The two best moments of last weekend were related to cool children.
On Saturday I joined a crowd of friends to picnic on Hamstead Heath and earwig a classical musical recital. It was a better evening than that might sound. Just over from where we lounged and drank on our blankets, a young brother and sister played ball with their dad throughout the second half of the recital. He’d lob the ball at them, they’d either catch it or contest for it on the ground, then chuck it back to their Joab-like father - him with the patience. He’d wind his arm and the process would be repeated. This went on for over an hour until the orchestra burst into a rendition of the Can Can. The kids instantly forgot about the ball and dropped into some spontaneous Can Can dancing. I think Can Can was the only thing that could have made them happier than ball. And this obliviously happy behaviour didn’t cost them 10 pints of beer. I smiled, took a sip of Carlsberg and contemplated learning the Can Can.
On Sunday, at the entrance to Finsbury Park where the Rise Festival took place, I saw a girl of maybe 3 years, standing at the top of the Tube steps. She seemed to be alone until I noticed her mother, stood about 10 yards back with the little girl’s pushchair. They were waiting for the dad to come from the Tube. The fearless kid was giving each person a helping hand on the back as they took the final step of their ascent from the underground. The mother didn’t intervene but occasionally smiled at the daughter’s confidence and kindness. The sweaty passengers looked around as if they were on a candid camera show bemused that a small child was on hand to help them on the final part of their journey. The kid was great. She helped dozens of people out from the Tube station and on her way back to her mother, offered her lollipop to a passing Rottweiler. The mother was a stern Eastern European type of young lady. She seemed to have ridiculous trust in the bulletproof confidence of her 3-year-old daughter. But still, she knew she’d to say something to the girl after the dog had passed - hopefully outlining the risk of future Rottweilers.
The festival was a laid back day out. CSS were entertaining. Their lead singer, Lovefoxx, did her version of giving a lolly to a Rottweiler by throwing bananas at the Finsbury Park crowd. Maybe that 3-year-old will be alright after all.
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