Sunday, December 03, 2006

First man, first tree and music.

1. Today, Adam gets to be a beautiful thing. He is moving to Spain to be with the woman he loves. He has been a leading light in the pagan community in Tunbridge Wells for a couple of years now. Moderating message boards, guiding walks, leading moots and encouraging study groups. What I really like about him -- apart from his gap-toothed grin and give-anything-a-go attitude -- is that he is not after a circle of adoring acolytes. He saw that the group needed someone to take charge, so he did it. My favourite Adam story is him telling me with some surprise about something that happened on Tonbridge Station on his way to a moot. 'These girls came up to me and went: "Are you a pilgrim?" and I thought about it and said: "Yes I am," because we're all pilgrims in life, aren't we.' Adam, hope everything is good in Spain -- and I don't resent Mika a bit for stealing you from us.

2. A Christmas tree, still wrapped in its net, in the corner of the pub.

3. We had settled into the Royal Oak to give Adam a farewell drink when two guys turned up with guitars and amps. One of them looked like Fred Flintstone, with an American accent to go with it. He really got into his music, throwing wildcat yowls and drumming on his guitar. At the end of the song, he would look at the crowd as if he didn't quite know what we were doing there, and then come back to himself with a jolly grin. At the end of the evening, I thanked him, and he shook my hand, bowed and said 'No, thank you, Ma'am'.

Book treasure, worn and speaker.

1. Finding treasure in the Oxfam bookshop. I only popped in to look for a card. 2. Bettany doesn't wear makeup out and about, but noneth...