Saturday night, but the threat of rain decimated our audience. Not that it affects us really as they’ve already paid. But I took a bedraggled lot out into the elements tonight. When they’re wet it’s harder to transfer enough energy to them for them to remember to have fun. Also the sound of rain on their umbrellas necessitates more projection. I’m good for it, but I’m still recovering from whatever that sickness was last week. I took them out in the rain but I was marking the moments, counting down to the first pub stop. Using what I could but I’ve learnt not to empty myself into bottomless pits. Still knackered myself.
The Star is warm and dry, but who the hell has a baby shower in a pub? The whole place was full of people and presents and balloons when I showed up with 30 people in tow. A baby shower. What even is a baby shower? Bloody Americans. Just another excuse to go to the pub en masse. I suppose it’s harder to get stuck in once you’ve got babies, and having an official shower thing helps people remember that they’ve still got that pram in the attic. But all this has only crept over from America in the last few decades. Like having a prom. We never had a prom. People are having proms now. Next thing we’ll be doing Thanksgiving.
For now though, I’m part of making a fuss out of Halloween, which really is another very American thing. Over there right now it’ll be gardens full of cobwebs and pumpkin patches. Here we might just occasionally see a jack o lantern but mostly it’s just another night, Halloween. And for a few lucky people an excuse to tramp out into the streets of Hampstead for peculiar stories and boozy fun. We’ve still got a few tickets left on Monday as we threw in an extra night at short notice out of optimism and greed. Come get stuck in. I’ve had surprisingly few friends come walkies, but then I never really strive for it as it’s just another random thing I’m doing.
I was shot to hell at the end of the night. Got myself home in short order and now I’m trying to wind into sleep with the happy knowledge that we get an extra hour tonight. Or is that tomorrow? Soon anyway. I’ve got three walks left and then I’m back open for business until Jersey. What next, I wonder.
AlBarclay 