FRIDAY ON MY MIND

We know it’s Friday in this house because three things happen: The first is, a tiny aeroplane flies around the City Bowl, trailing a giant banner advertising Mavericks, the well-known local strip club ‘Glamorous Venue for Exotic Dance, Private Functions, Bachelor Parties and so much more...’ A friendly reminder to their punters that their next lap dance is due. The frequency seems to fall somewhere between teeth-flossing and mammograms. Good times, guys!

- Suzy Brokensha

The second is that we get a message from our old friend Mark, who has a massive (yet somehow also exclusive) WhatsApp group, where he presents his impeccably researched and always excellent Friday Song. He knows a lot about music, and that group is a joy and a delight.

On a point of order (because Mark is also a lawyer, and you know how pesky they can be about detail), I should add that we are not, strictly speaking, friends. Every year, Mark messages us to say that an annual cull of his current friend group has resulted in a couple of vacancies, if we’d like to apply. Every year, we regretfully decline — not only for reasons of being too apprehensive to compete (potentially so embarrassing not to get a callback!), but also because there is no reason to put ourselves in a vulnerable cullable position if we don’t have to. So we remain in a holding pattern of happy acquaintance — with an excellent Friday soundtrack.