Date: 3rd
May 2017
Time: 6:15pm
Location:
York Hospital
Vicki has
been induced for health reasons and after waiting for three days the decision
was to have a C section. It was my job to keep her occupied as the doctors did
the operation. We knew the baby would arrive during the month of May the
unpredictable part was when? For 9 months I have been nagging, hinting, and
telling the wife if I do not get a gig on the date of the May Fayre I am going
to it. To which she would reply to in a number of ways, mostly with words I
will not repeat on here but the overall response was no.
For the ones
of you thinking what is May Fayre and what’s the big deal? This was the 42nd
Annual Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival and it celebrates the
first sighting of Mr Punch in England by Samuel Pepys in May 1662. It is held in
the garden of St Paul’s Church Covent Garden, London. The day starts with a
grand procession led by a brass band, followed by special church service then
puppet performances throughout the day.
In 2016 I had the urge to go but due to
bookings could not so had it in my head to definitely be there next year. Then
I am told my kid will be due in May…………ah, oh, erm, well back to the beginning
of the story at York Hospital in the operating theater.
Dan: Can I
go?
Vicki: NO
Dan: Please
Vicki: NO
Dan: But it
will be out so I haven’t missed anything
Vicki: Now I
need your help raising a new born
Dan: Can’t
you do that, I want to go play
As you can
imagine this went on for a while but please note we are a sarcastic couple and
it might appear we are having a go at each other but that is not the case I am
sure we are not the only people like this. I say that because the midwife
looked at me in a disappointing fashion and could not quite grasp how me and
Vicki were talking to each other. But it did the desired effect and kept her
distracted whilst two men cut into her and pulled a live human out of her. Something
that will live with me for the rest of my days was the sequence of events that
happened in the last second to get the baby out. Vicki’s facial reaction like
she had been punched in the stomach, the sound of rushing water, the first
scream of our new born baby, Vicki’s facial reaction of realization oh god
that’s my kid. I guess we will talk about May Fayre later.
After one
more night at the hospital we got the thumbs up and could take our new toy
home. We settled into parenthood quite naturally and after being in a relationship
for over 10 years we are in sync with each other so when something needed doing
it was done. Then it happened “you can go” I stopped in my tracks and looked at
her to double check what she said “I can manage a day without you.” After
checking we were both ok with this I got planning.
First thing
was do I take my show or not as it’s a lot of effort dragging a puppet theater from York to London on the train but it’s such an experience performing at May
Fayre. After weighing up the pros and cons I came to the conclusion I wanted to
perform so stop whining. Second thing was how do I get the theater, puppets,
sound system and myself to London as in the past my mum or Vicki has come with
me and even then we struggled. One year Vicki almost fell down on one of the
underground escalators and you might know how tall
they go. The booth got caught on a step rising up tipping the booth back and
her with it lucky enough there was a fella to push her back so she didn’t fall
but she did knacker her ankle in the process. Since then she has always been
cautious of escalators.
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