Well, I got caught up in something, and was a bit late leaving. But he's always late, as it happens, so I wasn't too worried. And as I was about to leave the office, it occurred to me that I hadn't checked whether I needed to print my ticket for tomorrow! So I checked. And yes, I do. Ugh. So, back I went to my locker, extracted my laptop, opened the browser, found the email, downloaded the ticket, sat the laptop on the printer for encouragement - and amazingly, it printed! in full technicolour. And I shut off the laptop, locked it back in the locker, and proceeded downstairs. Where I realised I'd left his Christmas present upstairs, in all the kerfuffle! So I went back upstairs, recovered the bag, and down with me again.
And off to catch the #8. Or not.. I guess it was diverted, due to the terrorist incident on London Bridge. No indications of it coming at all. So I schlepped off down the road to catch the #15.. except that wasn't coming any time soon, either! Happily, the #11 did arrive - which would do just as well. And then I trekked - uphill - to the cafe. To get a message from him, as I was just around the corner, to say he'd just arrived! Ah, so that was pretty perfect timing then!
We had chocolate Milanos, as usual - two each, before it was chucking-out time. And they were as sumptuous as ever. Not feeling like ending the evening just yet, we traipsed across the road to the Hippodrome. Where there was more than a small amount of confusion, as the bouncers tried to cope with everyone coming in to see Magic Mike! Well, once it was clarified that concert-goers should enter by the side, the main entrance was free for the rest of us, who suffered a cursory bag check and were then let in.
Upstairs, the side room from the bar is now known as the Boozy Tea-Room, I discovered! And you must now wait to be seated. I believe they take bookings in the afternoons. Ok - well, they found us seats without delay, service was quick, and the wine was good (and very kindly paid for by my companion). We were there for a couple of hours - and at around midnight, gee, I guess Magic Mike had just finished. Because there was a sudden influx of raucous females! We took our leave.
And as my companion visited the loo, I took the opportunity to explore the post-Magic Mike crowd..
The place is certainly looking Christmassy, a lot more sparkle than is usual, even for this venue:
..and if you want a £10 photo of yourself, they're happy to oblige:
When my companion emerged, he revealed that there were so many ladies that the gents' toilets had been co-opted, and the ladies were queueing for them as well. So he'd had to wait for the disabled, unisex toilet. Oy ve, life is hard..
Great to see him again anyway - we don't get to catch up often enough. So, he headed off by Tube, and I was on the trusty #11 again. Which - wow - had no lorry parked at the stop! Too late at night, I guess. Mind you, the next bus wasn't due for 25 mins.. so I took the opportunity to call my mother and pretend I was at home already - she never notices background noise. And wouldn't you know it, by the time I came off the phone, the bus was now just 1 minute away. No, I wasn't on for that long - the bus just suddenly found a spurt of energy, somewhere. And gee, although the taxi was parked on Old Broad Street again, tonight it was parked far enough off the road that it didn't provide an obstruction, and we continued on our merry way.
Tomorrow, I'm headed to the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. With a printed-out ticket (sigh*). They have half hourly time slots for entry throughout the day, and have been sending repeated emails warning not to arrive before the scheduled time on the ticket, because of overcrowding! I booked a nice late one, at 6pm.
On Sunday, I arranged to have lunch with Helen - she's squeezing in a trip to London before the infamous strikes start, next day! We arranged to eat at Bistro1, and booked a table. Now, when I went to book, they advertised a Groupon voucher for a meal for two - great, except when I phoned, I was told it wasn't valid in December! Never said anything about that on the voucher. So I've got a refund on the voucher, and they said they'd inform the restaurant that it was no longer valid. Meantime, poor Ivan is out of town this week for work and missing all the fun - and so, the other day, on the train back from a stay with the family, he floated the idea of an all-day social, some weekend. Starting Sunday. I explained to him that I was seeing Helen on Sunday - "Bring her!" sez he. Helen was ok with them joining us, so now he and another are joining us for lunch on Sunday. The start of a fun day, methinks.
On Monday, ironically, I'm on another Groupon deal - this one seems to be valid, though. I'm headed to & Juliet, a very non-Shakespearian take on the classic heroine, including a pop soundtrack, with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). Running at Shaftesbury Theatre.
On Tuesday, back with North London Friends for Fairview, at the Young Vic.
On Wednesday, back with the Crick Crack Club for a night I'm really looking forward to - Ben Haggarty and Jan Blake again, combined with my favourite, Clare Murphy, and Jordan Campbell, will treat us to a night on the theme Sovereign, at Rich Mix. It's the last in their series called the "alternative tarot", where four storytellers take turns to expand on variations on an archetypal theme, and hold a Q+A after. And I do hope Ivan can make this, because he's a great fan of Jan's, and I do think this is right up his alley.
On Thursday, back with UITCS for Three Sisters, at the National. Also signed up with Love London Arts, Theatre, Music & Stuff for this - the last time I tried to integrate the two, it didn't really work! It'll be interesting to see how it goes this time. I'll try to gravitate more towards them this time, as I missed them completely the last time. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend, again.
No comments:
Post a Comment