Friday was my final trip of the year to the Crick Crack Club - Jan Blake was performing Masters of Hex at the British Library. Along with Ben Haggerty and TUUP. Same friend going with me as did on the 29th, and Helen too - and the same lunatic. Who would probably avoid us, and good enough for her.
Working from home, I could meet Helen whenever suited - so we met on Oxford Street, about 2.5 hours before the show. For once, I got there first! so had time to think about eating. It occurred to me that Nando's would be handy, so I researched where there was one on our route - the Brunswick Centre seemed like a good option, so that's where we headed.
Mind you, when we got there, the first thing we saw was a Carluccio's - so that's where we ended up. After a brief photo stop:
Right inside the door, they have a shop, which you can browse as you wait to be seated. Which didn't take long - but never fear, they have a retail list along with the menus, on the tables! Along with the a la carte, we had a "Menu Festivo", which we ended up ordering from, mainly - we had garlic bread as a side, along with starters, mains, desserts. They had a two-course price, a three-course price, and a three-course with prosecco and a cracker price. We decided against the prosecco and cracker option - we were having wine anyway - but a table just down from us went for it. And yes, the cracker is of the festive variety.
The garlic bread, unusually, was cold - but tasty enough. My starter was a chicken broth with ravioli - never heard of it before. I had chicken saltimbocca for my main course.. all fine, but nothing to write home about. Honestly, the wine was quite insipid too. Dessert for me was ice cream, which turned out to be topped with a mountain of cream, rather unnecessarily. But hey, we were both fed - although I wouldn't rate it as the best meal ever. And we did have something of a wait for the bill, our server being busy..
Anyway, we then galloped up the road to the library - I was glad I knew exactly where to go, we were so close to time! Helen had printed out both our tickets - I'd asked her, since my printer was in my old place and my laptop in my new, and although my work laptop was in the old place too, it hadn't been introduced to the printer, and I didn't think the relationship would go well! Annoyingly, we had to produce the printed tickets for access - get with the programme, British Library, most places just let you show them on your phone! The place was quite full when we did get in, but we got seats near my other friend, if not quite beside him.
This time, a library employee mc'ed - this event was part of a larger Harry Potter exhibition they've got going. Ben Haggerty started off proceedings, clad shoulders to toes in black, as usual - he'd left his hat at home. His story, as theatrically told as ever, was familiar to me - a version of a Baba Yaga tale, and as visceral a tale as any of them. TUUP, following, gave a much more lighthearted rendition of a story about a rich man who was taken down a peg by a magician - his story started with a wee musical interlude on the drum he so often has with him, and was punctuated with frequent humour. Finally, Jan Blake upped the musical quotient, getting us all to sing along in a gospel number - before giving us a poignant tale, set in the dark days of slavery on the plantations.
All in all, a good mix - I'm just sorry I couldn't make the last Crick Crack event of the year, the following Monday (advertised after I'd booked my flights). Anyway, that exhibition runs through February, if you want to check it out. On our way out, the lunatic was spotted on the stairs, but was out long before us, as Helen and I stopped to tell my other friend how the break to Germany had gone (he'd been supposed to go, but hadn't been able to get the time off). We eventually decided to leave, passing the storytellers on the way, who were still hanging around with their families, it looked like. We dawdled some more in the lobby before heading down the stairs to leave - and would you believe it, Crazy Lady was still down there, bending the ear of someone who worked there, it looked like! We slipped out past her without incident.
My other friend headed the other way on the main road - I accompanied Helen as far as the Tube, which she caught to the station. She was going to be a bit late with her train, unfortunately - ah well, you're entitled to stay out late for Christmas! Me, I did some work when I got home, as it was my last day of the year - and had a dramatic time next day, as I flew back to Ireland for Christmas.
Unfortunately, with all I had to pack, I couldn't fit everything into my case, so booked a checked bag and took a rucksack as well (and my handbag). Sadly, the checked bag meant I couldn't check in at the self-service kiosk, and there was a queue at the two desks open. And the usual quota of idiots in front of me, who had to have the entire process explained to them - so the checkin deadline passed while I was in the queue! Then the idiot at the desk reacted with complete astonishment to the news that there'd been a queue there at all, claimed the gate had closed earlier than it had, and sent me over to the ticket desk - where the nice man, with at least two brain cells to rub together, asked whether I was ok to take the case on as hand baggage as well, and pooh-pooed the idea that I might have too many bags. And was I relieved to see that boarding pass appear - especially when he told me there was no evening flight, so that was it for the day..
I was lucky - Easyjet no longer use their discretion at Gatwick, once the gate is closed, it's closed. Here, I was one of the last to board, which is fine - a lovely young flight attendant found somewhere down the back for my bags, and also put up the rest of my things when I realised I was in the bloody exit row. And then the lovely chap, seeing my flusteredness, brought me a water - which I really needed - and a free paper. And suggested that I might go sit near my bags, at the back, later in the flight, rather than have to wait forever to get back to them when we were getting off. Which I did. Now, that's what I call service..
Finally catching up with myself. Must give a shout-out to two very good meals I've had since I came back - the first in the Abbey Tavern, where we ate on Sunday, so they had the Sunday menu on, which included the most succulent chicken and ham I've had. The second was the next day, in Nuala's, where we really don't eat often enough - and we do keep forgetting how good it is! Delicious garlic mushrooms to start, and two kinds of curry - korma, and a chip-shop-type curry, which I adore. (Mind you, I'm not mad about their rice, so had chips instead.) My mother also remarked on her very good salmon. And the chocolate fudge cake I had for dessert.. was pure fudge. Approach with caution! Nice to know we shan't starve - just a pity that neither of these is open on Christmas Day..
Running errands this week. Will be heading back to Bowes Ryan on Saturday, where my birth mother will be buying me lunch.. and seeing a couple of friends next week, once the madness of Christmas is over. Flying back to London on the 2nd of January, and on the 3rd I've booked to see Stewart Lee at Leicester Square Theatre. Determinedly not in the front two rows - not for a comedy show!
On the 4th of January, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (Happy New Year to them!), who are off to see Hanna, at the Arcola.
On the 5th of January, I thought Time Out threw me a curiously interesting event - so I'm going on this Space Descent VR experience, at the Science Museum. I'll have to leave work early for it - there are timed slots, and it consists of wearing goggles, and living the experience of a descent to earth, with the astronaut Tim Peake narrating in your ears.
On the 6th of January, Crick Crack is back! Happy New Year to them too. The story of When Time Began is being told at King's Place. Creation myths. And wouldn't you know it, we're being treated to a host of performers - the husband and wife team, Emily and Nick Hennessy, and co-founder of the club, the amazing Ben Haggerty. Accompaniment provided by the wonderful musician, Sheema Mukherjee.
On the 7th of January, another Happy new Year - this time to Let's Do This (LDT), who are off to an art exhibition. Gilbert & George: the Beard Pictures and their Fuckosophy. Sorry, but that is the title. Showing at the White Cube Gallery. Honestly, but for the group that's hosting, I wouldn't bother..
And finally, more art on the 8th of January, which I'll probably enjoy more. I'm taking the day off to go see Reflections at the National Gallery - an exhibition of Pre-Raphaelites, which, with a free day, I can peruse at my leisure. As inspired by a walk by the excellent London Literary Walks - roll on the summer, and a return of those! Oh, and just lately, LDT advertised another trip to the excellent Vintage Swing Jazz evenings at Wilton's - for the evening of the 8th. And why not, indeed? So I booked that, too..
Well, back in Ireland for the weekend, and my mother had to be taken to Mass this evening. Now, as it happens, with attendances at confession in freefall, the Church has been pragmatic, at this prime sacrament-going time of the year, and Tuamgraney Church had an absolution session at this evening's Mass. (To be fair, that's my reasoning for why they had it.) Basically, during the Mass, three priests positioned themselves at convenient locations in the small church, and people filed up to be forgiven - no actual confession involved, just a willingness to have hands laid on and words of absolution spoken.
Now, my mother reasonably considered this an extremely handy way of getting the thing done for Christmas - so we took ourselves off to Tuamgraney. And so we decided to eat in Nuala's beforehand - nice and early, in case they were busy, as they so often are. They have it very nicely decorated for Christmas, holly around the windows and pretty window decorations:
Well, we got a parking space outside (my car is the scruffy one in the photo - well, it does get left for about two weeks at a time, all year!), and my mother nipped in quickly enough to grab a table in front of a family that was bearing down on the place. We were soon given a menu, and saw that the individual menus now only include starters, lite bites, and kids' options. Aside from that, there's just the specials board, which is fixed to the wall, and smaller replicas of which are available to look at, at the tables.
I got a lovely whiff of curry as I came in, so that was a given, and we know the garlic mushrooms are very good here. Unfortunately, my mother's salmon wasn't available - she had the plaice fillets instead. And we had wine. And it all came pretty quickly - as usual, the mushrooms were great, and the curry delicious - although the chips were nothing special, and I left most (missing those UK pub chips!). My mother didn't comment on the plaice, but ate as much as she could - as she remarked afterwards, she should've asked for a half portion.. three fillets is quite unreasonable for one person, I think! She took the leftovers for the menagerie at home.
I'd asked for another glass of wine as my main course arrived, but it hadn't come by the time I finished it - I had to go to the bar and get it myself. I guess management wasn't around. For dessert, I had a rather lovely chocolate fudge cake - also rather filling - and my mother had a trifle, which she didn't like at all, and didn't finish - I believe it was too chewy. So, overall, another good meal - you just need to be careful what you order. And the fewer things you need the waiters to do, the better..
Back in London on Monday for my last week before Christmas - feels weird, actually, because it already feels like I'm on Christmas holidays! It won't even be a full week.. on Monday, Crick Crack is doing something a bit different. They're at Soho Theatre, with The Remarkable Tale of Robert Desnos. This, apparently, was a surrealist poet incarcerated in Auschwitz - unusual fare for Crick Crack. One of the speakers is Clare Muireann Murphy - my favourite storyteller, and I'll be fascinated to see what she does with it.
On Tuesday, my last event of the year with the Man with the Hat (sniff!.. unless he surprises us) will be on a trip to the West End. He's scored tickets in the front two rows of the stalls for Dead Funny, at the Vaudeville Theatre, for Let's Do London - for less! Ooh now..
And on Wednesday, my very last thing before I fly back to Ireland for Christmas was supposed to be a presentation on data collection apps, courtesy of Org London. Anyway, Helen is coming to town, and when I saw Christmas in Clerkenwell - a Guided Walk for Shelter, with London Social Detours, I ran it by her, and we're going on that instead.. And then I fly back to Ireland on Thursday of next week, for Christmas..
Then things shall get very quiet for Christmas. I fly back to London on Monday 2 January. And that's perfectly ok, because since my last post, I got a job offer. :-) Seriously, it feels as though I've got a reprieve from a death sentence.. I can go on living in London, and that is a hell of a relief, because there's nowhere on earth I'd rather be.
On Tuesday 3rd, I have my trusty placeholder of Free Comedy in Hammersmith - gee, it's been a while now since I actually went to one of those! Anyway, assuming I show up, I'm booked with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers, London Live Comedy, Random London, and London for a Tenner or Less and Funzing UK (both Funzing groups, and both advertising the thing twice). My, that's a lot to cancel, if I do..
On Thursday 4 January, yes, I'm back with the Man with the Hat (no, not Santa Claus) - Let's Do London - for less! is off on their annual festive trip to The Nutcracker (ahh!) at the Opera House. Sold out performance, I see. It'll be great to see the folks again - I'll miss them over Christmas.
And on Friday 5 January, I'm (nominally) back in Hammersmith - this time, only with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, Funzing UK. and London for a Tenner or Less. Once only with each!
Flew back to London yesterday - but with their summer schedule having later flights to London, we had time to head out for something to eat, first. Saturday had been in Quin - so, yesterday, we decided on Nuala's. For variety.
The weather was nothing if not varied - brilliant sunshine alternated with torrential showers. Well, that kept it interesting. And we were lucky to get the last parking spot in front of the pub - gee, it's ages since I parallel parked. Sure enough, inside the pub was crammed. We happened to meet the owner at that moment, who suggested we take a table for two in the restaurant - same menu, so we agreed.
The table was at the restaurant door - but not much passing customer traffic bothered us. We were a bit perplexed at the wobbly table, until the owner came and rescued us by just moving it over a bit - must be an issue with the floor, just there! Meanwhile, we admired the stone-effect wall covering - a result of the tv makeover they had, details of which were broadcast earlier in the year. Whether that affected business, I can't say - but it was booming yesterday.
The Sunday lunch menu is concise, and supplemented by a board of specials. Well, their soup is always good, so I had that, and I was delighted to see that the excellent cornflake chicken was also still on the menu. And there was salmon on the specials menu, so my mother was happy. Service was quick and friendly, and as we waited for our food we perused the placemats, posters on the walls, photos.. plenty about the history of the area, and definitely a contender eatery to bring Helen to, when she visits next month.
The soup was delicious - slightly spicy, on this occasion. The mash that accompanied our mains was pleasantly flavoured, and we polished off our meals happily - slightly slower towards the end, as we filled up. It's a very pleasant atmosphere too, and we'd have liked to stay for dessert - but that flight beckoned. Generally, you'd pay at the bar - but she kindly brought the bill to our table so we could avoid the queue. It's a pity we don't get here more often - but great to see they're doing so well!
And so back to London. Should be a nice, easy evening - I don't anticipate being kept late at work, and Sing Street doesn't start until 8:10 - at my local cinema. And it's an easy drive, with free parking after 7. Goodee, I've been longing for an easy event! The film itself is the third in a theme by John Carney - musical underdogs, basically, and with this one, harking back to his big debut, Once, also set in Dublin in the 80s. I see Maria Doyle Kennedy also shows up in this.
For tomorrow, I nabbed a cheap ticket to a piano concert at Wigmore Hall. On Wednesday, I'm back with the Man with the Hat, who's taking London for Less than a Tenner to the (not-so) Top Secret Comedy Club. Now, I've only been there once before, and hated it - but that was just the line-up on the night, and I have higher hopes for this. (Hey, just saw on the website that they have a money-back guarantee - where was that when I went?!)
On Thursday, I'm off to what should be an excellent night with the Crick Crack Club - Trickster, at Rich Mix, stars no fewer than three storytellers, two of whom I know to be excellent: Tuup and Clare Muireann Murphy. And on Friday, I'm (so far, unless I get a better offer) headed back with the CLOGgies, finally, for a Royal Parks & Palaces Evening Walk. I did enjoy that group, the one time I was with them - they just usually clash with other stuff! The bank holiday weekend is, otherwise, so far undetermined..
I'm not sure why, but my mother felt like going to Teach uí Bhriain this evening. Well, fair enough - it did give us a chance to go the Gala store up the road, which is more decent than anywhere in Quin, where we usually go.
We got a parking space just up the road, and a seat in our usual corner. Really admired their Christmas decorations - what with the redecorating, the place is looking excellent! It was a little while before we were brought menus - mind you, as I was leaving, I noticed there was a stack of them just behind me! So I could have sped that bit of the process up slightly - never mind.
They seem to have changed the standard menu somewhat - which is a good thing, it's been pretty unchanged for a while. Interestingly, I noticed a warning on the menu, to "leave enough time for your meal". Uh-oh.. Sure enough, service was at least as slow as usual. It wasn't really that busy - maybe the chef was working slowly. As we waited, a woman was hovering beside the door - turned out she was waiting for a takeaway, and getting ever more anxious. I got the impression she was worried about how she was parked - she finally paid and went to sit in the car; they brought her dinner out to her when it was finally ready.
We waited quite a while for our (shared) starter. When it came, it came with a basket of bread - why that couldn't have been served to us while we were waiting, I don't know. My mother was bothered by a flickering light overhead, but it seemed they couldn't switch it off without turning off the main lights. After we'd finished, we waited another unusually long time for our mains. Now, I do understand about food being cooked from fresh, and indeed the food was excellent - the vegetables deserving of special mention, tasting honey-roasted: but when my mother's dinner arrived, she found it too cold, as if it had been left for some time after cooking. She had to send it back to be heated.
Moral of the story - don't come here if you're in a hurry, they really mean what they say on the menu about leaving time for your meal! We'd have stayed for a dessert - they did sound good - but it took us so long to get our mains, and we were so worried about how much longer it would take to get served anything else, that we had to go without.
Right! Back to London tomorrow, and staying for my last couple of nights in a now very bare flat - with most of my stuff gone to the new place, I'm only staying there for convenience, as I'm headed to the Hammersmith Apollo to see Trevor Noah on Monday. With only standing tickets left officially, I bought my ticket from StubHub. On Tuesday, I'll move to Clapham permanently, and that night I'm off to the nearest cinema - Clapham Picturehouse (sadly not within walking distance, like before - this one, I have get a bus to: but it still works out cheaper!). And we'll see whether the new Star Wars film lives up to the hype! I decided to book - it was nearly sold out, and I'm lucky to be seeing it in 2D - 3D hurts my eyes. That's the only way I could have got a ticket at such short notice, probably.
And on Wednesday, I fly back to Ireland for Christmas..
To Nuala's again today, as has become usual for us, before I fly back to London. Not for much longer though - once Aer Lingus switches to its winter schedule, I won't have time, what with the earlier flights.
This is just a quick note to extol the virtue of a particular dish. I know not to get the pan-fried chicken, which is dry - but they did have a chicken pasta dish, which sounded good. Unfortunately, I mustn't have been the only one to think so, because it was sold out. So I took the plunge, and ordered the "cornflake encrusted" chicken, which came with a choice of pepper sauce or "Café de Paris" butter. Feeling adventurous, I went for the butter.
Well, I have never had such tender chicken there. The "cornflake" crust was softer than many a breadcrumb crust I've had, and the butter had a most curious taste - some blend of spices, but I couldn't determine what. Delish! Quite made up for the chips, which were underwhelming, and which I ate half of, and passed the rest on to the family at the next table, who looked hungry - it was a busy evening at Nuala's, and we'd had to wait some time for our food. But we were warned about that.
Sadly, what with the wait for the main course, we didn't have time for dessert. But we will be back..
Tomorrow, I'm, delighted to be going to The Fate We Bring Ourselves, a retelling of Greek legends, by the Crick Crack Storytelling Club Meetup group, in Soho Theatre. It's ages since I've been with them, and they're always good! And on Tuesday, I'm supposed to be (nominally) with Free London Events and Talks at the Scoop again. This time, it's Still Alice.. but I dunno, the weather forecast doesn't look good. Watch this space.
With my flight not leaving till evening, we had time to eat out, and headed to Teach uí Bhriain, as has become our habit on Sundays. Handily, there was a space in front, where we could park.. and that was when we noticed the name change! It's now Nuala's. And as you enter, a large stone plaque proclaims that it's been revamped, courtesy of Francis Brennan, who officially relaunched it last Monday.
The refurbishment now seems complete. I'd already noted the pale yellow paint, which brightens the interior - the reduction in clutter - the brighter upholstery - the new window frames - the removal of the booths in the restaurant, which opens up more space and makes the place lighter and brighter. To add to this, they have replaced the front door with one that includes a large glass panel - with the logo of Nuala's, which now appears everywhere: on the new window blinds, the menus, the bill heads. Good on them - everyone was remarking on the makeover, and may it do them well.
Today was a raucous one in Nuala's, with the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final showing on two screens in the bar - Galway ("The Tribesmen") vs Kilkenny ("The Cats"), and everyone there cheering for Galway. Well, it borders Clare, and in Tuamgraney you're not far from Galway. Galway were also the underdogs - Kilkenny always seems to win. I caught a bit of Up For the Match on television last night, and heard many Galway supporters dismissing the idea that it was an honour to be in the final. "No good to be there if not to win," was the general sentiment, and as the match got under way - it started shortly after we arrived - it became evident that the Galway players were giving it their all - it was a very even match.
Now, where I was sat was perfect to watch it, if I just leaned back and twisted to look to the left. So it became quite a distraction, during our late lunch. Well, I did just about manage to eat as well.. I ordered soup, which I've had here before and knew to be excellent, and - avoiding the dry panfried chicken - decided on the stuffed chicken in bacon. And at the last minute, remembered to order chips instead of their tasteless mash. My mother asked for, and got, the salmon, which is on the dinner menu rather than the lunch one, but now poached instead of baked.
The soup and brown bread were excellent. The stuffed chicken was definitely an improvement on the panfried one, although still a bit dry - and while the stuffing was delicious and the sauce very good, the bacon was dry and chewy. What the hey, it was decent, and my mother ate her salmon, despite probably wishing it were baked. Oh, and it seems someone finally remembered to flavour the mash.. Ice cream for dessert, and we were stuffed. Sadly, we had to leave before the end of the match (I later heard that Galway lost their vim in the second half, and the Cats - once again - got the cream).
And so back to London, for one day's work. On Tuesday, I'm off to Amsterdam, where U2 are playing that night and the next. (On Wednesday, news to be announced about gigs in Ireland, late November!) I fly back on Thursday, doubtless wanting nothing more than to sleep. On Friday, I'm off to see Much Ado About Nothing, at the Globe. (Now, that is worth dragging myself along to!) Lucky the proposed Tube strike was cancelled though, or it'd have been impossible. Anyway, I was too late to book with the Let's Do London - for less! Meetup group, who are going the same night: but I've arranged to meet them, to go to the pub after. For the show, I got a ticket in the "Gentlemen's Box"..
..and then the next day, I'm off to Amsterdam again, for two more U2 concerts (Saturday and Sunday). Now, to those who know me, this shouldn't be a surprise. I friggin' love this band, and Amsterdam is a great city to see them in! And yes, I got a good travel deal (Expedia), and you know, I've been to Amsterdam before, to see them, and seen pretty much enough of the place, so didn't want to stay the whole week. I fly back on Monday 14th, my U2-ing done.. for this month. ;-)
On the 15th, 16th, and 17th, I have Meetups.. For Tuesday 15th, I discovered there's a Hammersmith and Fulham Amnesty group, who that night have a talk entitled Undercover - the True Story of Britain's Secret Police. And I'm going. On Wednesday 16th, I'm (nominally) joining the London European Club, who are off to see John Doyle, at the Irish Centre. And on Thursday 17th, I'm (nominally) back with the Free London Events and Talks group, who are off to the Scoop, where they show free films in September. Weather-dependant. That day, it's Selma, which I haven't seen. And then it's back to Ireland yet again - I go every two weeks..
With my flight leaving quite late today, we had time for lunch out - and, for variety, we went to Teach uí Bhriain. We nearly got a space on the street outside, but were beaten to it - so carried on through to the rear car park, where we were lucky to get a space! Inside, we didn't quite get our regular table, but managed to get a seat at the one next to it.. when the owner came to take our order, she explained that yes, Sundays have been busy for the past month, but unusually the rush comes between 2 and 3, rather than later. We have been warned..
They had a special Sunday lunch menu, which included neither of the dishes we wanted. Mind you, she was happy to oblige with salmon for my mother when she asked. Now, I really should have done the same, and asked for curry - instead, I stuck to what was on offer, and ordered the pan-fried chicken, which came with a choice of sauces; when I asked, these turned out to be gravy, peppercorn sauce, and mushroom sauce. I know all their sauces are good - I chose peppercorn. And decided on soup to start. And when my mother complained about the flickering light over her head, those lights were soon turned off.
O my though, this was a very mixed meal. The soup was good, the wine was good, the bread was fine. The salmon was lovely, apparently, and the sauce on my chicken was as good as I had expected. And I got a lovely, large roast potato with it. It's just the chicken itself.. which was a bit dry, a bit chewy. And they still haven't learned to make mash, which tasted of cardboard. Note to self - avoid pan-fried chicken here, and order chips instead of mash in future. Asking for ice cream for dessert, I got an unimaginative three scoops of vanilla - but I was ok with it, as long as there was chocolate sauce. My mother had the mixed-berry cheesecake, which looked, and apparently tasted, delicious. We were fed - just a bit disappointingly. But our dog appreciated the left-over chicken.
Tomorrow, I'm finally going to see Memphis: the Musical, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And the next two days, I'm headed to the Guildford office - first for a meeting, then the Sports Day. Coincides nicely with the next Tube strikes, assuming the current talks don't help.. we're to find out for sure on Monday. On Thursday, I've booked a ticket to see the comedian Iliza Schlesinger at the Soho Theatre - she was sold out for Monday, so I said maybe I'd better. And on Friday, I'm headed to the Boat Show. Those should both be interesting to get to and from, if the strikes go ahead!
On Saturday, I'm back with the London Dramatic Arts group, for Oresteia at Trafalgar Studios - its West End transfer. (I see it's at the Globe as well - bummer, that'd have been good.) Next Sunday, I'm headed to the Scoop, for their double bill of classical plays. Technically, I'm accompanying the Free London Events and Talks group, but with 100 of us going, I doubt I'll be much bothered with actually meeting anyone. Unless I see someone I know.
I'm finishing off the month by going to the Proms, and on the 1st September I'm going to What's It All About? Bacharach, at the Menier Chocolate Factory. And I did even more booking today..
We actually thought of going to Flanagan's in Killaloe yesterday - my mother likes it, and it did turn out a lovely evening for the drive. We took the scenic route, down by the lake - gorgeous. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones with the same idea, and parking near the restaurant - which is by the water - was impossible. So we shortly decided to head back up the road to Teach uí Bhriain. (Actually, I prefer the food there anyway.)
Parking wasn't a problem - they have plenty of space round the back. We immediately noticed something different though.. an extension has been in progress for some time, and now they seem to have roofed it, and put some tables and chairs in there. Interesting! There was more to come - turns out they've been visited by the team from At Your Service, a tv programme where the Brennan brothers, who run the 5-star Park Hotel Kenmare, travel around the country to give advice to people running smaller hospitality businesses.
We chatted to one of the management, who explained that renovations are still in progress - but the change is already easy to see. We passed through the restaurant, where they've opened the space by removing all the booths. That section can also now cater for larger groups, with bench seating running along the wall. Anyway, we decided to head for our regular seat in a corner of the bar, where the change is equally dramatic; new, brighter upholstery and a new shade of pale yellow on the walls, with a white ceiling, effectively brighten up what was a very dark corner. Gone is the dark wood, and much of the memorabilia that cluttered the walls. They've only really done it over the last month, and many of the customers were remarking on the difference.
Thankfully, the food is as good as ever, and with hearty portions, we were well fed. I was glad to have a curry - they don't do it for the seated service in Quin, and I don't have it so often. We worked our way through a whole bottle of wine, given that they don't do small bottles here any more, and the full bottle is better value. Well, the dinner soaked it up.
Back to London tonight. Tomorrow, I'm headed to a play called The Gathered Leaves, in the Park theatre, starring Jane Asher. No official tickets left, but plenty of sites have tickets for the upper level, at £26 for a face value of £20. On Wednesday, I'm back at the Globe for The Heresy of Love, and on a special Time Out offer too! (since expired, sorry). And on Thursday, I'm with Let's Do London - for less! again, at the intriguingly titled Bears in Space, at the Soho Theatre..
Just back from a long weekend in Ireland. My mother would've loved to go to a show while I was there, but there wasn't anything on locally that would suit, so we confined ourselves to eating out instead, as usual.
The Abbey Tavern is kind of #1 for us in the area - friendly, great buzz, reliably good food. Mind you, beware long weekends - despite consistently terrible weather, it was packed to the gills both nights we were there! Have to hand it to them - they did their best for us, and on both occasions seated us pretty quickly. Indeed, on Saturday night, we were to be very impressed with speed of seating and service; despite not being seated until after 6, we had eaten two courses by 6.40 and were dashing out the door to Mass, ten minutes' drive away. The following night, we relaxed and had dessert too - but were excellently fed on both occasions. (Special mention for the delicious lamb on Sunday.) And the craic was mighty. As they say.
Last night, for variety, we went to Teach uí Bhriain. Much quieter, but then the weekend was winding down. I love their curry - they have a Korma, but also a "chicken curry", which is what I would associate with takeaway curries when I was little - too little to have one, but envious at the gorgeous smell. So I usually have that when I come here - it's hard to get now. Enormous portions, as usual - the people at the table beside us ordered a half portion, and were amazed at how much food they got! And when we ordered two glasses of pinot grigio, we were helpfully told that for €1.50 more, we could have the whole bottle - and take home what we didn't finish. So we decadently did! Pity they don't do quarter bottles here anymore though.. And after three courses, we waddled home, suitably stuffed.
After a horrendous landing in London, in high winds, I'm now safely ensconced at home. Tomorrow, I was supposed to meet the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, a Meetup group I've just joined. They have this evening, something to do with conmen in storytelling. So I joined the group, and signed up for the meeting. And completely forgot I had to buy a ticket!! They're now sold out. So instead, I'll head along again to the not-so-secret Top Secret Comedy Club. I'll just head to the free, starter show with Russell Hicks - that was all I enjoyed the last time, what with an annoying mc and indifferent comics. And tomorrow night's headliner is Imram Yusuf, whom I'm not keen on..
On a sunny evening, and with my stay in Ireland coming near the end, we decided to go for a drive this evening, and eat at Teach uí Bhriain, an eatery I know to be quite good. This evening, there was no parking directly outside, and I had to park a couple of spaces up. Now, I don't know whose bright idea it was to raise the pavement here, but they have - which means the car door on the pavement side scrapes off it when opened. So I had to let my mother out before I backed into the space.
Anyway, when we did make it inside, our regular corner spot was there. When I spied the long list of specials, I knew straight away what to have - specials they may be, but they're fairly consistent. I love the curry here, so I had that - but with chips: I'm not always sure what kind of rice I'll get, and chips are fine by me. My mother, of course, ordered salmon - sauce on the side. We're not mad about the starters, and anyway the portions are huge. We ordered a side of mushrooms instead.
Wine came first - in glasses that weren't the equivalent of quarter bottles, unexpectedly! I must remember to ask for quarter bottles specifically, in future. The curry came with a pleasantly dark and thick sauce, chips separate. Unfortunately, my mother's sauce wasn't separate, as requested. Never mind - she didn't complain. Much. We did enjoy our dinners, although her mash, it seems, is as tasteless as I'm used to. Well, the curry was delicious, as ever. I don't know whether the mushrooms were a good idea, though - they don't really go well with curry! We managed to finish, and even had room for a couple of portions of good ice cream for dessert.
Rumour has it that Francis Brennan has been to look the place over, or is scheduled to do so. He runs the five-star Park Hotel in Kenmare with his brother, and also has a tv programme - At Your Service - in which he attempts to improve tourist-type businesses. His brother was also involved in that, but seems to have got out of it. Well, the mind boggles! What changes might we find when we go there in future..?
Plans for the next several days unchanged - back to London on Sunday, After Electra in the Tricycle on Monday, a talk on Palestinian cinema, courtesy of the Film Nite Meetup group, at Soho House on Tuesday, and a walk in the City on Wednesday with the Central London Outdoor Group.
We decided to go to Teach uí Bhriain tonight, for a change. I wondered what kind of service we'd get on New Year's Eve - well, I found out..
We arrived early enough to find easy parking. Unfortunately, the waiting staff of two were asleep on their feet. We never had a menu brought to us, and picked up a menu from a side table - which turned out to be the lunch menu. Well, close enough. They do good garlic mushrooms here as a starter, so we ordered those, followed by southern fried chicken strips for me and salmon for my mother, as usual.
We were brought a basket of bread. I don't think much to their brown bread, but did have a couple of pieces of white. Buttering it was a bit trying, mind, given that we hadn't been brought any side plates. She did finally realise this, when she plonked down my starter on top of my knife and fork, displacing both them and the empty butter wrapper. "Oh, do you want an extra plate?" "Yes, please." And she brought a side plate, from just around the corner.
Now, we were to share the starter, but my mother still didn't have a plate, and asked for one, next time the server was passing. After several minutes, she brought a full-size plate - my mother explained that she'd wanted a small plate. It was so long in coming that I took myself around the corner to where the cutlery and side plates are stored, beside the bar, and got her a side plate. After several more minutes, the other server returned with the same full-size plate, saying that there were no more small plates left in the kitchen. O good grief. As I explained to her, it's all right - I got one from just around the corner.
Fortunately, the owner arrived not long after, and the speed and quality of service mysteriously improved. The fire was also lit - maybe he hogs all the firelighters, I dunno. The meal was ok, although the chicken strips, while well cooked and plentiful, and coated in breadcrumbs, were not southern fried, as promised. Neither do I like their mash - after a mouthful to confirm it was tasteless, I left it.
Naturally, we weren't given a dessert menu, but after we got one from the side table, they were quick to take our order, and quick to deliver it. And both were good. I've had better service here before - avoid on occasions like New Year's Eve, I think.
And so we edge ever closer to my return to London on Sunday, and my trip to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on Monday to see Winter's Tales, a candlelit reading of the short stories of Daphne du Maurier, including The Birds, on which the Hitchcock film was based. Can't wait!
..and much preparation and celebration was underway.
So, the long-awaited company Christmas party rolled around again last Thursday - same venue as last year, but thankfully a different bus company (see the post from about a year ago). The theme this year was 1989, since that was the year the company was founded, which makes this its 25th anniversary and worth celebrating. As usual, this theme was interpreted in various ways - some photos here.
Undisputed winners of the team award were the A-Team of our office, with Milan as Hannibal: Martin as Mad Dog Murdock - no comment ;-): Aaron as Face: and a highly committed Jack as BA, complete with Mohican, specially for the occasion. Aside from the attention to detail of the costumes, complete with pop-machine guns, what really did it for them was the inclusion of the A-Team van (visible in a couple of the photos as they extract themselves from it). I did wonder what was keeping them, as the rest of us had come in from the bus long before. Eventually, all was revealed, as they made a grand entrance, lights blazing, horn tooting.
Now, the interesting thing at these shindigs is always that they aren't officially fancy dress - we just interpret it that way. So as they made their careful way in, attempting to not run anyone over, the people moving aside for them were rather stunned-looking people in evening dress. As the night wore on, they switched from unease to curiosity, and some brave souls ventured over to ask us what the **** we were doing. Ah, they were jealous really..
As for the other costumes - we had several Simpsons characters, Indiana Jones, Batman and the Joker, several videogame characters, and some representation of the French Revolution (1989 being the 200th anniversary). For myself, my most striking accessory was a flashing fedora, which was the devil to (a) get and (b) get working. What with customs trouble (importing from the States), a dreadful experience with the courier company (ParcelForce, whom I'll never use again), and a faulty battery pack, I began to believe the thing was cursed. But it got plenty of compliments, so never mind.
So, we did get there safely this year, as I mentioned - although the full-size coach was sadly underfilled, with only 15 coming from the London office. Same venue as before - the Conservatory at Painshill. So we knew our way in, and this year they had a special parking place for coaches, it seemed, just at the end of the driveway leading into the venue. The venue itself - a marquee - was decked out as a ski lodge this year. So that meant ski-lodge type decorations in the reception area, and I think they had the same decor as last year for the dining area - last year was the "Snow Ball", so they could keep it quite similar.
The bar was completely free this time, which was nice - but although there was a champagne reception, there seemed to be less of it later in the evening than there was last year. Thankfully, I preferred the wine this year, so that wasn't such a hardship for me. Why I preferred the wine this year I'm not sure, since I'm sure it was the same brand. Hey-ho, maybe last year I just got a bad bottle. The dinner menu, BTW, was exactly the same as last year, and fine for me - although the person beside me, who had to have the gluten-free option, wasn't so impressed. Afterwards, there was dancing - some nifty movers from our company again - and they had hot chocolate this year, which made a welcome change from alcohol for a while. Other entertainments included snow cones, a photo booth, and casino-style gambling - although I didn't fancy that, after having someone pilfer my chips last year. Hmph.
A good night was had by all, and by the time we left, the strong wind that had been billowing the roof all night had died down. And the bus dropped me within walking distance of home - fortunately, it was a mild night.
So, I groggily flew back to Ireland on Friday, to be greeted by a huge crowd at arrivals, who weren't waiting for me, but rather for all those people on the flight, most with English accents, who were coming for Christmas with their Irish relatives. Home-made banners abounded, and there was a real queue of traffic trying to get out of the car park.
Yesterday, thinking of dinner, we heard they'd been asking after us in Teach uí Bhriain, where we hadn't been for a while - so we decided to try there again. Although the owners, who'd been asking for us, weren't there, we were ably served and found our surroundings much unchanged. The menu hasn't changed either, but the food definitely has, and is now of much better quality. Still, I did like the old version of mushroom sauce, and found the present recipe quite bland. Otherwise, we were well fed.
Tonight though, we reverted to the Abbey Tavern, which we found buzzing and crammed - everyone was out, the last weekend before Christmas, I guess! There was more of an atmosphere here, with the restaurant full of families and the bar full of people watching some match or other, which provoked great excitement on occasion. We managed to get a table straight away, and promptly had our order taken. And then one of the servers murmered to us that it was on the house! As a Christmas present, and with us being regulars. An excellent meal it was, and we had a rather good cheesecake for dessert. The boss's little girl was dashing about trying to help, and had the goodness to ask us whether our meal was ok. Lovely to see them doing so well there, they deserve it.
Next planned meal out is Christmas lunch in the Oakwood Arms. Not sure whether we'll be out much in the meantime - apart from shopping!
Today was the only day, sadly, that we could get to the Clare Drama Festival, held every Easter in my old school, Scarriff Community College. We make a point of going every year, but, well, this has been a busy year.. So anyway, we welcomed the chance to go tonight.
We decided, as usual, to eat in Teach Uí Bhriain Eating House, down the road in Tuamgraney. The food is good, and reasonably priced, the service friendly, and the atmosphere cosy. There is a proper restaurant off the bar, but we prefer to eat at a table in the bar proper, if there's space. It's got a better atmosphere, you're mixing with the locals, there's a real fire roaring at one end. And you can watch the television, if you want. Tonight, our regular corner was free, and we sat there. Where we could watch the actors come to eat - this establishment is listed as one of the festival sponsors, and I think it takes the form of a free meal for the performers, because you always see them in here beforehand.
As we explained to the boss, Nuala, the only reason we're not there more often is because I'm away now. Anyway, my mother ordered darne of salmon, as usual, and I decided to go for the chicken korma, which I know is delicious here. And garlic bread to start. Their garlic bread is always a matter of curiosity - it takes so many forms. Tonight, it took the form of very thick toasted triangles, smeared with garlic butter. Yum.. my mother proclaimed the salmon to be exceptionally good, and my korma was, indeed, delicious. The only problem was the portion size - I really regretted having to leave some of my chicken, but there was so much! Make sure you're very hungry, coming here.. We skipped dessert.
We were very early, and did a small shop in Niland's service station, which lies between the pub and the school - mainly to pass the time. We considered having an ice cream at the small cafe at the back of the store, but were still too full after dinner. And then we headed to the school, where ours was the second car to arrive in the car park to the left of the gate, in front of the gym, where the festival is held. Which, of course, led to much debate about where to put the car and which direction to point it in - we've had trouble getting out of here before, on busy nights. And once that was settled, we had a long wait for the doors to open. Well, we had a car to sit in, and could listen to the radio.
The play tonight was 13, Rue de l' Amour - a farce, set in Paris in the 1890s. Not being a popularly known play, and not performed by a local group - this festival is open to, and attended by, groups from all over Ireland - we didn't expect a massive crowd, and we were proved right. We kept a careful eye on the door, and only moved when people started going in - it's very cold out tonight. And after some discussion on where to sit, we chose seats on the right, centre of the row, after my mother being so sick of having to keep getting up and down for people when she was sitting on the aisle, the night before.
I didn't see many people I know. There was my old commerce teacher, whose husband is involved with the festival administration, so she always comes. She looked a bit haggard - my mother said she thought she'd been ill. And there was an old classmate of mine, who, last I heard, was a nurse in Limerick - but we were never that close, and I didn't bother making my way over to her. My mother, however, was in her element, finding a couple of old friends to chat to, one of whom she was surprised to learn is into drama in a big way, and attends a lot of these things. He sat with us for the evening. It was also nice for her that the tea/coffee service was ready right from the start, instead of her having to wait for the interval.. and for €2, you can have a cup of either, with as many biscuits - of assorted varieties - as you can carry without feeling guilty. So she had tea and a Rich Tea biscuit, and I had a selection of chocolate biscuits..
You can't miss when something is about to happen. They don't have a dimmer switch, so they just cut out the main lights completely for a few seconds, twice. So you're plunged into near-complete darkness. And for the introduction, they have to turn off the heating so the man in the bow tie can be heard. But by that stage, it's warmed up nicely. We had a couple of large-headed men in front of us, but we managed, and they moved slightly for the second half, leaving a gap for us to see by. We were very impressed with the ornate set, designed to represent a middle-class drawing room.
The play itself has several characters - the philandering husband, who reminded me of the husband of a friend of mine. (Not to cast aspersions on his character!) His wife, who, I thought, stole the show, as the gorgeously costumed wronged wife, who sets out to wreak revenge. Mind you, the adjudicator afterwards had some comments about her costumes, which didn't quite skim the ground, which wouldn't have been appropriate for the period. The doctor, who's besotted with her. The nephew, a young man-about-town. I thought his broad country accent sounded funny for a young debonair Parisian, but never mind. The maid. The friend of the philanderer, who's being used as an alibi, but he doesn't know it. The concierge of the apartment building at 13 Rue de l' Amour, where everyone goes to conduct their trysts. The police inspector, played, in this instance, by the play director. And some extras playing gendarmes.
The play started off feeling a bit stilted - the adjudicator later remarked that this was a fault of the play, rather than the performers. But it soon became apparent that at least some of the performers really knew their stuff. And one of the most enjoyable aspects of the play was the stage design - they had to depict two scenes, and used the same basic set for each, with alternative decorations hidden behind panels, and revealed when appropriate. And two panels that swivelled entirely, to reveal completely different furniture. These, as well as a writing desk that turned into a sofa, earned the company a round of applause when they demonstrated them while doing the first scene change, fully lit so the crowd could see what was happening. Much appreciated!
We bought some raffle tickets at the interval, which ended up not being winners, but which I filled our names out on and dropped in the box for the final night draw. Which, sadly, we won't be there for - but they also have our contact details. And the second half of the show gleaned far more laughs than the first, with some clever plot twists. A nice feature of attending shows in a festival like this is that there's adjudication after every performance, and we hung around tonight for that. The judge's credentials, listed in the programme, were impeccable, although, while I agreed with most of what he said, I did think the way he expressed himself was a bit technical for a non-professional audience. His comments, mind you, were well heeded by someone - for the duration of his address, a door to the side was held open by a tantalizing arm, belonging to someone whose face could not be seen..
It's a pity we won't get to any more, but it finishes at the weekend, and we're heading to Limerick for the next two nights - we have booked for A Skull in Connemara in the University Concert Hall tomorrow night, and Noye's Fludde, by Britten, in St Mary's Cathedral on Saturday.
