Pavement Cafe Culture

Just before I start - and I am probably being incredibly thick but how do you put an accent on a letter - i.e. the word cafe in the title of this blog. I've often wondered.

One of the things that I remember most about Tony Blair's Governement wasn't one of the biggies like war on terror or Iraq. No, it was his confident vision of Britain developing a Pavement Cafe Culture such as you see all the time in cities in Europe, particularly in Southern Europe.

The vision

I must admit when I was on holiday in Menorca a few years ago, I was struck by how lovely it was in the capital, Ciutadella. Clean, pleasant streets, even in the early evening - no litter, no chewing gum, and happy smiley people in the streets. Parents with their kiddies in the park, at 7pm, and the sun beaming down. Not a down and out sipping a can of White Ice in sight.

Of course, the main drawback to this cultural ideal here, (putting aside general British yobbery and littering) is the weather.

The reality

Yes, the good old British weather. To be fair, I reckon during the warmer months it's probably possible to sit outside comfortably on about 50% of days. Now that is not a random figure plucked by me from thin air, but based on a comprehensive statistical analysis of the last 3 months of Tuesday lunchtime Monster sessions.

To elaborate, since April began - so within what I would term the warmer months, I have met my friend Jo Jo for brunch on 8 occasions at Nash's. We have been able to sit outside on 4 occasions, and have been forced inside by inclement meteorological conditions on 4 occasions also. Therefore my conclusion is Blair was half right - we can have a pavement cafe culture - 50% of the time.

Come on - the cafe is not much further.

However - there are other things about a European lifestyle that are positively pleasing and I have long been an advocate of the "siesta" lifestyle.

When you think about it, this makes good sense for me with the job I am doing. When I work on a Saturday night I am often not home and to bed until well after 2am. Claire then goes to work early on Sunday morning meaning I have full care of the kids from first thing until she gets home about 3:30.

I have a roast dinner ready on her return, then of course I am working again Sunday night - so it is the most natural thing in the world for me to then catch up with my sleep for an hour or two around 5pm on a Sunday leaving me refreshed for the karaoke ahead.

But I have always been an advocate of the afternoon nap. Some think it's just for babies or old people but I disagree. Always I have suffered from a post lunch slump, when I am practically asleep on my feet. This was positively dangerous back in my Nielsen days. I would often be driving back from clients in the afternoon and find myself practically falling asleep at the wheel. On office days sometimes I would have to go into the toilet and sit down facing the wall, and rest my head on the cistern. In later years, I used to cycle home from Talentless House in Bicester at lunchtime and grab a half hour in bed or on the sofa.

Part of the reason I get so sleepy after lunch is that years ago I was diagnosed with a condition known as "Sleep Aponea". You can google this if you want, but to keep it brief it means I don't get a proper night's sleep.

But a quick few minutes, Maggie Thatcher power nap style, and I'm awake and refreshed and ready to go again. These days, I try and grab a few minutes when Jamie has his nap. It works for me. I don't have to be asleep for more than a few seconds for it to work - I don't think it's the amount of sleep - just the mere act of falling asleep seem to reboot me.

When I have a little more time, like on Sundays, I like to lie in my bed and listen to my music. On my ITunes and Ipod, I have what I call my "Hot 50". This is a playlist of 50 favourite songs that evolves and changes over time - each month about 10 songs come in, and about 10 go out, according to what I really want to listen to, but some of them have been on there for years. I find it easier to fall asleep to music than without which is odd, but that's just me.

I've talked a fair bit about music lately, but like I say it's a personal thing. Though it is amazing how many people at disco's ask me what music I like - hard to define really, but I guess "Indie" is the closest category it would fit.

Anyway, the latest Hot 50 list which I have just updated is shown at the bottom of this blog.

Just before I go, brief footnote on the football. Very little I can say about it really except that if you read my earlier entry "England expects...the worst" (which very few people did - obviously you hate football), was they everything unfolded entirely according to my predictions.

Despite this, and the karaoke starting so late last night, we still had a great night in the pub, and managed to lift everyone's spirits. Only one idiot gave me any grief and he was soon slapped back down into his place, so a good night all round really - apart from the result.

What I'm listening to this month:

Our Summer [Single]	All About Eve
End of a Century	Blur
Great Divide	Cardigans
Fine	Cardigans
The Only One I Know	The Charlatans
Diary of an 18 Year Old Boy	Client
Here and Now	Client
7 Ways To Love	Cola Boy
Paradise - Radio Edit	Coldplay
Don't Panic	Coldplay
See You	Depeche Mode
Commuter Love	Divine Comedy
Anywhere	Dubstar
Elevator Song	Dubstar
Disappointed	Electronic
Free Me	Emma Bunton
It's All Over But the Crying	Garbage
Medication	Garbage
Sleep Together	Garbage
Step On	Happy Mondays
Shine On	House Of Love
Don't Think I'm Not	Kandi
Firework	Katy Perry
Is It Any Wonder	Keane
Nothing In My Way	Keane
Bulletproof	La Roux
Littlest Things	Lily Allen
Smile	Lily Allen
Tralala	Lush
Last Night	Lush
Untogether	Lush
Teardrop	Massive Attack
Sunburn	Muse
5 Years Time	Noah And The Whale
Kinky Love	Pale Saints
Somewhere Else	Razorlight
We Found Love	Rihanna Feat. Calvin Harris
Spring	Saint Etienne
Carnt Sleep	Saint Etienne
Goodnight Jack	Saint Etienne
Jack Lemmon	Saint Etienne
Inbetweener	Sleeper
You're All I Have (radio edit) - Snow Patrol	Snow Patrol
Avenging Angels	Space
Beautiful Ones	Suede
When I'm Good And Ready	Sybil
Driftwood	Travis
Re-Offender	Travis
Pain Killer	Turin Brakes
You And Me Song	Wannadies
Dirty Talk	Wynter Gordon

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Jason xx