Wilson's hat meets the public!

Wilson left the hat shop proudly wearing his new Fedora pulled low over his eyes. 

He kept it pulled so low, in fact, that I had to guide him across the pavement. He refused to lift the brim in case Dandy Dan should recognise him, adding, 'I owe it to Blousey to get home alive — it would be tragic if I got Splurged just as I'm about to make my first million and whisk her off to Hollywood!'

A purchase is made

Once inside the hat shop, Wilson was spoiled for choice with a vast array of Fedora-type hats. He told the very helpful assistant that he wanted to look like a 1920s Gangster… and like Leonard Cohen. He summed it up as, 'I want to look cuddly, but dangerous!'

Not sure that just a hat will do that… 

The assistant said she thought she might have just the thing, and in the picture you can see him trying it on. He stood in front of the mirror and muttered, 'If it was raining brains, Roxy Robinson wouldn't even get wet!' and, 'Hey, gimme that Splurge Gun!' out of the corner of his mouth. Then he sang a stanza from 'Famous Blue Raincoat' and announced, 'I'll take it, Doll! And don't even think about wrappin' it!''

I've never seen Leonard Cohen carrying a Thompson sub-machine gun.

Hat shop

We parked the car (at huge expense) and made our way to Wilson's chosen hat shop. 

Inside, the there was a very impressive choice of, well, hats. 

It could take W some time to make up his mind…

Hat shopping

Wilson really enjoyed himself at Bugsy The Musical — so much so that he wants to use some of his birthday money to buy himself a Bugsy-like Fedora hat. 

He popped in to the village first thing this morning, carrying some rolls of paper and a bucket of paste, asking me to pick him up in the car outside Boots the Chemist before we head off to Brighton to buy his Fedora. 

I hope he settles for just the hat and we don't have to trawl the town looking for a Zoot Suit. And a Thompson sub-machine gun.

Flying a kite...

Because the Eurovision Song Contest ran way past its schedule, Wilson had a very late night; by the time we'd chatted about the outcome it was past midnight before he headed off the the tumble dryer.

This morning he told me that, now he is six, he thinks he should be allowed to stay up late every night. I've told him 'we'll see' — I think we've known each other long enough for him to know what that really means, and he didn't persist with his argument. 

To prevent him brooding about Bonnie Tyler's poor showing we went to the park and flew his kite. I'm still very aware of the advice his psychiatrist gave me about physical activity and hobbies appropriate to an anteater. He's painted a picture on the kite since we last flew it — he's made a brilliant job of it, don't you think?

Wilson deals with his disappointment...

Wilson is stoical about last night's unfortunate UK result in the Eurovision Song Contest. He says that winning was 'Against All Odds' and he was 'Cryin' A Little' but then, 'Everybody Hurts'. As for 'Miss Bonnie' she had 'Given It All' but it was a 'Fools Lullaby' and now he had to 'Forget Her'. 'I'm A Fool' for thinking she could win, he added, but everything was 'Gonna Get Better'. 'It's A Heart Ache,' but 'It's A Jungle Out There.'

Did you see what he did there? I didn't know she'd even made that many records… 

However, Wilson was a little bit smitten by Denmark's Emmelie de Forest, and France's Amandine Bourgeois reminded him of his big sister Andrea.

He also thought Finland's 'Marry Me' was a very good song whose chances were ruined by Sweden listing it too early… but really I think he just liked Krista Siegfrids' shoes! 

I think he was frightened by the expanding vampire and the gremlins in Romania's song, but bravely didn't show it, just hugging Antony a little bit closer! 

I'm thinking Emmelie de Forest can expect an email proposing marriage to an anteater in the near future…