I like all the seasons but summer suits me least. I burn, I hate pastel colours, most sandals cut my feet to ribbons, suffer from hayfever, dislike sitting on the grass drinking luke warm wine, loathe wasps and prefer dresses with sleeves. I scorn festivals, think sport is rubbish and the sun makes me squint therefore ageing me. So the approach of Autumn and Winter is cause for a mental huzzah!
Halloween plays its part, if only every day could be Halloween. Even children become strangely cute and deserving of sweeties rather than my general sneer. As a child I loved the whole thing and even now wish it lasted longer. There is a horrific clash of titanically good things on that night all of which I’d like to attend.
It is a shame to miss the sheer flamboyance that is the White Mischief extravaganza The Haunted Ballroom we attended the House of the Sandman a couple of years ago and have to admit that it scores top points for superlatively supernatural surroundings and sophisticated spookivity.
Sadly we will be too tired to make it to Hula Boogie for their Sunday shenanigans, tiki and the fifties and horror go together happily in a witches brew of psychobilly and jiving juju.
On the evening itself we shall be found at Don’t Dali with the Devil put on by those fine folks, or rather the redoubtable Fleur and Emerald of the Fox Presents. Last year’s night involved a live snake, live music and recently culled woodland flora (the forestry commission fortunately didn’t discover that half a wood had migrated to Old Street). This year the theme is all things dada and surrealist. I’m not sure what to do, but it may involve either a wig or a hell of a lot of face paint. Most of which will end up on everyone else. If you are there and you recognise me please say hello. Presuming I buy my new camera I will take lots of lovely photographs.
