Aaaggh, I'm running out of time. I'm not going to get to do even half of what I wanted to do in London. I'm thinking of cutting two days off Newcastle so that I can stay here longer.

Today I finally got to see my brother Neil, who arrived a couple of days ago from France. I got the chance to watch him before he knew I was there and my first thought was that, unobserved, he bore a worried and almost ... worn face. I wondered if I looked much the same in my unguarded moments. My impression vanished as he turned to greet me, however, and he was once again the cocky young man with a grin. We went for a Starbucks, wandered through Covent Garden, then later had lunch near Trafalgar Square, and my mind started ticking, sending out sensory tendrils to figure out where we stood with each other.

A free public dance performance in Covent Garden - couple of sexy British boys :)

After a brief but interesting tour of the National Portrait Gallery, I still hadn't finished forming my impression. I think the best way to put it is that we're as near to being strangers to each other as two gay brothers who spent eighteen years sharing the same bedroom can possibly be. I think the depth of our relationship is illustrated by the fact that at 3.00, I was watching a matinee at the Alberry Theater, and he was at the movies.

Neil receding up the escalator at the National Portrait Gallery

The play I went to see was "Baby Doll", adapted from Tennesee William's play. The performance had a raw, physical energy charged with sexual menace, mostly ignited by the perfectly cast male star, who glowered with a muscular, smooth-bodied machismo. The last twenty minutes, however, left me cold - it was too chaotic; a lot of unecessary jumping around, as if the drama had to be augmented to keep your interest.

Outside the Alberry Theater, where I went to see "Baby Doll"

I got caught in the rain after leaving the theater, and stopped by my hotel to pick up my umbrella before heading to King's Cross to catch the train to St. Albans, where I was to meet my sisters, and my sister Kirstie's live-in boyfriend Paul, for dinner. When I got to St. Albans, I walked to the city center in a blustery squall, thinking I'd browse the shops while waiting for my sisters. But St. Albans was closed - or at least the stores were. I keep forgetting things like this! So I stood for a dismal twenty minutes outside Marks and Spencers waiting, while my "experimental" new hairstyle blew apart in the wind.

Waiting for my sisters in St. Albans (which was closed :)

In the restaurant, we stuffed ourselves, and got half the customers involved in taking our photos with various cameras (or so it seemed :). The three siblings bored poor Paul silly with our reminiscences, our laughter at Mam and Dad's eccentricities, and our slagging off our brother Neil. At the same time, I was ogling the two cute waiter boys, and my sisters had a good laugh at me for that.

Paul, Kirstie, me and Sally at dinner.

Close ups of Kirstie and Sally. I guess I got the looks :)