Last weekend will definitely be one to remember for most residents of this little island we call home, since summer suddenly arrived all in one go leaving us sweltering and, as always, eager to take to the outdoors and soak up as much sun as possible. I’m not normally one for hot weather, being inclined to turn a less than attractive lobstery colour at the very sniff of sun, as well as being inclined to wilt like a lettuce in 20+ heat but this time, even I got in on the adventure.
On Friday, Pauls’ band, Ethereal Fire had a gig at The Railway in Southend. All the acts were fascinating in some way or another from the charmingly bizarre ramblings of Debauchery & Confectionary to the Rockabilly Punk explosion of The Optic Nerves… but this is not where the story of the evening lies. The event was being managed by a wiry middle-aged gent, deeply stuck in a bygone mod era a bit overwhelmed by the fact that there were two different gigs going on in two different rooms in the bar. Paul and I had set up camp behind the sound desk with Paul’s laptop so that we could provide music in between the acts. For some reason the old modster thought that this meant we knew what we were doing and left us with the sound deck and lights and zero “training”. Let’s just say, I was on lights and at the point that I dropped the lights for Ethereal Fire to go on, I didn’t actually know how to turn them back on again. Fortunately I worked it out (sort of) relatively quickly and the whole set was not performed in darkness. I even managed to get some effects going on but I’ve never been so stressed in my life.
Paul getting some serious air
Saturday had us back in good old Earlsfield for Wilhem’s birthday braai. I don’t think the weather could have been more perfect and everyone lolled in the garden talking rubbish, drinking far too much and indulging in a little shisha. It all gets a little hazy towards the end but Paul and I ended up abandoning the party to dance to Iggy Pop alone in my room… never a dull moment.
The relationship between a man and his braai is a beautiful, complex thing
On Sunday I ventured out, camera in hand to catch some elephants. I will do a proper blog about the elephants when my hunt comes to an end one way or another at the end of June but there’s an amazing art exhibition on the go in London involving hundreds of multicoloured elephants that I am determined to photograph and tracking them down provides a wonderful excuse for me and often Paul to ramble around London seeing the sites, which I still find exciting even after 6 years. 48 down, 210 to go! The hunt is on!
Single-handedly holding up Waterloo Bridge
Abbi you are gorgeous. I love that last pic. xx