Wednesday 30 April.

Please put it in your diaries. Especially if you live in London :-).

Finding myself a Lady Who Lunches, I’ve been thinking I should use this time to do Something Useful. Rather like those rich Manhattan women who don’t have jobs but volunteer for Worthy Causes and organise charity soirees on the Upper West Side.

And strangely enough, a reason to do just that fell into my lap last week.

I heard, via Facebook, about ‘Oxjam’ - something which Oxfam is organising in April. Basically, they’re asking people to put on live music events throughout the UK during that month, to raise money for Oxfam.

So naturally, I thought: ‘I can do that’.

And without thinking too hard or for too long (which is probably the best approach in these situations), I contacted the East Dulwich Tavern - a great local venue back home - asking them if they would be up for hosting an Oxjam gig. And they said yes. And then I contacted my singer-songwriter friend Sarah Gillespie, asking her if she would perform. And she said yes. And then I asked her if she would ask Chaz Jankel from The Blockheads if he would perform. And he said yes (as did Blockheads’ singer Derek The Draw). And then I asked my comedian/writer friend Simon Hickson if he would MC the evening. And he said yes. And so did fellow East Dulwicher and British jazz heavyweight, guitarist Dave Cliff.

It’s all coming together brilliantly, and I’m very, very excited about it all.

Yes: very.

The next week or so will be spent finalising the line-up, and creating all the publicity material. When I’m back in England, Simon and I may also trawl local shops and other business to see if we can get some prizes donated for a raffle or auction on the night.

I’ve long wanted to do something like this, marrying up my music with Doing Some Good. Sarah herself has been a big inspiration, as she’s organised several charity gigs over the past few years, and raised so much money for such good causes.

If you’re a musician in the UK reading this - or even if you’re not, and you just know some musicians - then I’d ask you to please consider doing the same, and put on a gig next month. Let me know if you do!

I had lunch yesterday with A, who collected me from the hotel (honestly, this is how every outing with everybody starts) and took us to Penang Club.

SE Asia is filled with these clubs, it seems - Clubs, Sports Clubs, Swimming Clubs, American Clubs. It’s obviously a throwback to Colonial times; Penang Club was established in 1886. A fact I know because it’s printed on their towelling bathrobes and coasters:

Penang Club has a lovely terrace with a sea view, an outdoor swimming pool and a teeny tiny private beach:

(That’s actually looking back to the area why my hotel is.)

Penang Club is also, it turns out, a wedding venue - and preparations were underway for a service that afternoon for a Dutch couple getting married there. The florist was creating a garlanded archway, and chairs and tables were being set out (see the pictures here). It was all sweetly makeshift and mismatching - blue tablecloths, yellow chairs, a burgundy rug, pink flowers and two strips of red carpet - but the best part was the fact that they were setting all of this up right next to a volleyball net:

“I now pronounce you man and wife… And request that guests please form an orderly line so that the bride and groom may choose their teams.”