When I'm 64!
On Friday Joe and I went to the Festival Hall for a Shostakovich concert, I went up early as they have a free monthly reggae party for oldies and I took Lynn and her little granddaughter.
It was really busy, a couple of hundred people and a good live band. We'll go next month too.
Then they left and I took in the free Palestine Sound Archive exhibition then grabbed a curry from the food market outside.
The Southbank isnt far from my home and many of the staff know me now, I'm always treated so well, I chatted with some of them and was pleased to see some of them wearing keffiyahs too.
The concert was excellent, a full house and as ever Joe was splendid source of encyclopedic information on the history of this era of music.
Saturday had a long, but ultimately rewarding day. (I had a bad night as I found out about a bit of backstabbing in our PSC group that upset me), but got to the 20th National PSC march, stage area bright and early, chatted with lots of friends and nabbed a spot dead centre at front of stage, I usually stay off towards the sides but fancied seeing and hearing everyone today.
Inga, the eccentric watercolour artist started to do my portrait and people began arriving, a lovely elderly Palestinian couple next to me had bought cakes and sweets for all the crew and the people in the access area, I've seen them on every march.
Then the speeches started, all were excellent, so much love for some special ones close to our hearts, Husam Zomlot, Ayesha Mohammed, Zarah Sultana and of course, the one and only Jeremy Corbyn. Stephen Kapos, Holocaust survivor, gave a brilliant emotional speech his family of son, grandson and beautiful great grand daughter beside him nodding and clapping.
Then after I found my friends and we had another chat, they then treated me to a slap up feast at Royal Mahal in Tooting, there were several birthdays in there with singing and sparklers, I didn't expect them to do it for me, but my friends had had a quick word in Urdu to the staff when I wasn't listening and out they came in gold sequin jackets singing Bollywood happy birthday with cake and candles. Felt very loved and appreciated xx
My surgery is in 10 days. Potato alien is growing, it hurts the back of my neck now too. Not looking forward to surgery but will be a relief to have it gone.
Very full on with PSC stuff, 4 hour zoom yesterday, Hamid arrives this week and I have events and meetings planned.
Then a few weeks down time to recuperate from surgery.