David Baddiel and a youngster's party

David Baddiel informed us that he hadn't done stand-up for 15 years. His new show is called Fame - Not the Musical and is a stand-up show with a theme, that of fame. Not a gag-telling show, but more a witty contemplation on fame, and indeed of losing it as one drops out of the public eye, as to a large extent he has. Having done a lot of work with Frank Skinner and of course produced the most famous football song of all time, Three Lions on the Shirt. He has since become a successful author (I know, I have read all his books!) but just not been on TV a lot. He painted a lovely image of being accosted by a concerned well-wisher as he was walking across a Lidl car park laden with shopping when on holiday in Cornwall. An outward sign of hard times indeed. It was a good, interesting show, and I impressed my companion by having booked front row seats at the Purcell Rooms on the South Bank. A rather more refined venue than one gets for most comedy gigs. And to be honest it was funnier than I expected, having anticipated something more serious in line with the rather intellectual surroundings.

I think my favorite bit was reporting a backstage conversation at a music festival. Madonna came up to Ricky Gervaise and gushed at how much she liked his show. "Thanks. And who are you?" he replied. "Paris Hilton" replied Madonna.

The end of a fairly busy week at work culminated with going out with one of my ex-trainees on a Friday night and then another on the Saturday. And I had lunch with another one on Monday. Makes me realise how much of my social life depends on work. The great advantage with trainees of course is that like it or not they are stuck in an office with you for 6 months. So I have a captive audience, after which it seems many of them are sufficiently brain-washed to be willing to meet up outside work too. I can grind them down eventually. The first two are now married and working at other firms, so I see them rather less, although enjoy our meetings every bit as much.

But Saturday night was a rather unusual experience, a 26th birthday party with my last trainee. At my age party means dinner party, not partay. But despite being twice the age of any of the attendees and not having met any before, I rather enjoyed the experience. Given this was basically his Oxford social circle, what it brought home to me was how straight-laced my own such circle was in comparison. Maybe a sign of the times, or maybe more of a reflection of myself. Hey-ho.