Singing for Shelter

This young lady wasn't singing for her supper at Waterloo Station on Friday afternoon, she was singing for Shelter, the Homeless charity. She had a great voice and was singing a Joni Mitchell cover when I passed by - a great choice that would have been even better if she had chosen The River, which has to be one of the most poignant Christmas songs ever. From the poster behind her, I assume she was from the Brits school which has produced many fine singers and musicians since it was founded including, I believe, Adele. Talking of whom I was on my way to meet my own Adele, our youngest daughter, whose birthday it was. The combination of her impaired mobility due to her sprained ankle,  and her and her sisters' work commitments, meant that we couldn't arrange the usual father and daughters outing. So we settled for an early evening showing of It's a Wonderful Life at the National Film Theatre on the Southbank. I had only seen it on TV and Adele didn't know the film but enjoyed it, smiling through the tears of sadness and redemptive joy it engenders.