Simon drove to London and we parked in King's mall. We had a stroll (a freezing one!) in Carnaby Street, to be good pilgrims under the Small Faces plaque! We had a fantastic rendez-vous, John Hellier and Bax in Soho and in Baritalia! It was really fantastic, I’ll always remember John's appearance in the bar… not a mod but THE ultimate MOD, I felt like a tramp, dressed completely in Black with dirty (bloody snow) desert boots I'm so proud of in France! Suddenly 45 years of Modness appeared and John was absolutely Mod Class A, incredibly elegant, not only a mod, The Mod, the Modness. Fantastic from the bottom to the top, to the last curl of his amazing haircut. Great Jacket, mod's scarf, assorted to the pocket, great trousers, shoes... A great Mod's fashion lesson. You know in a wink you just can't fight. It's like a light boxer in the heavy category, fighting Rocky Marciano! You're just blown away, your mouth stays wide open and you try to let your eyes open to enjoy... It was really magic cause it was our first meeting even we had hundreds mails about music and everything else. A perfect suspension of time, you know, a kind of perfection, when friendship, Music, life, love... all fit together in a single moment. Can’t explain it. I was really drinking all his words. He told us fantastic stories about Steve Marriott, going to a gig with muddy wellingtons and Dungarees, going to the pub with his house slippers, it never ended. We also had a very interesting conversation about fame and its booby traps, about sixties' stars, Jimi Hendrix living in the flat Near PP Arnold’s one, the battle of egos 40 years later, etc. John is passion but he's also very lucid... It was happiness… and frustration in the same time because I’ve felt instantly it would be too short! There’s many humanity, a real and noble way to consider other people, when he speaks and I’ve been very impressed by the lucidity about so called stars or should I say Past Stars who think they’re still on top because they only go from their house to places where they are celebrated… It was very cool to meet Bax too, the Dickens’ character straight out of a book, you can't imagine how friendly he is! It wasn't cold anymore when he came into Baritalia! Bax decided I Have a Belgium accent when I speak English (four different accents around me!) and so he was sure I’m from Belgium. It’s decided and nothing’s gonna change for the next decade! The gentlemen had gifts for me… 2 Double Steve Marriott’s cds for John and a very rare magazine from Mark “Paul Weller in his own words”… Overwhelmed by emotion, I’ve been stupid enough to forget it in the bar. Shame. My excellent friend Simon, the best companion you can imagine helped me to be not too lost by Bax’accent! Mark saw I was a bit lost… Well after this stroll in the garden of early delights it was time to go… Life’s for living such moments! Simon took me back to the tube and I went back to Hammersmith, drove on the left side of the road (you naughty people!), lookin’ at my nav-sat all the time. I slept briefly in the shuttle after a very intense concentration on the snowy highway. Time to come back home and to find back my beloved twins and the Wife, the one who let me be myself everyday… Simon was stuck in the train and I’ve been home before him! The nicest companion didn’t want to be home before me. Next step? Paris, May, Weller is in town… We’ll be there again.
By the way, We also met Jennie and I'll talk you soon about his mod fanzine "Double breasted"... To be continued, again...
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