A rather interesting day
Well yesterday was the London CSTS screening. We got up in the morning and proceeded to dress and pack. We then jumped in the car and drove into town. Got stuck in traffic along the way, but eventually arrived in Streatham, dumped our stuff at Clarry's and then proceeded to the pub for a quick beer and then we were on our way. We found the Roxy Bar and Screen and met up with doubleshiny. We then awaited the arrival of one of Kay's friends Sarah, she ended up arriving after the film had started on account of some directional misunderstandings, but get there she did.
We watched the film and drank more beer, the evening was well underway and we needed food, much beer and no food equals dev fall down, and dev not want to fall down. We found a little chinese place just up the road from the Roxy and we got munch. We checked in with Louie and she and Karen were still out at a family meal, so we ate without them.
Clarry had previously suggested we go to a bar called The South London Pacific, we informed Louie of this and she and Karen got there before us and so called us upon their arrival and said that it was really busy and noisy and that they'd meet us outside and that we should go on to somewhere else. Well as we approached The South London Pacific we noticed an odd little pub down a side road and so when walking back, we thought we'd give it a try.
This seemingly innocous decision lead to one of the most bizarre nights of my life.
We approach the pub and found it to be in something of a state of dis-repair. I've seen pubs in worse conditions but none quite as odd. There was an amount of garden furniture inside the pub, including a double length oildrum barbecue. And directly opposite the bar where a number of tables piled on top of each other, a fruit machine and an arcade machine, entirely covered in wet washing, hung up to dry.
We were also just about the only people in there.
We went up to the bar and began ordering our drinks. Whilst we were doing this Karen noticed a puppy behind the bar and was somewhat taken with it, at which point the South African barman asked if she wanted to hold it. To which the barman/landlord said that of course she could and when doubleshiny also showed interest, another puppy was produced from the other end of the bar. So there we were, a couple of drinks poured and two puppies provided. The rest of us chose our drinks and had them served, and the barman listed our drinks on an A4 pad and said to settle up later, smoking a cigarette as he did so, we then sat down and began talking.
We chatted away about various things as one does, we played with the two gorgeous little rottweiler pups and drank more and more, generally having a good time. I really can't explain the weird all that well here, it really was one of those "you had to be there" things, but it was truly bizarre and spectacularly awesome.
Then we met Ingerjohanna.
Ingerjohanna, (pronounced Ingerjoanna) was a 19 year old Norwegian girl who had been in this country for 7 days. She had previously been staying in a christian hostel but had fallen out with the manager for no specified reason, he apparently just took a dislike to her from the off, so after her first five days that she had paid for, she left and had found accomodation at this pub.
She talked with all of us about a range of subjects, both mundane and extraordinary, and she was clearly completely mad and utter fabulous. She really seemed to have fundamental understanding of how the universe works and she had a positive attitude that would put evangelical preachers to shame. I feel privileged to have met her and I wish I hadn't been so drunk because I wish I could remember more of what she had said. She had a very wise head on those 19 year-old shoulders. I honestly think I will be more upbeat about everything in future, thank you strange Norwegian lass!
Louie, Karen and Sarah had to slope off a bit early as they required to get the last tubes in the direction of their homes, but Clarry, Kay, doubleshiny, Ingerjohanna and I drank on for some time before finally we had to go. So the four of us trotted back to Clarry's (via the N159 bus) and when there Kay fell asleep with JC (Clarry's cat) on her whilst Clarry, doubleshiny and I watched an episode of Supernatural (Ghostfacers) which had amused Clarry greatly and then an episode of How I Met Your Mother which had also amused Clarry greatly. Episodes watched and much more hilarity had, I woke my love and removed the sleeping cat from her and we went to bed.
I woke up this morning wondering if it had all been a weird dream, but as everyone seems to remember it, I'm assuming not.
Back home now and missing my browncoated buddies, thanks all, it was a great weekend, just a shame there weren't more of my people there.
We watched the film and drank more beer, the evening was well underway and we needed food, much beer and no food equals dev fall down, and dev not want to fall down. We found a little chinese place just up the road from the Roxy and we got munch. We checked in with Louie and she and Karen were still out at a family meal, so we ate without them.
Clarry had previously suggested we go to a bar called The South London Pacific, we informed Louie of this and she and Karen got there before us and so called us upon their arrival and said that it was really busy and noisy and that they'd meet us outside and that we should go on to somewhere else. Well as we approached The South London Pacific we noticed an odd little pub down a side road and so when walking back, we thought we'd give it a try.
This seemingly innocous decision lead to one of the most bizarre nights of my life.
We approach the pub and found it to be in something of a state of dis-repair. I've seen pubs in worse conditions but none quite as odd. There was an amount of garden furniture inside the pub, including a double length oildrum barbecue. And directly opposite the bar where a number of tables piled on top of each other, a fruit machine and an arcade machine, entirely covered in wet washing, hung up to dry.
We were also just about the only people in there.
We went up to the bar and began ordering our drinks. Whilst we were doing this Karen noticed a puppy behind the bar and was somewhat taken with it, at which point the South African barman asked if she wanted to hold it. To which the barman/landlord said that of course she could and when doubleshiny also showed interest, another puppy was produced from the other end of the bar. So there we were, a couple of drinks poured and two puppies provided. The rest of us chose our drinks and had them served, and the barman listed our drinks on an A4 pad and said to settle up later, smoking a cigarette as he did so, we then sat down and began talking.
We chatted away about various things as one does, we played with the two gorgeous little rottweiler pups and drank more and more, generally having a good time. I really can't explain the weird all that well here, it really was one of those "you had to be there" things, but it was truly bizarre and spectacularly awesome.
Then we met Ingerjohanna.
Ingerjohanna, (pronounced Ingerjoanna) was a 19 year old Norwegian girl who had been in this country for 7 days. She had previously been staying in a christian hostel but had fallen out with the manager for no specified reason, he apparently just took a dislike to her from the off, so after her first five days that she had paid for, she left and had found accomodation at this pub.
She talked with all of us about a range of subjects, both mundane and extraordinary, and she was clearly completely mad and utter fabulous. She really seemed to have fundamental understanding of how the universe works and she had a positive attitude that would put evangelical preachers to shame. I feel privileged to have met her and I wish I hadn't been so drunk because I wish I could remember more of what she had said. She had a very wise head on those 19 year-old shoulders. I honestly think I will be more upbeat about everything in future, thank you strange Norwegian lass!
Louie, Karen and Sarah had to slope off a bit early as they required to get the last tubes in the direction of their homes, but Clarry, Kay, doubleshiny, Ingerjohanna and I drank on for some time before finally we had to go. So the four of us trotted back to Clarry's (via the N159 bus) and when there Kay fell asleep with JC (Clarry's cat) on her whilst Clarry, doubleshiny and I watched an episode of Supernatural (Ghostfacers) which had amused Clarry greatly and then an episode of How I Met Your Mother which had also amused Clarry greatly. Episodes watched and much more hilarity had, I woke my love and removed the sleeping cat from her and we went to bed.
I woke up this morning wondering if it had all been a weird dream, but as everyone seems to remember it, I'm assuming not.
Back home now and missing my browncoated buddies, thanks all, it was a great weekend, just a shame there weren't more of my people there.