork, turkey and beef), which was followed by sightseeing in Liverpool (yes, I took the Ferry Cross The Mersey). It was a lovely day for it! Liverpool will indeed be a handsome European City of Culture in 2008, when it's had a wash. Dinner was courtesy of Jezza's parents (lamb), and was followed by much playing of pianos and singing. The double piano performance given by Jezza and his mum was mindblowing, and put our modest stereo Solfeggietto to shame. We also aired the madrigal Come Now Arise with Jezza's sister on the alto part. It was really really nice to have an evening of music! It's something I haven't done in I don't know how many years. The frames of pool after everyone else had gone to bed were also fun.
Okay, once more I am writing for Britain it seems. So I'll cut it short with a brief reference to how nice it was to spend time chatting with Jezza's dad when he accompanied me to ATS to buy some new tyres for my car, and how lovely it was to spend an evening with Meena in South Ken, where I am currently staying. It's a pity Nick is on business in Milan and couldn't join us.
