Saturday 2nd December 2023

 

Arose and cooked a late breakfast. I popped out to get some odds and ends...bought some fresh ravioli from Pierro in the Upper Place, and had a browse in the glassware section of Selby's, before a quick run round Waitrose. Aki prepared some avocado and dark chocolate tartlets to take to Brett's at No.7 this evening. Enjoyed an early dinner, finishing off the chicken curry. Oty and her dad came round at 1715 to run through the Xmas song list before we headed for No.7. Rather a poor turnout early doors, but we had to deliver our songs well before 1900 in order to hightail it to Deptford. Enjoyed some snack food before we ran for the bus...especially enjoyed Rebecca's onion quiche; must ask for the recipe! 

Got on a No.29 bus to Finsbury Park, but traffic was dreadful after the Arsenal game, so got off a couple of stops before the tube station and trotted down to the Victoria line. Changed at Green Park, getting off at Canada Water and getting a No.188 bus to Deptford High Street. Amazed to find we got to the Watergate in good time. Barney's girlfriend, Jen, welcomed us at the door...she'd done all the organising. Barney was in the dark, and due to turn up at 2030. So the back room was full of Barney's old school mates and current friends and colleagues. We all hid in there until Barney turned up in the company of his mum and dad, and sister Ro and her husband Rob. Met Joy Crookes (pictured on the far left) who co-wrote, and sang, "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" with Barney, which has been coining it in for them as a big car f=maker has been using the song for it's recent advertising campaign. Met an agent who is apparently after signing Barney up for £500,000 (Barney is holding out for a better deal), as well as his manager, and various other interesting music industry types. Katherine's brother Alex turned up, and Aki and I sat and had a chat with him over a beer before we headed back home.