The Mando Men

No, nothing to do with Mandelson, but everything to do with Mandolins. Here's our very own double mandolin act from church (not many can boast one, let alone two!) on the road again for our Lent Adventure. Advent is all very well in the dark, with candles, pretending that we're carol singing, but Lent is a whole different ball game. Wandering the streets of Hackney, in broad daylight, with a mandolin player or two singing about Jesus is hard enough when you're an accompanying parent (of the kids who this annual ritual is for, primarily); being the mandoiln player is even tougher. But when you've stopped counting the number of people you know who you've seen casting strange, sympathetic smiles in your direction there are always one or two who are caught up with the wonder of it all. One guy with his toddler on the back of his bike was intrigued about the trail of sand I was laying (to show the way to the tea time mystery location!) and then a friend from school, coming with her kids from a swimming lesson said they'd seen the trail leading to the park, and had followed it. And maybe they'll join us next week. Feels almost as good as spray painted gold stars for 'spiritual street art'.