Look who's here!

As we approached the entrance to the swanky 5 start establishment where, once again, we had decided to consume our Wednesday night dinner (equivalent to a Friday night in the “regular” world) we could not fail to notice the two police cars parked outside, the somewhat alert atmosphere and the main big door wide open. We made our way to the middle doors. After all they seemed to have been left invitingly spread open just for us. We were obviously mistaken: we were quickly ushered to the side entrance which forced us to go through a metal detector.


A metal detector? That’s unusual before dinner.


We started wondering what kind of personality may be hiding in the fortress. This venue is often used for political and high profile meetings. If it wasn’t for the unusual time (it was dinner time after all) I wouldn’t have been so surprised.


So we go through the metal detector and I let the lady search my bag. We walk into the opening not thinking too much of it any more. These things happen here. Yet a few more steps and our gaze is immediately captured by a subject walking with a steady step towards us (and the main exit) chatting fervently to a local man looking very official dressed in the usual formal attire.

The face looks incredibly familiar. In fact it’s so familiar that we both hesitate for a few seconds on whether we should butt in and say “Hello Tony, what are you doing here?” Then we think better of it.


There he was the cause of all the fuss.


Tony Blair, suited and booted and clearly on some kind of business visit.

Just the last person we would have thought of bumping into on our way to dinner.