Easter Weekend With Phillie, Tony & Charlie In Ealing, 8 to 13 April 1993

My diary says that I played bridge with my gang at Tessa’s place on the Thursday evening. That would have been Tessa, Andrea and Maz.

Janie’s diary says that Phillie & family were arriving that day and that they were having dinner “at mum’s” that Thursday evening from 6.00 and that I would be coming over 12.30.

I think I had a key by then. Or this might have been the occasion that resulted in me having a key.

Anyway, Janie’s diary says that we all went for a meal at North China on the Friday evening. This is the gathering of Pauline, Phillie, Tony, Charlie, Janie and me, all around a Chinese restaurant table, that i recall so well from our early time together. I think we only ever did that as a group of six the once.

The diaries are very light on what we did. Possibly we didn’t do much.

To some extent Phillie, Tony & Charlie were probably using Sandall Close as a base to do other stuff.

Where the heck did everyone sleep at Sandall Close?

Anyway, we were all still talking to each other come the Tuesday, as the diary says we six (including Pauline) had a dinner party at Sandall Close on the Tuesday evening.

Janie and I both worked that day too.

I think the family stayed on with Janie until the Wednesday afternoon.

The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, The Questors Theatre, 3 April 1993

It must have been dawning on me and Janie that our thing was the real thing…

…because this was a night at the theatre with Pauline; Janie’s mum.

According to Janie’s diary, we had drinks at Pauline’s place at 6:00 before going off to The Questors for a 7:45 show.

All I wrote in my diary was “Questors”.

A notice from a local paper – click here.

Janie and I felt motivated to see a professional production of The Real Thing a few years later at the Donmar Warehouse.I recall the play working much better, especially for Janie, second time around.

Still, I don’t think the evening went too badly. I’m pretty sure I treated the pair of them to dinner after show, but I do not recall where and both our diaries are silent on the matter.

It almost certainly would have been either Wine & Mousaka, Lisa’s or Noughts & Crosses in those days. I don’t know why, but I think it was Wine & Mousaka that first time.

We all lived to tell the tale.