Even with wanting to practice for the sponsored walk I'm doing with Helen in September, this would have been a bit far to walk. With no direct route from the office, I was looking at a combination of train and Tube - or buses. I could just about manage to get there by bus in under an hour - ok then. I picked the route that started at the bus stop just down from the office - I see they've finished fixing the pavement there, and reopened the stop, finally: wow, roadworks that actually finish! Naturally, the 176 was just leaving as I arrived. And it was a cold, long wait for the next one - watching 24 after 29 after 24 pass by, but neither would do.
"At last!", as the American-sounding guy waiting with me remarked when we did see the 176. And, following heavy traffic in town, we made good time to Elephant & Castle. Where I had to shuffle up to the next stop along to catch the 63 (or 363) - my luck was in with buses for the rest of the night, and a 63 just arrived as I was pushing my way through the crowd. And the driver saw me, and waited for me. A squalling baby entertained us for the rest of the journey, until mummy fed him, and I hopped off at last at Peckham Rye.
Now, I was headed for the CLF Art Café - and my, was I glad of Google Maps at this point. Not a sign of it could I see - so I dutifully followed the line on my map, which would lead me down an alleyway to the right. Happily, when I got there, there was a big sign for the café. Great! Especially as it's quite narrow just there, and doesn't look as though it leads to anything. A sign painted on the wall gives more reassurance.
They were just opening this place when I arrived (the marquee to the side is for bikes) - no sign for the café there though, so I passed on down the alley. Found an art gallery where a showing was in progress, went right around the corner, and decided I'd come too far. Sure enough, Google Maps agreed with me, and I headed back again. Had a closer look at a doorway I'd passed, with a stairway inside - well, there was a sign for the CLF Café! Up some steep stairs. So, up I climbed, and there were some of the group, mooching around, waiting for the doors to open - they should have been open by now. People were streaming into a yoga class across the hall. Fortunately, we had one enterprising member scouting for us - and you'll never guess: the above-pictured door IS the entrance. In my humble opinion, they could do with a sign, somewhere around the door itself.. We'd ended up at the back door.
So, up some more stairs to a warehouse space, slightly sticky floor, bar to the side. They took our names at the door - but, at least at this early stage, didn't seem pushed about checking them off the list, and just gave us wristbands:
A few sofas ringed the performance space - they brought out folding chairs later. The set list was pasted to the walls and pillars around the space.
Nice, cheap drinks - only one wine (of each colour) on the menu, and only one size, but I was happy with what I got for £4. Plastic glasses. Not sure what the tray of champagne flutes at the back of the bar was for.. Anyway, a couple of us nabbed stools at the bar, and had a nice, elevated view of proceedings for the first half. There might have been seating, but not nearly enough for everyone; the place was packed.
Nice vibe here - you could chat, text, drink away merrily during the performance: although I did notice that bar service seemed to stop (I didn't test it), and the crowd generally kept quiet, breaking into clapping and cheering at the end of pieces. A sophisticated classical audience too, knowing not to clap at the end of movements within a piece. Mind you, the room was cold.. I don't think there was any heating, and to top it all, after a while they started with air conditioning. My companion left at the interval, feeling too cold to stay.
The musicians are part of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE). And this was part of their Night Shift series, bringing classical music to unusual places, apparently about once a month - another of those terrific ideas. The programme was baroque - lots of British, lots of Purcell. Solo pieces for cello and for harpsichord (and they make a point, on the website, about having to bring it up in the lift!) - but of all the pieces, I think my favourite was the one they started with: Pachelbel's Canon, which is a sublime piece of music. They finished with a jolly hanging song, getting us to sing along. Truly recommended - good luck to them; they're looking for patronage, I see. Like everyone - the arts are always underfunded.
At the interval, once my companion left I went down the back to join the others, losing my seat. But I was ok for such time as was left. And afterwards, we tried the café downstairs, only to find that it was just closing - early, it was only about 10:15! Well, we followed our noses down the alleyway, and found a cosy pub on the corner, complete with dj. Drinks ever so slightly more expensive (80p or so), but served in glass. And a yummy range of Kettle crisps. And an interesting chat was had until they threw us out - and it not even yet 11! Well, we wended our way home - them to the station, me to the bus stop, which, handily enough, was even closer. The 12 would have taken me straight home - but as it happened, the 363 came right away, and it was cold enough not to make the decision to hop on it a hard one. And although I had to change, the 453 came along within a few seconds - which was much appreciated, as I felt the full blast of the Arctic conditions when I finally got off, and had to walk the last bit home.
Tonight, London Literary Walks is doing the Sloane Ranger. Rain forecast, and the organiser has offered to redo the walk next month - but consensus among those of us there last night was that we'd risk tonight. And although it did rain on me just as I got to the office, it's supposed to have cleared by evening, and we should be ok. Still freezing though - I'm back in a woolly jumper today, complete with scarf. And I have gloves.
Tomorrow, Helen and I are on an Underground treasure hunt, courtesy of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts. TFL goodies to be won, it seems.. Handily, I have no meetings scheduled for that day, so we have time to eat beforehand - I'll head off a bit early, to meet her at Waterloo, where we'll eat; the event is at Green Park, but there's little that's cheap to eat nearby, and what there is, is crowded. Then back to Ireland for the bank holiday weekend - which I'd forgotten was a bank holiday, or I'd have stayed over an extra day!
Instead, for Monday, I've booked The Ferryman, with London Dramatic Arts (LDAM), at the Royal Court.
On Tuesday, London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less have advertised a talk called Origin of Vampires: Fact or Fiction? One I'm unlikely to cancel.
Next Wednesday, London Literary Walks is off around Gloucester Road.
On 4 May, Let's Do London - for less! is off on its last scheduled trip to the opera house - the occasion is Mayerling, my favourite ballet, and is sold out by now, I see. We have tickets in both slips and amphitheatre, as usual. The clock is counting down on remaining Meetups for this most excellent group - we're already feeling the pinch of its events being scheduled less frequently.
On 5 May, I'd bought a ticket to Nell Gwynn, at the Globe - then it turned out that LDAM is going on the same night! (Buy Your Own Ticket.) As the organiser said, it must be fate.. it'll certainly be nice to have company. Odd venue for them, though - I know the organiser doesn't like it.
And on 6 May, I'm joining the LEC for a classical concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Oh joy, they're playing Beethoven's 9th..
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