Carnival

Went to Notting Hill Carnival yesterday. Great craic. Managed to squeeze in to Sancho Panza for the last hour and a half, a third of which I spent queuing outside some horrendous posh boy's house to use the toilet (and pay £3 for the priveledge of watching him high-five his friends at all the money he'd screwed out of people). The music and dancing was great though, and F started a crowd chant, which pleased him no end.

We were observed throughout from high windows by the most bored looking police I have ever seen. What a job. Reminds me of G being alone up a searchtower in Northern Ireland at Christmas, watching the family the army were observing opening their presents in front of the tree. What fun!

Actually it's really interesting going to people's houses to use the toilet at Carnival. The first one I went in to belonged to a middle-aged jamaican woman, and her daughter was there collecting the money (£1). The daughter was very friendly and chatting to everyone as they waited in the queue. Her 4 year old son, wearing a "mama ain't raisin no fool" t-shirt, helpfully blew his carnival horn outside the bathroom door if anyone was taking too long. It was a lovely house full of proud photographs of the grinning family, souvenirs from trips abroad, books etc. The bathroom itself was clean and had a stick of incense burning to make it smell nice. How thoughtful.

Needless to say, one of the highlights of the day was seeing the narrowboats moored at the Grand Union pub ;)

Danced until the pub shut at 11pm and got home at a civilised 11.30pm. How very pleasant.