Max in London - Part II

I had a lunch on Friday, one that was ostensibly business, but that turned into a 6-hour piss-up. I had other plans, involving shopping (Monkey, I wanted to look for those Alain Mikli frames) and going to see Scott at the Whisky Society, but by the time lunch was over all I could do was stand on a corner and wait for Jono to finish work so we could go to an engagement party in Clapham. I did manage to ring Scott at least. I also managed a foray into a pub to buy a half of Kronenbourg to sip outside while I was waiting. On the way to the party we stopped to buy champagne at a corner shop but we ended up with cava because they didn't have any chilled proper champagne. Jono made me eat a sandwich in hopes that it would absorb some of the alcohol I had already consumed. The party was good: lots of bubbly, karaoke, pints of water and more karaoke. The engaged couple had gone to bed before Jono, a few others and I had finished karaoke, but they always do. We got a cab, dropped another party guest at Elephant & Castle, dropped Jono in Soho, and by the time I got home to Islington, the cab fare was £33. I love London and I love black cabs, but fucking hell, the cost is insane.

On Saturday morning when Jono and I finally went downstairs (probably 1 p.m.) Vanessa was already sitting in the garden with the first of her luncheon guests. The only one I had not met before was Kitsch, who was absolutely lovely, and who is a British tv celeb. Monkey, he bats for your team, and you would love him, even if he is a limey. V invited us to have lunch with them, but Jono and I ran off to get burgers in Exmouth Market instead.

After lunch we went to Smithfields to meet JK, a friend of mine from law school. JK is awesome. We sat in a bar, drank beer and talked about everything from politics to urinals. (Yes, I do see the irony in that statement.) JK is a barrister, actually a pupil, meaning that he is doing his one year of apprenticeship before he becomes fully qualified to practice on his own. He has a wig but does not have to wear it very often. On his very first solo court appearance a couple of months ago he was defending 2 squaddies who had been charged with assault. It had been generally accepted in his chambers that they would be found guilty but JK's brilliant defence led to a verdict of not guilty. JK is a legend.

JK ran into someone else we know from law school in the toilets and brought him back to our table. I asked JK to show Tobes the photo of him in his court robes and wig that he had on his phone.
Tobes: You look really good, mate.
JK: No, I don't, I look like a twat.
(That is for all of you in the US to see that the word "twat" is alive and well someplace in the world.)

Then Jono and I had to run off to see Paige and Olivier for more drinks and dinner.