Cuban Nights

Mr Squidge is member of the local Round Table. Just over a year ago, their Chairman died unexpectedly. Since then, the guys have continued their fundraising, helping to fund an outdoor playground at a local school for disabled children, Jon's choice of 'Chairman's Charity' during his time in office.

The guys also decided to hold a Challenge Evening in Jon's memory.

Now, Jon was not a tall man, and was partial therefore to wearing Cuban heels. So the challenge was for the Round Table lads to wear the best Cuban heels they could find on a night out in the city.

Mr Squidge threw himself into the challenge with gusto. The shoes he ordered were plain black, but he decided to...embellish them. Have you seen the TV programme 'Pimp My Ride'? This was more a case of 'Pimp My Shoe'.

There was mention of zebra stripes. Polka dots. Freesian cow... (Personally, I'd have bought a few paint pens and doodled all over them - rainbows, of course *winks*)

Anyway, he decided to go for stripes. Chevrons, to be precise. It took AGES to mask 'em up, especially as the shoes were panelled and Mr Squidge only wanted certain panels stripy...

So the white bits ended up black
and the black bits ended up white...

The spray painting went reasonably well - a couple of bleeds where the tape wasn't stuck fast, but nothing a good permanent pen couldn't cover and sharpen up.

Then it was time for the illuminations. Yes, you did just read 'illuminations'. In recent weeks, T, my son, has been building a model of Star Trek Voyager. He wanted to light up the warp drive engines, so Mr Squidge had already researched teensy battery-operated LED lights; he ordered what he needed for the shoes this time, (good old Maplins) and set to work.

The battery compartments were bored into the heels. The LEDs and switches were glued to the soles, under the arches. The wires were soldered onto all the terminals. Cork bungs were devised to keep the battery in place, covered over with good ol' gaffer tape and...

...Voila!

Mr Squidge's Customised Cubans!

When, on the Friday night, I dropped Mr Squidge off at the pub, those lights were very blue and very bright. By all accounts, a good night was had by all, and if Mr Squidge's toes hurt by the end of the night, he wasn't saying so.

You put your right...er...left?...leg in...

I reckon Jon is laughing his socks off in the big beyond - and probably still wearing his Cubans.

(With thanks to Mark A for letting me use his photos from the evening)