XXXV

Last night there was an enjoyable gathering in Soho to commemorate my 'halfway to 70' birthday. (Sounds pretty scary when you put it that way, doesn't it?). Ten of us dined at Canela, a little Portuguese cafe, and then a a deputation went on to Karaokebox in Frith Street, which is cheek by jowl with the trendiest Soho nightspots like Bar Italia and the Groucho. In our private booth we had an entertaining singing session, which harked back to the halcyon days of the admittedly more rustic charms of the Taste of Korea booths in Willis Street. Felix excelled at her favourite, the Spice Girls' 'Wannabe', while Deb & Jude also did sterling work on Morrissey's 1988 classic 'Every Day Is Like Sunday'. My noble pals indulged me by letting me attempt a Bill Withers number while only possessing approximately 3 percent of the actual soulfulness of the singer himself. They also sat stoically as I fulfilled my long-held ambition to murder the legendarily stratospheric David Bowie vocalisations on the outro to Lou Reed's 'Satellite of Love' ('Satelii-ei... of Looooo-OOO-ooo-ooove...').

Thanks to all who attended for a fun night out on the town!