London

A couple of weeks ago we made a quick dash into London to meet up with a few friends - all Prague veterans as I tend to think of them.

This was outside a bar in Shoreditch before we went to eat some Vietnamese, but above you have Misha, Philip (Suzanne's hubby), Suzanne nee Cave - my ex-colleague in CERGE and Ministry of Health - now turn it up-wonder web-seamstress-cum-costume designer-cum-fashion queen, standing next to her former flatmate and fellow half paddie like myself, but general cool dude from Hackney recently returned from Korea after an age, Johnnie Feleppa, and his demure and lovely wife, Eun-Jung.

Above all the same, 'cept Philip took this one and I appear.

Gorgeous. Typical. Good crack, as usual. Last time they met was 10 years ago. And John lovingly reminded us of his Friday stints teaching in Rakovnik with Elena, another gang member, who ran away to France and needs to be reunionised soon, we decided.
Later that evening - and a complete exception for me to manage two appointments in one night (but without the kids anything's possible) - we headed out of trendy urban any age-somethings to the more verdant and palatial Hampstead for Stephen Collins' 40th - his second party of the month, greedy so-and-so!

Stephen was my former boss in Prague and we somehow manage to keep in touch despite the miles. Nice too for him and Dita was that baby Anna was being babysat by grandparents.

I love this pic. These are some of Stephen's friends all enjoying the Ladybird Learn with Mother series of books from the 70s that I gave him as a present. We found particularly tickling the claim that 'Almost half of your child's intelligence will be decided by four and a half!'

And a half shot of Dita, who was gorgeous and glamorous as usual. Just a shame we didn't get longer to chat. Short but sweet.