STOP, CHILDREN, WHAT'S THAT SOUND?

Once again finding myself shown up at updating by people who really should not be showing me up, I embarrassedly present a post I (honestly!) started writing on the 12th March.

So many things have been going on lately, as you've probably gathered from earlier posts, that I've not kept up with this so much. The last week or so combined the deadline for my big materials science project with plenty of other work that I've slipped a little behind with, as well as various fun events I'd planned months ago, assuming that by the seventh week of the term I'd have nothing else on my plate to hinder enjoyment of them... This has never been true in two and a half years, but it's still a mistake I frequently make.

Last weekend [the 5th and 6th March!], then, was first spent shopping with Ahmed for an outfit I could wear to work the second half of Downing College Ball. The words "French maid" had been mentioned in the briefing session, at which point I realised that there was probably nothing in my wardrobe that your average Mexican ex-au pair (don't worry, she knows who I'm talking about) would be seen unblocking a drain in, and the last time I'd gone out for new clothes was August. Luckily I managed not to come over too, well ... male about it until we'd left H&M with a bulging bag stuffed safely into Ahmed's rucksack.

On the Sunday we took the train back home to Southend, firstly to see my brothers (who dragged us up and down the high street like a sped-up wildlife film on young lions, juggling with their sister and rapping emo and taking my money to buy pink belts ... that kind of wildlife film). In the evening we ate at Dad's house before going to see Fairport Convention, supported by Hilary James and Simon Mayor. It was the best gig I've been to since seeing Marillion last June, and one I'd been looking forward to just as intensely. Ahmed was impressed as well: one of the advantages of his ignoring all the Fairport songs I'd sent him as a taster was that he'd gone in with no expectations, and the performance came as a joyous surprise.

Incidentally, would anyone be interested in Cropredy next summer? Apparently I went in 1986 and 1988 but things must have been pretty wild since I have no memory of it all whatsoever...

I met up with my brother Ed again to see Electric Six the following Thursday. We stayed in the balcony for the show itself, drinking Strongbow, which I remembered was endorsed by Johnny Vaughn but hadn't realised was cider - no, it's apple juice-flavoured beer! The first band were fun and loud; the second were called El Presidente, with a guitarist whom they paid in sweets to stop him dancing on them all (I hypothesised). Sadly, the guitarist had apparently eaten all the sweets before going onstage and become so hyperactive that he couldn't help himself! Their plan had failed, and their only recourse was to fight fire with fire ... We liked their music and we also liked their very, very cute girl drummer. Cute girl drummer in a pink party dress, mmm.

As for Electric Six - look! Dick Valentine is doing push ups and sit ups onstage! He's grabbed the drummer's drumsticks and is playing the keyboard with them! "Electric Demons in Love" is a political song ... now he's stopped "Improper Dancing" in the middle to strip down to his boxers and play acoustic Magnetic Fields songs ... ah yes - "Danger! High Voltage". And lights and silver foil. Good show.

(I don't know where all these exclamation marks are coming from. Gemma did imply I was unhinged when we met for lunch this afternoon.) (Never mind the brackets.)

The batteries on my laptop will die quite soon, so I'll finish up for tonight in just a minute, with the promise of more, perhaps even more coherent, blogging tomorrow.

The busy week finally ended on a high note at Downing Spring Ball, where Ahmed and I got to play and look pretty for the first half before returning to our Cinderella selves at midnight to clear up mess and barkeep for four hours.


My glamorous, but still very cold, dress, and a borrowed jacket.


Ceilidh in the main hall.


Litterpicker, Zone 2.

Bed! says my computer and say I.