Thought made flesh (but not by me luckily)

I had a thought recently.
It was a good thought.
A clever thought.

And this is the thought that I thought:
What South London needs (I thought) is a homegrown version of Book Slam ...

A regular event, combining readings by writers and poets (both published and unpublished) interspersed with live music and a dj.

It would be in a cosy venue, with a small entrance fee, where people could buy drinks.

It would be hip.
It would be cool.
But it would also be warm, friendly, welcoming and utterly unpretentious.

Damn (the thought went) I'm going to have to organise it ...
Where am I going to find the time and energy?

Well, lucky me, cos not only had someone else had the same thought, they'd actually got off their arses and made the thought a reality.

Pipe and Slippers is a quarterly event, running since November 2005.
On Sunday it was held at The Ivy House as part of the Peckham Literary Festival (which I mentioned here) and I was there with G and Meloney.

There was an eclectic mix of performers (check out the amazing Beyonder) but the highlight for me was Marie Philips, fellow Bookarazzi buddy, who read from her bestselling book, Gods Behaving Badly.
The overall standard was very high and the audience appropriately appreciative.

As we sipped our drinks and nibbled on cashews, olives and heart-shaped biscuits, I reflected what a very good thought this had been.
And how very glad I was that someone else thought it before me.