The Book of Sifty

Free stuff at the London Astoria 8:21AM

So to catch up I'll cast my mind back to the weekend before last. Other things do happen in my life except my weekends, but they're pretty boring and when I have limited time to write them up its much better to just cover the fun stuff.

Any way last Friday night I decided it was time to buy some CDs. I currently have about 20 CDs on my purchase list, but as usual I hit the shop and bought a whole bunch of others. So I get out of the shop and turn my phone on (There's nothing worse than a ringing cellphone while somebody is wearing headphones in a music shop), there's a missed call from Craig, so I call him :

""Tom where are you?""

""Oxford street I think""

""I've got free tickets to OPM""

""Who the hell are they?""

""Don't know, but they're free, its at the London Astoria""

So the Astoria was about 20m from where I was. There was a massive queue of 14 year old skateboarders with hooded sweatshirts on (okay I was wearing mine.. but I wasn't accompanied by my mother!). I remembered who they were, and thanked myself the tickets were free, they have one tune 'Heaven is a halfpipe'?. Its okay, but in my opinion commercial skater-punk, but I do have differing taste in music. Craig showed up, we went in and straight to the bar. Despite being nearly sold out the bar was basically empty! The bar-tender complained that everybody was under age, and that even though he was the only person behind the bar he was doing nothing. Craig and I finished our beer, decided that 10 minutes was long enough, and bailed.

It was then off to a Mexican restaurant that some girl Craig had met at his work waitresses in during the evenings.
We show up and head for the bar.
There's a sign above the bar that alcohol must be accompanied by food, and somebody took my credit card. Craig's friend greets us with a couple of very nice tequilas. Then after a round of beers it's another free tequila, then margaritas. All good. So when we finally left I was feeling quite mellow, and by the time I hit the tube was pretty trashed.

the fireworks on Primrose hill 8:45AM

Saturday night it was off to the fireworks on Primrose hill (one of the higher points in London - which means its about the height of a three story house!). I found out later they were the biggest fire works in Britain. Very long and very loud. I was with a whole bunch of Kiwi friends of Poh and Surrey. They were pretty indecisive about what they were doing after the fireworks, I'd sorted going out clubbing with Craig and some of his mates, so I ditched them and missioned off to the tube. Amanda had called earlier so I met her at tube near the club, about ten minutes later Veronica and her friend showed up. They'd apparently been at the fireworks too, but I think half of London must have been there. Any way it was off form there to the club - I'd heard nothing about it all and was pretty surprised and stoked to see it was playing some decent music, including The Herbaliser, and was a mere '5 to get in. All good. I was even more stoked to discover despite what the dudes standing in the queue behind said it was open till 5am. So in we went. Downstairs was moochy techy house. The middle floor was dub break-beaty stuff I cannot even begin to describe, and upstairs was a BYO vinyl DJ. Basically punters bring in their own vinyl and they play it. Worked sortof considering some of the dire vinyl that was showing up.

I was complemented on my tee-shirt by the barmaid, and had a very nice walk home with Amanda in the mist and bizarre early morning lighting that you get here at 6am. All good.

Sunday 2pm Poh, Veronica and I dragged ourselves out to a pub just up the road, for a most yummy chicken pie, and several good ales. Then it was back to the couch for an evening of telly under my duvet. I must mention at this point if you havn't seen The Straight Story, see it. It's a very beautiful and well paced movie, directed by David Lynch, better known for Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Naked Lunch amongst others. Also Ghost Dog is pretty cool. I think you might like that one Ash, its got some good Samurai quotes, and I think you will have seen it, but Momento is pretty twisted and clever movie. We got it on DVD the other day and watched it twice. It probably helped that I hadn't heard anything about it before seeing it. Still it did the rare thing among movies with Aussie actors in it ;) and provoked some serious debate, rather than just general mockery.

So Monday my visa documents show up in Cambridge and I'm off on the train to pick them up, remembering again after London how pretty the English countryside looks. (I still have to apply for the actual visa, and couldn't till I got back form Paris, since I needed my passport for that, and I have to post it in with the application)

Anyway in Cambridge there were more fireworks, more people and a massive house sized bonfire. I was sitting in the pub afterwards with all the Cambridge lads, and realized that of the 7 of us there I was, one of two Kiwis, the rest being UK born and bred. This might not seem that strange but in London I very rarely meet anybody but Australasians.

Next moring Clare-Harriette patched my zippy Friday pants for me (as worn in above picture) and it was back to London to meet Heather at the train station. She'd just been in Ireland, and went to Paris with us at the weekend. Shes about to head off to Europe again before heading home to NZ. I'm pretty jealous.