Perhaps they were all psychic and sensed pending news but Clerkenwell's finest celtic Italian restaurant Real Man Pizza was a buzz all day yesterday. First up was blog reader Gareth to whom I promised a Piss off Argentina T-shirt in a caption contest a while ago. We will not go into details as to how much of a while. Gareth was in town, popped in for lunch and was – as you can see – presented with his shirt by myself (wearing my Sod off Spain T-shirt which is getting stacks of positive comments). You can buy both shirts only HERE
On what was our busiest day since I took on this place I needed a bit of an afternoon snooze but mid-evening I popped outside for a fag and sat next to a chap who said “actually I read your blog”. We chatted about Sefton and so I said “and what is your name?” Kit, he said. “surely not THE KIT, Kit Ingoldby?” Indeed it was. It was an enormous pleasure to meet someone who is a prolific commentator on my pieces and also one of the most straight thinking libertarians going. And a man who bought me a beer to celebrate the demise of Ellerton to boot.
That beer was the start of a familiar descent as Aubrey Brocklebank (the writer who first exposed Cupid) then wandered in with his brother and a friend. Worse was to come as at around eleven Clerkenwell’s very own rather the worse for wear Colourful James rolled in with a bird in tow, indeed none other than the star of this blog, naked artist Pauline Amos. We all sat on the outside chairs as the Montepulciano and Marlboro Lights flowed thick and fast. I seem to remember that Colourful and Aubrey did not quite hit it off as the former was in a fairly chippy mood and rather spoiling for a verbal fight.
As ever, I found myself as the genial conciliator. “here, have another drink everyone…myself included.” And now it is Friday, a day in which Jim Ellerton is publicly humiliated once again, this time with a P45 from his own board. Undoubtedly various folks will feel the need to share a celebratory drink. For me a (dry) Saturday at West Ham cannot come quick enough.
