Memory lane
Up to Acton again. Tried a different route and was slightly late. No matter, as there was little work for the first hour or so. Climbing the stairs, and seeing young guys of South Asian origin walking reluctantly to work ahead of me, gave me a flashback to being at school in Wembley. For a moment I felt exactly as if I were sloping off to my old school, or maybe one of my earliest temporary jobs.
A fairly straightforward day, enlivened by a trip to Kitty's Cafe at lunchtime. Walked deep into local industrial estate land, bland and tatty warehouses and empty units, one of which had been converted into Kitty's Cafe. A tiny restaurant with a shabby entrance, but full of people. Took away a Pad Thai, and it was good. Walked there with two guys from the agency. One of them, Lee, is a specialist in Martial Arts, and does Shaolin Kung Fu among other things. He and his friend were deeply into training, and spurned bread and other bad things, and treating their bodies like temples. Lee is very poised and friendly, and he cheerfully told me that last night in training had been learning how to break people's legs with one move.
Off to Mum and Mason this evening. Caught a bus from North Acton which took me through Harlesden to Willesden Green station. Fascinating bus trip through a part of London that I once knew quite well, but hadn't been to for about twenty years. Past Harlesden Jubilee Clock, onto lots of Jamaican cafes, tiny Irish pubs, and Halal groceries, very characterful and not quite as shabby as I remembered it. Two older Jamaican men talking in strong accents and laughing uproariously on the bus, also took me back to my younger days in London.
Really nice evening with Mum and Mas. Mason has noticeably lost weight, and he showed me his belt, in which he has had to make a new hole, having lost a couple of inches at least from his middle. They played me some music of Angelic Voices, a group of four singers they'd encountered in a church, somewhere in the Balkans. Rawly recorded, but quite beautiful. Enjoyable night having a bit of wine and some Mexican grub and a laugh. Early to bed.
Below Kitty's Cafe entrance, and interior.
A fairly straightforward day, enlivened by a trip to Kitty's Cafe at lunchtime. Walked deep into local industrial estate land, bland and tatty warehouses and empty units, one of which had been converted into Kitty's Cafe. A tiny restaurant with a shabby entrance, but full of people. Took away a Pad Thai, and it was good. Walked there with two guys from the agency. One of them, Lee, is a specialist in Martial Arts, and does Shaolin Kung Fu among other things. He and his friend were deeply into training, and spurned bread and other bad things, and treating their bodies like temples. Lee is very poised and friendly, and he cheerfully told me that last night in training had been learning how to break people's legs with one move.
Off to Mum and Mason this evening. Caught a bus from North Acton which took me through Harlesden to Willesden Green station. Fascinating bus trip through a part of London that I once knew quite well, but hadn't been to for about twenty years. Past Harlesden Jubilee Clock, onto lots of Jamaican cafes, tiny Irish pubs, and Halal groceries, very characterful and not quite as shabby as I remembered it. Two older Jamaican men talking in strong accents and laughing uproariously on the bus, also took me back to my younger days in London.
Really nice evening with Mum and Mas. Mason has noticeably lost weight, and he showed me his belt, in which he has had to make a new hole, having lost a couple of inches at least from his middle. They played me some music of Angelic Voices, a group of four singers they'd encountered in a church, somewhere in the Balkans. Rawly recorded, but quite beautiful. Enjoyable night having a bit of wine and some Mexican grub and a laugh. Early to bed.
Below Kitty's Cafe entrance, and interior.
Comments