Hey there: long time no write. Big thanks to the quartet of lovelies who gave me a much-needed break; now it’s time for me to bore my hardcore readership of three (and I include myself in that) once more.

I haven’t bought a band t-shirt for a very, very long time. In fact, I think I’ve only bought one before, eons ago (and I’m not prepared to divulge details…) – it’s more of a boy thing, isn’t it? Anyway, this week my Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny t-shirt arrived. Disappointingly, not the golden hoof stamp I was after, but rather splendid nevertheless. With it was a handwritten postcard from Beth, complete with menu and activities of the day. Tremendous. When I run away to join the band, I was thinking I could become “Mother Hoof”, “Old Hoof” or maybe even “Cloven Hoof”. Like Spice but better.

Speaking of spicy, this Friday night is cocktail night, with the saucy HP and Mrs B. A new custom introduced to me by the lovely Polly Pocket (alcohol tolerance of Giant Haystacks, build of Ursula Andress). Book of cocktail recipes, tick. Cocktail shaker, tick. Dubious bottles of old liquor, covered in dust, lurking at the back of the cupboard, tick. It could get messy.

Mrs Mackerel x

(Shaken, not stirred)

Download Lush Cola – That Really Is A Cool T-Shirt mp3 (from Lush Cola)

Download Bowerbirds – Hooves mp3 (from Hymns For A Dark Horse)

Download Les Shelleys – Cocktails For Two mp3 (from Les Shelleys)