Film: The Martian

Ah, finally, finally, I got to see The Martian! Good gracious me, such trouble I had when I wanted to see it during the week, what with cinemas all showing it too early or too late. It's a long film, and nowhere could I see it, if I had to be at work both that day and the next. However, I had great hopes for yesterday, being the weekend.. and sure enough, not only was my local cinema showing it at a time I could manage, but one I could have managed during the week, even! Grr..

As usual with Vue, I got a cheap ticket with Yplan. Delighted to see they're now emailing the tickets, for the benefit of those of us who can't get the app on our phones. Much easier to print. There was only one showing, at 7:50, finishing at 10:30 - which just suited nicely. So again, I ate at home, and headed out in the evening. I could see it was foggy, as it had been all day - boy though, was it cold!! Yes, it is November.. I'll have to dress a bit warmer from now on.

With Yplan, you can't book your seat in advance - the ticket is subject to availability at the cinema. As I was choosing my seat, the seats were being booked before I could choose one! Selling fast, as I remarked to the person at the till.. so I ended up in a seat by the wall, with a slightly side-on view. But it was fine.

Plenty of action-adventure trailers, including one for the new Star Wars film - I hadn't seen that trailer before. The music did bring back memories.. Before the main feature started, the screen went black, and a deep voice said, "HELLO!". It's a new anti-phone ad - the narrator goes on to point out how striking a dark screen is, and how distracting a mobile phone screen can be. Well said - we'll see whether it has an effect, though.

The Martian - based on a book - has a stellar cast. Directed by Ridley Scott, so you know you're in for a good time! As I'm sure you're aware, Matt Damon plays an astronaut who's left for dead on a Mars mission, when a storm hits. Jessica Chastain, his mission commander, is devastated at leaving him behind, and takes personal responsibility. (Nothing romantic there - she has the hunky Jonathan Aris waiting - patiently - for her at home.)

Kristen Wiig plays the head of NASA PR - with a difficult job, first to explain to the public that an astronaut has been killed, then that he's still alive, and what's being done to save him. Her job isn't made any easier by the eminently political Jeff Daniels, director of NASA, who has sympathy for the astronauts, but has other considerations that they'll never be party to. Michael Pena and Sebastian Stan also show up as members of Matt Damon's team. Now, we're briefly given people's job titles at the start, but they're hard to remember - I had to look up Sean Bean's title of flight director! So he has personal authority over the astronauts. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Vincent Kapoor, head of Mars operations at NASA. This character was originally written as "Venkat Kapoor", and supposed to be Indian.. Benedict Wong is the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) director.

Crikey. That's a lot of famous people. And the director has a lot for them to do.. this is a long film, as previously mentioned, because so much happens in it. First, you have a terrible storm - apparently fatal. Then you see how Matt Damon survives. Then - having had a lovely funeral for him - NASA discovers that he's alive! which is great, but creates, among other things, a PR nightmare.. Then they have to figure out how to get him back. O me o my, they go through a lot.

Any good? You betcha! Mars, I must say, looks stunning - filmed in Wadi Rum (avoiding any vegetation). The special effects are amazing. The contrast is marked between overcrowded Planet Earth and the isolation of Mars - and of space. Speaking of which.. shades of Gravity near the end, with its vertigo-inducing spinning - I had to watch behind my hand, thinking, oh no, not after everything else! Don't put us through this too..

Basically, this is high entertainment. It's edge-of-the-seat exciting, it's consistently funny - particularly Matt Damon's video diaries - and by the way, geeks will love it. They are the absolute heroes of the film! And the film pays them due homage. Really, if you have any interest in science of any form, you need to see this. The science is mostly accurate, following consultations with NASA - although they do concede that the ferocity of the storm had to be exaggerated - winds on Mars don't get that strong. Also, it apparently only takes half as long to get there as depicted in the film. Well, all in the interests of dramatic tension. Oh, and I love the soundtrack - including the music library that Jessica Chastain leaves behind, and Matt Damon keeps complaining about.

On my foggy way home, there was an interesting encounter with a black cat. Not my encounter - I was just a witness. So, I was walking along the road, and saw a large black cat sat right in the middle of it. Heard a car coming - o dear, the cat showed no sign of moving! As the car approached, the cat just turned around and glared at it..! Fortunately, the car stopped.. cat glared.. I didn't see what happened, but the car eventually moved on. No sign of cat. Imagine - the night after Hallowe'en, dense fog, and a large black cat sat in the middle of the road, glaring at you. Hope the driver wasn't too spooked!

By the time I got home, it was already past 11 - too late to blog. Anyhoo, back to U2 tonight, and tomorrow. The boss & his wife are coming too - assuming he doesn't have issues; I got a mysterious text from him saying there's a small chance he might not make it. Flu, perhaps? We'll see. Tomorrow, I have a flat viewing before the concert - timing should be ok. And on Wednesday, the London European Club is organising a trip to the Frontline Club, for a discussion on the Dayton agreement, 20 years on. Which sounds interesting, so I booked.

Film: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Film it was tonight, and one of the more interesting stories of what was chosen. Working from my list of IMDB ratings, the highest was - rather surprisingly, but indisputably, Absolutely Anything (at 8.6), a Simon Pegg comedy in which he's given supernatural powers by the Monty Python crew, and uses them to seduce Kate Beckinsale and make his dog (Robin Williams) talk.

I thought it was too good to be true. Sure enough, the rating fell from 8.6 yesterday morning, to 8.2 yesterday evening, to 8 this morning. By the time it had reached 7.3 this evening, it had been surpassed (it's at 7 at time of writing). Something of a meteoric descent, then. Which left The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The Yplan ticket I'd bought (they have a cheap ticket deal for Vue) was good for any film, and good at my local cinema, which was handier than Shepherd's Bush, where I'd have had to see the other. Especially handy on a grey and drizzly evening.

I got the Tube down there - I could walk home afterwards, but it would've been a trek from the office. Queued for a bit, got my ticket, and arrived in the screen just after the trailers had started. Lots of spy/thriller type trailers - including, oddly, one for the very film we were seeing! I wasn't surprised to hear someone near me ask his companion - this is the one we've come to see, right?

Yes, it was. Co-written and directed by Guy Ritchie, it stars Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo, the old Robert Vaughn role. Mind you, both he and his co-star, playing Ilya Kuryakin, are much better looking than the original actors. Also stars Alicia Vikander, as watchable as ever, and Hugh Grant. But I can't tell you who their characters are, for fear of giving the plot away.

Oh my goodness, it's very good! Guy Ritchie has set a spy film in the early 60s. And, not that I would wish a return to the Cold War - but it did make for some fantastic thrillers. Sexy, sinister - complicated backstory, great costumes, terrific scenery. Stylish, pacy, sassy. I loved it. Henry Cavill attempting the old Napoleon Solo accent grates at first, but becomes more natural. And Ilya is much less robotic in this than in the original. I do believe I remember one of the scenes from the original series. Oh yes, go see.. and I look forward to the inevitable sequel.

Inspired by the setting of most of the film in Rome, I fancied something Italian for dinner. Specifically, I would've liked chicken in a creamy sauce. Unfortunately, the nearby supermarket was Sainsbury's, and their woeful selection provided neither a decent ready meal, nor any kind of bottled Italian sauce at all! I picked up some garlic bread and chicken kiev..

Tomorrow, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! for Pop-Up Opera's Carmen (in English), again at the Soho Theatre. On Sunday, I'm with Walk About London for a walk based on the Magna Carta - weather permitting. On Monday, the organiser of Film Nite informed us that his old drama teacher had written a play - Frank Sent Me - that's performing at the King's Head. Actually, he wrote two, and this chap was at the other last Monday, but I flew back that day and couldn't make that. Some of us are going to this.

On Tuesday, I'm headed to a play set in Sheffield during the Blitz. Operation Crucible is showing in the Finborough, nice and close to me. On Wednesday, I'm with Let's Do London - for less! yet again, when they're off to the Globe to see As You Like It. Next Thursday, I'm off to the Spiegeltent - on my own - to see House of Burlesque. Time Out offer. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, and we're headed to the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, at the University Concert Hall.

The following Monday, 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..

Film: Jurassic World

I decided I'd go to the cinema today - and what came top of the list (at last!) but Jurassic World. Delighted at that - I did love Jurassic Park, and do love when a mainstream film climbs to the top of the list (in terms of IMDB ratings). And given that I developed a throat infection over the last couple of days, and spent all last night waking to blow my nose - I was really glad that it was showing at my local cinema, at a convenient time - not too early, not too late - and I could walk. At my own pace.

So I set off, at the tail end of a gloriously sunny afternoon, and strolled down to the cinema. Where I explained to the nice man that I had a Yplan ticket (they have a deal all summer - it's cheaper than the box office) but gee, it doesn't work on my phone, so I have to print it out! So you have a choice - here's the enormous barcode (I have seen it work if they back right up to the wall) or there's a reference code you can type in. He typed.

I chose a seat near-ish the front, with an aisle in front to stretch my legs. And then moved over anyway, so as not to be right in front of people. It was fine. Trailers were of the sci-fi kind, and included one for Pixels, where the aliens attack us by means of videogame characters. As in - oh no! Pacman is coming.. (I love Pacman. :-) ) Adam Sandler is one of the videogame geeks recruited to save the world. A better bet is probably The Martian, where Matt Damon plays an astronaut left for dead after a storm on Mars during which his fellow colonists were evacuated - directed by Ridley Scott, also stars Jessica Chastain. Looks good.

And so to the dinosaurs. Someone remarked - just yesterday, in fact - that he loved Jurassic Park when he was small. And he isn't so small now! NO! It doesn't matter! No matter big or small, no matter the age, I defy you not to jump when something bigger than a T-Rex smashes its clawed foot through the ceiling of where our hapless heroes are huddling. (Brief plot symposis: Jurassic Park has been re-envisioned larger, with ever bigger creatures. And their latest, biggest creation - which turns out to be unexpectedly intelligent - gets out and goes on a killing spree.)

Ah, it's great stuff! 2D or 3D, when these fanged, scaly beasts start chasing the people down, you'll jump. Very interesting conclusion to the drama, also. Reminded me of Godzilla, that other excellent recent monster movie. I loved it - just glad it was still showing.

I shopped in Sainsbury's, not wanting to inflict my sneezing on a restaurant crowd. Anyway, I had a ton of Nectar points, and got my shopping practically for free (it's all the surveys I do for them). Tomorrow, I had it in mind to do a walk.. I still might, but honestly, I'm not sure I'll be up to it. For Monday, I've booked a cheap ticket to a performance of a reimagined Jekyll and Hyde, in St. Martin's College. Assuming I can beat this flu!

Film: Mr. Holmes

With everything else I had to do this week, it took days to go through the list of films showing, check their ratings (and whether I could see them cheaper online), and list them in my spreadsheet. It was a relief to get it done in time for yesterday evening! Top of the list for yesterday was The Look of Silence, which I passed on for Wednesday because of the hardship of trekking across town to see it, what with the terrible heat. Well, it was showing closer to home last night - and the weather was cooler anyway - but the problem was, it was only on quite late, and while that normally wouldn't be a problem on a Friday night.. I had to get up early this morning in case the washing machine guy came early!

Mind you, I was quite happy with what came next on the list. Mr. Holmes was rated much higher when it initially opened, and has dropped a bit, but there still wasn't anything else ahead of it for last night. It's been out a little while now, and there isn't quite as much choice of places to see it - but the closest was the Odeon Kensington, at 5.50, and I decided to go there. But then I got caught up at work, didn't get finished until after 6, and the 20-minute walk from the office to the cinema meant that showing wasn't feasible. It didn't have a later showing there, so I checked, and found that it was showing in the Vue Shepherd's Bush at 6.45. Perfect!

I actually had my computer shut off when I remembered that Yplan sells discounted Vue tickets (the offer ends on the 7th, as I recall). Debated whether it was worth waiting for it to reboot, decided it was, and duly logged on, purchased a ticket, and after a short but anxious wait, printed out the reference code and barcode to show at the cinema. You're really supposed to have it on your phone, but the app isn't compatible with mine - my phone is probably considered too old. Anyhoo, it printed decently, and off I went to walk to this cinema instead, in brilliant sunshine. It was slightly longer walk, but I'd get the Overground back home.

It's been a little while, but I remembered the way, and the walk was pleasant enough, apart from the distressed-looking lady who asked whether I'd any cash, as someone had just taken her bag. Sorry ma'am, I've heard of that scam before - someone in the office saw a woman trying the same thing, then saw her on the same street the next day, pleading the same problem. She actually called her on it. And before that, I fell victim to the same thing myself, when I fell for a sob story and gave someone some cash, which she promised to pay back into my Paypal account. Needless to say, months later, I'm still waiting for that. I'm not holding my breath.

I got to the cinema just in time, and after a short queue, was able to present my printed pages to the guy at the till, complete with explanation. (I always print both the barcode, which they're supposed to scan, and the reference number, because the barcode prints too big, and they don't always like to try to scan it.) The code scanned this time, I dumped the printed pages on him, and went to the screen - as usual, I didn't like the seat I'd chosen once I saw it, and sat in the one behind, willing no-one else to have selected it so I'd have to move. They hadn't, it seemed, and I didn't.

After several trailers for films that look rather good (the summer is looking up!), the feature started. Now, this Holmes tale, starring Sir Ian McKellen, deals with the detective in old age, reminiscing about his last case - which was his last because he didn't solve it, so he quit. He now spends his time tending his bees at his house in the country, cared for by his housekeeper, Laura Linney. He becomes close to her son, who encourages him to continue the story he's writing about this last case.. and over the course of the film, flashbacks tell us what happened in it.

It's a beautiful film. It's no wonder the man was knighted - he's a wonderful actor, and a joy to watch. His role changes between his doddery, forgetful, older self, and the still old, but sprightlier, younger and more dapper version of himself, in top hat and tails rather than the scruffy cardigans and pyjamas of his later years. The change is obvious, but perfectly seamless - indeed, you can see how the younger version melded into the older. Yes, by the way, top hat and tails - much of the film deals with the legend of Sherlock Holmes, and according to this version of the character, he never actually wore a deerstalker - that was a figment of Watson's imagination (who, of course, is supposed to have written the tales). Oh, and he used to smoke a pipe, until he became famous for it, and switched to cigars. And the address was faked, for privacy - too many American tourists wanted to visit! ;-) His actual offices were across the road.

There's very little actual detective work in this - it's more the great man coming to the end of his life, and musing that although he understood human actions, he never really understood human nature, and now he finds himself quite lonely. But the film is an absolute delight, and I loved it! Recommended.

On the way out, conscious that I didn't have time for a large meal before bed, I popped into Morrison's, just below the cinema, and bought a chicken roll. Very tasty, and also recommended! Too late to blog last night, of course. And here I am today, and as yet, there's no sign of the washing machine guy, nor any word when he might be coming. So I still don't know what I'm doing today. But at least tomorrow I'm meeting the London For Less! group for the Pop-Up Opera's production of "L' Italiana in Algeri". Despite the best efforts of Meetup, apparently, to hide all mention of the group..! I have reported the issue.

Film: Insidious: Chapter 3

Now, there are many people who know me, who would say that this was a foregone conclusion. But to be fair, I did give it a fair bit of consideration. Seriously!

For a start, I was up too late to avail of most of the things happening today. That Meetup group I applied for membership of - Free London Events and Talks - did confirm my membership this morning (while I was still asleep), but I still wouldn't have been out in time to go on their tour of "fire, pestilence and plague". Which was a pity, because I would've been interested.

That brought me to films - top of the list was Terminus, showing as part of the SciFi festival in Stratford East Picturehouse. But I wouldn't have been in time for the only showing of that, either! So I made my way down my film list, and came to Jurassic World. Fair enough, I said - and it was listed for my local Vue cinema.

Now, last time I went to the Vue, I got a deal with Yplan. I also remembered getting a £5 discount code from them recently - I checked, and it was only valid for 36 hours, but I'd only got it yesterday, so it was fine. I made a note of it - LIVEYOURCITY16 - and booked my ticket. I was not expecting to go through the whole booking process without a chance to enter the discount code! which is exactly what happened.

Oh well, it was still better than buying from the cinema. I now had my ticket - I suddenly thought to check the film times. Aw no! Turns out Jurassic World isn't showing until Thursday, when it's previewing. Well, now I had my ticket, so was pretty constrained to go to the Vue.. and of course, thoughts of Insidious flashed through my head. I knew it was pretty highly rated, at least.

Higher than that was Spy, though - but I've seen the trailer, and read a review, and neither led me to believe it was very good. So that got removed from my list. Then I was down to the 7.4s (ratings out of 10 on IMDB), where Insidious vied with Danny Collins. Until today, that is, when Insidious started to drop. Nooo!!! And today was the only day I could see Danny Collins in my local cinema. But I checked, and if I want to see it, it's in the Vue Westfield a couple of evenings this week. So I could avoid it in good conscience. And so I took an executive decision to see Insidious, which after all I had expected to see at the same rating as before.

Having sorted that - and battled with my computer to get the ticket printed, because of course the Yplan app doesn't work on my phone - I had just enough time to complain to Yplan. So I fired off an email asking how I was supposed to redeem the code, if I wasn't given the option? An email exchange followed, which did nothing to dispel my belief that people in helpcentres have to take a stupidity test. It's good enough to reproduce:

Me: How am I supposed to redeem this? I just booked something, but didn't see anywhere to enter the code!

Them: You're supposed to upload the credit on to your app before you make a booking. Go to the profile section and then to "My Reward". Hit the "Redeem A Code" button and then type the code into that section.

Let me know if you need anymore help.

Me: Thanks for nothing! You should have made that clear. This is the second time I've used Yplan, and the second time I've had trouble with it. I won't be using that code now, whereas I could have.

Them: Sorry you feel this way. I was just letting you know how the system works. What were you trying to book? Maybe I can help you out....

Me: Yes, you did let me know how the system works - AFTER I needed to know!

I wasn't "trying" to book anything - if you read my first email properly, you'd see that I DID book - a ticket for the Vue tonight. Like any normal discount code, I was expecting to see an option to enter it at time of booking. I didn't, of course. And now the ticket is booked, and I can't use the code.

Them: So - how about I cancel the booking and then you upload the credit and then you rebook?

Me: Too late - I'm on my way to the cinema. And I'm not changing my plans

Them: I'm not asking you to change your plans. I was asking you if I could refund the booking so you can do it again, so I can put right what went wrong in the first place. I am here at customer support and I am supposed to help rectify situations like this.

Me: Your app doesn't work with my phone, so I have to print out the tickets. And I've already left the house, so that's not an option

Them: I am sorry about this  

I'll get the technical team to look in to this. I will respond shortly.

Nearly four hours ago, that was. And what were they going to get the technical team to look into? This isn't what I was complaining about at all! (bangs head against wall..)

Well, anyway, I headed off to the cinema - a lovely warm afternoon it was, but I took my coat because the evenings are cold. I presented the girl at the till with the enormous code I'd printed out, and reassured her that it worked for the last guy, who just kept backing away from the scanner till it beeped. She, however, preferred to type in the reference code - so I was glad I'd printed out both (they come on separate pages, which would doubtless be handy for a phone display).

Trailers included one for Jurassic World, which does look good. And then the film started. Now, this is the third in the Insidious series, which concerns evil entities from a plane called the Further, who feed off the souls of the living. Pretty much purely psychological horror this, not a smidgeon of blood or gore. I unashamedly love the series - it taps into a strain of horror that I find particularly affecting.

And it is TERRIFIC! Best of the series so far, beyond doubt. There's less of the silliness that marred the first one in particular. As the Standard review pointed out, it has a lot more of the psychic, Elise, in it, and is all the better for it. Also notable for her acting talents is the young victim, Stefanie Scott. Specs and Tucker make an appearance, and we learn how they came to know Elise. Discussion of Dermot Mulroney, playing Stefanie Scott's father, is probably best avoided.

Horror aficionados such as myself will appreciate the subtle touches to this film - although there are plenty of jump scares, it's much more polished than the previous ones. And although several of the scares are revealed in the trailers, there's enough to keep you on edge - indeed, knowing what's coming sometimes makes you more apprehensive. The logic of some of the effects is maybe a bit screwed - but they're none the less frightening. Recommended, to all fans of psychological horror. I'm delighted I got to see it!

After the film, and after using the slightly whiffy toilets, I headed for food. Now, one scene takes place in a Chinese restaurant, and I said to myself, "ooh, Chinese.." There used to be a Chinese buffet just down the hall from the cinema, but I see it's been replaced now. So I headed downstairs - but Sainsbury's had closed early! So the only thing for it was Taiwan Village. Blessedly, for once they weren't busy - in fact, I was the only customer! The owner explained to me how I was lucky, and how busy it had been earlier. And after a delicious meal, she regaled me with stories of her recent holiday in Malta..

Tomorrow, there's virtually nothing happening on Meetup, so I'm heading to another film - and this time, maybe I will get to We Are Many!

Film: The Age of Adaline

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was supposed to be going to a talk tonight, on Ghostly Manifestations in London. It was to be hosted by the Seriously Strange Meetup group, and I'd been looking forward to it for ages.. then it got cancelled, late last night. No idea why - we were not contacted, I just found out by chance when I checked the Meetup page and saw it wasn't there anymore. I contacted the person listed as organiser, who told me she wasn't the organiser any more, has left ASSAP, of which Seriously Strange is a part, and had nothing to do with the cancellation.

It was still listed on the site of ASSAP earlier today - it's gone now, and they've finally got around to putting "Cancelled" in large letters on top of the event page on Meetup. Mind you, she's still down as organiser of the next two of their monthly events - I hope they don't go the way of tonight's!

So to Plan B for tonight - a film. Checking what films were actually showing, I was down to three at 7.4. One was a music documentary I just wasn't interested in. One was Anti-Social, based on the real-life jewellery heists by thieves disguised in burqas.(Down to 7.3 now again, interestingly.) But it's generally showing only at about 11pm! and the only place where it's showing earlier is all the way over the other side of town, in Barking. Tube practically to the end of the line, then a bus. Over an hour each way.

So that left The Age of Adaline. This is proving very popular, but I wasn't sure how interested I was in it myself. Still, it's showing in my local Vue, within walking distance. And it was a beautiful evening for a stroll. Plus, Helen had introduced me to a listings site, Londonist, which had a link for an offer on Vue tickets. I only just remembered that today, and bought myself a cheap ticket voucher from Yplan. Then it turned out I was supposed to redeem it on their phone app - but it's not compatible with my phone! Then, when I opened the ticket on my computer, there was no barcode or reference number! Aargh! Had I wasted my money?!

What a day I was having. Anyway, I went and had lunch, and afterwards, my reference number and QR code had magically appeared - seems there's a delay. Unable to access them from my phone, I printed them out - the QR code came out very large. And later this evening, I set off in brilliant sunshine to try my luck. At the cinema, the shorter queue was for a quite young-looking lad. Oh dear, I thought. But he turned out to be quite knowledgeable, knew all about Yplan. He wasn't used to such a big QR code though.. the scanner wouldn't accept it, and he held it in front of himself and backed further and further away until the scanner blinked green. Excellent! I foresee a future of cheaper cinema for myself.. might try to print it smaller in future though!

There's a row of seats with an aisle in front, and I sat there - no legroom problems, then. Unfortunately, I found myself forced to sit through another trailer for Pitch Perfect 2.. it was a relief when the feature started.

The Age of Adaline is essentially a fairytale. Adaline is involved in a freak accident at the age of 29, and thereafter never ages. So she spends her life running, living in isolation - until true love comes a-knocking. Ellen Burstyn plays her daughter (in later life), Harrison Ford is the guy who knew her long ago, meets her again and recognises her for who she is, still young while he is old.

A newspaper review of this film remarked that if this were a real cure for aging, starlets would flock to try it. I really wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, though! It could've been so silly - it isn't. It's got a dreamlike quality, helped by a wistful narrative in parts, but mostly by the ethereal Blake Lively, who stars as Adaline. Frankly, she's stunning in this. She's magnetic - it occurred to me that you would want someone to play Adaline who could be believable in different eras, and she is perfect. She glides elegantly through the film, exuding the air of someone who really has seen it all, really does know it all, and is slightly aloof. Until she isn't, anymore, near the end.

It's also an unexpectedly touching film. I kept bursting into tears. Ironically, one of the Meetup groups saw this yesterday - I'm rather glad I saw it alone, I'd have been embarrassed. Goes to show though - these ratings do mean something. If it's this highly rated, it's likely to be good.. I'm rather glad now that my other event was cancelled, or I might never have got to see this!

For tomorrow, the Meetup group All Things Baroque is off to Tintinnabuli. I'm not a member because you have to fill out an information sheet about things Baroque, and I don't really know enough about it! I just like it. So I Googled the event, and discovered it's a concert by the Tallis Scholars, in Cadogan Hall, not far away. Lovely - I booked one of the few remaining tickets.

I'm back in Ireland for the weekend, and heading to see the comedian Pat Shortt perform in Glór on Saturday.

I have another Meetup booked for Monday - with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club again! This time, it's in the Soho Theatre, so might be a bit more conventional.

On Tuesday, I'm back with the Film Nite Meetup group, who are having a discussion about the film Gone Girl. I love that film, and am looking forward to the talk. It's in Soho House again - I should find it more easily this time!

Finally, on Wednesday, I'm attending my first meeting with the London European club, who are having a talk about Ireland, of all things! Should be interesting.