Party night

A quiet day. Lorraine up and off to the hairdresser, Beth to work. I mooched into town and then back again. Feeling really under the weather, so worried that I would be limp ragging it.  Dawn came around then we got ready for the party. My party in fact! We three bundled into a cab with Lorraine looking fab in a new dress and fresh haircut, Dawn and a big bag of helium balloons.

Got to the venue at Grand central and while others sorted things out I stood about twitching. First Matie and Ian came first, armed with a present. Amazingly they had bought it quite randomly, but it turned out to be a book of Marianne North paintings. When I lived in Kew I went to this gallery many times, and loved the pictures in it.

My musician pals Richard, Nick and Silvana arrived early and got their gear set up as Jazztastique, with Steve sitting in with them. Claudius came too but sadly sans flute.

Beth arrived looking splendid in a kind of cape affair, with Innis and Rosie. Anton there of course. and Silvana brought a nice friend called Sarah. There were my poet besties Robin, Sarah and Louise, Charlotte and her husband Pete, Jeremy and his wife Alex. My glassmaking pals Yvonne and Brian, Sally and Marek and Adele and Patrick, as well as glass guru Ben. Then assorted friends such s university pals David and Amanda, my old school friend Mark and his wife Carol, Catherine and Tanya, Malcom and Lynne, Jess and Andrew, Hus and Kata.

The food was great. Jazztastique made a very pleasing and sophisticated backdrop. People kept bringing me presents, for my birthday, and I explained awkwardly that I was an imposter. Lovely to be circulating round and see Lorraine doing the same. People got on nicely, and I had lots of great conversations with people. Then as the party continued, the bitter enders started dancing to a playlist I had made called Bangers. Sarah Barnsley saying she would only dance if there was Taylor Swift, and Beth simply made it so, and Sarah was up and grooving. All good fun.

Felt very happy and humbled on the way home in a cab with Lorraine and Dawn that people had braved a foul storm (storm Dennis) as well as the Coronavirus capital of the UK to come to a party.

Didn't take any photos as I was too busy enjoying myself. Here is me with my lovely wife however.


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