The banana

Claire and I got on the underground and headed out to the West End.  We had a minor loss of way when I insisted that I knew the route, but got it wrong and we got off at the wrong station, but that was corrected quickly.  Then we used the iPhone satnav system to walk from the underground to the new address.

This was in a private residence.  My favourite type, since everybody is generally much more relaxed and comfortable and I don't have to worry too much about whether the location is suitable or not, because the person who has hired me has already taken care of that.  So no need to rapidly peg up "washing lines" and sheets to create privacy.

Also, I really enjoy the drama of these events.  Texting the person who hired us so we can be smuggled in to the residence, hidden somewhere (the bathroom in this case) while everybody is hustled in to the main room and then introduced to best effect.  Twice, someone knocked on the bathroom door, making Claire have to call out that it was occupied while we waited for our respective cues.

Then Claire was taken through to the main room.  She handed out sketchpads and charcoal, while I hid round the corner and waited for my own cue - in this case, it was the word "banana".  I almost messed up when I heard someone else use the word unexpectedly, but managed to restrain myself.

So as soon as Claire told the class they were going to be drawing "this banana", I walked in and took it from her.  As usual... my favourite moment... and this time it took a while before I could be heard.  I held up the banana and told everyone they were till to draw the prop, but that I was going to hold it for them.

Another good thing about private residences is that there are often props that get incorporated into the classes.  This time I posed wearing a sailor's cap and a feather boa at one point.  I was very keen on getting copies of some of those pictures, so I also want to thank the party leader for providing some.  If there are any more available, then please send them to my usual address.  Farquhar1970@AOL.Com.  They will illustrate this posting nicely.

Afterward, Claire and I headed back to the subway station and quickly discovered that the satnav had steered us on a pretty circuitous route.  The return journey - via an underpass - got us back to the station much more quickly.