On Saturday afternoon Oliver insisted that we leave lumpen form at home and go out on the town for some fun, in part to celebrate the birthday of our next door neighbour.

At the last minute I threw my sketchbook in my back pocket; it’s a habit I’d fallen out of in recent months, and something I miss.

We landed at Receiver Coffee, having muffins, coffee, and a London Fog. I used the opportunity to make a quick sketch of Oliver; I pulled my long-dormant watercolour set out my bag and added some hints of colour.

Its a rusty sketch, which reflects my time away from the pen. Oliver didn’t look nearly as bereft as I’ve rendered him. But I do think that I managed to capture some of his essential Oliver.

We continued on our way, stopping at The Bookmark to buy aforementioned neighbour a birthday present, and then, when we dropped it off next door, found ourselves invited in for a pleasant evening of tea, birthday cake, and conversation.

All hail Oliver, my social animator-in-chief.