All the way over in Notting Hill - well, I had time to take a bus. Two, actually - with the Hopper fare, I have that luxury (two journeys for the price of one). And luxury it was, considering that the first just took me to the top of Tottenham Court Road, which I could've walked (slower, of course). The bus had already arrived by the time I rounded the corner, and it's nothing short of a miracle that it waited for me! A good thing though, as I was a bit tight for time - as usual. And the whole way up the road, I had a lady in sunglasses beside me, attached by leash to a small black dog, who (lady, not dog) regaled me with, as she said, her life's story: how she was just back from St. Ives, how much worse the pollution is in London, and how she's going to return her air purifier, which just blows air at her that smells of the cigarette smoke she bought it to recycle. She finally got off (just three stops later) at my home stop! Oh lordy, she's a neighbour of mine..
Not that I was getting off there this evening - no, the next stop and around the corner, and just in time for the next bus, which must've been running early. Unfortunately, I ended up in the back row. Happily, it was a slow ride (I might've got a bit sick, else) - and as we passed Harley Street, I wondered how the Man with the Hat is getting on - he works there. Anyway, as we moved out of the centre, we lurched down a hill to Royal Oak, and I got a helpful young Japanese-looking lady to press the button for me - I couldn't reach, and was rather uncertain of being able to keep my balance on the seat, even! And boy, was I glad of Google Maps, without which I'd have been completely lost.
Backwards then, across the bridge, right, and pretty much straight on for 15 minutes or so. I was expecting a church-style building, and was rather confused by the one at the end of the road:
Luckily, I'd already looked up The Tabernacle, and realised it didn't look like that. I'd just passed it:
And I was just in time. In fact, the guy checking names (who gave me a stamp on my arm) thought I was one of the speakers! Turns out that, unusually tonight, they were all women, and I guess they hadn't all arrived yet. Hey-ho, I made my way upstairs into a wide venue, full of round tables with chairs around them - all were occupied, so I took a seat in the rows at the back. Pity they were all those notoriously uncomfortable folding chairs. Anyway.
First up was Catherine Mayer, co-founder of the Women's Equality Party, and author. I've never felt that it was enough of an issue in our society to join the party (lucky me!), but I do respect what they're about, and she told us about some inspirational people. A couple of other things she said resonated with me, about the "snap election" (that snapped back!), and the grossly unfair first-past-the-post electoral system that prevails in this country, which, mind you, I've heard criticised in Ireland since I was a nipper.
Interesting talk. Sadly, the second - not so much, as Erica Wagner summarised for us her book about the architect of the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm glad to see she was fascinated by her subject - I'm afraid I wasn't.
Third up, we had a very interesting talk again, with Plum Sykes, who writes books about socialites - she's just started on murder mysteries. Her talk was a fascinating insight into the subtle sexism of undergraduate life in Oxford in the late 1980s - I could have listened all night, frankly.
But then we had a short interval (enough time to buy drinks), and after, a talk by one Reni Eddo-Lodge, an award-winning young black writer, who lectured us on race relations. She did make one very interesting point, about how we aren't educated about civil rights in Britain. She cited the case of one Paul Stephenson, who fought for racial equality in Bristol in 1963 - quite right, it's shocking that we don't know about this!
To round off the night, we had a fascinating talk by Polly Toynbee, about the state of the nation, and how swingeing Tory cuts have led to increased amputations (fewer preventative checks of diabetics, who tend to have circulatory problems), less tax take (closure of local tax offices, and consequent loss of local knowledge), and loss of social networks (cuts to local bus services - my mother could tell you all about that). Again, I could have listened all night, as she explained, quite rationally, how you can't both maintain public services and cut tax. It's very simple - you could explain it to a four-year-old. All in all, a good night - and the best value yet for my £3.60 ticket - full price for these was £25!
I say she rounded off the night - she didn't. We had a little extra - a chap who'd come straight from C4 studios, where he'd been reading his poem, which he then read again for us. Grenfell is just 15 minutes up the road from here, and had dominated proceedings, with constant mentions. And he'd written a poem about it.
I shed a tear or two. And I had been considering wandering up that way - it isn't often at all that I get to this part of town. So, I did. (Glad I brought my coat - it was getting quite chilly.)
Just a couple of minutes into my walk, I could already see the blackened shell over the rooftops. It was chilling. All the "missing" posters.. (they started in The Tabernacle). I overheard someone say they've still only explored as far as the 11th floor (out of 24).
They still have the site cordoned off, with a police officer on guard - the closest I could get was the local church:
I was a bit self-conscious about taking photos, until I saw someone else doing it. And that's all she wrote. Grenfell, RIP.
Up the (severely overgrown) road again, I caught the first bus to Oxford Circus, and was desperately glad to get out of there - I really don't know how they look at that every day.
On Wednesday, I had booked with Random London, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich and London Live Comedy (again) for free comedy in Greenwich (again). And then I switched to West London Improvised Comedy Nights, who have a show at The Lillie Langtry, which is closer - indeed, very close to where I've lived longest in London. However, some more folks I haven't seen in a while - a couple of members of the Man with the Hat's old groups - are headed to a concert at the Royal Academy of Music, with London Social Detours. The concerts are free, but the group is charging a Meetup fee, so I'd normally just go on my own - but I want to meet these folks, so I'll stump up.
On Thursday, yes, once again I'd booked for free comedy in Hammersmith - with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London. Also advertised by London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK (twice, as usual). But then I'd booked to go with the LEC to a talk on the relationship between Britain and France, at the LSE. Would've been interesting, but sod it, I then realised I have a late meeting that day, and with the talk starting quite early, it's a non-starter. Didn't want to rebook the comedy, having cancelled it. So I had a look at what else was on Meetup - and discovered something interesting. I hadn't been getting a wide variety of things on the main Meetup site - but they've mercifully improved the app. Which is what I happened to consult when I realised I'd have to cancel the talk, since I didn't have a laptop to hand. And lo, the app had LOADS more events. Seriously, there's a real disconnect between the app and the main website. Tons of interesting stuff. And on the app - well, a group called Ealing Ladies Social Group was headed to Terror, at the Lyric Hammersmith. Which sounded the most interesting of all. Not the group, mind, which has far too many rules and regulations for my liking - and they're closed to new members anyway. Nothing to stop me going myself, though..
Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again! Not usual for me to go two weeks in a row.. more details below. Next Monday, London Dramatic Arts is off to see The Mentor, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Expensively, as usual. I'm going as well - cheaply, courtesy of Amazon Tickets. Sat in the Grand Circle, I should be able to avoid them.
On the 4th, I cancelled more free comedy in Hammersmith (Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, London Live Comedy, and Discover LDN.UK) for another Funzing talk - The Psychology of Dreams. As advertised by London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. Cancellable, but I'm so far unlikely to do so. (As ever, WELLBEING30 was still giving 30% off most talks, last I looked.)
On the 5th, back with the LEC, for a concert of Greek music at Sands Films. Looking forward to that - I love the venue, but haven't fancied the last couple of concerts they've had there.
On the 6th, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith (!) with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK. Did you think I'd actually go? ;-) Well, I'm not - but the reason is an unusual one. My new company is very nice indeed - and they have an annual volunteering day: gardening. I hate gardening. On the 6th. For the whole day, they're at it. And last Monday, the office manager kindly informed us that it was compulsory unless we were on holiday. Huh! Well now, I hate being told what to do. So I've suddenly decided to be on holiday that day - and as it's a Thursday, the next too.
Then comes a weekend I've been looking forward to for a while. Long-anticipated, the European leg of U2's 30th anniversary tour of The Joshua Tree kicks off in Twickenham on the 8th & 9th. 'Mare of a place to see them - after I saw them there in 2005, I swore - never again. Happily, I now know someone living down that direction! :-) Helen is also coming with me to the first concert, and I'm staying with her for the weekend (now starting on Thursday, as she kindly offered). Which sorts transport for the first night - she'll drive. The second night, I'll head back by bus - the train is an absolute nightmare. Anyway, this would have been a weekend in Ireland - hence the trips back two weekends in a row, preceding it.
On the 10th, nothing had been appealing - until I tried the app again on Saturday, and came across a Meetup group called, attractively, Let's Do This! Quite new - I don't think I'll be "doing this" with them, what with their fee per event (I have been known to pay this, but it has to be worth it to me, i.e. I need to know the people): anyway, they have organised a trip to see La Voix Humaine, a 40-minute solo opera, performed in English by Opera Up Close. Unassigned seating, but with no booking fee I booked anyway - it's in King's Place, which I love. I'd already found it by the time the Man with the Hat took us there, but it was with him I went the last two times: so this'll be bittersweet.
The 11th started out with yet more free comedy in Hammersmith - the same five groups. But then Funzing (the same two groups) rocked up and saved me, with a talk on Blitzed - Drugs in Nazi Germany. Has to be better, frankly.
The 12th, I'm currently still looking at free comedy in Greenwich, with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London.
The 13th, more of the same - in Hammersmith - with the Famous Five (aforementioned) groups - Discover LDN.UK twice, as before. At least the headliner that night is John Hastings, who's guaranteed to be good - and it's a lovely, small venue to see him in. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend.
On the 17th, more comedy - for £3.60, this time. Tez Ilyas is performing at the Pleasaunce, and I know he's good - saw him in Top Secret once, for free..
The 18th, the U2 tour continues - I fly to Barcelona that day, to see them that night! One of their crazy, one-night-only appearances, on what is a very limited tour.
I fly back on the 19th, and that night am - provisionally - booked for more free comedy (quelle surprise). Greenwich, the above three groups. There are some interesting Funzing talks that night, but I've already seen them.
The 20th, another Funzing talk (the above two groups). This is a talk about serial killers, as given by a forensic psychologist that works with the police, and who also gives terrific talks about psychopaths. Highly recommended! She's a terrifically engaging speaker, and looks far too young to be working in such a murky area.
Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend - first to Dublin (from London City airport, a first for me), for U2's (one-and-only!) concert there.. then down to see my mother for a couple of days, flying back on Tuesday. On the Wednesday.. and Thursday.. free comedy!! First Greenwich, then Hammersmith - the usual groups, on both occasions.
So, that brings us to Friday 28th July, and it's off to Amsterdam, for my final two U2 concerts of the year (sniff). On Saturday and Sunday. Really, you have no idea of the organisation that went into all of this, back in January..!
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