Jerry Jerry

I learned today that Jerry Springer was born on the platform of Highgate tube during the blitz. I consider this to be an interesting fact. Highgate Station celebrated its 70th birthday earlier on this year and there was a little poster on display with all sorts of (mostly semi) interesting facts which I'd not noticed before. If only I'd've known. I'd have written something celebratory!

I spent much of the today rushing around London. I went to St Mary's Church to return the keys, and thank them for having us, before meeting Rupert at Victoria Station to return a suitcase which Hilary had left in the church after the gig. 

The suitcase obviously wanted to live in the church, because I managed to leave it there a second time. I was back on the tube before I noticed, and had to do the mother of all detours. I was terrified that I'd return to find the bag fenced off, about to be detonated by an anti-terrorism squad! 

I had a meeting with James Davey in Victoria about the project I'm doing with the Fleet Singers in Belsize Park. We now have a much clearer sense of what's going to happen. The commission celebrates the Diamond Jubilee, and we're going to look at some of the memories the choir have collected over the last 60 years, which I think could be charming. 

We're now off to Thaxted, essentially to borrow my parents' car. I have a gig in Birmingham teaching people to sing on Friday, and Nathan needs the car, so, yet again, my parents have stepped up to the plate. 

Philippa just 'phoned to say she's had every last piece of jewellery stolen by her cleaner, who's subsequently vanished off the face of the earth. She apparently cleaned houses for a large number of the mothers Philippa hangs out with, and many of them were robbed in the same week. It's an horrific thought. This woman cleaned houses for some of them for over two years and had come hugely recommended. It seems very strange that she would suddenly go off the rails so dramatically. I can only think she had some major life crisis which, required a large injection of cash and couldn't think what else to do. Very sad for everyone, really. 

350 years ago, Pepys reported that various coins that had been issued and used during the Interregnum had been taken out of official circulation. In one of his regular end-of-month summing ups, he reported to be in good health (but for a little cold) yet still worried that he was "vainly" spending too much money.