Nicholas Quirke was anticipating an outstanding 1st of December in the UK and certain that it would end, as the cliche goes, with a bang! It was for him a sombre start as he remembered that it was 40 years ago on the first of December that his father had died, but once the wheels of his day were in motion it moved cheerily forward starting with a visit to his friend Terry who complained of pain and old age but still seemed to smile through it all. It was then to Mother’s for a final farewell, she was not looking forward to his absence. It was important for him that he got to say goodbye to his eldest son Harvey who had just collected a smart suit from Hugo Boss for Graces’s brother’s wedding. Farewell to Grace, Rocco and Danny and as he left he bumped into his friend James and got to say goodbye to him. I seemed everywhere he went he was hugging everyone and started to feel that he was starting to look simple with his arm mechanically positioned to embrace all and sundry. He had decided that he would try and get a cleaner to come in every fortnight while he was away to keep the flat looking clean but his efforts to find one were proving to be a difficult at such short notice. Something he would have to leave in Harvey’s capable hands. The afternoon was spent in final chores and he then left for a pre-concert dinner at Tere-A-Tere with Ewa an her friend Jean. The food was delicious if a little expensive, though that wasn’t a concern he needed to worry about. They met Jan outside the Dome, Nicholas’s 2nd visit of the week to celebrate his recent birthday, and one that he had actually changed his travel start date to enjoy. They took their front stalls seats for the divine ‘The Divine Comedy’. As always it was outstanding and Nicholas enjoyed several moments of perfection, ‘Becoming More Like Alfie’, ‘To The Rescue’, a touching cover of ‘Where Do You Go to My Lovely’ which by coincidence had been one of his Fathers favourite songs and a finale that seemed to be a personal paen to his travels,’Tonight We Fly’. A glorious farewell and one that he went to sleep reliving in his mind.
