Well, it has become our custom to eat at the Castletroy Park Hotel across the road from the university, and so we did yesterday - had to park on the far side of the entrance, but otherwise no problems, we got a decent table despite the crowd. As the song says.. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..
Had to ask a second person for the menu, but that second person turned out to be quite efficient, so 'twas for the best. The menu had varied a bit, which was a relief - my mother's usual salmon, and the usual soup (which I find very tasty, and always have), but for main course I had the beef and vegetable curry. Which was also very tasty! And when the server found out that my mother's sauce hadn't arrived on the side - which she swore she'd specifically asked them to do - she offered to change the dish; when my mother said no, it was ok, she said our bill would be discounted instead. Dessert for us both was a lemon and meringue tart - the lemon was zesty enough, but the meringue was nondescript. And I don't know by how much our bill was discounted, but it was still reasonably high.
On our way out, we passed the gingerbread model of the hotel they'd made for charity:
We waddled out to the car, suitably stuffed, and exchanged the Christmas decorations of the Castletroy Park for the Christmas decorations of UCH:
..and hunkered down for a long wait (we were quite early). We didn't want any more to eat or drink.. at one point, I went in search of a programme, but none were to be seen. When the doors finally opened - a bit late - we took our seats, which were slightly more central than they should have been, owing to the fact that another couple had taken them, and asked whether that was ok. (?) Eh, ok then..
What followed was enjoyable enough, but singularly the worst organised event I've been to in ages. I saw several people with programmes, and went in search of them at the interval - to no avail. I wanted to book tickets for something else, and went to the box office at the interval - it's usually open at the interval during an event, but it must be that Christmas feeling - they'd already locked up and gone home! And in the second half, there were words to a carol in the programme (apparently) that we were to sing along to - except they couldn't find anyone to get the house lights up so they could be read. Not to mention that none of the conductors were mic'ed, and we couldn't hear properly what they were saying to us..
So. I don't really know what we were listening to, since I never did get a look at a programme, but the first half was classical - Borodin's Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven's Egmont Overture, according to the brief blurb on the publicity. The second half opened with a couple of youth choirs, both with the same conductor, who performed pleasing, unusual programmes, of both of which we only recognised one piece; the first choir opened with the lovely Carol of the Bells, and the second finished with Jingle Bells (and a smile). Sadly, I can't tell you who they were, having had no programme.. Finally, the orchestra came back on, all bedecked with tinsel and Santa hats. I really wished I had my phone on, to snap the cello section, all with Santa hats over the heads of their cellos.. They ended with a carol medley, and it was obvious that the audience would've liked to sing along - well, my section sang snippets most heartily - but it wasn't designed for that.
Hey-ho, it wasn't over too late. Still too late to blog, given that I had to take my mother to Mass today. And the day was too hectic to blog thereafter, till I got back to Blighty. Tomorrow - not much on Meetup, if I don't fancy - heh - exercising. Carpe Diem is off to the Southbank Market - now that sounds like a plan, I haven't hardly done any Christmas shopping yet! However, not only are they charging a fiver - and you know, in a group I mightn't have time to do that shopping - but then they're off to St. Paul's, which I've seen quite enough of. So my plan is to hit the market on my own - perhaps head to Winter Wonderland, which is bigger, if I don't see what I want there.
Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Man with the Hat opens his busy Christmas season - on Tuesday, he's taking London for Less Than a Tenner (and Let's Do London - for less!, it's that borderline £10 price again) to Soho Theatre, for a play called Underneath, about which I hear good things. Anyway, it's by Fishamble, which is ample recommendation. They don't do bad.
And on Wednesday, London for Less Than a Tenner is off to the cinema! Pop-up, "Cinema in the Snow" - we're in Hackney Showroom, where they're apparently treating us to fake snow and real hot chocolate. :-) Oh, and we enter through a wardrobe. Kewl.. The film? Elf. Well hey, it's festive..!
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