I’m knackered.
The weather Gods are kind though.
I was working outside all afternoon and I arrived in an absolute rainstorm. Somehow it all stopped and sunshine happened for a tiny patch. Then back undercover in time for the storm.
I was driving from home up to Hampstead when the heavens opened. Lightning storms so active I was very happy that I have big tyres on Bergman. I’ve driven through many storms, and many that are worse than the storm tonight. But usually I’m not about to take a bunch of people out onto the heath. I worried tonight when I couldn’t see the road markings.
I got as far as The Freemasons, and ordered myself a trio roast which I then tried to persuade Chris to eat some of from the other side of the plate. Time was ticking on. And somehow the rain eased off.
We gathered all the seekers. The dark was closing in. We broke out into the night. We crossed the heath. It was just a little group, and they stayed together well. We had fun. We made stupid delightful things. I’m trying to persuade Siwan to release ten more tickets a night, as we’ve been sold out and we have never had a crowd we can’t handle. Might as well push the limits until we know… More people get to come, more money for us… Too many people is never fun, sure, but we’ve never come close to that in my opinion. Tonight the loo was flooded at The Old White Bear, and they still sustained themselves as our midpoint. All the performers are … performers. The more the merrier I say.
I worry about finishing at the King William IV, because I love the pub but I currently get people to clap us for the end of the walk directly outside the flats of the joyless humans who tried to shut the pub down to raise the price of their property. They are likely gathering evidence to have another go at making money by shutting down the pub. Pigs. I wanted everyone who came on the tour to sign a petition, but the pub internalised their struggle instead of externalising it. Maybe we are too wacky to be helpful allies. Either way, it’s a good pub, but for the fact that they decided to make a Crêperie ten foot from the original Hampstead Crêperie. It won’t last long I hope. It’s a stupid and aggressive thing to do. I suspect the King Willy just has a short term managerial issue going on somewhere high up. Whoever it is will leave or get sacked before long, one would hope. It’s a very actorish pub with a good kitchen. I’d hate to see it lost.
Also, if you love pubs, go see Choir of Man at The Arts. It’s a great and well priced West End show. I’ve been driving instruments around for it, they were featured on This Morning, and it’s just a beauty of a singsong piece about masculinity and pubs and life and stuff. Why not?
AlBarclay 