P E N T A G R A M 40:

Went to Pentagram's 40 birthday bash last night. It was a toss up between that and staying in to watch Chelsea. Ben Casey invites me. Notting Hill. West London. Near enough to Chelsea, not so close to Munich. The sketch is all I can muster, dredge up summon . It falls short. I'm through security. We are greeted by John Rushworth. Preston. Ben says this is David. Shakes my hand. He hasn't a clue who I am. A brass button on a length of red cord is hung round each guest's necks by a tall glamourous girl and we all say the same. Ooh just like an Olympic Medal. A Pentagram Brass Button. A tsunami of faces and shoulders gin and campari champagne martini cocktails with floating flowers. This drink is not camp enough. A ringing in the ears. It's hard at the coal-face. How's the dog? We met once in Manchester at a bar. Gums. You looked at me and said 'Gums'. You remember that? In fact I've been to your house.....I was at your exhibition here Dexter was with you. Pentagram Award. Pentagram Pentagram Pentagram. Can you hear me at the back?Pentagram Pentagram Pentagram. Theo Crosby was there looking down Alan Fletcher was there...looking up. Ken Grange needs to improve his microphone technique. He politely nodded at me. Who is this? I know you from somewhere? I stayed at your house once. You gave me an original Milward Courier Cordless Electric Shaver. Winner of the Duke of Edinburgh's Prize for Elegant Design 1963. I did another drawing. It's been in a drawer ever since. Just a simple portrait. I took a million photographs that day. Send it to me. Promise. Taiwanese crab. Do I know you from somewhere? I am from Milano. I work in Paris. I've come with my boss. Like the artist Raffaello-Raphael. Do I know you from somewhere? We worked together once? One-one. Extra Time. Pub? 3 Halves of lager times three. Corner pub heaving. Spilling. Drogba clinches it. Legend. In West London. Outside in the air she says to Ben where you from? Preston. She's from Burnley. Ray Pointer . John Connelly. Adam Blacklaw. Ben has a word with a drinker in a West Ham shirt. Burnley's colours. He can't forgive West Ham for beating PNE in the 1964 FA Cup Final. Return to Pentagram. Fail to reach the pizza on offer. What am I doing here? What you doing here? Do you work here? I'm a gatecrasher. I've had my eyebrows done today. Edinburgh. Full works. Underarm hair the lot. Follow me. Nova Scotia. Newcastle. We're all here. David Pocknell's here. Mrs.Pocknell is here. In 1984 David Pocknell told me he sensed I was holding back. Kenneth Grange is here. Spirits. And the interior designer who remembered Dexter is here. An architect from Croydon who resembled Einstein was there. We tried to engage in conversation. Work picked up since the riots then? What was I doing there? Gin and Campari. Lager. Chips. Cheesy dip. The chips were delicious.