I would like to thank everyone who sent birthday wishes via facebook and cards. I’ll be having my birthday bash at the Chippenham Pub in Shirland Road this year. The pub is at the junction with Chippenham Road. The band will be Alan Vincent on guitar, Jim Mercer on vocals and bass, Mel Wright on drums and John Lewis on keyboards. Chris Youlden can’t guarantee to be there as his health problems don’t seem to be getting any better, but I’m expecting a few guest musicians along. The gig will be on the 12th October starting at eight in the evening. It’s actually about ten days after my birthday but that has nothing to do with old age. As for my actual birthday, well that’s another story.
In fact, Gigi had to go to Paris for the day on business so I went along with the idea of having a celebratory meal there before returning to London. We started off by almost missing the Eurostar from St Pancras because of traffic problems but we just about made it by switching to the underground mid-journey. The business took place in the garment district of Paris but went on much longer than planned. This was not a secret plan to keep me out of bars, or so I was led to believe. Any way the business finished around six thirty and we went to a nearby café for much needed refreshment of French cheeses and wine.
Then the evening got a little out of kilter. We decided to make our way to the Gare du Nord terminus and have a meal in the vicinity before boarding the train. A simple plan which went slightly wrong when we met by chance a couple of friendly Australian ladies and fell into conversation punctuated by a bowl of very spicy olives interspersed with the odd glass. That was when we realised it was time to make our way to the station. After much huffing and puffing we arrived just in time to watch the last train leave. We were given a couple of goodwill ticket changes so that we could catch the first train out the next morning.
Time for plan B. A couple of phone calls to London to let people know of a change of the next day’s arrangements followed by a decision to find hotel and then get my birthday meal. We didn’t have to go far and checked in then went to a nearby restaurant and ate. And so to bed at about half one in the morning. We awoke not so bright and breezy at six for the journey home. Suffice to say we did not miss the train.
