Going loco down in Catford

I was Miss local girly last night as we decided to investigate the area's pubs.

Yes I know its been a year since I lived in Catford but its the first time my mortgage has allowed me the luxury of willy nilly local drinking on a school night.

We tried the Blythe Hill Tavern as we were keen to try out the Irish music night. What a nice pub it is. The music was very good and quite unintrusive and there was a nice roaring fire, i.e. it was boiling :-)

Where next...maybe the Perry Hill?

Bagpuss: I met Emily

Emily's Cat Bagpuss: The most Important, the most beautiful, the most magical, saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world.

I met Emily the other day. In fact I have met her twice but she kept very quiet about it the first time.

Emily, is one half of totalpap
http://www.totalpap.co.uk/
an artist and illustrator, I went to visit her as part of the artists open house. She has a mad garden, with several sheds, workshops and a diving bell. She is a lovely woman, and looks remarkably like someone I once knew which shocked me last time as well.
Anyway, there was a dog angel looking at me and I have now adopted it.

Greetings from San Fran

I thought I would write this now before I get home and the real world takes over.

Ten things I love about San Francisco:

• my sister obviously otherwise I wouldn't be here
• the food: the Senagalese and the Afghan restaurant particularly stick in my mind
• the bookstores: I have bought loads of book bargains including a wonderful book on London travel called the London Spy, written in the 70s. Its hilarious
• Yosemite: not strictly in San Fran but wonderful none the less. All the better as we narrowly missed the massive landslide that hit the camp in the days after we left
• Alcatraz: so interesting. I never knew that the Indians claimed it for 19 months as their land.
• village people Christmas tree decorations in sausilito
• the mission, where the cool kids hang out
• the castro theatre: never have I enjoyed Bridge on the River Kwai so much
• finding spots that were the inspiration for Tales of the City. Including the legendary Safeway's.
• Japantown: full of great Hello Kitty purchases.

Five things I hate about San Francisco - I actually couldn't think of 10!

• Haigh Ashbury: commercialised hippiness at its worst
• attracting too much attention: worse than walking through West Croydon!
• tax on shopping: I don't do maths, I can't work it out and now I have an change mountain
• nutters on buses: yes I know it happens in London too but I'm on holiday and they smell
• hills: are you trying to kill me! after hiking to 6000ft in Yosemite I need a nice gentle stroll.

Seasick Steve - all washed up...

...For me anyway. Lovely guy, brilliant musician, but the Royal Albert Hall killed it for me. Some people unfortunately don't suit being famous and he is on of them.

The evening though was hilariously helped by two guys having a punch up because one of them was singing too loud.

Random cabaret

On Saturday I managed to persuade some unsuspecting friends to come with me to see the Whoopee cabaret which was part of the Thames Festival.

Comprised of various acts usually seen at Duckie I wasn't sure how good it would be. I love Duckie but the acts are usually improved by the intake of lots of beer and we were still on pint number one when it kicked off.

It was hit and miss, and some of the acts could not be as rumbuncious as usual because despite the time there were still some kiddies in the audience. However, it was really good to see alternative cabaret being given performance space (the lovely scoop) and some acts, particularly the dance act, where the woman got chucked around all over the place was good fun.

We finished off the evening with some gambian reggae in the neighbouring patch of green space and with me leaving my fleece in a pub in Borough - doh!

Hello Queenie

On Saturday my friends and I did the touristy thing of going to Buckingham Palace. We decided it was about time. Surprisingly the queue had a lot of English people doing the same, and despite the rumours I did think it was worth the money.

Its actually quite cosy for a palace. I don't feel I would feel out of place reclined on a throne there. Come on Queenie, where's my invite.

Rhona get a haircut

Poor Rhona Cameron, note to all lesbian comedians, do not play Croydon, it didn't work for Rhona, it didn't work for Sandra Bernhard, and it won't work for you.

Despite the lack of audience and dodgy mullet she was quite entertaining. I especially liked the bit about the Abercombie and Fitch shop and I will be going in there at the weekend to see how scary it really is.