random acts of senseless beauty

Lizzie and Claudia

These girls are the reason I happily give up my Friday evenings to hang out with 11 – 15 year olds. The eldest pair in my youth group, Lizzie and Claudia are best friends, or sisters from another mister as they say. The best thing is that they include me in that sisterhood in a way that a 20 year age gap will allow.

There was no JYGSAW (Junior Youth Group St Anne’s Wandworth) on Friday so the three of us just went for dinner. Being 15, we sat in Pizza Hut, cramming as much into our salad bowls as we could and talking about boys. Awesome.

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The evening had started somewhat less salubriously, as a rainy evening made the steps into Oxford Circus tube station something of a death trap. Walking steadily down in the midst of the rush hour throng my right foot skiddied out from under me. My left foot followed suit, and I came crashing down hard on my bottom, lower back and hands.

Everything stopped for that second where you mentally figure out how on earth you didn’t hit your head. Eyes looked at me from the bottom of the stairs, asking questions that my inability to find any breath made impossible to answer. I moved wrists and ankles as I realised that nobody was passing me; a glance over my shoulder (pain) let me see about 150 people backed up the stairs, keeping well back. It must have been a pretty spectacular fall to make Londoners stop still in the rush hour.

I’m feeling much better now, but the last 48 hours have been weird. It’s strange to think how a tiny slip like that affects you. I’ve been sore, achy, stiff, nauseous and for the first few hours was burping almost constantly! It just shows how everything is shaken up when you hit the ground hard.

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If you get the chance I’d like to humbly suggest you listen to a couple of things that I’ve produced this weekend. If you’re yet to subscribe to the Adam & Joe Podcast, then do it! But if not, then do listen to this weeks’ show on Listen Again. Bizarrely Joe was away this week, but the WONDERFUL Garth Jennings (director of brill music vids like Blur’s Coffee & TV and the upcoming movie Son Of Rambow) was in his seat and it’s a great listen.

Also double fabulous was this afternoon’s Stephen Merchant show. We had the staggering Beth Rowley in session and you just have to hear it, then go and buy all her music because not only is she fabulously talented, but a wonderful wonderful person who deserves all the great things that are coming her way. So there.

night night.