The Book Club - 26th April

This months Book Club had a great line up including one special guest and his golden globe. There were the usual suspects Robin Ince, Martin White, The Trap, Natalie Haynes, Johnny Candon, Chris Neil, Peter Buckley-Hill, Tim Key, Asher Treleaven was back, and Daniella Ward bought us a new Chat play. I believe the Chat play may be becoming a spin off comedy show of it's own.

And then the special guest of the evening Stephen Merchant, the other one who wrote the Office, and had a radio show and podcast show with Ricky Gervais.

With the power, yet again, of youtube I am able to being you a whole 14 seconds of the Book Club.

The Flaming Lips/Go! Team - Royal Albert Hall - 22nd April

Oh yay, Oh yay!

There's a town cryer on stage and that can mean only one thing. The Flaming Lips are in town.

Gutted that we didn't get standing tickets, but still excited that we got to see the Flaming Lips play the Royal Albert Hall.

And we finally go to see the giant balloon with Wayne in it, that I've heard so much about. And it is an amazing spectacle to see him all lit up, inside a giant balloon, walk/roll across the crowd.

And now with the power of the internet and the marvel that is youtube here is that exact moment captured on video

As ever it was just one big party, with balloons, tickertape, puppets, fancy dress and some damn fine songs.
In fact Youtube has all these little snippets from this gig.

Cornwall and it's beaches - 13th to 17th April

Tim very kindly took me to Cornwall for a break during Easter. We stayed at some very pleasant B&B's at Newquay, just off Fistral Beach, so we were in walking distance of the beach. And then we took daytrips out to all the places you're supposed to visit as a tourist. Rick Steinville or Padstow as it used to be called. We had some of his fish and chips, I have to say they were good. St Ives - I really loved the little streets, and all there nooks and crannys. Mousehole - a disappointing amount of cats about, apparently there are loads basking in the sun in summer, but nice all the same. And many more places besides.

We had to visit the new cornish tourist hot spot of Boscastle

We sat out on the cliffs at Boscastle to see those waves in action as the tide came in.

We had a brief pitstop at St Agnes for a Cornish Pasty and some sea air.

As some of you will know there was talk of me donning a wetsuit and getting in the water.

I would just like to explain, it's April.

Pleasant but cold English weather.

I dipped a toe in, it was bloody freezing.

Only a mad person would have gone in that water.

Tim swears it's warm.

That it's not that cold.

That you get used to it.
Mmmmm.

Still Fistral beach isn't just for bodyboarding.

It has lovely sunsets too.

I hope to go back soon.

The Mighty Boosh - Hammersmith Apollo - 31st March

We went to see the Mighty Boosh at one of their many dates in London. To think when we first moved down to London we saw them previewing their show Autoboosh in the little Hen and Chickens at Highbury, now they are selling out Hammersmith Apollo several times over.

With added cast members joining them, Naboo, Bollo, Bob Fossil, a bigger stage to play with it was entirely different experience. They were brilliant, and I loved the fact they interacted with the crowd, and were happy to go off script, into little flights of fancy still. (That said that was more Rich Fulcher's Fossil going off script than Julian or Noel.)

It's great to see this odd little show carve out it's own little niche in the real world.

The day of the Sock Puppet Show

It all started out quite civilised, as these things do. Drinking in and around Camden, and by that I mean mainly the Mixer. Then as the clock struck midnight there became 2 camps, the small camp containing Caz and Sara who wanted to go off to Barfly to party the night away, and the slightly larger camp of Tim, Ben, Mike and Shelley, who weren't really up for what Barfly had to offer. So we split up and I took the larger camp back to ours.

Here is what took place between 12am and 3.30am until Caz and Sara walked through the door. If only I'd took a picture to captured the look on their faces when they realised that we had (a) had a bit of a party in their absence, (b) polished off all the Jack, both bottles, and (c) trampled a packet of quaver crisps into Caz's carpet.... oops.

It took a while for the party to get going.

A little bit of dancing.

A bit of country music is needed,

and it's Garth Brooks eat your heart out.

Some are flagging.

So it's time to entertain the home crowd.

I'll be honest I can't remember what this puppet show with socks was about.

I remember it being hilarious of course.

I had drunk quite a bit of Jack.

So had they.

There has been talk of a reinactment of the puppet show for those not present. It hasn't happened yet. I'll keep you posted.