Nano Banana 2.1 image, loosely based on Geordie Soc cartoon & my instructions
As many readers know, John White & I have known each other for 45+ years; friends from our Keele University days – especially our students’ union sabbatical era 1984/85.
One of our favourite memories from out Keele era relates to our doing SU discos together. The Geordie Mag chose to tease John in the cartoon used as the headline picture for the article below:
Role the clock forward 40+ years to the Sessions Art Club. John and I are now well in our 60s and do not hold ourselves out as being cool any more…I’m not sure we ever did think of ourselves as cool.
Yet, the story depicted in the headline image basically happened, give or take a well crafted pay-off line by yours truly the next morning.
Sitting at the bar, behind John, was a pair of young women, who seemed to be drinking all evening without eating. Perhaps they had eaten earlier than us and were lingering over some drinks.
At one point, one of them tottered off her bar stool and slightly collided into the back of John’s chair. She apologised profusely. John gently told her that no harm was done. About five minutes later, she approached John and asked him if either of us had any coke on us. Flabbergasted, John simply said no and she resumed her stool.
I suppose there is a first time for everything and for sure this is the first time that John & I have been approached by someone hoping that we’d be a source of illicit substances.
That, despite the fact that we’d sometimes do the bust fund discos, back in the day.
Even further back in the day, Sessions Arts Club was the old Middlesex Sessions House – the largest court house in the whole of England, albeit for lesser crimes than the Old Bailey. Flogging, imprisonment or deportation to far-flung colonies being the main sentencing tools.
Gulp.
Talking of which, the food and the wine was excellent. As is the stunning ambiance of that place.
We started with some bread, butter and mortadella.
We liked the look of mains:
- Cod, pear & minestra nera
- Guinea fowl, potato & puntarelle
We shared both, which the staff kindly brought to us in a sensible sequence.
I had a rather fruity orange wine – trendy restaurant, go for the trendy wine. John went for a white wine with the term D’Orient in its name, in honour of his football team, which was playing that evening. John’s undying support did Leyton Orient no good that night, apparently.
We followed it up by sharing the delicious cheese plate: Wigmore & Stichelton, with which we both tried the recommended white port.
As always, John and I had a most enjoyable catch up and meal. And on this occasion we also have a story upon which we’ll be able to dine out for a while.
Who’d have thought that someone would assume that a superannuated pair of snowflakes [did you see what I did there?] like me and John might be a source of Charlie? I can confidently state that neither of us tried the stuff even once.
