Slebs

Took the kids to Costa for lunch today and bumped into my friend Marion there. She spent the summer travelling around the States and visiting old friends and just got back. She's English but was a school teacher in Connecticut for 20 years so we understand each other well since we're both trans-Atlantic at heart.

Marion is in her 60s and has struck up a friendship with one of the local celebrities, Paul Sculfor. He lives in Blackheath and is a regular at Costa. Marion is the Grande Dame of Costa and knows everyone who comes in so she struck up a conversation with him one day and we've been teasing her about her toyboy ever since. After I updated her on her current competition for Paul (Cameron Diaz) we started talking about the other celebs in Blackheath. Dominic Cooper worked in Costa a few years ago when he was at acting school. Terry Waite lives in the village and Jools Holland lives in Blackheath Standard.

I knew that Marion had a sister who's an actress and I've met her a couple of times in Costa. While we were talking today Marion mentioned that her sister is going to be in a play at the National Theatre this autumn with Helen Mirren. I was really impressed and Marion said "oh yes, she's very good. She's won a Tony and all that kind of thing." Wow! I had no idea. A Tony award winning actress! I've been talking to Marion for almost three years and she's never mentioned that before.