Those expecting a cricket/optical related tale may be disappointed! This is a tale of two twenty pound notes! On a frequent drunken night (no more drunk nights, honest!), several months ago in London I spent quite a bit of money. Forty pounds of which was distributed as follows....
First off I was near the bar and some girl had been sick on the floor near where I was standing. One of the bar backs (glass collector/barman's gopher) came and cleaned the mess up, out of all the staff in a club these guys must get less than everyone else and are probably the only people who don't get any tips. He quietly and efficiently cleared up the girls mess and didn't even complain to anyone. When noone was looking I slipped him £20 (just in case if anyone saw he may have to share it and he done all the work). He was over the moon and couldn't thank me enough.
A few weeks ago I was at the same club and went to get a drink, what do you know.....the bar back has now been promoted to a barman! He said hello and many of my drinks that night were on the house! The £20 has already saved me over £50 and also the service I get at the bar couldn't be faster! Maybe in the future I will even get more drinks on the house, definitely one of the best £20 I have ever spent.
Now for the tale of the other £20 which hasn't been so well spent.....for now!
As many people will already know many of my friends and family work in central London/ London's west end. From around the age of 16 I have spent a lot of time there, from bar workers to shop owners to homeless people to chefs I know many people from all walks of life. Central London is harsh and people come and go, not many people last there for too long. However one of the people I have known since I was 16 is Paul Sebastian,(http://www.myspace.com/paulsebastianmusic)
he will have a few stories on me but hopefully he won't tell anyone who asks! From the young wild boy days through to the nights of pulling a few girls he knows a lot! He makes a few quid from his music which is pretty unique and his own creation. Other than clubs, music albums some nights he can be found playing in various parts of central London. London at night has a certain energy about it which is pretty undescribable, although I think as every few years passes the energy just gets lower.
So i have left the club around 3a.m. when I see Paul playing his music and i stop for a quick chat. Nearby is a homeless person (not too scruffy but clearly homeless) who is drinking a can of stella. Now its 3 a.m. most bars are shut and I fancy a beer, I decide to show some faith and trust in the guy and give him £20 to get me two beers from wherever he found that one from and inform him that he can keep the change. He says he can get me four, I say no two will be fine and keep the change. Apparently the shop is around ten minutes away and i say no problem. Paul says the guy is a bit slow in the head but is o.k. from the few years he has seen him hanging around. Me and Paul have a chat, before you know it forty minutes has passed and the guy hasn't come back! I mean what the fuck is that about? The guy stands to make £17 from getting just two beers at 3a.m. He probably didn't have a dollar in his pocket and £17 wasn't enough for him? Some people will say it was stupidity but I believe in giving everyone a chance in life. All that happens when someone lets you down is that your faith in humanity lessens and somebody else in the future isn't given a chance due to someone elses fuck up. The more positive things that happen in the world the better, when negative things happen the world becomes a worse place. It really is that simple yet so many people fail to grasp this that's why in my opinion as every day goes past the world becomes a worse place. Surely one day it will peak and we shall all live in Utopia?
So now failing a homeless person finding a winning lottery ticket then seeking me and buying me a lifetime supply of beer I feel that was £20 wasted!
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