Tonight, I booked at the Turbine Theatre, for Torch Song. This is the inaugural show at the new theatre in the revamped Battersea Power Station! But last week, London European Club (courtesy of Henning) advertised a concert of Cretan music at Jamboree, which sounded much more fun - so I decided to go to that instead. Wow, it's years since I was last there!
Another amazingly productive day - I guess it had to happen eventually. So this evening, that meant working on a bit. Still, I wasn't too late in leaving - and when I checked to see whether I could get a quicker journey, why yes I could, if I changed buses. Which was what I did - and didn't have to run, this time. Still arrived first - just ahead of the others, and got myself a drink and secured a table at the back by the time they arrived. Not, mind, that they stuck to it as the night progressed - which was fair enough, with the hypnotic rhythms calling them forward towards the dancers at the front. I paid the cover charge at the bar, BTW, along with the price for my drink - and got my hand stamped.
Of course, I hadn't actually been here before.. in its previous incarnation, Jamboree was somewhere else entirely. This is certainly an improvement in terms of seating - and it's quirky, if not quite as atmospheric as the old place. As the night progressed, I went through the wine unusually quickly - but then, their "large" glass, as is common these days, is actually a medium. Meantime, our musicians were warming up..
This music might not be to everyone's taste, but I loved the mesmerising repetitiveness of it. And it was lovely to see the bare floor space at the front used for some Greek-style dancing; really, the music cried out for it. Very impressed, also, by a piece after the interval that we think was Afghan - we'd been promised something along those lines. A really lovely evening - and so good to see everyone, especially people I hadn't see in a while! PS The toilets are worth a visit:
Tomorrow, North London Friends (NLF) is off to A History of Water in the Middle East, at the Royal Court. Another where I got my ticket from the organiser.
On Friday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) - to Southwark Playhouse this time, for Preludes. D' you know, I bought their passport a while ago, which entitles you to cheap tickets to five shows - and of the last three I booked, something else came up for every single one! Hope I make this one.. reports of it being "weird" don't phase me in the slightest!
On Saturday, seeing the matinee of Solaris at the Lyric Hammersmith. Turns out that both UITCS and Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff (LLTAMS) are going - so I booked with both! Why not? Each requires you to buy your own ticket. And since only the organiser and I are going from LLTAMS, I hope we can merge.. Ivan was talking about possibly meeting up that evening, but then realised he had a train booked for the following morning, so we have to reschedule.
On Sunday, joining the London Improvisation Community Group for the first time - they have a show called Happily Never After at the Pleasance - part of the London Horror Festival.
On Monday, I'm seeing Mother of Him, at the Park. I see NLF is going to this a bit later, and already raving about it..
On Tuesday, UITCS is off to the Albert Hall for Symphonic Queen - the Royal Philharmonic is performing Queen.
Then begins a long period of non-Meetup stuff. Next Wednesday, I'm heading to the ballet Manon, at the Opera House.
On the 17th, the Crick Crack Club (CCC) is back at Rich Mix, with Melusine. TUUP is the headliner on this occasion, which should be terrific!
On the 18th, Helen's in town, heading to a Midge Ure concert at the Palladium - we're meeting for dinner beforehand at the Slug & Lettuce. Now, that's the day I should be flying back to Ireland - so I'm going the next day instead. And with my mother's birthday during the week - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am.
On the 28th, the CCC is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they are now, and will likely sell out - indeed, I see availability is now limited.
On the 29th, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come.
On the 30th, back with Meetup at last - UITCS is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.
For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.
On the 1st, that rescheduled meeting with Ivan.. he's away most of the time till then, and I'm busy the rest of the time!
And on the 2nd, I've booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I'll probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might go to a film that day - depending what's on - or, if I don't like the offerings, LLTAMS is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. By 'eck, though, I see there's already limited availability on tickets for the whole run! Hope I don't lose out..
Wow, it's been a busy 24 hours! So. Last night, I saw that London Social Detours (a side-shoot of Ken's Events) were charging £3 to go to the free jazz concert at the Royal Academy. So I was going to go on my own. Free. But then the London European Club (LEC) advertised a Norwegian Dixieland concert at Jamboree.. well, that sounded like more fun, so I went to that instead.
It's a long, long way away. I did take the bus - was just in time to miss mine, of course, but the next was just a few minutes behind. And what a glorious evening to take a bus trip! After all the rain we've had, it was so lovely to see the sunshine - and this route took me past the Tower. Wow, it's so long since I've been out here! (Sorry, didn't get a chance to take a photo, but it is a gem in its own right.) A crowd got on at Aldgate, and I had great fun with a very observant little girl in a buggy, whose Muslim, headscarf-clad mother smiled at me apologetically, but didn't need to - her daughter was cute as a button.
Off at Limehouse, just around the corner from The Old Ship, where I'd agreed to meet one of the group - who, as he explained, fancied a drink to unwind, on a sunny Friday evening, after a week's work. He was standing outside, though - seemed the place was full up with a private function. So instead, we decamped across the square to The Queen's Head, where we managed to get both a table and service! Friendly and efficient. And wouldn't you know it, they sell Tayto too! This must be becoming a Thing.
In due course, we decamped to Jamboree. He remembered the way, so I didn't have to - we met another of our party on the road, and the rest once we got there. And hung around outside, for a while - it was such a novelty to see blue skies. Inside, it was as eclectic as I remembered.
More photos here. Now, our organiser had speculated that the music would start at 9. In the event, it was more like half past - but when they did get going, they cooked up a storm!
Is there anyone who, having heard swing, doesn't like it? Mostly familiar tunes, they mixed it up with a few Norwegian ones. At the interval, we congregated outside in the mild evening, and we lost some as the evening progressed. As I say, it is a long way, and people had distances to travel. It is a great, cosy venue though, with some funky acts. Me, I stayed till the end this time, and many thinks to the generous dude who dropped me all the way home!
Just in time to go to bed.. today, I did doing something local - a guided walk on Residents, Rascals & Riots, in Holborn. With London for a Tenner or Less. (Dubiously, with the promise of rain!) Got a message that that group was closing as well - followed by an email invitation to take over as organiser, as one of its top members! For goodness' sake, I'd only been to seven of their Meetups.. and I'm too busy to be taking over a group I don't care about. Anyway, they've only advertised Funzing stuff, with no social element - and there are a few other groups doing that. It'd have been different, had the Man with the Hat wanted someone to take over. May it not be too long before we see him again.
Anyway, I just managed a full night's sleep, and dragged myself out of it in time. Mind you, I then got hungry, so had some breakfast, making myself a bit late. So, although I'd intended to walk to Holborn Station, where my guided walk started, I decided the better way was by Tube. And thus I disembarked, taking the Kingsway exit as instructed, and although someone, accompanied by a group of people at the top of the escalator, seemed to be smiling at me, she soon lost interest, and I continued outside.
Where a lone woman was standing with a sign for Lansdowns London, which I'd never heard of. Well, these groups often advertise under several different sources, and it was possible. And there was nobody else. So I stood near her, and after a minute or so asked her whether she had the Holborn walk. Yes! and she informed me that it'd be a private tour - no-one else had booked! 'Tisn't everyone would still go ahead. Anyway, I suppose the rain all week might have put off any other potential clients - I might have cancelled myself, but Thursday morning was the deadline for cancellation with refund, and that morning was a busy one for me!
Undaunted, off we set. As she'd mentioned at the start, we didn't cover a huge area - but oh! what an eventful one. As I said, you might pass this way a hundred times without knowing all the stories that the area holds. Not only was she full of history, but she was from the area as well, and jeez, we kept running into people that knew her! In Red Lion Square, a fellow guide wanted a word before he left on holiday, and in Rugby Street, a chap sat outside his door with a cuppa and a yoghurt, in the sunshine, turned out to have gone to primary school with her! Indeed, we passed the very house she grew up in, on the charming Great James Street.
More photos here. Stories of wartime bombings and reconstructions, and famous residents. Down Hatton Garden, which was lined with vans for the filming of a new Michael Caine film of the Hatton Garden heist.. and ending at Holborn Circus. The rain held off - till I was on my way home! We had a gorgeous, sunny walk, and this was definitely one of the most knowledgeable guides I've had, full of stories about both blue plaques, and things that weren't thought to merit one. Highly recommended.
Tomorrow, London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) is headed out of town. We're going all the way to Northampton, to see a couple of Shakespearian plays, one directed by one of her members. Richard II, to be precise, with Titus Andronicus to whet our appetites. No-one has signed up apart from me, but what the hey I've never been there, so it'll be interesting. Managed to dig out my Rough Guide to England too, when I was in Ireland last weekend - I've photocopied the bit on Northampton!
On Monday, I'm off to Ugly Lies the Bone, at the Lyttleton.
On Tuesday, I'd booked with Funzing UK for an Infinitease Burlesque Show. In Leytonstone, so if anything better came up in the meantime, I was up for it! That's a terribly long way out. Anyway, the other day I got an email about cheap tickets - apparently there's a burlesque festival on - in Hackney, which is a bit closer. And a lot cheaper. So now I'm going to that instead - Funzing can be cancelled up to 48 hours in advance without penalty.
Wednesday was supposed to be the Man with the Hat's last event, but he had to cancel. Instead, I discovered that the UL Alumni Association (UL is my alma mater) is holding a talk on Brexit that night. And I was going to go to that - but lo, Funzing came up with something better! So then I was going to Urban Legends of London. But do you know, I completely forgot to mention that the World Music Meetup then advertised a Brazilian concert in Sands Film Studios - adore that venue. So that's now where I'm going that day! and barring the proverbial accident, fire, or flood, that's final.
On Thursday, Crick Crack is back - at Crouch End Arthouse again, unfortunately. It's just so far! Still going, of course - the more especially because it's Michael Harvey! He's worth the trip. Then I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend again - and taking the bank holiday, this time!
On the 30h, LDAM are at the Olivier to see Common. So am I.. on a cheap Travelex ticket, which I booked direct with the venue. So I'll be avoiding them, since they don't appreciate that.
On the 31st, free comedy in Hammersmith was up again (temporarily), with the above groups, plus London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers (another offshoot of Ken's Events). But yay, it's now been replaced by another Funzing event - a Luxury Chocolate evening! Helen's popping along, too. The code Fun_Day10 got us a 10% discount.
On 1 June, I eschewed the free comedy in Hammersmith for the Ghosts & Executions Tour, with London for a Tenner or Less - even though that guide wasn't great the last time, so I cancelled this previously, he's better than that free comedy! Oh, and the code WELLBEING30 got me 30% off this. How it qualifies as "well-being" I don't know, but I'm not complaining!
Then I'm off down to Helen for the weekend - she told me about this Living History Festival, and I said yes please!
The 5th, I'm back to Soho Theatre with the Crick Crack Club, for something called The Frog Princess - Punked. Ben Haggerty, the mc and co-founder of the club, told us the other night that there's going to be a full punk band - goodness, who would've thought that Sally Pomme Clayton had a hidden punk side!
And the 6th June, I'm with the LEC, to see the Images Ballet Company at the Arts Depot.
Tonight was originally supposed to be a monthly social with Spooky London. Not that I've had that much to do with them - but I have been to one event of theirs, and thought it'd be nice to be.. social. Except the venue was never announced - and then it wasn't happening at all. Never mind, that left me free to go to what I was really more interested in going to - London European Club's French Chanson and Swing. I booked in advance - it was cheaper.
It was happening in Jamboree, a place I'd never before heard of. The website mentioned that parking was available in nearby residential streets - well hey, driving was an exciting prospect! Except the day was wearing on.. and my Skype call to my mother took forever, because of her poor internet connection.. and when she finally gave up, and I finally researched the driving route, and discovered I'd have to go through Vauxhall, Elephant & Castle, (both of which I know to have horrendous traffic, and complicated lane systems) AND Tower Hill - which seemed to have something like a spaghetti junction (well, maybe a pretzel) - I realised I'd never master the required route in time.
Now, someone had recommended an app called Waze to me - said he drives everywhere, and it's always helped him when he's got lost. So I tried downloading it. It was still downloading when I eventually left.. but while it was doing that, I decided I'd better plump for public transport. Google Maps suggested (deep breath) - train to Waterloo, Waterloo & City Line to Bank, DLR to Limehouse, and walk. An easy walk, to be fair: right, left, left, and it's on the right. The alternative was the Overground to Wapping, and a bus - well, I wanted to get there as quickly as possible at this stage, and didn't fancy the delay of a bus.
So I was all set to do the train, Tube, DLR route, and turned off the computer. And then realised I hadn't researched my route back, which was likely to be late, and could be different, if services weren't still running at that time! Turned the computer back on - and when I eventually got it to work, it suggested the Overground from Shadwell, which I could walk to. Huh?! Yup. Google Maps can be funny sometimes - now, if they'd only told me that route was available for the outbound journey. So, when I left for this evening's concert, I got the Overground to Shadwell.
This was to be a decently long journey, and my phone battery was failing. Still, for the first few stops, entertainment was provided by a rail worker who hovered near me. I reached for my Oyster card, and she reassured me that she didn't want to check it - she was doing a customer satisfaction survey instead, and would I like to participate? Sure - I'd be there for ages, and I'm always doing surveys..
I was lost in a reverie by the time we got to Shadwell, and only just remembered to get off. Never been there before. You climb some stairs, past signs warning how many more there are if you don't get the lift. So we all got the lift. At the top, you can exit left or right. Tip: for Jamboree, exit right. I know this, because I exited left - fortunately, there was a map to tell me I was going the wrong way. I could see a DLR station across the road. And so I turned tail and went the other way - Shadwell isn't a big station, it doesn't take long to get un-lost.
The walk (left, down Cable Street) took me nigh on 15 minutes. From Jamboree's website, I knew it was in the courtyard of Cable Street Studios - otherwise, I'd never have found it. Walked through the archway, discovered a gate that had to be electronically unlocked - luckily, the light turned green as I approached (on my way out, I discovered there was a guard in a hut to the side). Made my way into the courtyard inside, walked to the end, and sure enough, Jamboree was where the people were clustered outside.
A fellow at a desk just inside the door scribbled my name off the list and stamped my wrist, and I was in. Bugger - the place was tiny, and crammed; I'd be standing. Got myself a drink at the bar - 10p extra for card payments, but I had practically no cash left. Was just wondering where was best to stand when I was tapped on the shoulder by someone I knew from the group - which makes two people there tonight that I knew: her and the organiser. So we stood together, at the side, with a decent view of the (empty) stage.
Jamboree is actually lovely - really quirky, one of those atmospheric places with assorted household objects scattered about on shelves, hung on the walls and from the ceiling. A heavy curtain runs on a semicircular rail just inside the door, insulating the room and allowing them to leave the door open. We could have done with a bit less insulation, mind - the place was heaving, and oppressively stuffy.
The music, we'd heard, was to start at 8:45 - in the event, it started after 9. And we'd been promised two acts - but the first on were neither of these. I have, to this moment, no idea who they were - although my companion was stood next to the sound engineer, and interrogated him; he said they were Italian. They, themselves, said it was their first time performing live (ahh!) and proceeded to play just three tunes - and all named after animals. One was playing an accordion - very jumpily for the first number, "The Whale". Did the whale perhaps have the hiccups?
Well hey, the crowd was receptive, and they left the stage around 9:30. And we waited, and waited.. I was feeling queasy from sheer lack of oxygen (and wishing I'd had less dinner) and after a bit I decided to pop outside while we were still waiting for the next act. There are picnic benches outside, and I grabbed a seat on a bench by the door, and gulped in the welcome, ice-cold air. Watched the woman I'd seen inside, with two little dogs on a joint lead - she brought them outside and let them off; well, it's a gated courtyard, they were safe enough. And a German chap near me attracted my attention when he was describing to someone near me how much friendlier the staff are at Lidl in London than in Berlin..
Next time I saw him, he was up on stage playing a balalaika.. for yes, this was one of the Berlin Balalaika Brothers! I'd promised myself that if they hadn't started by 10 I was leaving - well, they started about 10 minutes before that, with a "Guten Abend!" from stage. So I made my way back in, greatly refreshed from my re-oxygenation, and over to the far side again - a good place to stand, away from the main crush of people. Firstly, there's a bit more air there. Secondly, you get a better view, as you can stand behind a whole heap of people that are sitting. I couldn't quite make my way back to the wall, where my companion still stood, but was decently comfortable where I was, with a great view of half the stage, and where I could lean on the chairs in front of me for respite.
The Berlin Balalaika Brothers might have been playing in London for the first time, but newcomers to the stage they obviously are not. Flamboyantly dressed in shiny shirts (reminiscent of the last balalaika concert I was at, not two weeks ago), they roared us into enthusiasm. The crowd got very jiggy for this! And they egged us on - lots of shouting in Russian, lots of clapping and stamping of feet. A couple of numbers I remembered from the last concert too, including a nod to Dr. Zhivago..
They're mad, this pair, and the madness reached a crescendo near the end - which is just the way to perform Kalinka. So, one of 'em decided to go crowd-surfing, the crowd carrying him above their heads, where he continued to strum away as he came in grave danger of crashing into the bunting. And when they could go no further with him, they let him down, and he led them in a conga..!
Fantastic stuff, I'd rush to see them again. They finished just before 11, and my companion and I decided to go - I had to catch the 11:16 train from Shadwell if I was to be home by midnight, and she'd found out from the sound guy that this gig was due to continue till 3! and has to be somewhere early in the morning. Indeed, the headliners probably wouldn't have been on until 11:30, given the way the evening was going. So our "French Chanson & Swing" lacked French chanson - although perhaps not swing!
We both walked to Limehouse, where she waited for the DLR to Bank, and I took it back to Shadwell. Handy I'd noticed there was a DLR station at Shadwell! Made it with just a few minutes to spare. No survey-takers on the way back - just a guy noisily chewing gum, and slapping his thighs to the rhythm of what he was listening to through his earphones. And boy am I tired after my evening..
Tomorrow, I'm with the Crick Crack Club, for an event entitled Seven Princesses - at Rich Mix, which will be my first event there with them. I was asked this evening what time that was, and didn't have a clue - "evening" is generally all I need to know until the day. 7:30 seems to be the answer, FYI!
For Sunday, the London European Club just yesterday announced an organ concert at the church of All Saints, Margaret Street.. free, with suggested donation of £5. So I've said I'll go..
On Monday, my last Meetup before Easter sees me back with - surprise, surprise, Let's Do London - for less! The Man with the Hat is taking us underground - to the Vaults. Jeez, it's ages since I've been there - definitely more a warm-weather venue, we may have to keep our coats on! Pop-up Opera is staging their version of Romeo & Juliet down there. Romantic, down in the dark? Well, as long as I don't get dripped on.. And then I'm back to Ireland for just over a week, for Easter - dates specifically chosen for the cheapest flights! I fly back to London on the 30th.
