October

Blimey!

I've no idea what's happened to September but no sooner had it arrived, its finished!

However, whilst the global economic landscape collapses all around us and free market capitalism implodes, there are many reasons to be very cheerful about October and why it's looking like, for me at least, one of the most exciting months so far, this year.

Here are a few reasons why:

• Ibolya and I start ante-natal classes and and hopefully I'll finish the nursery
• A new independent, ecologically sound, cinema is opening just 5 minutes (by bike) down the road from us in Kensal Rise! It's called the Lexi and opens on Oct 5th. The bar will serve fair-trade wine, organic ice cream and all the profits will go to the Sustainability Institute http://www.pinkhamlighthouse.co.uk/lexi.aspx
• The Westfield shopping centre opens down the road too. Not an especially big fan of shopping centres but I'm sure will come in very handy However, I'm really excited that Westfiled will have a new 14 screen multiplex cinema, which is a nice contrast with the Lexi's 1 screen and 80 seats
• New tube and Overground stations are opening at Wood Lane and Sheperd's Bush, making our public transportation even easier
• Ibolya and I are having a long weekend away with my Mum and Dad in Yorkshire, seeing where my Dad was born and bred
• I'm also going to the Frankfurt Bookfair, if I finally manage to find a vacant room, somewhere in Germany
• The Hampton Boys Scouts have their jumble sale on the 11th and we'll be going along with Sarah and Stephen
• Frank is having his annual Low Life Halloween party, which I'm sorely tempted to go as it might be my very last 'hurrah' before our Little One arrives
• October is a phenomenal month for Art in London with:
  Gerhard Richter4900 Colours: at the Serpentine, Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms at the Hayward, Bacon and Rothko at the Tates and the Frieze Art Fair in Regent's Park
• A new £100million arts venue is opening behind Kings Cross, called Kings Place which will house 2 large exhibition spaces and concert hall
• And as for movies, October just couldn't be better; with a new Bond and Coen Brothers, 'Burn After Reading, opening. But also the London Film Festival finally gives me (and I have waited a very long time for this) Stephen Soderberg's epic 'Che' and I can't wait to see Oliver Stone's 'W' and Ron Howard's 'Frost / Nixon'

What an amazing month !

Finally, we say goodbye to Georgi today who's getting colected by Andy at 4.00. We've had her for a month now, the longest time she's spent with us and although it's been very difficult for Ibolya (getting her to and from work, a 2 hour round trip) it's been wonderful having her with us and she's really made me fall for her. So we're sad to see her go today but happy to get our cats back, who've taken refuge in the spare room all month. Here's Georgi, sunbathing and looking very adorable on Sunday. The picture at the top is a lovely conker man Ibolya made for me.