Que vem la foi ele

Last night the capoeira class was larger than usual - something to do with Marrom's visit.

As well as Marrom and the two students he brought with him from Rio, a couple of masters also turned up - Marcello and Pancheco - along with another friend of the group, another Marcello.

Not everyone played, but for the newer members of the group, they got to see some more impressive moves (which they won't get from me, one of the more senior members there) and music and singing as it should be - loud but controlled.

I was lucky enough to play for five minutes in the roda, against the younger Marcello, who's been in London for more than a year now. But he's impossible to play against; he never lets you get too close before putting out a foot, in a kick or trip.

The real event kicks off this weekend in Brick Lane, where Marrom will take a two-day workshop.

But I will be trudging the streets of Newham with Simon Hughes, visiting young offenders and checking out the development in Stratford. Ah, the sacrifices a candidate has to make!