Today I committed a political crime: I went to McDonalds for a fish burger. I’m sorry, but I like them so ha! This particular branch of McDonalds is in Brent X shopping centre and they’ve recently updated it, with pop art orange chairs, wifi and a baby grand. Some teenagers started to play the piano and they were bloody good. People smiled. The dead atmosphere felt different, sweeter and softer. After a few bars of Alicia Keys and some classical, a Mcjobber came up and told them to stop.
Your roving reporter, ever the trouble-maker, insisted on seeing the manageress: I said: “McDonalds adverts are forever trying to give the impression that you have a sense of community, well this is community, let them play”. People got up and agreed with me. Tables of people nodded and clapped. The manageress smiled and said ” Of course you can play, go ahead, we just get sick of it when people play Chopsticks for 20 minutes”. I pointed out that it was clear that these kids knew their stuff, she replied that a 10 year old boy often comes in to play jazz. “Now we’ve given him a Saturday job. He comes in every Saturday between 12 and 2 and plays for McDonalds meals for himself and his family.” Gotta check that out.
The teenagers got up and played again, but this time it was Linkin Park and Nirvana…
K, This was a laugh out loud story…absolutely fantastic…I love it! Can hardly contain my giggles in the internet caff…hehehe…JX
aw thanks miss puddleduck…still gotta go visit that wunderkind saturday lunchtimes…