Big Fish Little Fish – 14/07/13

(I started writing this on Sunday, so for argument’s sake…let’s say it’s still Sunday when you read it)

It’s been a long and complex day, so buckle up baby, I’m gonna tell you all about it, in excruciating detail.
This morning we went to see “Monsters University” at Clapham Picturehouse, for film-reviewing purposes. That’s straightforward. Then Nathan had to go to church, for film-viewing purposes and the rest of us skipped off to go a rave. Yes, you heard that right.

But first there was lunch to be had. And being right next to Clapham Common, we decided to picnic there. On Thursday, I reviewed “The Internship” and, feeling peckish afterwards, nipped to McDonalds for a fruity ice drink and a cheeseburger. It was the first time I’d eaten McDonalds in several years but darn them, they lured me in with those fruity ice drinks. I’m a sucker for them (hence my loss yesterday). Point is, McDonalds in Peckham is probably what most would consider one of the lowest-ranked eating experiences in London. So, today I decided to level the playing field a bit and go to Waitrose in Clapham. For sushi. So there.

(I actually had some sushi on the way to Peckham as well, and was imagining myself on the Yummy Mummy episode of “Faking It”. The judges would say things like “Kate has all the right elements, but it’s just not coming together correctly. Buggyfit=good, Baby Cinema=good, sushi=good. But most people shower between the Buggyfit and the Baby Cinema. And you do NOT eat sushi on the bus.”)

Where was I? Yes, Clapham Common with a picnic. And those in the know will know that Clapham Common has a paddling pool. Apparently those in the know now includes Reuben.

Ever had one of those days where you regret taking the kids’ wetsuits out of the changing bag? I did. But no problem – Reuben agreed to paddle in his pants and t-shirt, on the understanding that he kept them dry and only got his legs wet. Wanna see his attempt at doing that?

Must try harder.

A similar conumdrum saw Eva paddling in a tutu:

Later abandoned for a hugely saturated nappy. Chic, huh?

The paddling pool itself was nice – strangely warm, though I’ll attribute that to the sun rather than other children’s saggy nappies. You can never quite shake the feeling that’s you’re right next to a blooming big road. Still, it’s handy for the bus routes.

But we didn’t have long, and in the absence of preparation I dried them off on a pair of pyjama trousers and dressed them in an assortment of random changing bag clothes. These were their carefully picked rave outfits, before WaterplayGate:

You’ll see the after later. Then we had a 21-minute wait for the 37 bus to Brixton, during which time I tried to dry Roo’s sunhat and Eva’s Hello Kitty t-shirt by hanging them on some railings in the sun. A woman yelled at me not to forget them, as if I was in the habit of leaving my belongings casually scattered around sw4. Although it’s not inconceivable. While they were drying, a man came and smoked over them anyway, so it was all a touch futile.

Then, finally, we got to the main event of the day – the “Big Fish Little Fish” family-friendly rave (subtitle “2-4 hour party people”). Essentially, it’s lie going clubbing but with your kids. To this end, they have proper club DJs and it’s dark. Really dark. I lost Reuben a few.  times in his (now navy) t-shirt.

If it all sounds a bit surreal, that’s cause it was. I didn’t get much dancing done cause of the perils of chasing two walkers around a darkened room. If Nathan had made it, it would have been much more fun. As it was, Roo did some of his trademark mad dancing (as honed at his nursery party) on the stage, while Eva wandered off in a different direction, trying to drink the dregs of other people’s beer. Shame, because the set-up was quite cool – glowbands on the door, free cake, a snack and juice table for the kids…it was just hard to relax with a 1:2 adult:child ratio.

We met up with Zee’sMa and Zee’sPa, who had a far more sensible 2:1 ratio, but even they were finding a disco in the heat a bit much. Zee’sPa said it was a bit like a surreal wedding reception. Though I’ve never been to a wedding reception with a cockney singalong midway through before.  Thinking about it, no club I’ve ever been to has had a cockney singalong halfway through either.

But it other ways, it did remind me of my favourite pre-kids club – Buttoned Down Disco. Something about the mix of Northern soul and techno, with glitter cannons and a bubble machine. When we got the chance to dance, me and Roo pulled some cool shapes. But most of our time was spent in the “quiet room” (with all the toys in…you can guess how quiet it was) or outside, eating ice-cream. Had it been less of a roasting day, we probably would have been on the danced floor more.

So, an interesting event. Definitely one to tackle with some parental back-up and probably best enjoyed when it’s less than 30c. But definitely something different to do with a Sunday afternoon!

More details here (official site)