July 2023 in Review - the Last Bus Home @ The Sebright Arms, Hackney

Scrinscranbamalam- went to the Sebright Arms on Saturday. First time. Hoot.

I wore this little blue silk scarf which, I admit, I wasn’t quite sure entirely worked, but heck somehow, in the Sebright it worked. A pub to make silk scarves drop their anxieties and forget themselves.

Reckon this was aided by the almost instant arrival of a man in a copious turquoise shirt which cuffed and billowed in all the most fashionable ways. It made my scarf look like an Alice band. Caught myself dropping a little bow as he took to the stage.

The set was trancelike, a subliminal message, a spoken word, an open/closed utterance of deadpan truth delivered in a throwaway. Yes hello my eyes said to the keyboard player. Hello those heavy eyes answered. I like it here I thought. Went to get a pint upstairs.

Out, out you sweaty fiend and find yourself on a picnic bench. Shuffle down, budge up, sip your Guinness amongst the photographers, play-writes, singers and publicists.

Shake hands, swivel your scarf. How pleasant this is before you descend again into the Manchester shaped cavern of yesteryear but not like the one they refer to in the Parent Trap. The grungy, sweaty, rumpus yesteryear of perfectly poised anarchy. Buzzard x3, Kate’s stomping sole x4. Non stop doosh doosh, yeah yeah yeahs. Like I don’t even know if these guys can sing but there’s nothing like the noise.

Night concludes with an honest little boogie on the pub floor. A couple of boys with scant facial hair knight me ‘cravat girl’ and the soft seriousness of the DJ turns up what I believe was ‘Greece is the word’ to mark my fever dream complete. Could be wrong. Nonetheless, poetry.

Hugs with strangers, someone introduced as ‘photocopier’ Nick? Already sad to leave. Home then for Kate and her little silk scarf for the last bus comes and it’s surely time to retreat.

Please say it’s not a one off. The Seb, bus girls and bus boys. Heck.

Let age not wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.