Film: The Lady in Number 6

I decided to go to The Lady in Number 6 tonight, because it sounded interesting and was highly rated on IMDB. I booked, because that was cheaper than paying at the door. And today, I spent ages looking up how to get to the London Jewish Cultural Centre to see it!

Google Maps offered two suggestions - I could get the Overground to Finchley Road & Frognal and get the #13 bus, or get the Overground to Hampstead Heath and get the #268. However, I soon realised that the #13 bus wouldn't get me there - I'd have to take the #268 in the end anyway. So Hampstead Heath it was - only one stop further on, anyway.

This time, I had to get the 6.22 - which, fortunately, was on time, unlike yesterday. I didn't get a seat until I was most of the way there, and didn't get a paper like yesterday, but never mind. I did get to stand under an air vent, which was nice, and read the Standard over someone's shoulder. Unfortunately, he wasn't interested in the same stories I was, and turned the pages far too quickly. Nuts.

It was raining by the time I disembarked at Hampstead Heath. Nuts again! I had a little bit of a walk to the bus stop - I'd looked it up carefully on Streetview, which is a blessing, so knew exactly where I was going. Left out of the station onto South End Road, right onto Pond Street, left at the lights onto Rosslyn Hill, bus stop across the road. I've been in Hampstead before, so I knew it was hilly. I'll say this - if I lived here, I'd be fitter. Virtually every road I travelled was uphill! Mercifully, the bus stop was covered, and also, conveniently, had an lcd display showing when the buses were due. I had five minutes to wait.

Now, I have yet another beef with Google Maps. They told me the name of the stop I had to get off at was Hampstead Way.. it isn't, it's named after the adjacent Golders Hill Park! (I've complained.) Luckily, I recognised where I was going - as we sped past it - from Streetview, got off at the next stop, and walked back (uphill).

And then something interesting happened. As I finally reached the top of the hill, and my destination, two men in suits emerged from the building. I think one might have been putting up a poster, the other handing out fliers. They stood there - I could see them as I approached. One - the one putting up the poster, presumably for this evening's event - was wearing a kippah. I suddenly felt very intimidated, and decided not to go in.

I have nothing against Judaism. I'd actually be very interested in learning more about it. But.. I wasn't here to do that. I have nothing to do with Judaism, nor was I accompanying someone who had. I wanted to see a good film - that's all. I didn't want to associate myself with a cultural or religious group, and what with the kippah, and also the fact that there were two of them.. just as cult members travel in pairs.. I felt that this was somewhere I didn't want to be.

So I walked on past. And I won't be back, unless to find out about something specifically Jewish. Crossed at the zebra crossing - there are lots of them in Hampstead - and made the bus stop on the other side just as the bus arrived! On my way back to the station, I stopped in at a Marks & Spencer Food Store - I should have food in already, I bought enough ready meals last night, but our fridge, it so happens, is on the fritz, and I had to dump them. So I bought some chicken escalopes with bbq sauce, which were quite nice. Oh, and I got both a seat, and a discarded paper, on the train back.

Tomorrow night is Nabeel's birthday celebration, Thursday the annual company barbeque. On Friday, I might head to The Scoop, where they're doing something with the London Swing Dance Society. Weather-dependant, of course!