2013 kicked off in fine style at the Mile End sister-flat, on one of those nice occasions when bringing different friendship groups together actually works (even if one of the photos does look like the cover of a low-rent sitcom).
One particular highlight: a barbershop rendering of Puff the Magic Dragon, video evidence of which abounds on Facebook. (I’m not going to show you that, though, instead I’m going to show you an actually rather nice photo of me, Simon and Josh. Less nice photos = also on Facebook.)
So far in January I have also: seen Arabian Nights at the Tricycle, celebrated the launch of Ben’s Coja Records label in Dalston, been charmed by a board game called Dominion (average 7.92 out of 10 at BoardGameGeek – and they’re a discerning crowd), fought a tooth-and-nail snowball fight across London Bridge and, yes, signed a real life tenancy agreement*.
(*Q: But Dominic? I swear you moved out ages ago? What gives?”
A: Sometimes bureaucracy is slow. Especially if you do everything backwards and complete the ‘moving in’ bit before the ‘telling the landlord’ part.)
You might have thought that discussing crowd-sourced board game ratings was the limit for this blog, but no – there’s more. Last weekend was, in fact, particularly glorious for the stereotyping of me: on Saturday I went with Oliver and Abi to Cambridge for tea and cakes with Professor Mandler, plus Chinese and a spot of book shopping. (What’s the ideal accompaniment to the early works of Rousseau? Why, the later works of Rousseau!) And then yesterday Simon, Ellie, Mark and I explored the Wellcome Collection’s exhibition on Death (a cheery subject not improved by the Victorian anti-masturbation devices in the other room), waited around on cold and snowy platforms for a steam train (totally worth it) and saw the 1928 silent film Underground (link to Diamond Geezer, because he did it first).
In case you were wondering, yes, it’s set on the Tube.
What! Victorian anti-masturbatory devices?! This sounds like MY DEGREE I must go.