NUC: Gallery Café, Bethnal Green

Today [this was back in January] I went to Bethnal Green. Tube-hopping up from Deptford took me on the Overground, Hammersmith and City line, and the Central line. The Hammersmith and City line goes through the oldest stretch of underground railway in the world, between Farringdon and Paddington, which opened in 1863. I did not go through there today.

Instead, I went east. More history: Bethnal Green Underground Station witnessed the biggest civilian tragedy of World War Two, when a rocket was fired nearby and caused a panicked rush into the safety of the station. 172 people died as a result of being crushed in the stairwell.

I'm here for Amy's Word House, which is a spoken word night. I'd never been to one till I came here a few months ago. I always enjoy it. Tonight I'm 'doing' the sound: mics, gains, levels, speakers etc. I'm 'slightly' apprehensive. I did some sound tech things in university, and experience tells me that technological equipment in all its variety is not my friend, especially when it comes to pivotal moments when pressure is high. Tonight is going to be one of those occasions, and I'm marching into the arms of fate.

Also harking back from undergraduate university is a certain 'Katie'. She has joined us for an elderflower cordial. Chris has turned up too. He comes with nerves in tow as he will be reading out a poem tonight to a packed room. He's also got a plan for the café that we will one day open, and discussions are imminent. It's a very cold January day, and your glasses steam up upon entry to the café. That is, if you wear glasses, like me. Cool people in East London also wear glasses even if they don't need them, but they don't have lenses in them so they're OK.

It's mid-afternoon and the place is rammed. I had to commandeer a lone chair from a man with a Veggie Tempura. Amy buys me a coffee. The prices are reasonable but you pay a premium for alcohol, which is fairly typical when cafés do alcohol. It's one of those charity cafés. As far as I know they help fund local good things. I expect they make a ton of cash here, especially if the takings of the Word House are anything to go by. It's a really popular night, well worth going to. For my part, I will soon be writing a thesis on charity, so I'll leave reflections on that for another time. One steadfast criticism I will make is this: they have tablecloths. I don't like tablecloths.