Some things before breakfast. Impossible? Possibly!

Ok, firstly many thanks to Philhellene for passing on this tag. I believe the original request was for 6 things, but has somehow expanded to eight. Hmmm. Factoids in rough chronological sequence:

1. I learned to shoot a Lee Enfield .303 Rifle whilst in the Army Cadets at school. Haven't fired a gun since, and have no desire to.

2. I played a mean bass guitar in my youth, but haven't touched one for years. We had a blues band back then, and used to practice in prisons, as the dad of one of the guys was a screw. Pentonville and Brixton are no strangers to our schoolboy blues!

3. I left central London at the age of 15, and now live on the outskirts (within the M25). I've only lived in 4 houses in my life. the one I grew up in. The one we moved to. The one I bought when I first got married, the one I bought when we started a family. I moved back into No 2 with my old mum after the divorce, and am there still, though she's now gone.

4. Musically since then, my only public appearances have been as a percussionist, playing a home made zob stick, with a Morris side.

5. I took up juggling whilst going through the stress of divorce, and ended up with a weekend occupation for nearly 12 years, providing juggling classes and workshops at local fetes and fairs. This included juggling in front of HRH ERII at her Golden Jubilee celebrations in Barnet Copthall Stadium in 2002.

6. I'm tracing my family tree, which apart from a couple of remote branches has proved to be remarkably London-Centric all the way back to the late 1700s, which is as far as my researches have taken me to date. I have German, French and Irish names in my direct lines yet my late mum, bless her, was very bigotted on issues of race and nationality. A child of her times.

7. Since meeting my soulmate 12 years ago, and getting handfasted 3 years ago (long story for another time), I've been introduced to the wonders of Cornwall. Why go abroad when all you could possibly want is there?

8. I'm Pagan and proud, though I don't do the thing of dressing up in frocks and dancing round fires. A very private Pagan, though I'm in quite a public role as a current Committee Member for the Pagan Federation.

A small glimpse into my average world.

Thanks Phil, for making me think about some of this stuff again. I'll now tag:

Al Iguana
Bork!
friend_of_fish
Angelhope888
thilo
clairesays

So, how about it? Fancy telling us 8 things?