Day 517: Frank in the Sky

Oxford Street, from in the sky

What is it about being up high that is so fabulous? Today, I was at the aptly-named Panorama bar at Centre Point. Up at the very top. And you can walk around it and look at the whole of London and anything else you can see. It's infinitely more exciting than the London Eye. Despite being surrounded by some trulywonderful people, at first, I kept getting distracted by how beautiful it was out of the window. It was. And giddy-heady, important-making. Oxford Street is really long! Canary Wharf looked amazing, with St Paul's looking like it had been photoshopped in a bit too big and a bit too garish just in front. It was stunning. 

Leftover dogs, from yesterday

And the people - Frank Partners. I LOVE working with them. The people are consistently brilliant, and none more than Neil and Anna who run it. And amazing Anna Darvas and Sarah Lonton (thanks for introducing me, love) and Joel and Alec and Amy and Lynden, oh god, so many people who just delight me. James. Justin. Bindu. What a mix! I missed the absolutely delightful Simone Douani, but we had a bit of a Simone love-in, so it was almost like he was there. Such a good egg. That's what it's like! It's like being in a big old tray of very good eggs. Thank you, Frank, for doing this for us. I feel like it's me who should be taking you out! You give me work I love, with playful people, and you pay me. Surely a fabulous night out at the top of a tower is really something we should treat you to! These are the kind of people I want to be working for and with. They rock.

That Simone, on the left. Best. Face. Ever

On the way there, I had one of those neck-and-neck things going on with a man going down the steps to the tube at Victoria. I noticed. I thought he had. He had. Before I could stop myself, I'd said 'Race you' and picked up the pace. He looked like he thought I might be about to rob him, but he smiled.

On the train on the way home, there was a little group in the doorway who got the total giggles about something. They were weeping with it. The girl had the most uncontrollable laugh. I found myself smiling all the way back. The man opposite me, who had the most beautiful face, old, lived-in, with the brightest eyes and wonderful plump cheek pips, was smiling all the way too (god, that face has done a lot of smiling). We finally gave in to our evident urge to talk to each other, and we revelled in the laughers for the last five minutes or so of the journey. The man next to him was a proper huffer. He'd been letting out 'I'm not angry, I'm disappointed (I'MREALLYANGRY)' phoos all the way down. I swear I saw a tiny smirk by the end. Probably at rather than with, but who cares. 

As I got off, I saw the girl. I asked it it was her who'd been laughing. As she said yes, she seemed regress to about 11 years old, obviously expecting to be told off (ha - who am I to tell her off?) I said 'You have the best laugh ever'. Which made her laugh. And say thank you. Lovely.

Looking at the yellow moon, halved, tilted up, all open-faced I had the hippiest of 'we are all made of the same atoms' kind of buzz. You, me, the tarmac, the Buddhists, the egg yolks, the trees, the deodorant canisters, the air... It's Brighton. What did you expect?

Oh... and this dog: