"Better Out Than In!"

Walked on down to Soho, where I had lunch in a little Italian place. Over the sound system came music that sounded familiar. I called the Italian waiter over and asked him if it was the soundtrack to the Italian film, Scugnizzi, which is a favourite of mine. "Oh! You-a know-a dat film? Fantastico! I a-come from dat a-region!" We then chatted about the director of the film, Nanni Loy, whom the waiter said he had met several times. With that, the other waiter sidled over to me and said, "You've got a friend for life, there, mate! Nobody ever talks to him usually"... After lunch I wandered down Dean Street, having half a pint here, half a pint there along the way in various pubs. Ended up in Francis Bacon's haunt, the French Pub, again, which today was not full. Sat at the bar, from where I had a perfect view of an elderly gentleman, who I was sure was cuddly old actor, Dudley Sutton, who was sitting with a young friend. He was quite 'merry' and every so often he would stand up to deliver a long and loud fart, much to the amusement of the bar staff, who cheered each time. "Better out than in!", he yelled after each blast... A bit later in wandered a young man who got into conversation with the barmaid. He introduced himself as Boston Raymond and handed her a card. He is apparently the grandson of London porn baron, the late Paul Raymond, publisher of Men Only, Escort, Club International, and Mayfair magazines.

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