Some good, some not so good...

Yesterday was a bit of a roller coaster. I met Jules, Bex and the Johns for lunch. We were supposed to be meeting at Christophers in Covent Garden, but the bar was closed and the restaurant is a bit starchy, so we nipped up the road to Zizzi, the Italian opposite The Royal Opera House. We were all slightly hungover after the previous nights unplanned extravaganza at Iain Mac’s flat. We had been at The Railway for a couple of drinks and then Iain was inviting everyone back to his place which is just around the corner. I think there were about ten of us, so we all put in a fiver and Iain went to the offie and stocked up on wine and vodka. Rather a lot of wine and vodka. Iain has the best cd collection and as soon as the first round of drinks had been poured we were putting on a selection of reliable sing-a-long tunes. My favourites were our rendition of Substitute by Clout, Bex’s vindictive”Your So Vain” and Jules wearing the afro wig and channelling Miss Diana Ross. Black John and Flattie did an inpromptu Strictly Ballroom routine complete with lifts, meanwhile one of Iain’s cushions that was next to the candles in the fireplace caught fire and Jules had to run through the room with the blazing cushion while all around her others twirled and chorused. We left at 3.30am.

The food at Zizzi and a restorative bottle of wine soon had the hangovers in retreat and we headed over to Drury Lane to see The Producers. I think this is one of the best musicals I have ever seen. It’s such a spectacular show with great set pieces and a really funny book. The cast are all brilliant apart from Lee Evans who overacts and hams it up, but even he couldn’t spoil it. I won’t go into details because I would hate to spoil it for anyone, but the “Spring Time For Hitler” number had me in tears! We left the theatre and were all tapping our way through Covent Garden. Black John and I left the others and walked to Liberty’s to get Easter Eggs. John was getting one for Jules and I was going to get an egg for Flattie. Unfortunately Liberty had sold out and all that was left were a few broken eggs and ducks with missing heads. :-( Oh, well I’ll get Flattie a cheap and nasty one from Woolworths.

In the evening it was Fox’s, “Come as a Tube Station” party. I don’t know why, but I had a bad feeling about this one. Flattie was dismissive, “Fox has invited over 175 people and everyone is making a real effort with costumes.” Flattie had hired a wimple form the fancy dress shop and was going as Nunhead, which isn’t actually a tube station but he wanted to wear a wimple and that was that. I had planned to go as Barbican. I was going to have a Barbie and a can of coke on a chain. However when I told Flattie he explained that Iain Mac was already doing that. I then thought I would get a bit creative and go as a NY Subway Station, like Spring Street, but again Flattie was dismissive, “It has to be a London Underground Station” I decided not to mention about Nunhead again. Black John was pinning a square of greaseproof paper to his t shirt ( Russell Square) and had said I should just burn a hole in my t shirt. (Holborn) I should explain that no one wanted too complex a costume as there was talk about going on somewhere after and so your outfit had to be “day to night” as it were. We met Big Word Will in the pub. He had two outfits, a hat and a wooden cross (Hatton Cross) and also a necklace made out of wire coat hangers. ( Hanger Lane) Fox greeted us at the door wearing a Posh Spice mask and fake boobs (Victoria). We through walked into the kitchen and I laughed as I saw two packets of Pringles. (see yesterday’s entry) Fox's brother was wearing a red cape and a crown and had drawn on a frown. (Kings Cross) Our gang seemed to be out in the garden smoking. White John had a tinsel halo and a dildo down his trousers (St John’s Wood) Paul White also had a halo (Angel) Amir had a big curly wig (High Barnet) David Convy had a cross in a bag (New Cross) Bex had a dog collar(Barking) Daniel arrived in a wimple (what is it with whimples?) and six balloons with faces and whimples (Seven Sisters) The was a Golders Green, a Holloway, a Tooting or two,another Kings Cross and a couple of others I can’t remember. However there was not 175 people. I think there were about 20 people max. Poor Fox. Flattie had promised me there would be cute, available men. I thought they were probably at another pub and would show up later. At this point I am in the garden re enacting The Producers when I hear someone say, “Hey, it’s Sue!” I turn round to see that it is indeed Sue and she has brought along the guy I had been chatting up last week. Dan, the one I had made extra special effort with, who had asked for my number and then never returned my SMS messages. Grrrr! Flattie sniggered as he saw my face freeze in a fake fixed grin. I kissed Sue, ignored Dan and ran into the kitchen to make a couple of jugs of cocktails. I thought if I kept people’s drinks topped up the mood might brighten. I couldn’t do much about the music as the sound system was actually a tiny stereo and Daniel and Amir were fighting over which Spice Girls track they wanted next. Sue’s Dan came into the kitchen and I offered him a drink. “I’m sorry I didn’t text back but my mobile phone doesn’t have SMS facility”
“Does it have call facility?”
“I’m sorry, I should have called but...”
“You didn’t” I move around him wielding my cocktail jugs.

That was about it. People commented how hostly I was being as I poured and chatted and refilled all the while wishing I had stayed in the flat with a Thai Green Curry and a DVD. Some people decided to go to Queer Nation, but as the clocks went forward it was already 2am and I couldn’t face the club for the third week in a row. I walked back into the kitchen and saw Dan and Daniel snogging. Grrrrr. I walked upstairs and chatted a bit with Fox who was feeling a bit low as the party hadn’t really been a huge hit. He got a bit teary and I gave him a hug. It really was time to leave.

It’s now Sunday afternoon and there is no sign of Flattie. I suspect he went to Queer Nation and then onto the after hours club Beyond. I guess he will surface around 6