Having had nothing to eat since lunchtime, Wilson expressed an urgent need for sustenance in the form of a Large Festive Mulled Wine, a Large Spicy Cider and several Rich Chocolate Brownies from a food stall in the Apple Market.
Having downed the spicy cider and the mulled wine (both of which were larger than expected and taken on an empty stomach) he was walking a little bit unsteadily as we headed back to the station to catch our train home. I was quite relieved to get him safely seated on board without mishap.
He told me that the lights were a bit disappointing, and that he thought the illuminations we have in Uckfield were actually better, but that he'd had a 'Totes top day'.
Then he sang an Xmas song which he had 'just made up':
Xmas is coming, the ants are getting fat
Please put a penny in Uncle Zoltan's hat
If you haven't got a penny, a farthing will do
I don't know what a farthing is, de dum de dum de doo!
🎶🎶
When we got to Regent Street, to be quite honest the lights were a bit of a disappointment — it looked like someone had broken into Big Ben and stolen all the cog wheels, then strung them up to make a piece of post-modern rubbish in that most Xmassy of colours, brown (see the inset picture).
As for Piccadilly Circus, which I'd given quite a build-up, that has been wrecked! Modernised out of existence! ALL the neon signs have gone, replaced with a giant video wall. :-/
So, we headed back to Covent Garden and went into the Apple Market for a snack. Wilson saw this poster in a shop window and insisted on being photographed in front of it. He told me that if he hadn't already shot the family group portrait, he'd use this photo for his Xmas card!
Another sign in the window proclaimed, 'Let your gift shine the brightest this season' and W said he certainly intended to — especially if his gift happened to be an extra bright LED Torch, which I happen to know he's hoping for!
We got off the Tube at Covent Garden — Wilson had misheard and thought we were going to a convent garden, and was relieved to discover the place wasn't full of nuns!
He was quite nervous of the Covent Garden "Living Statues" but overcame his fear to investigate this one — however hard he looked, he just couldn't understand how the 'statue' was levitating 18" above the ground.
As it was starting to get dark, we headed off to Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus next, to see the lights...
Wilson has asked me to apologise for his joke yesterday in case (being about someone dying) it was in bad taste.
I told him not to worry about it — and indeed he soon had something else to worry about: avoiding getting his claws stuck in the escalator.
There were adverts everywhere for the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. I asked W whether he'd like to see it but, having auditioned unsuccessfully for the lead role, it's a bit of a sore point.
'Thanks, New Dad,' he replied after a moment's thought, 'but I'll probably wait until it comes on Sky Movies...'
Okay, I'm sorry there was no Blog yesterday, but I decided to Seize The Day and took Wilson up to London to see the Xmas Lights.
We were unable to buy tickets at Uckfield Station, and once we'd boarded the train W was certain we would be arrested for Fare Evasion and spend Xmas in jail, but he calmed down after the Conductor had been round and issued us with permits.
He spend the journey standing on the seat so he could see properly out of the window, but he sat down briefly to tell me a joke:
'Did you know, New Dad, that the inventor of Predictive Text has just died? His funfair will be held next sundial! Hahahahaha!'
Last night, Wilson shot his Family Group Xmas Photo — I'm not in it, because, well, somebody had to press the shutter release — and first thing this morning he took his films down to the village chemists shop to have them developed and printed.
Having to wait to see his pictures is an alien concept to someone like W who's been brought up entirely in the Digital Age of Photography, so he's insisted on leaving his camera and lights etc all set up in case the pictures don't come out and he has to do a re-shoot.
This is not hugely convenient, as I can hardly see the TV due to his tripod standing right in front of it, so I'm spending my time mulling over what W told me yesterday about the Real Meaning of Xmas...
