Saturday, April 16, 2005

Feisty, youth and sparest spare room.

1. Finding in Oxfam a copy of The Secret World of Polly Flint, a book I read when I was about seven and loved. As a downtrodden school girl, I admired Polly tremendously for her rhyming and her silent remarks to adults who crossed her: 'I'm a younger and worser, I suppose. Why does getting older make you a better?'. And she shouts 'Mustard tarts to you' at a boy who teases her. The story concerns magic between Mayday and Midsummer and a lost village whose church bells you can hear if you press your ear to village green.

2. Walking into a club and discovering that you are not the oldest people there. We went to The 100 Club on Oxford Street to see The Martin Harley Band - man in hat makes extraordinary noises with guitar - and Omar and the Howlers - giant Texan singer belts out blues in rumbling bass.

3. Going to sleep in a spare room with a proper duvet and a furry blanket and lovely bit fat pillows. And also, Katie and Jonathan have a lampshade made of metal flowers and leaves - it comes in a sheet and you scrunch it round the light fitting to whatever shape you like.

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...