ON SATURDAY we wanted to go for a walk but never made it because we spent all day reading papers and watching football on TV.
Sunday we go for a walk down Whitehall, past Downing Street, and stop to see the changing of the guard. The horses know they are in the army, so they stand there calmly as children and young girls pat them on the neck, hour after hour after hour.
In Trafalgar Square there is a stage and 15,000 punters.Green water is spurting from the fountains. Not everyone is wearing face-paint but many girls have shamrocks on their cheeks.
Compere Dara O’Briain says, “We’d like to thank the parish priest for the use of the hall.”
He says, “I don’t believe in God, but I’m still a Catholic. You can’t drop out of this religion. You can’t go online and de-register from being a Catholic. I could be in a cave in Afghanistan and they’d still say : he’s a bad Catholic. He’s one of us.”
He introduces the Saw Doctors and a huge roar goes up, as if Elvis Presley was coming on.
The fans rock through I Useta Love Her and N17 and sway along to Green & Red of Mayo, Clare Island, and a bunch of other songs, for a jolly, invigorating hour. These boys are still festive, funny, tuneful, a tonic, a rootsy, rocking bundle of fun.
Singer Davy is a real working class hero and songwriter Leo has the boisterous charm that you need to lead a group like this. And the Doctors still have the best audience in UK.
Nelson stands high on his Column watching the big jets floating gently down towards Heathrow and King George IV sits behind us on a handsome steed, his brow streaked with white pigeon shit.
We walk quickly back to Westminster tube and I tell Jan that in the 30 years since The Faces the only other groups I’ve seen with really infectious stage personalities are Crowded House and the Barenaked Ladies.
Leo is a Chelsea supporter. But the last time I talked to Leo, Ruud Gullit was the manager.
I once went to Galway to interview them for The Scotsman and Leo picked me up at the airport and we drove to Tuam down the N17, the road he had written the song about.
It’s a song about the joys of driving down a lovely road in the west of Ireland, so I couldn’t help thinking that here I was, driving down this road with the guy who had written the song about driving down this road.
It was a perfect moment.
Rock music has given me more memorable moments than football.
That was one I’ll always remember and it will always make me smile.