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So one day in my life – I will pick  this Monday gone.

Walking to the tube

Since doing the blog a day I have joined the  ‘School of Shaky Photography’. And I do not mean that in any sort of kinky way. I seem to be taking pictures of the most mundane moments of my life and they have suddenly become less mundane, when I imagine I might share them with someone from the other side of the world who might think my mundane is exotic.  So Monday, I started with a load of admin for about 3 hours then toddled up to the tube to get a tube to somewhere, followed by a train to somewhere else. Visited a school to check how the choir were progressing with  songs for a  local singing festival .

I then got on another tube to the City to run my Monday evening choir, one of my highlights of the week. For some reason at our starting time, all the tenors were in place looking keen and ready while 2 of the 30 altos, and 2 of the 25 sopranos were no where to be seen! So the tenors get a special mention today.

The Lovely Bishopsgate Singers 'Tenors'

After a lovely 2 hours practising for our end of term sharing, I got on another tube, following the late throng of home comers on Liverpool Street Station who are making their way back to places in Essex and Southend on the big trains, followed by a bus to our acoustic evening, (see my page on acoustic evening) where and Mickey  and I sang ‘Summer Breeze’, which went very well, and ‘It’s my life’ which did not go quite as well as the guitar slightly foxed me, but hopefully no-one really noticed. There were some other lovely acts and the Duwellers Family Singers returned after a two month  absence.

Then we went home and watched ‘America’s Next Top Model’ (ironically of course ) and Glee ( not quite as ironically) on fast forward as it was very late by then. So out for 12 hours, I travelled on  a tube, a train, a tube, a tube, a tube and  a bus. That is quite a normal day for someone in London. I embrace our public transport which is many ways another of the golden ball and chains in my life. I do not drive, as you do have to be slightly insane, a brave-heart or oblivous to danger, feel very precious about your personal space or run some sort of business which means you have to transport heavy things around to drive in a Metropolis

SONG OF THE DAY- DOG DAYS ARE OVER-FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE I heard this track  on GLee this week and  was reminded what  a marvellous song it is…very upbeat and am  now having a Florence and the Machine week. I have been put off her in the past and I know this sound completely mad but, everytime I see her performing on TV I find her legs very distracting  from the amazing music she is producing and just sort of becomes all ‘show bizzy’, funny, ‘cos I don’t get distracted by Lady Gaga’s ‘look’ so I am not sure why the FLorence thing just seemed to get in the way of the music….discuss. The Glee version was just so joyful! AND THE FLORENCE VIDEO IS EXCELLENT!

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And the star of the evening was….Paul!  We don’t know any more about him except that he does not work at The Star in Chester Road N19. That- was closed when we arrived at 8.30pm last night, all set for our monthly acoustic evening. We could see lights on at the top, but the bar was definately closed. So, as others were already planning music at Neil’s with tea, we held on, tried to find phone numbers and then noticed a man with a crash helmet lurking outside the pub.

It was Paul’s takeway, and if he had not ordered it to arrive, then our evening would not have been half as jolly. He was just staying over the pub while the owners took a well deserved night off…away….All I can say is, he is a top diamond geezer as he phoned the owners and let us all in, stayed and watched the music , sorted out a makeshift bar which he manned with one of our performers the lovely and very talented Nikki.

It was a good night as Strong White and Stephens had come home from Uni  for the hols and brought all their mates which is always amazing as the average age of us all rapidly decreases by about 30 years..great atmosphere…the  fabulous Big Heath (played with glock and accordion) Bruin’s Ruin, Cynthia, DonanElla ( who won), Peter and Maggie, Stetsun Stan, Mickey and I (playing my guitar to!), Rob to name but a few and Siggy on MC duties. So thanks Paul and the owners for letting us have a great night.

SONG OF THE DAY

I heard it in a cafe today and it is without doubt the song with the best ‘additional vocals’ ever and boy have the Pips got the moves…choir members beware! any day now I might get you doing these.