It was the penultimate day in our three-week UK visit and it just so happened to be our two year wedding anniversary. We were back at the Rafayel Hotel in Battersea and enjoying our full English breakfast outdoors overlooking the River Thames. All the morning papers were talking about – the weather. Literally from the moment we stepped off our flight from Shanghai we have had unprecedented sunshine and hot weather throughout. “Not since the summer of 1976 have we had continued heat like this…” read one article.

Downing the last of our fruit juices and slapping on some sun protection it was off to central London to mark our 24 months as husband and wife.

Thousands upon thousands had lined the streets – more than usual. And it became apparent why. We had just arrived before midday when they were changing guards and a full marching band display was in process. I think the last time I witness such a glorious display of British monarchy etiquette was when I was a child during a family visit, funnily enough, from the Far East (then we were living in Japan). The marching guards in their brilliant red uniforms and tall black bearskins headwear stepped in precise unison as a loud brass section with accompanying percussion led the procession.

It brought the whole Buckingham Palace experience alive, seeing a Royal tradition of many years still very much alive today. We stood in crowds ten people deep. Everyone had their arms extended high with some kind of camera device, making it look almost like an act of worship. In the midst of the moving crowd of mainly international visitors was a lone BBC reporter, mic in hand, capturing people’s reaction to the day’s guards display. I don’t know what it is, but I seem to act like a magnet for the media and no sooner had she finished getting a brief statement from a German couple, I found her sponge-covered microphone under my nose.

The main angle of her story was people’s take on the pending birth of William and Kate’s baby. To be honest, I hadn’t really been following the story, but I managed to come across somewhat clued up (I think!) by relating to the fact that even in a place like China, the young Royal couple do generate a lot of interest.

I predicted that they would have a boy and that Kate being the trendsetter that she is, I was sure she would unmistakably become an icon for all things yummy mummy. Lezil got in on the interview action too with Lucy (the BBC reporter) commenting on how she loved her South African accent and how Cape Town is her favourite city anywhere. Our random rants were later broadcast on a BBC World Service Royal special that evening. A first for both of us.

With the crowds slowing dispersing, we went for a lazy walk up by St James’ Park towards Trafalgar Square.

Rows upon rows of Union Jack flags fluttered in the light breeze, proud and majestic. The heat of the day was really kicking in at 29C and so we opted to jump on a double decker bus to our next destination which was a surprise for Lezil. In fact, it was actually a lovely present from my parents and my sister Katherine. We were to enjoy afternoon tea at the renowned Grosvenor House in Mayfair, Park Lane (thank you very much darling!). Being a five star establishment, a quick change from our beachwear clothing in their super posh bathrooms and we were ready to blend in with some of London’s high society.

At £35.50 + VAT per person, it wasn’t cheap. But then again, here is a venue where since 1929 members of the royal family, celebrities and influential leaders have all stopped by for a cuppa. And this cuppa had the most exquisite taste. I want for a Pure Assam whereas Lezil sipped on her Royal Blend tea variety.

A pianist provided a sound-soothing backdrop with the tearoom’s décor of pastel green adding to the calming effect. Our entrée was a cooling fruit cocktail which was then followed by a three-tier cake stand with more than seven types of sandwiches and colourful desserts.

You may have been hungry, but it seemed like as soon as you stepped into that tearoom, everything ran in slow motion, including our eating. Perfectly sliced rectangular sandwiches were held with more care than a new born baby which were, then, ever-so-delicately placed in the mouth for a bite that resembled more of a rabbit nibble. It was all so poised and la-dee-da (if you know what I mean!). Lezil and I were having such a laugh there as we both know how ‘un-posh’ we could be, but that afternoon we were Lord and Lady Freeman!

By the time the oven-warm scones with clotted cream and a selection of four different jams arrived at our table, we were stuffed.

It was surprising how full you became sipping all that tea and mini-munching those sandwiches. We had our desserts to go all boxed up in nice Grosvenor House food-porter boxes. (I call them ‘food porter boxes’ because using the word ‘takeaway’ seems unfitting for such a high-brow setting!)

A reverse clothes-change back to our more uncouth selves (well, me more than Lezil!) and it was the final part of my wedding anniversary surprise for Lezil. Love truly does make you do some crazy things including going up Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel, the London Eye. Those who know me, are aware of my utter distaste for heights. But I was willing to man up and withstand sweaty palms and a racing heart beat to give Lezil a sky-high panoramic London experience.

I had booked fast track tickets where for a few extra pounds, it meant that you could skip the general long cue for a much shorter one within your allocated timeslot. Admittedly, Lezil was very surprised and kept asking me if I was OK to do this. I wasn’t sure, but hey they say jumping in the deep end is sometimes good for you. Less than 10 minutes lining up and we were being shown into our glass capsule. Being open on all sides, you had a spectacular 360degree view of the city. Panic hit me as soon as the capsule door was firmly shut. The coolness of the air conditioning and the seamless slow rise of our bubble platform relaxed me somewhat.

It took about 30 minutes to do the entire round. At its peak, 135 metres, the evening sun was setting and it was the most picture-perfect moment to end our UK vacation. The sun’s rays were breaking through between some clouds and all before us you could see many of London’s iconic locations – St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St James’ Park and the River Thames. London truly is a magical place. All proud of myself having survived the entire journey, I was even happier to know that Lezil had done and seen some of the best that the UK has to offer.

We were heading back to the underground for our train to the hotel when I got an unexpected call.

As I had mentioned before, being away for more than three years I had a lot of catching up to do with a number of people. It was tight trying to fit all the visits in and inevitably there were a few that we just could not accommodate at the risk of having a total burn out. On the other end of my mobile was a long-time friend Muyiwa. We had tried three times before to arrange a meet up but had failed. A formative music industry insider, nowadays, he heads up a leading Christian UK radio station (Premier Gospel) and has his own successful singing career both in Europe, the US and in Africa (particularly in his native Nigeria).

A few years back I partnered alongside him leading a PR/Marketing campaign for one of his album releases. A great guy to work with. He happened to be at the radio station’s offices and we were just two stops away. So 15 minutes later and I found myself in the studio’s hot seat.

I hadn’t been interviewed since leaving for China back in early 2010. It felt weird being back in a radio environment after so long and, admittedly, I was feeling a tad nervous. Muyiwa’s laid-back manner soon put me at ease and we whizzed through two different pre-records for the station. I enjoyed it.

Stepping out of the recording session and I bumped into another guy who I used to collaborate a lot with back in the day. It was none other than DJ Redz – one of the UK’s top DJs when it comes to all things Reggae Gospel related.

He was gearing up for his show on the station which was up next. It was one happy reunion with both of us showing mutual respect to our crafts as DJs who know how to mix and blend the tunes. He had a friend of his, Will, who upon hearing that I was the infamous DJ El Niño, commented: “Boy, I used to listen to you all the time back then…”. It was an honour to be complimented that way, even after more than three years away from the scene.

There’s something enriching about having a connection with people despite the distance and obvious physical absence. I have to say, I am so blessed to have incredibly sincere people who I call friends in the UK.

The distinctive London city rooftops became a haze on the horizon as I looked at my rear view mirror. Like small tributaries winding their way to a main river, we navigated out of the minor roads into the beastly flow of the M25 – the capital’s massive circular freeway. Everyone obviously had the same idea to escape urbanisation for more idyllic settings. We were headed for the small town of Thame in Oxfordshire and the traffic was particularly heavy in parts (not helped with a couple of lane closures).

The weekend was to offer Lezil a contrasting taste of what she had seen back in London. A real  country escape. For me, it was more of an emotional journey and one that would see me reunite with my cousin Cristiana. Well, in actual fact she is not my real blood cousin, but we are connected via law. In Latin America, often when your own blood cousin marries, their spouse’s side of the family become like your own too. Call it cousins-in-law.

But she and her family have been around my family for the longest I can remember. So she more than qualifies. We arrived about 45 minutes later than planned and it was the most surreal thing seeing both her and her giant-of-an-eleven-year-old son Alex again. He easily surpassed Lezil in height and standing next to me, I could see that his feet were already three foot sizes larger than mine.

It was straight into her car and zipping through the country lanes the scenery just got quainter as we past thatched houses, barns and communal ponds. The tiny village of Brill was where Cristiana had booked us in for lunch at The Pheasant with some of the most spectacular views anywhere. According to the pub owners, from where we were seated outside, you could actually see across five different counties. And adding to the wow-factor was a recently done-up windmill which completed the postcard-perfect picture.

The weather, too, was playing its part blessing us with even more sun than we could ever hope for.

We stuffed our faces with some hearty country dishes and it was an ideal time for Cristiana and Alex to get better acquainted with Lezil. Needless to say, she slotted right in as part of the family. Before long we were taking a gentle walk across to the magnificent windmill taking in the sweeping views of the English countryside. We had a lot to catch up on and with the enticing long daylight hours, we sat out at Cristiana’s back garden till 11pm when the last of the sun’s rays finally gave into the gentle luminous beams coming from the moon.

Sunday willed us out of our beds, again with a cloudless sunny sky.

We had a busy schedule of a local Church service in the morning followed by more family visits. Lunch was at Cristiana’s mum’s sweet little bungalow in the nearby village of Haddenham. She lives there with her South African husband Gordon. Sylvia is a loving aunt to me and Gordon hypnotises me with his appetisingly-adventurous stories which took him from South Africa to all over the African continent. I was elated when I could smell the familiar mouth-watering hints of Sylvia’s famous Arroz con Pollo – a stable dish from Latin America made with a lot of love, chicken, seasoning and vegetables.

That day was no exception and boy did we eat to our hearts content amongst the vibrant floral colours of their cozy patio garden out back. As was expected, Lezil and Gordon formed an immediate kinship with their South African roots. I was also happy to see one of Cristiana’s older brothers, Emmanuel, who was actually the first person I met out of her entire family 20 years ago back in south London when we attended the same college.

Sylvia had informed me that since I had left they had purchased a new piano. Me and big mouth relayed the story of how I was a minor childhood protégé learning to play at a very young age when I grew up in Asia only to rebel and ditch the instrument at 16. Cristiana being the cheeky ring leader soon had everyone chanting my name to get me on the old ivories for a tune. Did I know one? Uh, no!

All I could conjure up was a pitiful presentation (if you could call it that!) of chopsticks which I would consider a ‘Dummies Guide To Playing The Piano’ type of tune. In other words, anyone could have done it!

Our party of people moved to our final country stop for the weekend, a tiny hamlet next door to Haddenham and the home of Miriam – an older sister of Cristiana’s. The cottage was right bang smack in the open with fields being dominating scenery all around.

A football-pitch of a garden surrounded the house with a gazebo and chairs at the ready to host our afternoon of socialising and tipples. Mir and her husband James hadn’t changed a bit. They were the same fun-loving upbeat couple with two strapping young sons who kept themselves busy playing football as the adults nattered away.

I leaned back in my comfy chair and took deep breaths of air in. “British country life,” I thought to myself. They made it look so appealing reiterated by them firmly stating that they would never, ever go back to the city to live. I had to give myself a reality check.

Yes, in the hot summer weather we had been experiencing each day, the country is the best place to be. But when it does get gloomy, windy and overcast I can imagine that it can feel pretty bleak. Either way, Cristiana and her entire family seem settled, loving life and making the most of the opportunities out there. Even traffic is non-existent. Cristiana tells me she can’t remember the last time she had to drive “stop and start” as she put it. The country lanes are speedy and easy to get around in.

The sunny day turned to a sunny evening and it was time to say our goodbyes. It was awesome to reconnect with people who play a major part in my life and, now, in Lezil’s too. Setting the coordinates in the Tom Tom, we briefly made a re-appearance on the M25 but soon drifted due south on small A roads and country lanes for our next stay which was to be at my sister Katherine’s. Again, her and her husband Nathanael was another couple who dusted off the city smog in favour of a greener existence.

So that left us time to catch up with my mum and Nathanael who, in the end, had us back in his car and off to a nearby farm to show us their latest purchase – a puppy Labradoodle.

Their farmer friend’s mummy Labrador ‘Honey’ gave birth to eight puppies (four male/four female) who all came bounding up to us in the small field where they were kept in. The dog’s owner Carlene eased us past the main gate and soon we were bombarded with these energetic bundles of fur licking, jumping and pining for our attention. They oozed a cuteness beyond description. Nathanael picked up one of the chilled-out males which was actually the dog they had purchased and which my nephew Zion had named ‘Snowy’ owing to its white fur. All the puppies were ready for collection but Snowy was to be brought home at a later date as their household was full of visitors right now (i.e. us!).

The timing couldn’t be more perfect especially as Lezil and I are travelling about so much – England is definitely showing its best side for my South African wife. We may be on vacation, but my organisational skills are not being laid to rest. It’s a bit like working in HR and a job advert has been sent out and now you are having to juggle some tight time slots to accommodate various people you need to see. Mid-week and we drove down to Brixton, one of my favourite south London suburbs. The rendezvous was at Bamboula, a Caribbean restaurant which worked alongside side our music organisation United by ONE (UB1).

They would sponsor a number of our past music events. So it was nice to go back to a bit of history and enjoy their sumptuous selection of Caribbean cuisine which was heavily Jamaican. That night we were joined by previous UB1 members: Maya Simeon and George Luke with long-time friends Syane, John Fisher and Natalie Phillips also at the table. Antonia and Chantal were present too along with Antonia’s sister Fiona. Both John Fisher and Natalie Phillips have established music careers with John heading up one of the hardest working and lasting Gospel choirs in the UK called IDMC. Natalie, again a major feature in the UK Gospel industry, has been faithfully honing her craft over the years and had just released her debut album ‘Unique Perspective’s a couple of months back.

As to be expected, there was a lot of reminiscing of the early days and lots of new news to catch up on. And all the while we were devouring our jerk chicken, rice and peas, coleslaw and festival. A few other people were meant to have come but were unable to attend. But we did have a nice surprise towards the end of the evening and that was the appearance of none other than, my close friend and brother Mr Anthony King. His exact first words as he entered the restaurant were: “My husband’s back!” All the other eating patrons turned around to see what the commotion was about. Anthony is a big guy with a big voice, so it was impossible not to listen in on the conversation.

That’s his talent – speaking. From pretty early on, we became a formidable duo, me DJ El Niño and him, MC Pass-Da-Mic. We travelled up and down the country playing private gigs, club gigs, festivals you name it. We even went out to Barbados and took part in a Gospel soundclash, the first of its kind, in 2005 at Club xtreme which is the Caribbean’s largest nightclub. I have missed the guy, sorely. It was his first proper introduction to Lezil and he had nothing but incredible things to say about her. Not to mention the fact that he knows South Africa very well, or as he calls it “Cape Town, it’s home”. Loved seeing all my old friends again that night.

Knowing Lezil’s love of live music, especially of the Jazz/Soul variety, Chantal had organised another night out. Hideaway was the name of the venue which was based in Streatham, again in south London (I am a south London boy!!). The venue had opened just after I left for China (more than three years ago) so it was new for me. The distinct orange keyhole branding of the club adorned the car park which was tucked away from the main road. And the club itself was literally hidden away.

Once inside and the music hall was impressive. Tastefully decorated with tables and chairs all of which had people enjoying drinks and dinner while they waited for the show to start.

What’s more it was practically a full house and it was only a Thursday night. Getting our cocktail orders in, the lights dimmed and the Street Soul band introduced the evening with featured vocalist Vanessa Hayes from Jazz outfit Incognito fronting the musicians. It was a night of pure Soul, Funk, Jazz hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

The atmosphere was uplifting and Vanessa really drew the crowd in with her easy-going on stage persona and interaction. Vocally, she was impeccable. Flexing some outrageous vocal gymnastics but also showing great poise and control. She even doubled her singing playing percussion which added to the visual element of the show.

By the close of the night the whole venue was up on its feet unable to resist the infectious grooves coming from the stage (a big tune was the Jocelyn Brown cover ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’). Afterwards, I managed to grab a few minutes with Vanessa where she came across as down-to-earth as they come. A real gem of a performer.

I also had a good chat with the venue owner Mr Roy Ruffler who astonished me when he said that his background was in banking and that his was his first venture into music venue management. He is certainly hitting all the right notes (if you pardon the pun!) with Hideaway picking up Best Venue in The UK at the 2011 Parliamentary Jazz Awards and being featured on CNN as one of the nine best Jazz clubs in Europe. South London was in need of a reputable venue for homegrown and international acts to perform in. Hideaway is definitely leading the way and has set the musical benchmark very high indeed.

And now back to that spectacular weather. If I had a RMB 100 note for every time someone commented on how we had “brought the sunshine over…” I would be very rich indeed, even against the UK exchange rate! With a hot sunny setting, it allows for so much more activity including dining outdoors – which is somewhat of a novelty in the UK. My friend Syane had invited us over to her little home in Crystal Palace which is another of my favourite south London spots. The ‘town’ itself resembles a provincial village with boutique stores, markets and a huge number of enticing eateries. But Sy had gone all out and actually set up a private picnic for us.

A large satin purple bed over was in the middle of the back garden with Thai food, drinks, champagne glasses and, of course, a bottle of bubbly. It was so relaxing and fun sitting there all afternoon chilling in the sun (no umbrellas, to all my Chinese friends!) and catching up from the last three plus years. Sy’s home is also something of a rarity. I call it her little ‘log cabin’. It’s a gorgeous self-contained studio, well-kitted out in a wooden-type structure with an entire garden to herself. Looking around, you’d think she was right in the country and not in busy south London. A real sanctuary.

Afterwards, we went for a good wander around Crystal Palace ‘village’ and the nearby park. Then barely having just digested our yummy Thai lunch, it was goodbye to Sy and hello to Connie! (I told you we had lined up our meetings back-to-back!)

Connie, another incredible long-standing friend, had arranged a dinner that evening. It was to be Lezil’s first experience of an English pub. We had actually seen Connie about a year ago when we spent a month in Malaysia and had the honour of staying at her lovely three-bedroom apartment on the island of Penang.

She’s back in blighty for a bit and certainly gave Lezil the British grub experience – Fish & Chips. The Fox was the name of the pub and it was a beautiful historical building dating a hundred years back based in the Farthing Downs area of Old Coulsdon.

The days following the grand Nigerian wedding, it was time for me to re-acquaint myself with the city and for Lezil to be introduced for the first time. Sunday and it was off to catch the 10:30am service of Ruach City Church in Brixton which I attended for ten years before leaving the country. Since then the church has expanded with locations in Kilburn and in Walthamstow. The founder and head of the congregation, Bishop John Francis, was still on a flight back from the US, so that morning his wife, Sister Penny Francis preached.

The entire morning was a moving display of worship and passion – a form of Church expression we sorely miss being in China.

From Church and it was off to Chantal’s parents’ home. This to me was like a true homecoming. Have a friendship spanning more than 20 odd years the Daniels household is just like extended family. As Chantal’s mum explained to Lezil “James is a son to me.” And over an incredible Sunday lunch of English-roast-meets-West Indian-curried-mutton, they recounted the story of how I first taught Chantal’s younger sister, Tiffany, how to drink from a straw when she was just baby. Now sitting there, she is an aspiring 20 year old actress with a sharper-than-sharp witty humour.

After a few hours spent there, it was back in the car and we decided to do a little trip down memory lane. Firstly, there was a quick stop at Coulsdon College – the very spot where our friendship (myself, Antonia and Chantal) blossomed. Posing outside the entrance, those passing by may have thought we were recent graduates (at a push!) taking photos. But in fact, it was exactly 19 years ago we finished our college education. Scary just thinking about how time flies!

Dragging our ageing butts into the car seats again, we took a scenic back route over to Sanderstead and the location of my family home.

My parents’ four bedroom property is in a quiet cul-de-sac and because it was such a nice sunny day, I spotted my neighbour’s daughter out in their front garden sunbathing. I motioned Chantal to stop the car. I stepped out and shyly said: “Um, I don’t think you remember me, but we used to be neighbours. Is your mum in?”

Immediately, her parents Jackie and Byran came running out for an unexpected reunion. In a short 10 minutes they updated us on the goings on of the road and mentioned that the tenants living in our house were great. And as if planned on-cue, the lady who had moved into our house pulled up in her car. It felt so weird being introduced to a complete stranger and not being able to go into my own home. She seemed nice enough and I guess I’ll have to arrange a time with the estate agents to make a formal visit.

The final stop was over at Antonia’s mum’s three floor town house in Thornton Heath. Like Chantal’s family home, I had spent uncountable time here over the years including celebrating her 60th birthday just before I moved to China where Antonia’s mum gave a moving farewell speech for me. She is an amazing culturally-rich woman who has such depth to her intellect that I can literally sit there for hours listening to her. It was through her, in my late teens, that I got a better understanding of African identity, civil rights movement, the Black British identity and her impeccable taste for interior design and the arts.

Two (out of three) of Antonia’s siblings were also there (Fiona and Gavin) along with adorable five year old niece Akilah. There was soothing Jazz music drifting throughout the house as we caught up from the last three years away. A wonderful way to end our first Sunday out and about. And I have to say, being around those who have that relationship-history with you proved to be a powerful bond – something that was a lot stronger than I expected. Do I want to go back to China? Not just yet.

I looked at the time. 11:15am. The driver will be here any minute, I thought. Moments later and our room phone rang. It was Michael the driver who was apologising for being late. He was stuck in all sorts of diversion as central London was being closed for the big Gay Pride parade. “It’s OK,” I told him. “This is a Nigerian wedding. It’ll never start on time.”

Fast-forward 45 minutes later and we are making our way down the A3 towards Cobham in Surrey. Vidal calls Michael’s cell phone who, in turn hands it to me. “Hello?” I shouted. In the background I could hear, what sounded like, Church music. “Where are you guys?” Vidal replied barely audible above all the background noise. It turns out that this was ONE Nigerian wedding that was going against the grain and was actually starting on time. 12:30pm on the dot.

Vidal had stalled the bride’s entrance so that we could ‘sneak’ into the service somehow. After losing our way on the road a bit, we managed to find the not-so-obvious entrance to Painshill Park. The stunning 18th century landscaped gardens and walking grounds was where the ceremony was being held – at The Conservatory. It was a risky option going for an outdoor venue what with the unreliable UK weather. But just like the unexpected on-time start of the wedding, the weather itself did a total 360 degree turn from the day before going from miserable drizzle to glorious sunshine and a very warm 23C.

Vidal met us by the on-sight coffee shop’s toilets. He gave us a thumbs-up and we swiftly followed him to the covered venue.

The Church band was in full swing. Inside at the back was a line of groomsmen ready to walk in. I said to Lezil that I was worried that if we came in now, we would cause a distraction once people would have clocked our presence. Waving his hand frantically, Vidal beckoned us inside. Like a shy geisha, I kept my eyes to the ground only glancing up occasionally to see where I was stepping.

Our friend Gemma, who also worked alongside me for a while in my previous company UB1 Music, was the first to spot us. “What? Oh my gosh!” she reacted. She was like a deer caught in headlights. I rushed over to her, gave her a huge hug. “How on earth…”she didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence as the groomsmen were next to see that we had indeed rocked up to the UK and that caused a next wave of commotion.  So much so, that they were completely oblivious to the stunning bridesmaids already gracefully walking to join their awaiting male partners.

I grabbed my wife by the arm. “We better sit down quick as we are going to mess up the opening sequence here,” I whispered loudly to Lezil. I gave those that knew us one big cheeky grin and a wave not unlike that of her Majesty the Queen (when in the UK!) and quickly plonked ourselves on two aisles seats. The music changed and Tiwa, the bride, started her controlled paced walk down the aisle towards her waiting husband-to-be Daniel. He brother S.O. (who is also an established Hip Hop artist) was walking her down the aisle. She looked immaculate all dressed in white.

Just as she walked past our row, that was when she saw me. “Oh my days!” she mouthed through her white veil. And she drifted past us. The ceremony had begun. It was a concise service around one hour 30mins with a few songs, vows, exchanging of the rings, a sermon, prayer and signing of the marriage register.

Just as the religious proceedings were coming to an end one of the pastors was about to close with a final blessing for the couple. That was when Daniel, somehow, managed to see me in the crowd. I had strategically positioned myself so that I would be partially blocked by the lady sitting in front of me who was wearing a colourful, and high, head wrap.

He was grinning like mad and shaking his head. I could see that he wanted to give a bigger reaction but as he was the centre of attention upfront, instead it was a controlled smile as he leaned over to Tiwa probably whispering something like “Did you know that James and Lezil were here?!”.

The final benediction was given and the new couple were walking off stage now. As part of the wedding trail, both sets of family members walked behind them. I know Tiwa through Daniel. But it’s Daniel and his family who are ‘my’ family and the reason why we made the undercover trip in the first place.

Together with him and his four brothers – we had some crazy, intense, unforgettable times working and touring together for a number of years. It’s one thing working with musicians and singers, but when you bring in the fact that they are four blood brothers – the dynamics shift into a whole different realm. So it was inevitable my role would go that much further than just being a manager. A close family friend of theirs came up to me during the reception and retold the story to Lezil of her reaction when she first saw this skinny white guy “raising four Nigerian boys like a true father”.

As a result, I have a close bond with both the boys’ parents – Pastor Juba and Mrs Juba. I had to juggle demanding touring schedules along with ensuring studies were being completed and Church commitments were being met. To this day, I am honoured as to how Mr & Mrs Juba have made me a part of their family and literally welcoming me as their son into their home.

And that was how we spent pretty much the entire dinner and dance that day, re-connecting with people whom I haven’t seen in over three years. For me, it was almost too much to take in. A couple of days ago and we were in the rhythm of Shanghai life. Now, we got sucked through a time vortex, got spat out the other end landing in the idyllic English countryside, celebrating a mass Nigerian wedding! How crazy was that?

Once the buffet had opened up, I didn’t hold back in piling my plate up with Nigerian PARTY food!! When I got to the tray where the plantains were, I told the server to give me three spoonfuls. That’s one thing we cannot get in Shanghai and I was adamant on making up for lost quotas! Man, the food was lip-smacking delicious and I think I suffered a case of ‘mouth bigger than my belly’ as I struggled to shovel in the last remaining mouthfuls.

A band playing high-life, afrobeat and Naija Pop got the masses up and dancing. Dollar notes were flying everywhere as guests blessed the couple dancing in the middle of the moving throng of people with financial gifts. I sorely missed all this. A sense of cultural community. Speeches followed with the cutting of the cake and the first dance. Then the DJ sparked up the dancefloor with all the big tunes from the motherland. Lezil and I partied hard! Daniel and Tiwa, along with the bridal party, all changed into traditional clothes for the latter part of the night. It was 9pm and Lezil and I were seriously battling against tiredness (the remnants of a seven-hour time difference).